Qass^ 6LBlQ£b Book^L&j b - OFFICIAL DONATION. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/undergroundwaterOOharr Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 101 Series 0, Underground Waters, 23 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR UNDERGROUND WATERS SOUTHERN LOUISIANA BY GILBERT DENNISON HARRIS WITH DISCUSSIONS OF THEIR USES FOR WATER SUPPLIES AND FOR RICE IRRIGATION BY M. L. FULLER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1904 PUBLICATIONS OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. The publications of the United States Geological Survey consist of (1) Annual Reports; (2) Monographs; (3) Professional Papers; (4) Bulletins; (5) Mineral Resources; (6) 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 may be had on application. 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, Eco- nomic geology; B, Descriptive geology; C, Systematic geology and paleontology; D, Petrography and mineralogy; E, Chemistry and physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneous; H, Forestry; I, Irrigation; J, Water storage; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water; M, General hydrographic investigations; N, Water power; O, Underground waters; P, Hydrographic progress reports. The following Water-Supply Papers are out of stock, and can no longer be supplied: Nos. 1-16, 19, 20, 22, 29-34, 36, 39, 40, 43, 46, 57-65, 75. Complete lists of papers relating to water supply and allied subjects follow. (PP=Professional Paper; B=Bulletin; WS=Water-Supply Paper.) Series I — Irrigation. WS 2. Irrigation near Phcenix, Ariz., by A. P. Davis. 1897. 98 pp., 31 pis. and maps. WS 5. Irrigation practice on the Great Plains, by E. B. Cowgill. 1897. 39 pp., 11 pis. WS 9. Irrigation near Greeley, Colo., by David Boyd. 1897. 90 pp., 21 pis. WS 10. Irrigation in Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, by F. C. Barker. 1898. 51 pp., 11 pis. WS 13. Irrigation systems in Texas, by W. F. Hutson. 1898. 68 pp., 10 pis. WS 17. Irrigation near Bakersfield, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 96 pp., 16 pis. WS 18. Irrigation near Fresno, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 94 pp., 14 pis. WS 19. Irrigation near Merced, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1899. 59 pp., 11 pis. WS 23. Water-right problems of Bighorn Mountains, by Elwood Mead. 1899. 62 pp., 7 pis. WS 32. Water resources of Porto Rico, by H. M. Wilson. 1899. 48 pp., 17 pis. and maps. WS 43. Conveyance of water in irrigation canals, flumes, and pipes, by Samuel Fortier. 1901. 86 pp., 15 pis. * WS 70. Geology and water resources of the Patrick and Goshen Hole quadrangles, Wyoming, by G. I. Adams. 1902. 50 pp., 11 pis. WS 71. Irrigation systems of Texas, by T. U. Taylor. 1902. 137 pp., 9 pis. WS 74. Water resources of the State of Colorado, by A. L. Fellows. 1902. 151 pp., 14 pis. WS 87. Irrigation in India (second edition), by H. M. Wilson. 1903. 238 pp., 27 pis. WS 93. Proceedings of first conference of engineers of the reclamation service, with accompanying papers, compiled by F. H. Newell, chief engineer. 1904. 361 pp. The following papers also relate especially to irrigation: Irrigation in India, by H. M. Wilson, iu Twelfth Annual, Pt. II; two papers on irrigation engineering, by H. M. Wilson, in Thirteenth Annual, Pt. III. Series J— Water Storage. WS 33. Storage of water on Gila River, Arizona, by J. B. Lippincott. 1900. 98 pp., 33 pis. WS 40. The Austin dam, by Thomas U. Taylor. 1900. 51 pp., 16 pis. WS 45. Water storage on Cache Creek, California, by A. E. Chandler. 1901. 48 pp., 10 pis. WS46. Physical characteristics of Kern River, California, by F. H. Olmsted, and Reconnaissance of Yuba River, California, by Marsden Manson. 1901. 57 pp., 8 pis. WS 68. Storage of water on Kings River, California, by J. B. Lippincott. 1902. 100 pp., 32 pis. WS 68. Water storage in Truckee Basin, California-Nevada, by L. H. Taylor. 1902. 90 pp., 8 pis. WS 73. Water storage on Salt River, Arizona, by A. P. Davis. 1902. 54 pp., 25 pis. WS 86. Storage reservoirs on Stony Creek, California, by Burt Cole. 1903. 62 pp., 16 pis. WS 89. Water resources of Salinas Valley, California, by Homer Hamlin. 1904. 91 pp., 12 pis. WS 93. Proceedings of first conference of engineers of the reclamation service, with accompanying papers, compiled by F. H. Newell, chief engineer. 1904. 361 pp. The following paper also should be noted under this heading: Reservoirs for irrigation, by J. D. Bchuyler, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV. IRE 101—2 Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 101 Series 0, Underground Waters, 23 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, Director UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA GILBERT DENNISON HARRIS WITH DISCUSSIONS OF THEIR USES FOR WATER SUPPLIES AND FOR RICE IRRIGATION M. L. FULLER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 19 04 c« SEP 23 1904 D.ofD, CONTENTS. Letter of transmittal, by F. H. Newell 9 Prefatory remarks , . 11 Origin of artesian and deep-well waters in southern Louisiana 12 Precipitation 1 12 Gulf waters as a source of supply of deep wells 13 Kiver waters as a source of supply 13 Topography of southern Louisiana 15 Topographic subdivisions : 15 Swamp-lake area _■ 15 Eegion of prairies and low, rolling hills 16 Hill lands 17 Stratigraphy of southern Louisiana 17 General considerations .. 17 Tertiary 19 Oligocene 19 Miocene - 21 Quaternary 21 Subdivisions - 21 Genesis of deposits 23 Effect of the Mississippi on stratigraphy of southern Louisiana 26 Subdivisions of southern Louisiana, based on underground water conditions. . 27 Modification of kind and conditions of water brought about by local topog- raphy and stratigraphy 27 Eemarks on special areas 29 Well statistics ' 30 Artesian wells in southern Mississippi, from Biloxi westward 30 Harrison County . . .' 31 Biloxi 31 Ship Island 31 Mississippi City 32 Generalized section from Pass Christian to Biloxi 32 Bay St. Louis 33 Artesian and deep wells in Louisiana east of the Mississippi 33 St. Tammany Parish 33 Covington and vicinity 33 Abita Springs 35 Pearl Kiver Junction , 36 Mandeville Junction 37 Mandeville _ 37 Chinchuba '. 38 Tangipahoa Parish 38 Singletry's still. 38 Hammond 38 Ponchatoula w 42 3 4 CONTENTS. Well statistics — Continued. Page. \rtesian and deep wells in Louisiana east of the Mississippi— Continued. Orleans Parish 43 Deep salt-water wells 44 Common ' ' yellow-water ' ' wells '..' 45 The 400-foot sands 46 Shallow wells 46 Bonnabel well , 46 St. John the Baptist Parish 47 Ruddock 47 East Baton Rouge Parish 48 Baton Rouge and vicinity 48 Baker 48 Zachary 49 West Feliciana Parish 49 Bayou Sara 49 Artesian and deep wells in Louisiana west of the Mississippi 49 La Fourche Parish _ 49 Thibodaux 49 Assumption Parish 49 Napoleonville .' 49 St. James Parish 1 49 St. Mary Parish , 50 Morgan City 50 Glencoe 50 Iberia Parish 50 Jeanerette and vicinity 50 New Iberia 51 St. Martin Parish -. 52 St. Martinville and vicinity 52 Breaux Bridge , 52 Lafayette Parish 53 Lafayette and vicinity 53 St. Landry Parish 53 Opelousas 53 Washington 53 West Baton Rouge Parish 54 Baton Rouge Junction - . 54 Lobdell 54 Pointe Coupee Parish 54 New Roads 54 Batchelor 54 Avoyelles Parish 54 Bunkie 54 Marksville 54 Vermilion Parish 54 Abbeville and vicinity 54 Shell Beach 55 Gueydan 55 Acadia Parish - 55 Rayne and vicinity 55 Crowley and vicinity 55 Midland 56 Oriza and vicinity 56 CONTENTS. 5 Well statistics — Continued. Page. Artesian and deep wells in Louisiana west of the Mississippi — Continued. Calcasieu Parish 56 Welsh and Adcinity 57 Lake Arthur 58 Jennings and vicinity 58 - Kinder and vicinity 59 China 59 Oberlin 59 Lake Charles 59 West Lake .- 60 Rapides Parish 60 Blowing wells , 60 Variation in flow and pressure head shown by wells in southern Louisiana 61 Wells east of the Mississippi 61 Wells west of the Mississippi 62 Well drilling and pumping. 68 Methods of drilling 68 Jetting 68 Eotary process 69 Screens -. 