i •^ i . ■ . \ S6- Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 184 Sflriflq / ^' Pnniping "^ater, 13 '\ '^"^^ 1 0, Underground Waters, 65 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, Director THE UNDERFLOW OF THE SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY BY Charles S. Slichter and Henry C. Wolff WASHINGTON government printing office 1906 Glass ^j ^.- , Book ^^y- Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/underflowofsouthOOslic Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 184 Sflfifis / ^' Puinping Water, 13 ^®"®^ \ 0, Underground Waters, 65 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED SPATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES I>. WAU'OTT, Dikkctok THE UNDERFLOW SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY Charles S. Slighter and Henry C. Wolff WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1906 • oo^y (>^c ^ DEC 4 1906 n AST f X CONTENTS. Page. Location and purpose of the investigations 5 Water- bearinc; gravels 6 Conditions at Sterling, Colo 8 Investigations at Ogalalla, Nebr 9 Velocity and direction of the underflow 9 Quantity of the underflow 12 Chemical analyses of water -12 Underflow ditch at Ogalalla 15 Disadvantages of underflow canals 22 Investigations at Xorth Platte, Nebr 23 Slope of the water plane * 23 North Platte city waterworks pumping plant 25 Springs and artesian water of Bird wood Creek 26 Suggestions for the construction of small pumping plants 29 Kind of wells adapted to the South Platte gravels 29 Amount of water that can be obtained 29 Distance between wells 30 Kind of pump 33 Method of priming pumps 84 Pipe fittings 34 Source of power 35 Economical distance water may be lifted 35 Storage reservoirs _ 35 Cost of pumping 36 Appendix 38 Index 41 3 ILLUSTRATIONS. Fig. 1. Cross section of South Platte Valley at Ogalalla, Nebr 10 2. Map of Hollingsworth underflow ditch, Ogalalla, Nebr 1 17 3. Diagram showing discharge over weirs Nos. 1, 2, and 3 in the Hol- lingsworth underflow ditch and the elevation of the water in the river between August 6 and 21, 1905 18 4. Diagram showing discharge of Hollingsworth underflow ditch from 8 a. m. August 20 to 3 p. m. August 21, 1905 19 5. Diagram showing discharge of Hollingsworth underflow ditch and the temperature of the water and the air August 24, 1905 19 6. Diagram showing discharge of Hollingsworth underflow ditch and the temperature of the water and the air August 27 and 28, 1905. 20 7. Profile of water plane at line of test wells near the head of the Hol- lingsworth underflow ditch 21 8. Diagram showing change in elevation of the ground water at North Platte, Nebr., between 1890 and 1905 24 9. Map of city waterworks pumping plant at North Platte, Nebr 26 10. Diagram showing the position of the water plane and the coarse water-bearing gravel near the head of West Birdwood Creek 28 11. Diagram of a pumping plant in the Arkansas Valley for recovering water from a dug well provided with seven galvanized-iron strain- ers or feeders 31 12. Suggested arrangement of wells and pump for a plant designed to recover 2,500 gallons of water per minute 32 13. Diagram showing relative shape of standard and "long sweep" pipe fittings 35 4 THE UXDEIIFLOW OF THE SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY. BvC. S. Slighter and 11. (\ Wolff. LOCATION AND PURPOSE OF THE INVESTIGATIONS. Investigations were begun in the middle of July, 1905, in that part of the South Platte Valley extending from Sterling, Colo., to North Platte, Nebr. The purpose of the survey was to determine what resources, if any, existed in the underflow waters of the valley and whether it was practicable to make use of such waters, if they were found to exist in suitable quantities, for purposes of irrigation. The greater part of the work was carried on at Ogalalla, Nebr. This point was selected for several reasons; primarily for the fact that an underflow^ canal on the south side of the river at this place has been in successful operation for several years and has attracted the atten- tion of those interested in -irrigating the bottom lands of the valley. It was thought that valuable information might be obtained from observations on the operation of this canal, concerning not only the practicability of recovering ground water by the gravity method, but also the extent of the deposits of water-bearing gravels and the ease with which they yield water under small heads. Again, while the conditions found existing at this point are probably not in all respects typical for the valley in western Nebraska, the results obtained can be applied to any part of the valley. In the eastern part of Colorado and in the western part of Nebraska the South Platte Valley ranges from 6 to 8 miles in width. Near Ogalalla it narrows down to about 2 miles and holds approximately this width to Sutherland, Nebr., a distance of about 32 miles. Below Sutherland the valleys of South Platte and North Platte rivers unite and form a broad, low tract of land west of the city of North Platte. From Sterling, Colo., to Ogalalla the direction of the South Platte Valley is about N. 80° E.; from Ogalalla to North Platte the direc- tion is almost due east. In western Nebraska the river has cut to a depth of 1 50 to 300 feet in the Ogalalla formation, with steep bluffs on the north side, but with more gentle slopes rising to the rolling uplands on the south. The Ogalalla formation is a deposit of sand, gravel, and calcareous 5 6 UN'DERFLOW OF SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY. grit, from which the river sands were, for the most part, derived by the washing out of the fine sand, silt, and cementing material. Lodgepole Creek, the only tributary of any size, joins the South Platte from the west near the Colorado-Nebraska State line. This stream has cut down into the Brule" clay and is fed by spring water from the overlying Ogalalla formation. At places the surface flow is entirely