The Lrtesisn Wells of Colorado. 
AND THEIR RELATION TO IRRIGATION. 
By L. G. CARPENTER. 
This bulletin has arisen from the investigation of 
artesian and other phreatic waters of the plains which 
was ordered by Congress in April, 1890, and put in the 
charge of the Department of Agriculture, with Richard 
J. Hinton, special agent in charge, Robert Hay chief 
geologist and E. S. Nettleton chief engineer. The writer 
had to do with the collection of information in Colorado 
and New Mexico, and from the data then collected, most 
of that which pertains to the region east of the moun¬ 
tains is derived, with the permission of the Department. 
That in regard to the San Luis Valley, which was beyond 
the limit set for that investigation, is largely derived from 
personal investigation, mostly made since the close of the 
investigation referred to. The reports of the Con¬ 
gressional investigation are contained in Executive Docu¬ 
ment No. 222 of the Fifty-first Congress, first session. In 
this report some seventy pages are given to the wells of* 
Colorado, especially those of the Denver basin, and as 
they are described in detail, it will not be attempted to 
describe them here. It may be added that the above 
investigation, with increased scope, is being continued 
under the same gentlemen, and promises information of 
much value in regard to the water resources and possi¬ 
bilities of the Western plains. 
By an artesian well is ordinarily meant a flowing 
well. The name was associated with the province of 
Artois, in France, from which a knowledge of them 