71 Pumping 72 Water supplies from wells in southern Louisiana, by M. L. Fuller 74 Increased use of underground water 74 Town and domestic supplies 74 Farm supplies : 80 Railroad supplies 81 Manufacturing supplies 81 Rice irrigation in southern Louisiana, compiled by M. L. Fuller 82 Development of rice irrigation 82 Sources of water 83 Bayous 83 Wells 84 Irrigation systems in operation 84 Pumping 91 Application of water 92 Canals 92 Field levees 92 Methods of farming 93 Index 95 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. Plate I. Topographic map of southern Louisiana 14 II. Well sections from Alexandria to New Orleans 18 III. A, Remnant of Grand Chenier Ridge at the ferry landing on Mer- mentau River; B, Location of springs among the live oaks on the border between the sea marsh and the south side of Grand Chenier Island, about 2 miles east of the village 22 IV. A, North side of Grand Chenier Island; B, South shore of Lake Pontchartrain, 1 £ miles west of "West End 24 V. A, Well in the barn lot of the Hernandez place, 2% miles north of Covington, La.; B, Well in Mr. Anderson's barnyard, three- fourths of a mile northwest of Hammond station, La . . ; • 34 VI. A, Artesian well of Bradley and Ramsay Lumber Company, 1 mile north of Lake Charles, La.; B, Screen wound at the Moresi Brothers' shop, Jeanerette 58 VII. A, May pumping plant, Welsh, La.; B, Pumping from a 12-inch well on the farm of A. E. Lee, 8 miles northwest of Crowley, La 70 VIII. A characteristic bayou of the more sluggish type in the Gulf coastal region 76 IX. A, Pumping station on one of the larger streams of the Gulf coastal region ; B, Discharge of a heavy pump system 82 X. Pumping plant, Bayou des Cannes 84 XL Canal and well systems in southwestern Louisiana 92 Fig. 1. Map showing topographic subdivisions of southern Louisiana 15 2. North-south section from the Kansas City Southern Railroad, in Texas, through Sabine Lake and southwest Cameron Parish, La 16 3. North-south section from the Mississippi line through Covington and New Orleans and Baratara Bay to the Gulf 18 4. North-south section starting 12 miles west of Alexandria, passing through Oakdale, Jennings, and Grand Lake to the Gulf 18 5. Correlation of water-bearing sands north and south of Lake Pont- chartrain 19 6. Sections across Grand Chenier Island 24 7. Subdivisions of southern Louisiana in accordance with underground water conditions 28 8. Relation of land surface to pressure head of artesian and deep-well waters approximately along parallel 30° 27' 29 9. Relation of land surface to pressure head of artesian and deep-well i waters approximately along parallel 30° 12' 30 10. Well-drilling outfit of Bacon and Gamble, sinking a well at Poncha- toula by the jetting process 69 11. A common method of constructing a screen 72 12. Common form of rotary pump; Van Wie model 72 13. Cross section of rice canal 92 14. Cross section of correct form of field levee 93 15. Diagram showing depth of water used on rice field at Crowley and dates of irrigation 94 7 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. Department of the Interior, . United States Geological Survey, Hydrographic Branch, Washington, D. C, December If., 1903. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript b}^ Prof. G. D. Harris on the "Underground Waters of Southern Louisiana," to which has been added short discussions of certain economic features, including the uses of underground waters for water supplies and for rice irrigation, by Mr. M. L. Fuller. The part b}^ Professor Harris is an elaboration of a portion of an earlier paper published in the reports of the geological survey of Louisiana, and by means of its descriptions and illustrations brings out clearly the nature of the occurrence and the importance of the underground water resources of the region considered. It is believed that the discussion of water sup- plies, by reiterating the importance of pure sources, will hasten their introduction. The irrigation of rice, though yet in its earlier stages, has already increased tenfold the value of land over large areas, and the publication of information which will in any way call attention to the importance of underground waters in its development will be of considerable value. I would recommend that the report be published in the series of Water-SuppLy and Irrigation Papers. Very respectfully, P. H. Newell, Chief Engineer. Hon. Charles D. Walcott, Director, United States Geological Survey. UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. By Gilbert D. Harris. PREFATORY REMARKS. In the writer's studies of the geology of southern Louisiana during the last three years, opportunities have presented themselves for col- lecting data relating to the underground waters of this section of the State. A brief summary of the data so collected was given in Part VI of the report of the State geological survey for the year 1902, in Special Report No. 6, "The Subterranean Waters of Louisiana." Since the publication of this work one winter season has been spent in southern Louisiana in general geological work, and one month (June 20 to July 20, 1903) has been devoted to field work bearing exclusively on water supplies. This report, therefore, may be con- sidered as an enlarged and revised edition of the special report named, based, in large measure, on facts gathered by the writer while he was employed by the State of Louisiana. After this explanation it seems scarcely necessary to use quotation marks or to give precise references in every case where facts have been taken from the earlier report. In many instances the height above tide (mean sea level) of stations along the Southern Pacific Railroad will be found to vary as much as 8 feet in the two reports. This is due to the fact that early eleva- tions furnished by this road to the United States Geological Survey, and published in Bulletin 160, were different from those now posted on the stations along the line throughout southern Louisiana (see PI. I). 11 12 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101. ORIGIN OFAETESIANAND DEEP-WELL WATERS IN SOUTH- ERN LOUISIANA. PRECIPITATION. Last year's Weather Bureau report gives the following figures regarding precipitation at several stations in southern Louisiana: a Precipitation at stations in southern Louisiana. Station. Average. Alexandria . . Amite Cheney ville. Clinton Hammond . . . Lafayette Lake Charles Opelousas Sugartown . . . 45.24 55.95 41.44 60.41 40.74 53.18 52.29 55.01 47.01 58.13 36.35 53.48 41.19 54.94 39.77 54. 64 48.12 54.52 From this it appears that the average annual precipitation in this part of the State is about 55 inches. This means that each acre of land receives more than double enough rain water to irrigate it prop- erly if planted in rice. But much of this water is lost, so far as agri- cultural purposes are concerned, by flowing away in surface streams to the Gulf. Much, too, that descends into the soil and lower strata of the earth, doubtless leaches out into the Gulf underground. Unfor- tunately for our present study, the main local streams of southern Louisiana have never been gaged, and consequently the amount of water that reaches the sea, even by surface streams, is not known. The extent, therefore, to which the total amount of rainfall may be utilized as deep-well water can not at present be even approximately estimated. That much rain water is absorbed and transported to dis- tant places through underground porous layers is evident from the existence of many satisfactory deep and artesian wells throughout the southernmost parishes of the State. Yet it is often held that the sup- ply of deep waters may be derived from large bodies of neighboring water — for example, from lakes and rivers and small streams that have a greater altitude than the surface of the water in the deep wells. This may, indeed, be the case in a region in which there are limestone formations, or in a region where the gradient of the streams is con- siderable and erosion is scouring and cleaning the sides and bottom of the channels and where practically no silt is being deposited, but in «U. S. Dept. Agr., Ann. Summary, 1902, Louisiana Section, Weather Bureau Office, New Orleans, La. hareis.] ORIGIN OF UNDERGROUND WATERS. 13 Louisiana none of these conditions exist, so far as the larger streams and other large bodies of water are concerned. However, we will consider with all necessary detail two of the common theories advanced to account for the presence of water in such apparently immense quantities beneath the surface in southern Louisiana. GULF WATER AS A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF DEEP WELLS. It is frequently asserted that the continuance of southerly winds or high tides causes an appreciable rise in the level of the water in wells not far from the coast; that when wells are vigorously pumped the water level descends below tide; that therefore there is an intimate connection between the waters of the Gulf and those encountered so abundantl} T in deep wells. That there is more or less connection between the fresh water under the ground and the salt water of the Gulf there can be no doubt. A variation in the height of the water in a few wells coincident with that in a neighboring body of water in which there is a perceptible tide was long ago recorded by members of the Louisiana State geological survey and others. That there is no underground current from the Gulf landward is evident from the facts (1) that when pumping ceases for a few hours the water level in the wells quickly rises above tide, and (2) that any water derived from the Gulf would possess a salti- ness that has not thus far been recorded in any deep irrigation well. Any impediment tending to retard the escape of the underground waters Gulf ward, as the weight of water collected from long-continued heavy showers or the backing up of the Gulf's waters from the south, will necessarily raise the level of the water in the deep wells or cause the artesian wells to flow more strongly. RIVER WATERS AS A SOURCE OF SUPPLY. In 1860 Raymond Thomassy* published his Geologie pratique de la Louisiane. He seems to have been greatly captivated with the idea that a large amount of the water flowing into the Mississippi from its various tributaries never reaches the Gulf by surface streams, but is absorbed by the pervious layers that form the banks and bottom of the river, and is carried thence through underground passages and porous layers to the Gulf coast, or beneath its waters. Thomassy was of course not aware of the great possibilities of irri- gation in southern Louisiana, but had he lived to see hundreds of 10 or 12 inch wells yielding almost rivers of deep, cool water, he would doubtless have felt that his absorption theory was at last fully proved, else whence could all this underground water come? "Geologie pratique de la Louisiane, par R. Thomassy (accompagne de 6 planches), chez l'auteur, a la Nouvelle-Orleans et a Paris, 1860. 