taken out for purposes of irrigation. The river itself occupies a sandy stretch from 1,500 to 2,500 feet in width. During low stages the river flows in this wide bed in numer- ous interlocking small streams, among which it is difficult to select the principal channel. Much of the bottom land near the river is low and swainpy. These low bottoms vary greatly in width at different places, and at points where the width is considerable they leave but a small area of land suitable for irrigation. Above the bottom lands the valley slopes gently away from the channel, here and there in two or three distinct levels, but at many places in a gradual rise without noticeable benches, to the base of the escarpment that borders the uplands on either side of the river. The uplands or table-lands within which the river has cut its valley have the well-known level topography of the High Plains of western Kansas and Nebraska. Numerous irrigation canals have been taken out of South Platte River at various points in Colorado and Nebraska. As a rule these canals carry water to the bottom lands only. At no place between Sterling and North Platte has it been practicable to construct a canal to convey water to the uplands, owing to their elevation. Where the irrigation systems have been properly constructed and maintained the results have been very satisfactory, except during the middle and end of the irrigating season, when the farmers complain of the shortage of water — a complaint frequently heard in irrigation districts. In order to augment the low-stage supply of water several reservoirs have been constructed in the South Platte Valley in Colo ado. WATER-BEARING GRAVELS. Inasmuch as irrigation must of necessity be confined to the bottom lands of the valley, it is especially important to know to what extent these lands can be irrigated by means of water drawn from the underflow of the river. This point was kept well in mind during the investigations. The gradient of the river channel along this portion of its course averages about 8 feet to the mile. The alluvial deposits consist of a coarse sand, with which are mixed gravels of various sizes up to peb- bles 1 inch in diameter. The larger pebbles are not deposited in separate streaks, but are scattered through and mixed with the coarse sand of the river deposits. In this respect the sands of the South Platte difl^er materially from the sands of Arkansas River in western WATEK-BEARTNG ORAVKLS. 7 Kansas, in which (ho lari^or pcbl)les arc nsually absent. Moreover, the South Phitte sands are fairly free from deposits of quicksand and fnic silt. The presence of the large pebbles in the coarse sands of the South Platte deposits renders this material an excellent water-bearing gravel, especially well adapted for the construction of wells of large capacity. B3' the use of proper strainers the smaller particles can })e removed from the immediate neighborhood of a well, so that the water can be collected through the coarser material that is left. Gravel of tliis kind was found wherever sought between Sterling and North Platte, and it is believed that there is no considerable area in this part of the valley which is not underlain with similar gravel. In order to determine the amount of water that can be obtained from such gravels by means of suitably constructed w^ells and pump- ing machinery, it was planned to test wdierever practicable the capacity of existing wells in the valley. It was found, however, that so few pumping plants had been constructed that it was not possible to get together a very large amount of data bearing on this point; but such tests a§ could be made indicate that wells of liigli capacity can be very economically constructed and that no difficulty will be experienced in the recovery of water in quantities suitable for irrigation. The reconnaissance work indicated that there is very little differ- ence in the water-bearing gravel between Sterhng, Colo., and Ogalalla, Nebr. The valley varies considerably in width, but the w ater-bearing material seems to be fairly uniform. From fig. 1 (p. 10) it will be seen that the rver gravels are not very deep or extensive at Ogalalla; all the test wells, with one exception, were driven completely through the deposit. At station 1, 200 feet south of the north bank of the river, good water-bearing gravel was found at a depth of 85 feet, where driving ceased. The average depth of the gravel between stations 9 and 4 was found to be about 40 feet. At the edges of the valley, beyond these stations, the gravels probably tliin out very abruptly, for at the section line shown at the right of the figure and in the bluffs shown at the left appears the undisturbed formation within which the valley is cut. Fine material was encountered in but a single instance, about 200 feet south of the south bank of the river. This station was located in a portion of the old river bed, now a swamp in process of being filled up by decaying vegetation, blowing sand, and silt deposited by the river at times of flood. The upper 25 feet of sand within the river bed is very much cleaner and its effective size probably much greater than that found elsewhere in this part of the valley. At a depth of about 25 feet there is a marked change, the sands below containing a slightly increased proportion of smaller grains, together with a very small b UNDERFLOW OF SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY. amount of argillaceous material. The line of separation of the upper from the lower sands is about on a level with the lower limit of the river deposits on either side of the channel. The origin of the two classes of deposits probably lies in part in the fact that the fine mate- rial brought in by the lateral component of the underflow works its way downward to the deep deposits by the constant subdivision and mingUng of the water as it flows through the capillary spaces between the sand grains, and in part in the tendency of the ground water, which flows in from both sides, to come eventually to the surface and wash out and carry downstream with it a considerable amount of fine material. The gravels in all cases where test wells were put down have a sharply defined lower liinit, resting upon a soft formation of sand (usually very fine) and calcareous grit. In places, however, the material is so firmly cemented that it offered considerable resistance to the driving of the test wells. This underlying material is practi- cally impervious, as in only a few cases was it possible to draw water from it, and even then only with great difficulty. CONDITIONS AT STERLING, COLO. At Sterling the valley of the South Platte is very wide. A pump- ing plant constructed for the purpose of irrigation is located on the Johnson ranch, on the east side of the river. The dug well used in connection with this plant was so poorly sheeted up that large quan- tities of sand entered the pump, making the test unsatisfactory. It will be very easy, at small expense, to so modify the well that the sand will be kept away from the pump, after which there will be no difiiculty about obtaining a large supply of water. In the vicinity of Sterling the water-bearing gravels extend to a depth of 40 to 80 feet below the surface, and there is unquestionably an ample supply of water for a large number of moderate-sized pump- ing plants. It is believed that the best method of recovering the ground water at this point is by means of wells and pumping machin- ery, either owned by the individual farmers or operated by electricity from a central plant. Considerable interest is taken at the present time in this locality in the growing of sugar beets, and a large sugar factory has already been constructed. It may be practicable to dis- tribute power from this factory during the irrigation season to a number of farmers who live in the neighborhood, for the purpose of procuring a sufficient supply of ground water for the irrigation of the beet and other crops suitable to this locality. It is not believed advisable to put in large pumping stations designed to take out a large amount of ground water at any one place. It seems evident that it is more economical to restrict the amount of ground water taken out at any one place to about 2,500 gallons a minute, rather INVESTIGATIONS AT OGALALLA, NEBR. 9 than attempt to ^ot a fxroater supply. A nuinber oi luudcratc-sized plants will bo found to be much more economical and satisfactory in the lonj; run tiian a f(>\v lar<;(> plants. INVESTIGATIONS AT OGALALLA, NEBR. VELOCITY AND DIRECTION OF rUK UNDERFLOW. At Ogalalla a series of test wells was sunk in a neai'ly nortli and south line across the valley and careful det(n-miiiations were made of the extent and quality- of the water-bearing material and of the actual rate of movement of the underflow. The rate of movement of the ground water was determined by the- electrical method." The investigation showed that there is a true underflow at this point, the ground waters moving downstream with a velocity varying from 2.3 to 13.6 feet per twenty-four hours. The average velocity of eight determinations was found to be 6.4 feet per twenty-four hours, with an average direction of about N. 88° E. Fig. 1 gives a cross section of the valley, looking downstream, showing the location of the test wells, the extent of the alluvial deposits, and the position of the water plane. The numbers within the circles give the velocity of the underflow in feet per twenty-four hours at the various stations for a depth corresponding to the position of the numbers. These velocities are also given in Table I. With the exception of the three highest velocities (13.6 and 12 feet per twenty- four hours, found near the surface of the river channel, and 9.2 feet per twenty-four hours, found at station 9) the rate was very uni- form, ranging from 2.3 to 4.4 feet per day. The water-bearing gravels of this section may be classified with reference to velocities of underflow into four distinct portions — the portion north of the river, within which the mean of the velocities was 6.8 feet per day; the portion south of the river, within which the mean of the two velocity determinations gave 3.55 feet per day; the portion within the river channel down to a depth of 25 feet, witliin which two tests were made giving the two highest velocities; and the portion within the river channel below the 25-foot line, within 'which the remaining two of the eight velocity determinations gave a mean flow of but 2.55 feet per day. From Table I it will be seen that the two veloci- ties found within euch section are nearly equal, but differ very much from velocities found in other sections. The lowest velocit}^ was found at station 1, 85 feet below the river bed, the deepest point at which a velocity test was made. The high velocities at the shallow depths within the river channel may be due to the fact that the sand of the upper 25 feet is exceedingly clean and contains practically no very fine material. a Water-Sup. and Irr. Paper No. 110, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1905, pp. 17-31. 10 UNDERFLOW OF SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY. QUARTER SECT/ON Lll o: rvi N 55 'b ( ^ ? ^ } 1 1 ' 9 < / s> 1 '. 1 i ■ ), > I ■ .? f \ ' V ' f \ ' S: 1 / fO k 4c ^ A A 1 J; M ■TV, '1 \ ^. \/ .^ ^ 5 \ l^ (\l / ^ J f 5 % 6 \\ ■a " to i; i \- / / < Vt J. n o — o .9 S ^•^. ^ o § ? OS ^ fe S S M T) -G H fl " l5 § 2 « m ft I g :}3?j-puooss fssj UNDERFLOW DITCH AT OGALALLA. 19 the ditch by ch'aj]:;o;ing ji log tlu'oul 1 0- tej> "1 h ■? y ^ \ \«^ ^ ^ "O V 'O '^ Feet north of ditch ^ 10 to K 00 Feet south of ditch Fig. 7.