14 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. No definite statements can be made regarding the amount of water furnished by the rivers of Louisiana to the general underground sup- ply until the topography and stratigraphy have been determined in detail. Yet it may be shown^here that the oft- repeated popular state- ment that waters of the Mississippi Eiver supply the wells in south- ern Louisiana is but partly, if at all, correct. Certainly no "veritable river " is leaving the Mississippi in its lower reaches to force its way laterally for long distances underground. The process of transferring discharge measurements from one point on the river to another, as employed by Humphreys and Abbot a in their delta survey, has shown that the difference in discharge at two stations at equal stages in the river is due to increment of water from tributaries and loss in distributary bayous and crevasses between the two places. Daily dis- charge measurements made at Vicksburg were compared with dis- charge measurements made at stations up and down the river, and these agreed in a remarkable way. In other words, there is no difference in the amounts of discharge at Vicksburg and Carrollton, for example, that can not be explained by taking into account the difference between water received and that given up by surface channels. The absorption, therefore, of the Mis- sissippi's waters by underground porous layers is a subject that is of no importance in the present report. The impropriety of assuming that variations in "head" noticed in deep wells located at any considerable distance from, the Mississippi are due to difference in the stage or height of the river, is evident from facts presented farther on in this, report. It is fortunate that the measurements of well stages here recorded were made mostty in the spring of 1901, especially in April and May. The wells showed a slight temporary rise about April 22, due to local showers, but there- after the usual marked decline for the summer went steadily on. Not so the river; it gradually rose till it reached the highest point of the season on the dates which follow, at the localities designated: 6 May 16, Vicksburg, Miss. ; May 15-16, St. Joseph, La. ; May 16-17, Natchez; May 17, Red River Landing; May 17, Bayou Sara; May 17, Baton Rouge; May 16, Plaquemine; May 19, Donaldson ville; May 15, Col- lege Point; May 17 and 20, Carrollton. After these dates, at the sta- tions named, the river began to decline. The cross sections presented in figs. 8 and 9 (pp. 29, 30) show clearly the behavior of deep waters in the vicinity of large stream channels. There is therefore reason to suppose that the Mississippi and other large streams serve as drains on the underground-water supply rather than as feeders. a Report upon the physics and hydraulics of the Mississippi River; upon the protection of the alluvial region from overflow, etc.: Professional Paper No. 13, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, 1861. See reprint of 1876, pp.280, 358-363. & Stages of the Mississippi, etc.: Miss. Riv. Coram., 1901, St. Louis, Mo., Mississippi River Com- mission Print, 1902. ,. ^ r.rmnnir.AL SURVEY — PA R _NO. I Qi PL , Compiled from maps of the U.S Land Office. U.S Engineers Report J S Coast and Geodetic Survey.Railroad profiles State Geological Surve* of Lomsiana.and US. Geological Survey MAP OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA SHOWING TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND IMPORTANT WELLS t,\f DERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. 15 TOPOGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. Since the cause of flow of underground waters must be due mainly to the action of gravity, it follows that the surface features of the land have a marked influence on the rate of underground as well as of over- ground flow. Southern Louisiana has only just begun to cooperate with the General Government in the construction of detailed topo- graph maps, so it is not possible to show the surface features as well as could be desired; yet private individuals, corporations (such as railroad and canal companies), United States engineers, and members of the State geological survey have done a large amount of spirit leveling throughout the area, and from such data it has been found Fig. 1. — Map showing topographic subdivisions of southern Louisiana. possible to compile a small-scale contour map (PL I) and a still smaller index map (fig. 1) to the topography of this part of the State. TOPOGRAPHIC SUBDIVISIONS. SWAMP-LAKE AREA. To this subdivision may be assigned in general that portion of the State having an elevation above tide of less than 20 feet (see fig. 1). Its size is surprisingly great when compared with that of the more elevated areas. PL I represents an area in Louisiana, exclusive of large lakes, bays, etc., covering 28,900 square miles, of which 15,800 are below the 20-foot contour. The Five Islands in Iberia and St. Mary parishes are the only areas furnishing what might be called notable relief in this subdivision of southern Louisiana. One ' ' island " rises to a height of 150 feet above the surrounding marsh land; others are but. two-thirds or half as high. Since, however, the diameter of the largest is only approximately 2 miles, their total area is extremely insignificant when compared with the vast extent of low land shown 16 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. on the map. Southern Cameron and Vermilion parishes contain exten- sive swamp tracts that lie several miles back from the Gulf border, but close to the Gulf there are several remarkably persistent j, dry, sandy ridges that rise from 5 to 10 feet above mean tide (see PL 1). In the swampy areas there are several ; broad and very shallow lakes or bays, as may be seen by consulting the same plate. They rarely show a depth of I more than 15 or 20 feet, usually much less. The bayous and rivers, however, have cut very deep channels through these lowlands. Depths of 30 to 10 feet are by no means p J unusual, while the Mississippi has long stretches of chan- nel that range in depth from 72 to 90 feet, and occasional i pools 200 feet deep. The manner in which the ground slopes above and below Gulf level, the basin-like charac- \ ter of the lakes, and the deepness of the river channels i are typically shown in fig. 2. The topography of the region lying between Lake Pont- chartrain and the Atchafalaya River — the so-called delta s I ' region of the Mississippi — deserves a few additional re- 1 « marks. s $ ■ Large areas in this tract are scarcely above sea level. I 7 The figures shown on PI. I, along the Southern Pacific ~- g Railroad from New Orleans to Morgan City, indicate feet \ | above tide. Here, as in all mature river flood plains, " I there is a tendency to deposit sediment along the imme- I g diate banks of the streams so as to form low, natural t 1 levees. This feature is indicated to some extent by the i » figures just referred to, but in the lower delta region it - 1 is clearly seen along the sea-level line. Nearly all the I I streams are leveed, as it were, out into the Gulf, espe- = cially the Mississippi. i The large quantities of water that have passed over this l delta region in comparatively recent geologic times have I kept its surface from rising above sea level at the same rate as did adjoining portions of the State lying north, B east, and west. The result is that this region has been I eroded by waters coming from nearly all the middle Western States, whereas the adjoining tracts have been 1 worn down only by the results of the precipitation upon their own area. Now, river action is gradually building up this delta region, whereas to the east and west the land vj | surface is being gradually degraded. !g ^ REGION OF PRAIRIES AND LOW, ROLLING HILLS. Sj i There is naturally no sharp line of demarcation between this topographic division and the one just described. The swamp and lake regions gradually become drier to the north, and the former Gulf, lake, or swamp bottoms assume the role of "crawfish 5 * HARRis.l TOPOGEAPHY OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. 17 prairies. This is specially true of the low plains west of the Atchafa- la3 T a. In general, this region may be approximately denned as extend- ing- from the 20-foot to the 100-foot contour line. For a stretch of about 40 miles in width west of the Mississippi the general appearance of this region is somewhat changed by the erosion and the alluvial deposits of this great stream and its tributaries or distributaries. East of the Mississippi, however, the prairies again appear here and there, though the forests often descend to the very edge of the swamp lands. As the 100-foot contour is approached, the land becomes dissected b}^ numerous small streams, and when cleared of its forest growth pre- sents a decidedly rolling surface. East of the Mississippi the plains lying near the level of the 20-foot contour are still in places thickly studcd with graceful, palm-like "long-leaf " pines. Their years are numbered, though, as the many huge sawmill plants in their midst will attest. The soil of the region or zone that lies nearly at the level of the 20- foot contour is decidedly clayey and "tight-bottomed," a feature of great economic importance to the rice planter. Farther up, toward the 100-foot contour, the soil is more sandy and is, therefore, more pervious to surface waters. This, too, as we shall see later on, is an extremely fortunate circumstance so far as the supply of underground water farther south is concerned. HILL, LANDS. As the low lake and swamp lands pass gradual^ into the prairies, so the upper undulating prairie and timber lands pass gradually into the more abrupt dissected area. The chief difference to be noted is that in this last subdivision the streams are so numerous and their vallej^s so deep that there is little left of the old sea-bottom plain out of which this rugged topography was carved. As the surface of the land in this area rises from 100 feet to over 100 in a distance usually less than from the sea margin to the 20-foot contour, it is no wonder that the effects of erosion are well marked. Here the soil is still more gravelty or sandy than in the belt below the 100-foot contour. This fact, too, has much to do with the rapid erosion that is apparent on every hand. A small exception to the general appearance of these "long-leaf pine hill lands" is to be seen in the calcareous prairies (Anacacho) near Leesville, Vernon Parish. STRATIGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN JLOUISIANA. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. So far as underground waters are concerned the stratigraphy of southern Louisiana is very simple, for nearly all of the wells dis- cussed in this report are in very young or Quaternary deposits. irk 101—04 2 18 UNDERGROUND WATEKS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Here and there, to be sure, peaks and uplifts of the older beds approach the surface, or even protrude above the general level of the land, but such uplifts are generally of ex- tremel} 7 local nature. The Five Islands, for example, stretch along the coast for a distance of over 35 miles, but the greatest diameter of the largest one is only 2 miles. Grand chenier Mississippi River New Orleans Covington *o 2,000 feet. Jennings Oakdale Alexandria ' ! & 2,500 feet. Again, these Five Islands are separated by a stretch of 25 miles from the truncated cone at Anse la Butte, or by 75 or 80 miles from simi- U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Alexandria Marksville St.Mart'in'viTle ^FZ=^ l S^^ = ==== 504 us 649 mn= o Soil and clay Rook 20 Blue olay \ \ \ 220 Blue joint clay \ 300 348 Clay, uarious Green clay Sandstone Clay Blue clay Soft sandstone XI Clay h- Sandstone ' Sandstone Sand s Yellow sand Grauel with olaystone White, water- Red tenacious \ olay Clay appearing lignitio \ Sand with 10" layer of lignitio Bluish lignitic\ clay \ 83B \ \ \ \ \ Clay and soil fine sand Blue clay Water-bearing ~~~r~ sand and gravel Napo Clay Grauel in tenacious clay B10 Tenacious clay and grauel Coarse sand and grauel Soft n Coarse 1090 1145 J 190 Pyrite boulder Rock i Sand Blue tt Sand i Oil sa ••Sulp WELL SECTIONS FROM Fabacher's well Blue clay White sand withshells Gray sand Reddish sand Gray sand Slue clay with pockets of shells Hard white and 580 blue clay _^.-^""~ Blue water- bearing sand Blue tenacious clay White sand Blue clay Fine shells Gray water-sand WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. II Gymnasium well Gulf level New Orleans Canal street well Clay Sand Clay, various Sand, water-bearing Lignitic sand Clay Sand o> Sand with shells * _______ _ ^ ^_ J_— ^======_n=S*___T ■ , EVEU LAND *imFAf.F. — _^- ' ^-=-=— r~^ ^ - ____ ___=_J_ GULF LEVEL Fig. 9. — Relation of land surface to pressure head of artesian and* deep-well waters approxi- mately along parallel 30° 12'. Mammoth Spring, near Franklington, Washington Parish, would lead one to suppose that deep wells may eventually prove successful in some parts of these northern parishes where on the small map (fig. 7) no sign of the fact is indicated. So far as the other areas are concerned, little need be said. The deep-well area in southwest Louisiana is well understood. Sand and gravel beds that seem saturated with water are encountered at various depths, ranging from 150 to 500 feet. Near the coast the water over- flows; farther northward as a rule it stands lower and lower below the surface, so that north of Oberlin the expense of lifting water to the surface would more than equal the profits of irrigated crops. The map (fig. 7) does not indicate that no deep-well water can be found in much of the northern region. It implies rather that such waters would generally stand say 30 or more feet beneath the surface of the soil; and hence their value for irrigation and general purposes would be materiall} 7 lessened, owing to the increased cost of pumping. WJELL STATISTICS. ARTESIAN WELLS IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, FROM BILOXI WESTWARD. This part of Mississippi is justly famous for its fine artesian wells. Not only does the water seem good and wholesome, but the pressure is strong and the supply is ample. As will be seen from the statistics given below, there are shallow sands from which pumping water may be had, and deeper ones from "Good water has recently been obtained in this region. — G, D, H., April, 1901. HARRIS." 1 AETESIAIST WELLS IN MISSISSIPPI. 31 which a fair quantity of flowing water may be obtained, but as a rule the best wells are sunk to a much greater depth here than in southern Louisiana. HARRISON COUNTY. BILOXI. Section of well one-half mile east of railroad station. [Section by Brown.] Soil. Soil and clay Sand, bearing good pumping water .-=. Whitish clay Greenish clay Sand, extremely fine at first, becoming coarser below, coarse gravel Thickness in feet. 4 61 35 390 428 Depth in feet. 4 65 100 490 918 Pipe, 6 and 4 inches; flow, at surface of the ground, 1,000 gallons per minute; 500 gallons at elevation of 35 feet, 250 gallons at elevation of 55 feet. This indicates that the pressure head is not far from 75 feet above tide. City waterworks wells. — No notes were obtained regarding the depths of these wells. It was observed, however, that the large 6-inch pipes carried the water up rapidly and filled the elevated tanks to a height of -10 feet above the general surface of the ground. Ice-factory wells. — At these wells the difference in temperature of the shallow and deep well was specially noted, viz: Water (flowing) from 500-foot stratum, 79.5° F.; from 900-foot stratum, 82.5° F. SHIP ISLAND. Quarantine station well. feet above tide. -Depth, 730 feet; mouth of well about 10 Section of well at Quarantine station, Shij) Island. [Section by Dr. P. C. Kallock.] Soil. Thickness. Depth. White sand Soft clay and mud . Hard blue clay White sand Blue clay Sandstone Blue clay Water-bearing sand Feet. In. 45 155 100 5 60 5 156 9 Feet. In. 45 200 300 305 565 565 5 721 5 730 5 R9, UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Light-house well. — Mouth of well perhaps 10 feet above tide; flow, vigorous; estimated at 50 gallons per minute from a 2-inch pipe; depth, 750 feet. Section of well at light-house on Ship Island. [Section by Dr. Murdock.] Soil. Sand Yellow clay Blackish mud Fine sand, with shells Blue clay Water-bearing sand . . Thickness in feet. 250 100 50 50 250 50 Depth in feet. 250 350 400 450 700 750 .MISSISSIPPI CITY. C. Clemens havis well. — Depth, 925 feet; mouth of the well about 18 feet above tide. Regarding- the well Mr. Clemenshaw remarks: Passed through no hard rock, no quicksand, hut clay and blue sand, the latter often highly micaceous. A 60-gallon per minute flow was found at a depth of 600 feet, a 200-gallon flow at 925 feet. E. P. Ellis' 1 s well. — Depth, 