— Profile of water plane at line of test wells near the head of the Hollingsworth underflow ditch The position of this cross section is given on the map (fig. 2, p. 17). minimum slope of the underflow 'ditch is 0.7 foot per thousand. The cost of construction was about $3,000, including at the standard rate the time of the owner and of his teams used in the construction. The ditch requires cleaning at frequent intervals — at least once every two years — in order to remove the vegetation and the sand which tends to gradually ooze up from the bottom and fill the canal. From a financial standpoint the underflow ditch is about on a par with a pumping plant of the same capacity in the same location. The cost of operation is not very different from the cost of operating a Corhss condensing engine and centrifugal pump connected to a battery of driven wells, and there is little difference in the first cost. A pump- ing plant in one respect would be very much more satisfactory, inasmuch as there is constant danger that the underflow ditch will become a total loss at any time, owning to an unusually heavy flood in the river brealdng over the banks and filling it or washing it out. 22 UNDEEFLOW OF SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY. DISADVANTAGES OF UNDERFLOW CANALS. As stated above (p. 18), the percolation into the HoUingsworth infiltration canal, for each square foot of percolating surface, amounted to only 0.01 to 0.02 gallon per minute, under 1 foot head. Tubular wells constructed in the same gravels show a specific capacity of 0.25 to 0.5 gallon of water per minute for each square foot of strainer surface, under 1 foot head. The low specific capacity of the underflow canal is due not only to the obstruction of the sand, through which the water must pass by vegetation and slime, but mainly to the fact that stratified gravels do not readily transmit water across or per- pendicular to the direction of the bedding. When tubular wells are put down vertically in bedded gravsl, the coarser streaks of gravel drain the water into the well strainer and the capacity of the well is determined largely by the coarsest layers of the gravels encountered. In the underflow ditch the water must reach the surface by passing across the various beds of gravel, and the finest layer of sand controls the rate at which the water can enter the canal. On this account wells that penetrate gravels perpendicular to the bedding are much preferred to horizontal wells or to underflow canals that must follow the direction of the bedding. For the same reasons a deep tubular well of small diameter will furnish much more water than a shallow dug well of large diameter. An underflow ditch is also undesirable on account of the inelasticity in the amount of water which it will yield. The distance to which the water level is lowered by the underflow canal is fixed at the time of construction, and the daily yield can not be increased beyond a certain maximum; in fact, at the very time when the most water is needed — say in the month of August — the yield of the underflow canal will be near its minimum value. When water is recovered by pumping from tubular wells, the vacuum of the pumps can be increased for short intervals of time to correspond to the increased demand for water. It should also be noted that very few infiltration or underflow canals are in actual use for irrigation purposes. There are many pumping plants in use for irrigation which have turned out to be both practicable and financially profitable; but the attempts to secure ground water by gravity have usually proved disappointing and there are numerous abandoned underflow canals in many parts of the West. An underflow ditch was constructed in 1890 in the valley of Arkansas River near Hartland, Kans., about 12 miles west of Deerfield, for the purpose of furnishing water to the Great Eastern canal. In the sum- mer following its construction the flow from the canal amounted to a little over 5,000 gallons per minute. Water from the river over- flowed the ditch during a flood and partially filled it with sediment; at I INVESTIGATIONS AT NORTH PLATTK, NEBR. 23 the saiiK^ t iiiu> t ho i;ra\(>ls in 1 he hoi torn of [hv ciuial sli()\\('(l ;i tciHlcncj'^ to work t luMiisclvcs ii])\v:ir(l hv slow movement to (lie le\'el of the ground water, euttiu same history as the one at llartland. 1'he J)enver Union Water Company put an underflow gaflery in Cherry Creek, at a cost of $200,000, and succeeded in developing only 5 second-feet of water. An expensive infiltration canal neai' Sacaton, Ariz., .on the Gila Indian Reservation, was wholly inisuccessful. A gravity infiltration canal constructed on Cimarron River near Englewood, Kans., consisted of 900 feet of stave pipe and 2,000 feet of open canal. A flood in the river filled the canal with sand ' and mud soon after its completion, and it was a total failure. INVESTIGATIONS AT NORTH PLATTE, NEBR. SLOPE OF THE WATER PLANE. Several miles of levels were run at North Platte to determine the slope of the water plane toward the bottom lands, both south and north of South Platte and North Platte rivers, and to determine w^hether or not the position of the w^ater plane had changed since 1890, when W. W. Follett plotted the elevation of water in a north- south line of wells crossing the Platte Valley at tliis point. In the lower part of fig. 8 the wells used by Mr. Follett are represented by dots and those used by the field party in 1905 are represented by small circles. In the upper part of the figure is represented the eleva- tion of the water in these wells. South of the river the water plane was found at about the same ele- vation as determined by the line of levels run by Mr. Follett; but on the north side, wdtliin the sand-hill district, the water plane was about 18 feet lower than it was in 1890. The low^ering of the ground w-ater on the north side of the river, where its source is the ramfall upon the sand area, may be due partly to the fact that within tliis period there has been an unusually^ large number of years when the precipitation was much less than the normal. The amount of ground water removed from the wells is insignificant. The sand-hill country is used for cattle grazing, and wliile the number of cattle on the range is probably not as great at present as formerly, during dry years it is always greatly overgrazed. This may be the principal cause of the lower water level. Stearns's well, shown at the north end of the line of levels, was drilled during the spring of 1905. u VUDBUFLOW OF SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY. '^•W.iireternitz well 0, il/M.sferns well 3 Francis {Montagues I well Fig. 8. — Diagram showing change in elevation of the ground water at North Platte, Nebr., between 1890 and 1905. The location of the wells used by W. W. Follett in 1890 to determine the elevation of the water plane is shown on the map by black dots. The circles show the location of the wells used to determine the elevation of the water plane in 1905. |i INVESTIGATIONS AT NORTH TLATTE, NEBR. 25 NORTH PLATTE CITY WATERWORKS PUMPINO PLANT. In the plant of the North Platte waterworks two lO^-mch duplex double-action steam pumps are connected to a gang of 28 6-mch wells and deliver water imder direct pressure. In fig. 9 the wells are numbered from 1 to 28. The second number for each well represents its depth m feet. Wells 1 to 22 have screens made of perforated brass about 4 feet long; wells 23 to 28 have 12-foot Cook strainers; all are provided with a 4-inch suction pipe. September 15 and 16, 1905, observations were made at this plant to determine, if possible, the approximate specific capacity of the gravels in this part of the valley. On these days the south pump (H) only was running, and wells 6, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 were gated off, leaving only 19 wells from which water was pumped. Well 14 was open and offered an opportunity for measuring the fluctuation of the water level at this point due to different rates of pumping at differ- ent hours of the day. These measurements are given in column 4 of Table V. Table V. — Observed and computed, data from test of city vmterworTcs pumping station at North Platte, Nehr., September 15-16, 1905. 1. 2. 1 3. 1 4. 1 5. 1 6. 7. 1 8. Observed data. Computed data. Time. Time for 20 cycles ofpump. Vacuimi gage. Depth of water Length of stroke of pump. Depth of water below normal. of aban- doned well. North cylinder. South cylinder. In aban- doned well. In pumped wells. September 15: 11 a. m Seconds. 39.2 37.2 35.8 32.8 30.7 33.2 30.7 31 29.8 45 106 100 91 93 67.3 61.4 43 43 Inches mercury. 11 11.5 11.4 12.4 13 12.6 12.9 12.9 13.1 10.7 9 9 9 9 9 9.5 10 10.4 Feet. 5.38 5.66 5.84 6.03 6.25 6.41 6.54 6.64 6.73 6.30 5.10 4.76 4.66 4.63 4.62 4.86 5.06 5.15 Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. 12 m 1 p.m 0.86 .90 0.93 .96 1.54 1.73 3.15 2 p. m 3.55 3 p.m 4 p. m. . . .88 .89 .96 .98 2.11 2.24 4.35 5 p.m . . . . 4.60 6 p.m 7 p.m. .90 .78 .58 .58 .58 .60 .64 .97 .88 .84 .81 .82 .82 .85 2.43 4.97 8.15 p.m 10.10 p.m 12 night. .. . .46 .36 .90 September 16: 2 a. m ,70 4 a. m 6.30 a. m 8.30 a. m 9.30 a. m .82 .88 .76 1.55 10.20 a. m Note. — Specific capacity of gravels =0.31 gallon per minute. Assumed slip of pump = 10 per cent. The readings of a vacuum gage inserted in the suction pipe just before it enters the pump are given in colunm 3 of Table V. These readings are very rough, since the gage fluctuated badly with the stroke of the pump, and the true vacuum could only be estimated. But from the large number of gage readings taken over a considerable 26 UNDEEFLOW OF SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY. EIGHTH STREET range, together with the readings taken on the open well, the com- puted values in columns 7 and 8 of the table can not be far from cor- rect. Fom the data in columns 5, 6, and 8 the specific capacity of the sands was found to be about 0.3 gallon per minute, the slip of the pump being assumed to be 10 percent. The specific capacity of a well is a numerical statement of the readiness with which the well furnishes water. It expresses the amount of water furnished per square foot of strainer sur- face, if the water level is low- ered but 1 foot. This amount is large in the case of a good well and small in the case of a poor well.'' In the present case each square foot of strain- er surface in the wells furnished an average of 0.3 gallon of water per minute under 1 foot head. This is a large amount and indicates an excellent grade of water-bearing mate- rial. This specific capacity can probably be relied on for wells in the South Platte Val- ley. The waterworks at North Platte are in constant opera- tion, so that the specific ca- pacity measured above is the value after long- continued pumping has taken place, and hence a minimum amount. SPRINGS AND ARTESIAN WATER OF BIRDWOOD CREEK. Birdwood Creek, a perennial stream with a low-stage flow of about 150 second-feet and with a drainage area almost entirely within the sand hills, enters North Platte River about 16 miles west of North Platte, Nebr. The head of the stream is ftearly 20 miles to the north. It has only two branches; one is a very small stream entering the creek near its head; the other. West Birdwood Creek, flows in an easterly direction a distance of nearly 14 miles and joins the main SEVENTH STREET Fig. 9.— Map of the city waterworks pumping plant at North Platte, Nebr. The position of the wells and suction pipe is indicated in the diagram. The second number for each well indicates its depth where known. a See Water-Sup. and Irr. Paper No. 140, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1905, p. i WATEK OF BIRDWOOT> CREEK. 27 stream 11 miles ;il)()vc its mouth. The ilow oi" West Birdwood Creek at the junction is nearly as great as that of the main stream itself, and perhaps for this reason the stream is locally spoken of as liavini33jj poOMO^m f< ^All ^ 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 / / 1 1 1 \ 1 1 1 1 1 1 \ 1 1 1 \ ^1 ^1 \\ r' ^ k 1 \\ K \ 1 \ 1 1 1 ; 1 1 1 / 1 1 \ 1 1 1 1 1 ) / ^ \ s >^ ur* ■N9I. 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CO t^ O -ff CO t^ CO c-i c^i .