850 feet; 3-inch pipe; flow, 80 gallons per minute; 55 feet above tide. Court-house well. — Pipe, 2^ inches; reduced to \\ inches; flow, 20 gallons per minute; 28 feet above ground, or about 50 feet above tide. GENERAL SECTION FROM PASS CHRISTIAN TO BILOXI. According to Mr. A. Dixon, who has accompanied a well-drilling outfit for several years in this part of the State, the majority of the wells show approximately the following section: General section of tvells between Pass Christian and Biloxi. Soil. Sand Clay Sand, and clay Light-gray fine sand. Clay Water-bearing sand . Thickness in feet. SO Depth in feet. 80 125 425 500 600 685 HARRIS.] WELLS IIS LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 33 BAY ST. LOUIS. Mr. N. H. Darton ft gives the following data for this locality: Many wells; temperature of deeper, 78°; depth, 400 to 600 feet; size, from 2 to 4£ inches; yield per minute, 100 to 105 gallons. ARTESIAN AND DEEP WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. ST. TAMMANY PARISH. COVINGTON AND VICINITY. Court-house well. — In yard in front of the court-house; April, 1901, flow, 2£ gallons per minute; temperature, 73° F. ; June 26, 1903, flow, 1 gallon per minute; temperature, 72.4° F. Elevation of ground, 32 feet; of flow, 35.6 feet above tide. Dixon Academy well. — One-half mile west of Covington; pipe, 2£ inches; flow, 25 gallons per minute, 1901; temperature, 72.6° F., June 26, 1903; elevation of flow, 26.7 feet above tide. Dummet well. — On Holmesville road; depth, 572 feet; pipe, about 2 inches; flow, according to driller, Robert Wallbillick, 1901, when first put down, 2 feet from ground, 21 gallons per minute. Record by G. D. Harris, 1903, 15 gallons per minute, about 3 feet above ground; temperature, 71° F. Section of Dummet well, St. Tammany Parish. [Section furnished by Mr. Wallbillick.] Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. 15 15 6 21 35 56 25 81 12 93 6 99 14 113 6 119 8 127 10 137 1 138 10 148 2 150 10 160 White clay Yellow clay White clay Coarse v/hite sand Fine gravel Coarse white sand Coarse white sand and gravel . Coarse yellow sand and gravel Coarse yellow sand Gravel Red clay Gravel Red clay Gravel a Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 57, 1902, United States Geological Survey. irr 101—04- 3 34 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Section of Dummet well, St. Tammany Parish — Continued. Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. Red sand and gravel Gravel Red sand Coarse gravel • - Coarse white sand White clay Blue clay Fine bluish and greenish water-bearing sand Bl ue clay Gray sand Fine blue and greenish sand 20 32 38 25 4 18 183 7 71 6 180 212 250 275 279 297 480 487 558 564 572 John DutcKs well. — In north-central part of Covington; depth, 600 feet; flow, 20 gallons per minute; temperature, 74° F. , April 17, 1901; elevation of flow, 35.6 feet above tide. 3f/'.j. Flower's wells. — These records were furnished by Mr. Wall- billick, and show that here, as elsewhere, there are sandy strata bear- ing water at far lesp depths than the beds furnishing the water that will flow above the surface of the ground. Such wells are termed shallow or pumping wells. Sections of Mrs. Flower's ivells, St. Tammany Parish. Well No. 1: White clay Blue clay White sand Blue clay „ Shells mixed with blue clay Fine white sand Coarse white sand ( pumping stratum ) Well No. 2: White clay Blue clay White clay Shells mixed with black clay Dark clay AVhite sand icknc ;ss. Ft. in. 30 6 18 6 2 17 1 6 27 6 6 40 2 21 6 9 6 21 Ft. in 30 49 51 68 69 97 103 40 42 63 63 73 94 These wells are but 300 feet apart. U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. V A. WELL IN BARN LOT OF THE HERNANDEZ PLACE, 2\ MILES NORTH OF COVINGTON, LA. B. WELL IN MR. ANDERSON'S BARNYARD, THREE-FOURTHS OF A MILE NORTH- WEST OF HAMMOND STATION, LA. Harris.] WELLS LIST LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 35 II nailer's well. — Southwestern part of Covington; depth, 520 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, 30 gallons per minute; temperature, 72° F., June, 1903. Hernandez place, well by house. — About 2 miles north of Covington; depth, 610 feet; pipe, 2.5 inches; flow from 1-inch pipe, January, 1901, 38-sr gallons per minute; April, 1901 (from whole pipe?), 60 gallons per minute; temperature, 1901, 73° F.; elevation of ground, 46.1 feet above tide; top of basin, 47.3 feet; of pipe, 48.5 feet. Hernandez well, by barn. — About 2£ miles north of Covington; depth approximately as in last well; pipe, 2£ inches; flow, January, 1901, 35^ gallons per minute; March, 1902, 54i gallons per minute; June, 27, 1903, 40 gallons per minute; temperature, 72.25°; elevation of ground, 47.4 feet; of pipe, 52; pressure head considerably above 60 above tide. This is the well shown in PL V, A, and is usually considered one of the best in this part of the State, but it has not the capacity of the well by the house, which is so piped that satisfactory measurements of its flow are hard to obtain. This beautiful summer residence is now the property of Louis P. Rice, of Covington and New Orleans. Ice factory wells. — Three wells of the "shallow" type before men- tioned, two 2 inch and one 2i inch, furnish, when pumped, sufficient water for the ice factory. The water rises to within about 8 feet of the surface. Lyon well. — At Claiborne, 1 mile east of Covington; depth, 630 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, 30 gallons per minute; temperature, 73°, April, 1901; flow, 26 gallons per minute; temperature, 74°, June 26, 1903; elevation, 26.6 feet above tide. Maison Blanche. — Depth, 480 feet; pipe, 2 inches, reduced to 1 inch; flow per minute, April, 1901, 20i gallons; March, 1902, 23i gallons; June 26, 1903, 16|- gallons; temperature, 72.25°; elevation of ground, 31 feet 6 inches of top of basin, 33.6 feet of flow, 35.5 feet above tide. Other wells. — There are many other flowing wells about Covington, but the data presented above will give a fair idea of their general character. It will be seen that as the depth increases the temperature also increases, as might well be expected. For a 600-foot well a tem- perature of 74° is about normal here. Compare these in this respect with the Hammond and Ponchatoula wells. There is a flow about Covington at present, within a radius of 3 miles, of about 300 gallons per minute; and as is generally the case the water is mainly wasted, i. e., allowed to flow to no purpose. ABITA SPRINGS. Abita Hotel and Cottage Company well. — Half mile east of Abita Springs Station (elevation of station 38.3 feet above tide); depth, given by some as 545, by others, 525 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow through stop- 36 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. cock, 51 gallons per minute; temperature, 73°; no screen. This is a new well, put down this season (1903). When allowed to flow freely it reduces the pressure of neighboring- wells materially, especially those to the west and south. Aiibert Hotel well. — About one-third mile southeast of station; depth, 585 feet; pipe, li inches; flow from a faucet, 2£ feet above the ground; 38.3 feet above tide January, 1901; 12£ gallons per minute through a network of pipes 60 feet long; June 26, 1903, 22 gallons per minute, direct from well at a height of about 38 feet above tide. See analysis given on p. 78. Pressure head at least 50 feet above tide. Frank Brinker's well. — One-fourth mile northwest of the station; pipe, 2 inches; depth, 571 feet; flow through stopcock about 2 feet above the surface of the ground, 27 gallons per minute; no screen; temperature, 73° F. Ldbat Hotel well. — One-fourth mile north of the station; depth, 526 feet; pipe, 1^ inches; original flow, seven or eight years ago, said to be 15 gallons per minute; flow, January, 1901, from faucet, 15.2 feet above tide, 37 gallons; flow from pipe with stopcock but without faucet, June 26, 1903, 56 gallons per minute; temperature, 71°. When the size of the pipe is taken into consideration this is the most freely flowing well in St. Tammany Parish. Okas. W. /Schmidt's well. — A few yards south of the station; depth supposed to be 800 feet; pipe, 1£ inches; flow through a one-half inch faucet, in 1901 and 1903, 1 gallons per minute; temperature, 72°; ele- vation of ground, 35.6 feet; of faucet, 36.6 feet above tide. This was perhaps the earliest artesian well in this vicinity. It was not decidedly successful, doubtless on account of the novelty of the undertaking. The temperature indicates that its flow of water comes from a depth much short of 800 feet. Simon's Hotel well. — Just east of the station; hotel building burned; pipe, 1^ inches; flow through two elbows and a horizontal pipe 2 feet in length, January, 1901, 12 gallons per minute; April, 1901, 11 gal- lons; June, 1903, 10 gallons; temperature, 1901, 72°; 1903,73°; eleva- tion of ground, 38.3 feet of top of basin, 11.7 feet of top of pipe, 13.6 feet above