-H Tj^ -t ,-H o OOcDtO^OX-rt^Cl^ cocO'-Hr-icicocO'-'LO * "^ CO CO OC Ci ■ O CO H ,-i 1-H .-H ci CO CO ■ c^i t-- M -j- iM ooo o:p o Ci Tj^ (>J CM rf (M ^ oooooo OS c: O: C: O Oi 'rt'C^lCOtOCMC^C^-^^ ooc:>oooooo — ir-iCQ C0»O(N(N(M ooo ooooo 0C:0 CSOCiOCi O'-^CO-^OOCMGO— ^C CO C^l CM CN CM CM O) - r— OC' o Tt" r- r-- oo . p cd 1. 1: M = a. cu o.'a -1- i o o m oS 5.S .S tf-So O CO I gcO lU ^~ as i< a)_M o S ^ 1 t- =~ hr=3 '^ § -1^ = ■» o j5 oj^ k-Gt; i 3 o -+^r = '« :^ fs r-< Cj O 0; Cj Q; " O O 0^ CD"*-" ■^ »t-1 «t-( «♦-« VH ^ ^3 L> W CO W M OJ .|1( Oi Gj Oj OJ/Z- J tfcOCDCOO lO (i> »— ( G^ o o a- C ^;;:3 ^ ^ ^ ?: ^ o ■— ' Q flj a> ^ ^ ^ ^^, ddS?odd_oooo oc^dddddddo 40 UNDERFLOW OF SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY. U o ^ S -Q-^a-J 05 CO 1>- CD Ci t^ O --^ ^ -^ lO CO 00 00 CO (M 'tJH ' men -^"^ t^coi-^cnr^cO'^aiooooioccii— *T 1-1 (M C<1 i-O - Oi »o c^ uor I lO O: -:f O r-l IlO JCOCOO^COlMiMC^KMi— I "3 SSO ■s?;. fi . "2 COO lO "* CCJ 00 to -^ (N r- CT> Oi -rt^ CO -rt^ 1— I 00 h- O CO (MOO COCOOO Ol Oi-H ir^Ci O CO 1-H O CO o COi-HCOh-lOOCOi-l'rHlOOO.OO _ - - -rp ic r^ c^ ^ u ►. .^ ^ «-. .« T-H lO (M (M lO C -OOCiCOCOTjHt-OrHtMCO ^OiO^C^COOOiOCOO-^^-OOOCO ^OIC^JOCCCO rHi— li-iCO-^COi-H C5CO OOO r^OCOLOCiiOCOCOi— lOOOLOC 1 (M .-I CO ■1 t-- t^ O t- CN) OI T-H CO 1— t CO r H 1-i CO 1-t r SOCJiCOCOi— l-OC0 ^ (M (N !-( 1-1 1-t .-H r O LO- a: 00 cooooooooo-^-^ococo - O lOOOCO CO O CD O C^ lO CD - 0 -rt^ 0:iCN TJ^CO '^CSJCS|-^'^TjicOCO»OCO> 00 Xco O CD |>^ b CO TO ^ ^ m oj Q^ ci> 000.-I -p^^O _T3'0'0— r^ cc!? ;zi ^ c3 P P oi ^ O 5 0^ OO 0000'5E>i0000f^000 N D E X . Page. Alluvial deposits at Ogalalla. Ncbr., extent of 10 in the valley, character of 6-7 Analyses of ground water 12-15,39-40 of water, well and river, along Union Pacific Railroad 39-40 Arkansas Valley, pumping plant in, dia- agram of 31 Artesian head in Birdwood Creek region... 27-28 Beet industry near Sterling, Colo 8 Big Spring, Nebr., well at, statistics of •. 38 well water at, analyses of 39 Birdwood Creek, Nebr., springs and arte- sian water of 20-28 Canals, underflow, failure of, for irrigation purposes 22-23 Chappell, Nebr., well at, statistics of 38 well water at, analyses of 39 Chemical analyses of ground water. . . 12-1.5, 39-40 Crook, Colo., well at, statistics of 38 well water at, analyses of .39 Deerfield. Kans., evaporation experiments at 20 Deposits, alluvial, character of (5-7 Dunes in western Nebraska 1.5 Evaporation from IloUingsworth ditch, Ogalalla 19-20 experiments on, at Deerfield, Kans 20 Fuel, cost of, for pumping 37 Gradient of river channel 6 Gravels, water-bearing (>-8 Ground water, amount of, ol)tainable by pumping 29-30 at Ogalalla. dissolved solids in 10,12-13 velocity of 11,12 near Sterling, recovery of 8 Ground-water plane at North Platte, Nebr. 23-24 at Ogalalla, position of 10 Hershey, Nebr., well water at , analyses of . 39 W'ells at, statistics of 38 Hollingsworth ditch at Ogalalla, cost of 21 evaporation from 19-20 flow in _. 16-18 map of 17 lliff, Colo., well at, statistics of 38 well water at, analyses of 39 Irrigation; pump, kind of, for efficient work in : 33 pumping, cost of 36-37 economical distance water can be lifted 35 pumping plants elsewhere, tests of 37 pipe fittings in, best kind of 34 power for, best source of 35 storage reservoirs, when desirable 35 water for, recovery of, by wells 7 Page. Irrigation plant, wells for, economical ar- rangement of .30-33 Irrigation works in th(; valley (i Julesburg, Colo., well at, statistics of .38 well water at, analyses of 39 Location of the investigations 5-G Lodgepole, Nebr., well at, statistics of 38 well water at, analyses of 39 Lodgepole Creek, irrigation from 6 North Platte, Nebr., city waterworks pump- ing plant, investigations at 25-2(i ground and river waters near, analyses of 14 investigations at 23-28 well and river water at, analyses of 39 wells at, statistics of 38 North Platte River, water of, analyses of . 13, 14,39.40 Ogalalla, Nebr., ground and river waters near, analyses of 13 investigations at 5, 9-23 underflow ditch at, investigations on... 15-20 well and river water at, analyses of 39 wells at, statistics of 38 Ogalalla formation, character of 5-6 Paxton, Nebr., ground waters near, analy- ses of 14 well at, statistics of 38 well and river water at, analyses of 39 Pipe flttings, best kind of, for pumping plants 34 Power for pumping plants, best source of. . 35 Precipitation in western Nebraska 15 Piunping, cost of 36-37 economical distance w^ater can be lifted. 35 fuel, cost of, for pimiping 37 Pumping plant at Johnson ranch, near Ster- ling, defects of 8 in Arkansas Valley, diagram of 31 Pumping plants at Rocky Ford, Colo., tests of 37 in Arkansas River Valley, tests of 37 in Rio Grande Valley, tests of 37 pipe fittings in, best kind of 34 power for, best source of 35 suggestions for construction of small.. 29-37 Pumps, kind of, for efficient work in irriga- tion 33 priming with water, method of 43 Rainfall in western Nebraska 15 Reservoirs, storage, when desirable 35 Sand and silt, occurrence of, at only one place "-8 Sand-hill area in western Nebraska, charac- ter of ■ 15 Sedgwick, Colo., well at, statistics of 38 41 42 INDEX. Page. Sedgwick, Colo., well water at, analysis of 40 Sidney, Nebr., well water at, analyses of 41 wells at, statistics of .38 Silt and sand, occurrence of, at only one place 7-8 South Platte River, water of, analyses of.. 39,40 South Platte Valley, cross section of 10 description of 5 Specific capacity of wells in South Platte Valley 25-26 Springs that. feed Birdwood Creek, Nebr.. 27 Sterling, Colo., conditions at 8-9 ground and river waters near, analyses of 13 well water at, analyses of 40 wells at, statistics of 38 Storage reservoirs, when desirable 35 Underflow at Ogalalla, quantity of 12 Underflow at Ogalalla, velocity and direc- tion of 9-12 Underflow canals, disadvantages of 22-23 failure of, for irrigation purposes 22-23 Underflow ditch at Ogalalla, investigations on 15-21 Union Pacific Railroad, well and river water along, analyses of 39-40 wells along, statistics of 38 Vegetation, water required by, amount of. . 