tide. Limit of supply . — The present flow of water from artesian wells about Abita Springs is not far from 200 gallons per minute. The sensitiveness, especially on the part of the smaller wells, to the flow from the new, large well would seem to indicate that the supply, though ample for all legitimate uses, should not be unduly drawn upon, else pumping in some instances will have to be resorted to. PEARL RIVER JUNCTION. When compared with most of the wells in this part of the State the well at Pearl River Junction appears remarkable for the great amount hakkis.] WELLS ITST LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 37 of water it furnishes at a shallow depth. The water is not regarded as suitable for boiler and drinking purposes, though for common household uses it serves excellentl}'. Depth, 350 feet; pipe, 2^ inches; flow through a stopcock at the rate of 72 gallons per minute; flow from open 2£-inch pipe said to be 90 gallons per minute; pressure head, 51 feet above tide. The elevation of station is 31 feet above tide. MANDEVILLE JUNCTION. At Mandeville Junction there is an excellent well that furnishes the railroad tank with water, flowing up freely 27 feet above the ground. Since no levels have ever been run over this road it is not possible to state the exact height of the well above tide. MANDEVILLE. The elevation of station at Mandeville is 6.8 feet above tide. Dessome well. — Northeastern part of the village, in flower garden; depth, 217 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow per minute, March, 1901, 28.1 gal- lons; March, 1902, 26 gallons; June 27, 1903, 28 gallons; temperature in 1902, 69.5°; in June, 1903, 69.8° F. Flows from pipe 9 feet above tide; pressure head, Hi feet above tide. Mrs. John Hawkins's well. — Western part of the village; pipe, 2 inches, reduced to li inches; flow per minute, 1902, 10 gallons; in 1903, 13 gallons; temperature in 1902, 68.5°; in 1903, 70° F. Flow from a pipe 7. 35 feet above tide. C. IT. Jackson 's well. — Depth, 135 feet; pipe, 1|- inches, reduced to 1 inch; flow, 0.97 gallon per minute; height of flow, 13.8 feet above tide. Dr. Paints well. — Flow, open 2-inch pipe, 10.6 gallons per minute; reduced to 1 inch, 10i gallons per minute; through inch pipe with stopcock attached, 9.1 gallons per minute. Elevation of ground, 3.85 feet; of flow, 6.80 feet above tide. Ribava well. — Depth, 217 feet; flow, from open 1^ inch pipe, 12 gal- lons per minute, 1901; through stopcock, 9i gallons per minute in 1902; through stopcock, 1903, 7 gallons per minute; temperature, 71°, February, 1902; 72°, June, 1903; elevation of ground, 3.12 feet; of flow, 4.9 feet above tide. Rush well. — North of station, perhaps one-third mile; depth, 252 feet; pipe, 2 inches, reduced to 1 inch; flow, 7 gallons per minute; 4 feet above the general level of the ground. Depths. — As in several other regions already described, there are here to be found beds yielding water at a depth considerably less than that attained by most of the artesian wells. The water in the shallower wells usually stands, in the vicinity of Covington, as well as about Hammond, from 2 to 10 feet below the surface. Here such shallow wells, about 90 feet deep, actually flow, though not vigorously. 38 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no.101. It will be noticed that the wells about Mandeville are very much shallower than at Covington, 9 miles to the north. They are about 3° cooler, and have a less ferruginous taste and appearance. The wells about Slidell have not been examined, but Mr. Blakemore, of New Orleans, says that there the Mandeville water (300 feet), and a decidedly bad "yellow" water (perhaps 700 feet down), are met with. The latter is described as the same water that is found at the same depth in the city of New Orleans. CHINCHUBA. Depth, 325 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow reduced to one-third inch pipe, hence with pressure head of but 7.3 feet; temperature, 72° F. ; elevation of ground, 19 feet above tide. Other wells at a brickyard to the north, and at a locality 1 miles to the northwest, are reported to have satisfactory artesian wells, but they were not visited. TANGIPAHOA PARISH. singletry's still. This well is about 9 miles northwest of Covington, or in the SW. i NW. i sec. 31, 5 S., 10 E. It is so distant from any other flowing well that the following statistics and section, though imperfect, will be of considerable interest to landowners and well men in this section of the State. Section of ivell at Singletry's still. [Section given by E. P. Singletry.] Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. Sand and clay Quicksand Red clay Pipe clay Blue sand . . . 100 120 170 160 10 100 220 390 550 560 Depth, 560 feet; pipe, about 2 inches; flow, 18 gallons per minute, with several small leaks; height of pipe where measured, 78 feet above tide. (See analysis, p. 78.) The elevation was determined in 1901 by J. Pacheco and G. D. Harris, who ran a spirit-level line out from Covington. HAMMOND. The elevation of the railroad station at Hammond is 13.3 feet above tide. Captain Anderson? s well. — For general appearance of the well see haeeis.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OP THE MISSISSIPPI. 39 PL V, B; depth, 272 feet; size, 2 inches; flow, 20 gallons per minute; temperature of water, 70.5°; strainer or point, 10 feet. Section: Sand to 40 feet, a thick bed of blue clay, then sand and gravel to the bottom. Well sunk and cased with galvanized pipe for 55 cents per foot; hence total cost of well, approximately, $150. Baltzell & Thomas livery stable well. — Depth, 330 feet; size, 2 inches; temperature, 71.5°; flow, 21 gallons per minute, June 23, 1903; screen, 7 feet long. B. F. BauerWs well. — One and one-half miles south-southwest of Hammond; depth, 212 feet; size, 2 inches; temperature, 69°; flow, June 23, 1903, 8f gallons per minute. DurJc.ee well. — Depth, 297 feet; size, 2 inches reduced to li inches; flow in March, 1901, 21 gallons per minute, besides two small distrib- uting pipes that could not be closed; flow, same conditions, June 23, 1903, 21 gallons per minute. Eastman well. — One and one-half miles south of Hammond; depth, 309 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, 30 gallons per minute, in 1901; pressure, 5i pounds per square inch; temperature, 72° F. Forbes well. — One mile east of Hammond, NE. \ NW. i, section 30; depth, 250 feet; flow, June 23, 1903, 7i gallons per minute; size, li inches; pressure head, 17 feet above surface of ground; age, 8 years. Three water-bearing beds were encountered in sinking this well: (1) Depth, 52 feet, water coming to within 2 feet of surface; (2) 150 feet, coming to within 8 feet of surface; (3) 250 feet, with head of 17 feet. Hermann well. — Two miles south-southwest of Hammond. Impos- sible to obtain accurate data, except pressure, %\ pounds per square inch. Hammond Ice Company's well. — Depth, 310 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow in 1901, about 50 feet above tide, 15 gallons per minute; same conditions, June, 1903, 11 gallons per minute; temperature, both years, 72° F. Hammond Mineral Water Company {Limited). — Well, 160 feet deep; pipe, 3 inches; flow, about 16 feet above tide, 65 gallons per minute. C. H. HommeVs well. — One-half mile southeast of Hammond; depth,' 318 feet; flow, impossible to measure now; said to have been, when well was first put down, 15 gallons per minute; temperature, 70.5° F. Alfred Jacksorfs well. — Depth, 265 feet; pipe, li inches; flow, 3 feet above surface of the ground, June, 1903, 6f gallons per minute; temperature, 71° F. June Brothers' sawmill well. — Depth, 377 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, at a point 5 feet above the ground, open pipe with one elbow, June 22, 1903, 21 gallons per minute; temperature, 71° F. Kate well. — In western part of the village, on Morris avenue; size 40 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. of pipe, 2 inches; free flow, perhaps 3 feet above the general surface of the ground, 30 gallons per minute, June 23, 1903; temperature, 70.6° F. A new well, just finished. Fred Karlton i s well. — One-half mile southeast of Hammond; depth, 302 feet; pipe, 2 inches below, reduced to 1\ above surface of ground; screen, 10 feet; flow, June, 1903, 21 gallons per minute; cost, $150; temperature, 70.5° F. Kemp well. — Three-fourths mile southeast of Hammond; pipe, li inches; flow, June, 1903, 5 gallons per minute; temperature, 70° F. Merritt Miller's well. — Depth, 265 feet; pipe, 2 inches, reduced to li; flow in 1901, 28i gallons per minute; elevation of flow, 44 feet above tide; pressure head, 56.6 feet above tide; temperature, 71° F. Morrison well. — Pipe, 2 inches; flow, 46 feet above tide, 1901, 20 gallons per minute; June; 1903, same flow; pressure head, 51.7 feet above tide; temperature, 72° F. Oaks Hotel well. — Depth, 300 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, 25 gallons per minute; age, ten )^ears; temperature, 71° F. See analysis, p. 78. Oil well. — The following section was obtained from samples in 1901: Section of oil well at Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish. Depth in feet. Clay 45-55 Sand and gravel 85-100 Yellow loam 173 Water-bearing sand . 