19-20 Water plane at North Platte, Nebr., slope of 23-24 at Ogalalla, Nebr., position of 10 Wells along Union Pacific Railroad, sta- tistics of 38 battery of, and pumps, arrangement of. - 32 economical arrangement of, for irriga- tion plant 30-33 In South Platte Valley, specific capacity of 25-26 kind of, adapted to South Platte gravels 29 I CLASSIFICATION OF THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. [Water-Supply Paper No. 1«1.] The serial publications of the Ignited States Geological Survey coiiKist of ( 1 ) Annual Reports, (2) Monographs, (3) Professional Papers, (4) Bulletins, (5) Mineral Resources, (r>) Water-Supply and Irrigation Papers, (7) Topographic Atlas of United States — folios and separate sheets thereof, (8) Geologic Atlas of United States — folios thereof. The classes numbered 2, 7, and 8 are sold at cost of publication; the others are distributed free. A circular giving complete lists can be had on application. Most of the above publications can be obtained or consulted in the following ways: 1. A limited number are delivered to the Director of the Survey, from whom they tained, free of charge (except classes 2, 7, and 8), on application. 2. A certain number are delivered to Senators and Representatives in Congress for distribution. 3. Other copies are deposited with the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C, from whom they can be had at practically cost. 4. Copies of all Government publications are furnished to the principal public libraries in the large cities thruout the United States, where they can be consulted by those interested. The Professional Papers, Bulletins, and Water-Supply Papers treat of a variety of subjects, and the total number issued is large. They have therefore been classified into the following series: A, Economic geology; B, Descriptive geology; C, System- atic geology and paleontology; D, Petrography and mineralogy; E, Chemistry and physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneous; H, Forestry; I, Irrigation; J, Water stor- age; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water; M, General hydrographic investiga- tions; N, Water power; 0, Underground waters; P, Hydrographic progress reports. This paper is the twelfth in Series K and the sixty-fifth in Series O, the complete lists of which follow (PP= Professional Paper; B=Bulletin; WS= Water-Supply Paper): SERIES K, PUMPING WATER. W8 1. Pumping water for irrigation, by H. M. Wilson. 1896. 57 pp., 9 pis. (Out of .stock.) WS 8. Windmill.? for irrigation, by E. C. Murphy. 1897. 49pp.,8pl.s. (Out of stock.) WS 14. New tests of certain pumps and water lifts used in irrigation, by O. P. Hood. 189.s. 91 pp., 1 pi. (Out of stock.) WS 20. Experiments with windmills, by T. O. Perry. 1899. 97 pp., 12 pis. (Out of stock, i WS 29. Wells and windmills in Nebraska, by E. H. Barbour. 1899. 85 pp.. 27 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 41. The windmill; its efficiency and economic use, Pt. I, by E. C. Murphy. 1901. 72 pp., 14 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 42. The windmill, Pt. II [continuation of No. 41] . 1901. 73-147 pp., 1.5-16 pis. (Out of stock.) ■WS91. Natural features and economic development of Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Flynn and M. S. Plynn. 1904. 130 pp. WS 136. Underground waters of Salt River Valley, Arizona, by W. T. Lee. 190.'i. 196 pp., 23 pis. WS 141. Observations on the ground waters of the Rio Grande Valley, 1904, by C. S. Slichter. 190-5. 83 pp., 5 pis. WS 153. The underflow in Arkansas Valley in western Kansas, by C. S. Slichter. 1906. 90 pp., 3 pis. WS 184. The underflow of the South Platte Valley, by C. S. Slichter and H. C. Wolff. 1906. 42 pp. I II SERIES LIST. SERIES O, UNDERGROUND WATERS. WS 4. A reconnaissance in southeastern Washington, by I. C. Russell. 1897. 96 pp., 7 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 6. Underground waters of southwestern Kansas, by Erasmus Haworth. 1S<.)7. 65 pp., 12 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 7. Seepage waters of northern Utah, by Samuel Fortier. 1897, 50 pp., 3 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 12. Underground waters of southeastern Nebraska, by N. H. Darton. 1898. 56 pp., 21 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett. 1899. 82 pp., 2 pis. (Out of stock.) WS26. Wells of southern Indiana (continuation of No. 21), by Frank Leverett. 1899. 61 pp. (Out of stock.) WS 30. Water resources of the lower peninsula of Michigan, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 7 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 4 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 34. Geology and water resources of a portion of southeastern South Dakota, by .7. E. Todd. 1900. 34 pp., 19 pis. WS 53. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. I, by I. C. Russell. 1901. 86 pp., 10 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 54. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Ft. 11, by I. C. Russell. 1901. 87-141 pp. (Out of stock.) WS 55. Geology and water resources of a portion of Yakima County, Wash., by G. O. Smitli. 1901 68 pp., 7 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 57. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Pt. I, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 60 pp. (Out of stock.) WS 59. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. I, by J. B. Lippincott. 1902. 95 pp., 11 pis. (Outof stock.) WS 60. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. II, by J. B. Lippincott. 1902. 96-140 pp. (Outof stock.) WS 61. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Pt. II, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 67 pp. (Outof stock.) WS 67. The motions of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1902. 106 pp., 8 pis. (Out of stock.) B 199. Geology and water resources of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, by I. C. Russell. 1902. 192 pp., 25 pis. WS 77. Water resources of Molokai, Hawaiian Islands, by Waldemar Lindgren. 1903. 62 pp., 4 pis. WS 78. Preliminary report on artesian basin in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, by I. C. Russell. 1903. 53 pp., 2 pis. PP 17. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred and third meridian, by N. H. Darton. 1903. 69 pp., 43 pis. WS 90. Geology and water resources of a part of the lower James River Valley, South Dakota, by J. E. Todd and C. M. Hall. 1904. 47 pp., 23 pis. WS 101. Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by G. D. Harris, with discussions of their uses for water supplies and for rice irrigation, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. 98 pp., 11 pis. WS 102. Contributions to the hydrology of eastern United States, 1903, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. .522 pp. WS 104. Underground waters of Gila Valley, Arizona, by W. T. Lee. 1904. 71 pp., 5 pis. WS 106. Water resources of the Philadelphia district, by Florence Bascom. 1904. 75 pp., 4 pis. WS 110. Contributions to 'the hydrology of eastern United States, 1904; M. L. Fuller, geologist in charge. 1904. 211 pp., 5 pis. PP 32. Geology and underground water resources of the central Great Plains, by N. H. Darton. 1904. 433 pp., 72 pis. (Out of stock.) WS 111. Preliminary report on underground waters of Washington, by Henry Landes. 1904. 85 pp.> ipl. WS 112. Underflow tests in the drainage basin of Los Angeles River, by Homer Hamlin. 1904. 55 pp., 7 pis. WS114. Underground waters of eastern United States; M.' L. Fuller, geologist in charge. 1904. 285 pp., 18 pis. WS 118. Geology and water resources of east-central Washington, by F. C. Calkins. 1905. 96 pp., 4 pis. B 252. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of central Oregon, by I. C. Russell. 1905. 138 pp., 24 pis. WS 120. Bibliographic review and index of papers relating to underground waters, published by the United States Geological Survey, 1879-1904, by M. L. Fuller. 1905. 128 pp. WS 122. Relation of the law to underground waters, by D. W. Johnson. 1905. 65 pp. WS 123. Geology and underground water conditions of the Jornada del Muerto, New Mexico, by C. R. Keyes. 1905. 42 pp., 9 pis. WS 136. Underground waters of the Salt River Valley, by W. T. Lee. 1905. 194 pp., 24 pis. B 264. Record of deep-well drilling for 1904, by M. L. Fuller, E. F. Lines, and A. C. Veatch. 1906. 106 pp. SKRIEH LIST. Ill I']'-(l. riuliTKriniiiil wtitci- icsouri'i's of Lcmi,' Isliuid, New Y(irk, by A. ('. VciiU'li tiiul olluTs. I'.ins. WS 137. Duvfldpnient of nmli'i'snuiiui walcrsiii llir t'listiTiicoaslal plain rrtciiiiKifsdiilluTiiCnliforiiia, by W. ('. MotukMiliall. I'.ior). HO pp., 7 pl.s. WS ISS. ncvclopnu'HtofuiKUTKi'oiiiiil waters in thoci'iitral coastal plain region of snulluTii Califoriiiu, by \V. C. Mendenhall. I'.t05. 102 pp., T) pis. WS l;W. Dcvelopmeiitofundcrfrround waters in tlie western coastal plain region of sou tliern California, by W. C. Mendenlnill. 190."i. Wn jip., 7 pis. WS 1(0. Field measurements of the rate of niovcment of underground waters, by C. S. Slichter. 1905. 122 pp.. 15 pis. WSlll. Observations on the ground waters of Rio (Irande Valley, by C S. Slichter. 190.'). 83 pp., ,^ pis. WS 112. HydroloKV ofSan Bernardino Valley, California, by W. ('. Mendenhall. lOU.'i. 121 pp.,13pls. WS 145. Contribntions to the hydrology of eastern United Stales; M. L. Fuller, geologist in charge. 1905. 220 pp., 6 pis. WS 148. Geology and water resources of Oklahoma, by C. N. Gould. 1905. 178 pp., 22 pis. WS 149. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, second edition, with additions, by N. H. Darton. 1905. 175 pp. PI' 46. Geology and underground water resources of northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas, by A. C. Veatch. 190(;. 422 j.p., 51 pis. WS 153. The iitiderflow in .Arkansas Valley in western Kansas, by C. S. Slichter. 1906. 90 pp., 3 pis. WS 154. The geology and water resources of the eastern portion of the Panhandle of Texas, by C. N. Gould. 1906. 64 pp., 15 pis. "VVS 155. Fluctuations of the water level in wells, with special reference to Long Island, New York, by A. 0. Veatch. 1906. 83 pp., 9 pis. WS 157. Underground water in the valleys of Utah Lake and Jordan River, Utah, by G. B. Richard.son. 1906. 81 pp., 9 pis. WS 1.58. Preliminary report on the geology and underground waters of the Roswell artesian area New Mexico, by C. A. Fisher. 1906. 29 pp., 9 pis. PP 52. Geology and underground waters of the Arkansas Valley in eastern Colorado, by N. H. Darton. 1906. 90 pp., 28 pis. WS 159. Summary of underground-water resources of Mississippi, by A. F. Crider and L. C. Johnson. 1906. 86 pp., 6 pis. PP 53. Geology and water resources of the Bigliorn basin, Wyoming, by C. A. Fisher. 1906. 72 pp., 16 pis. WS 160. Underground-water papers, 1906, by M. L. Fuller. 1906. 104 pp., 1 pi. WS 163. Bibliographic review and index of underground-water literature published in the United States in 1905, by M. L. Fuller, F. G. Clapp, and B. L. John.son. 1906. 130 pp. WS 164. Undergrotuul waters of Tennessee and Kentucky west of Tennessee River and of an adjacent area in Illinois, by L. C. Glenn. 1906. 173 pp., 7 pis. WS 181. Geology and water resources of Owens Valley, California, by W. T. Lee. 1906. 28 pp., 6 pis. WS 182. Flowing wells and municipal water supplies in the southern portion of the Southern Penin- sula of Michigan, by Frank Leverett and others. 1906. 292 pp., 5 pis. WS 183. Flowing wells and municipal water supplies in the middle and northern portions of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan, by Frank Leverett and others. 1906. — pp., 5 pis. B 298. Record of deep-well drilling for 1905, by M. L. Fuller and Samuel Sanford. 1906. 299 pp. WS 184. The nn