294 Coarse sand 368 Coarse sand and gravel 475 The same, more sandy 500-512 5-foot bed of hard blue clay, about 570 "Pepper and salt sand" 5704- The new well, June, 1903, was over 760 feet deep. It was gener- ally understood that its section tallied with the old one fairly closely so far as the latter went down. The " 5-foot bed of clay " of the old well showed only 3 feet in the new. From approximately 570 feet in the new, gravel was abundant to 760. Below, a hard bed of clay had been encountered, light colored above, but growing much darker below. Pushee well. — One mile south of Hammond; west of the railroad; depth, 380 feet; 340 feet of li-inch pipe, 40 feet of li-inch pipe; no screen; flow recorded by Mr. Pacheco March, 1901, 14i gallons per minute; April, 1901, 15£ gallons; by G. D. Harris, June 23, 1903, 11 gallons per minute; temperature, 70.6° F. hareis.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 41 Robinson well. — Northwest quarter of the town (see analysis, p. 78); depth, 356 feet; size of pipe, 2 inches; flow not ascertained because it is piped to various places quite inaccessible. Rogers's {Ben) well. — West of Hammond, § mile; depth, 284 feet; 2-inch pipe reduced to 1 inch; flow, 17 gallons per minute; tempera- ture, 70.5° F.; cost, $142. Section of Rogers' s well, Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish. Clay. Quicksand to 75 feet. Clay. Sand, last 50 feet. Lower end of screen (10 feet) stuck in clay bed. Erastus Rogers's well. — Depth, 225 feet; pipe, li inches; flow, 5 feet from ground, 2i gallons per minute; temperature, 70°; strainer (screen), 8 feet. J. T. Smith! s well. — One mile east of Hammond; depth, 235 feet; temperature, 69° F. ; pipe, H inches; flow, 6.5 feet above ground, 1\ gallons per minute; age, one year; cost, $108. W. B. Smiths well. — One-half mile southeast of Hammond; depth said by some to be 260, by others 305, feet; pipe, 2 inches reduced to li; temperature, 70.5°; flow, Hi* gallons per minute; age, eight years. Tigner well. — Two miles southeast of Hammond; flow, 20 gallons per minute; pipe, 2 inches; temperature, 70° F. W. J. Wilmofs well. — Depth, about 370 feet; pipe, 2 inches reduced to 1 inch; flow, said to be 40 gallons per minute; pressure, 2 feet above the ground, 7.7 pounds per square inch; flows readily 14 feet above ground, with small leaks in pipe; would doubtless flow 20 feet above ground. IT. Walshs well. — One and one-half miles south-southeast of Ham- mond, in section 31; depth, 298 feet; pipe, 1£ inches reduced to 1 inch; flows through 30 feet horizontal pipe, with stopcock, 5^ gallons per minute; temperature, 70.75° F. ; age, five years. Way well. — One and one-half miles south-southwest of Hammond; depth, 140 feet; flow, 3 gallons per minute; temperature, 69° F. Summary of wells about Hammond. — Water may be had by pump- ing, from wells ranging in depth from 30 to 100 feet; a sand, or quick- sand, furnishes a slight flow generally at 140 to 150 feet, flow or not depending on topography; temperature, 69° F. ; after passing more clay, to depths ranging from 230 to 380 feet, coarser sand or gravel is encountered, furnishing an artesian flow above the ground of from 10 to 20 feet, according to topography; temperature, 69° to 72° F. The well of the Mineral Water Company, with 3-inch pipe, and a depth of about 460 feet, with a flow of 65 gallons per minute, as well 42 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. as the log of the oil well, shows conclusively that better and larger wells may be expected in this vicinity. The Morrison and Durkee wells, some distance apart, in the central portion of the town, have shown no change whatever in flow for the past two years. Since they are of the normal size and depth, it is evident that the available supply is as yet far greater than the demand. In a radius of two miles of Hammond there are already about 50 flowing wells, yielding about 1,000 gallons of water per minute, or half a billion gallons annually, nearly all of which is wasted. Decrease in the flow of certain wells in this neighborhood is due solely to increased obstruction in the lower end of the pipe. The cost of these wells is not far from 50 cents a foot, labor, casing, etc., being furnished by the driller. The usual size pipe is 2 inches in diameter; in case smaller pipe is used the cost of the well is somewhat less. See notes on J. T. Smith's well, above. Age of the wells examined, from two months to ten years. When properly screened, or put down into coarse gravel, these wells seem to flow as freely now as when first put down. Local well drillers: Bacon and Gamble, Edwin Way, John Blum- quist. PONCHATOULA. The elevation of the railroad station at Ponchatoula is 29 feet above tide. Alber well. — Two hundred feet from the town well; depth, 413 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, 25 gallons per minute; head about 30 feet above the surface of the ground. Bacon and Gamble, drillers. G. H. BiegeVs well. — At Pelican Hotel; depth, 232 feet; flow, 4f gallons per minute, 1901; 2f gallons per minute, 1903; temperature, 71° in 1901; 69.5° in 1903; pipe, 11 inches; height of flow about 31 feet above tide. Mrs. Bishop's well. — Old, deserted place, 3 miles north of Poncha- toula, 2 miles south of Hammond; depth, 170 feet; pipe, li inches; temperature, 69.5° F. ; flow, 10 gallons per minute; age, about nine years. The section of this well, according to John Blumquist, who drilled it, is as follows: Section of Bishop well, Ponchatoula. Clay Sand, with some water Blue clay Coarse sand Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. 50 50 20 70 94 164 6 170 haeeis.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 43 C. A. McKlnneif s well. — About \ mile southwest of Ponchatoula; depth, 199f feet; flow said to be variable, caving - in evidently taking- place below; on June 24, 1903, 12 gallons per minute; pipe, \\ inches; age, four years. Moon well. — Same general vicinity as preceding; depth, 200 feet; pipe, li inches; flow, 12 gallons per minute; age, seven years. Near by this is the Fisher well with a flow of 10 gallons per minute. Railroad well. — At Chester, 100 feet north of fiftieth milepostfrom New Orleans, west of track and 5 feet below the level of rails; flow, 3f gallons per minute; pipe, li inches; temperature, 70° F. Town well. — In public square; flow, 1901, 2£ gallons; in 1903, 2f- gallons per minute; temperature, 71°, 1901; 70°, 1903. See table of analyses for further information regarding this and the Biegel well. Sawmill well. — Depth, 332 feet; flow, 5 gallons per minute. Section of sawmill well, Ponchatoula. [Section given by Bacon and Gamble.] Yellow and gray blue clay Gray sand and gravel Blue clay, about Fine blue sand Coarse white sand Fine blue sand, with thin beds of clay . . Sand a little coarser, weak flow of water Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. 75 75 15 90 35 125 105 230 30 260 40 300 32 332 ORLEANS PARISH. The fact that there are two well-defined water-bearing strata" under New Orleans has already been mentioned. A number of additional facts can now be presented. The old Canal street well of 1854, so often referred to in geological literature, both on account of its great depth, as borings then went, and, more especially, on account of the careful record kept by Mr. Blanchard of the beds passed through, including many fossils, still remains the type section for this general region of the country down to a depth of 630 feet. No recent boring has been recorded with the interest and painstaking care that was displayed in this well. This is most seriously to be regretted, as the number of wells sunk has been very large, and their records, if carefully kept, would furnish material for an interesting chapter in the geological history of the a Kept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, p. 221. 44 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. southern Mississippi Valley. The records of the deeper wells, ranging from 1,200 to 1,400 feet, have been wanting altogether. The record of the Fabacher well, given below, will therefore be of unusual interest to those who are interested in the geology of New Orleans, either from a purely economic or scientific point of view. Fortunate, too, from a geological standpoint, is the collapsing of the screen at the base of the casing in the Young Men's Gymnasium well, at a depth of about 1,300 feet, allowing the sand and tine shells to enter the pipe and be brought to the surface by the force of the flowing water. DEEP SALT-WATER WELLS. Young Metis Gymnasium Club well. — Depth supposed to be 1,356 feet, though some claim that 1,250 is nearer the truth; natural flow, 40 gallons per minute; forced, 125 gallons; gas escapes at the rate of 830 cubic feet in twenty-four hours; specific gravity, 1.016. Analysis of water oftvell at Young Men's Gymnasium Club. [Ordway and Kirchoff, analysts.] Parts in 100,000. Grains per gallon. Chloride sodium 2, 115. 9 138.2 75.7 1.3 Trace. 86.8 4.7 Trace. "•2.82 Chloride calcium 81.2 Chloride magnesium 44.9 Chloride ammonia „_ .8 Chloride potash Trace. Carbonate calcium 40.8 Oxides of Fe and Al 2.8 Phosphate Trace. a Ounces. Fahacher's well. — AtFabacher's "Casino," corner Nashville avenue and St. Charles street; depth, 1,229 feet; pipe, 4 inches; flow 1 foot above ground, 55 gallons per minute; flow, reduced to 2 inches and raised 10 feet above the ground, 6 gallons per minute; flow stops at 12 feet above ground; temperature, 81.5° F. haeris.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 45 Section of Fabacher's well, New Orleans. [Furnished by Mr. Blakemore.] Character of material. Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. Blue clay * White sand with shells Yellowish-white clay Gray sand Blue clay Reddish sand Gray sand Blue clay, with pockets of shells Gray sand Blue clay Hard white clay Hard blue clay Blue water sand (fresh water) Blue tenacious clay White sand (resembling white sugar) Blue clay Fine shells Gray water sand 37 20 5 105 20 20 80 280 2 40 19 30 225 150 40 85 6 65 37 57 62 167 187 207 287 567 569 609 628 658 883 1,033 1,073 1,158 1,164 1, 229 A forthcoming report will deal with the fossil remains saved from this well by Mr. Fabacher, and similar ones preserved by Mr. John Kracke, from the gymnasium well. They appear to be of Pleistocene or Quaternary age. THE COMMON "YELLOW-WATER" WELLS. These include the 600 to 900 foot wells bored at frequent intervals over the city. One of the earliest wells of this class sunk in New Orleans was in the neutral grounds on Canal street, between Caron- dalet and Baronne streets, in the year 1854. A colored section of this well, as originally kept by A. G. Blanchard, C. E., of New Orleans, appears in the report of the board of health of Louisiana for 1890-91. a From this it will be observed that the strata penetrated to a depth of 630 feet consist of light yellowish and bluish sands and clays with some light greenish layers and occasional shell sands. 6 One of the most recent wells of this class is that at the Marine Hospital, Audubon Park. This is 765 feet deep. The first 600 feet are reported as sand, silt, and clay beds; a bed of yellow sand, perhaps a Biennial Rept. Board of Health to the general assembly of the State of Louisiana for 1890-91, plate opposite p. 148. Baton Rouge, 1892. b Rept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1903, p. 221. 46 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. 40 feet thick, was encountered some distance below, and continued to 705 feet. From there on for 60 feet the material consists of white sand. The water rises to within about 3 feet of the surface at present. This 6-inch well is capable of furnishing 300 gallons per minute. The water is classed as excellent for washing purposes, requiring but half as much soap as the river water. It is also excellent for boiler pur- poses, but is impotable. The flow from this shallower class of wells has always been weak, and the large number of such wells has still further weakened the flow, There is a tendency now, when more water is required, to seek the lower level. This water is excellent for bathing purposes, containing, as the above analysis shows, a large amount of common salt. The great range in depth here given really includes two or more water-bearing horizons, though at various localities but one may be represented. THE 400-FOOT SANDS. In the old well on the neutral grounds, just referred to, a sand bed was passed through from 335 to 480 feet below the surface that fur- nished artesian water at the rate of 350 gallons an hour. SHALLOW WELLS. Very close by Mr. Fabacher's deep well, above described, is a well but 180 feet in depth, fitted with a 3-inch casing, that flows 12 gallons per minute 1 foot above the surface of the ground. It is brackish. Temperature, 70° F. Small driven wells in the city limits, at varying shallow depths, reach sandy, coarse material that bears water, evidently closely con- nected with the river. BONNABEL "WELL. One of the most interesting wells that has ever been put down in the vicinity of New Orleans is that on the shore of Lake Pontchar- train, about 1 mile west of West End. An attempt was here made to start a summer resort under the name of Lake City, and this well was •sunk for a supply of fresh water. According to Mr. Bonnabel, the well is 1,200 feet deep, but a letter from the driller indicates that it is not over 900 feet deep. It now flows from a 2f -inch pipe, standing about 8 feet above tide, 12 gallons per minute, with a temperature of 79° (measured July 5, 1903). Mr. Bonnabel makes the following remarks regarding the well section: Five-inch casing to 600 feet, hitting rock; 3-inch casing to 700 feet; then 1J- inch casing to 1,200 feet. Compact, ferruginous conglomerate, 60 feet thick, was passed through about 700 feet down; then a black, hard clay was encountered, giving way to bluish sand; water in pale blue clay. hareis.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 47 The analysis of the water lyy Mr. Joseph Albrecht, as given in a handbook regarding "Lake City," is as follows: Analysis of water from Bonnabel well. Grains per gallon. Sodium chloride 27. 74 Sodium carbonate 34. 39 Potassium carbonate 4. 49 Silica carbonate 1. 69 Organic matter free of nitrogen 0. 46 Carbonic acid combined as bicarbonates 13. 33 Total 82. 10 The features of the section outlined by Mr. Bonnabel are in some ways remarkable, and if it were certain that there is no error in the matter there might be grounds for supposing that there had been some orogenic movement in this region tfiat brought up rocks belong- ing to a horizon beneath the Pleistocene to an elevation of but 600 feet below tide level. It is probable that the water comes from the same stratum that is found at a depth of 500 to 600 feet about Coving- ton and Abita Springs, and that it is the same as the 600 to 900 foot sand beds penetrated and so largely drawn from throughout the city of New Orleans. The fact that the water may be potable at Covington, barely so at Lake City, and quite impotable in New Orleans, is readily explained by the very slight slope of the water-bearing stratum, and hence the very slow movement of the underground waters. A slope of perhaps 150 feet in 35 or 36 miles can scarcely give an appreciable daily motion through sand that is generally very fine. When we consider also the rapid formation of this coastal region of Louisiana, and the great amount of organic matter that was brought Gulf ward then as well as now and deposited along in the sand and clay beds of Pliocene times, it is no wonder that the slowly moving waters should become strongly impregnated with various salts and so-called impuri- ties as they pass Gulf ward (see fig. 4). Since such is the condition of affairs in and about New Orleans, there seems to be no valid reason for supposing that the city will ever be supplied with potable artesian water derived from local wells. ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH. KUDDOCK. Mr. John Blumquist, of Hammond, says that the well at this place opposite the railroad station is 338 feet deep. It flows strongty, but the water stains everything red, even glass. 48 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. BATON ROUGE AND VICINITY. Waterworks, two wells. — Old well put down in 1892; depth, 758 feet; water rises to within 6 feet of surface, i. e., approximately 30 feet above tide; capacity given as 500,000 gallons daily. Analysis of ivater of waterworks well at Baton Rouge. [B. B. Ross, analyst.] Grains per gallon. Total solid matter 14. 3175 Mineral matter =. 12. 1597 Organic and volatile matter 2. 1578 Silica 1 . 3413 Potash ,.' 2251 Soda _■ -. 5. 9929 Lime 5009 Magnesia 2939 Oxides of Fe and Al 5056 Phosphoric acid . 03196 Sulphuric acid , 1. 8819 Chlorine 4655 Oxygen oxidizing organic matter 04228 Nitrogen, albuminoid ammonia . . , . . 00676 Nitrogen as free ammonia 00519 Nitrogen as nitrates 00192 Sulphuric acid and chlorine combined as — Potassium sulphate 4171 Sodium sulphate 3. 0022 Sodium chloride 7494 This well has an 8-inch pipe for 386 feet; 6-inch pipe for 304 feet; 4i-inch pipe for 68 feet. New well starts with 10-inch pipe, and is 6 inches the rest of the way down; depth, 800 feet; flow at surface about 35 feet above tide. The two wells are said to have a capacity or 1,000,000 gallons a day. Pumped with compressed air. Istrouma Hotel well. — Depth, according to the Blakemore Well Company, of New Orleans, 770 feet; water stands 18 feet below the surface of the ground. It is of the same quality as the water obtained at the waterworks, and pumps with a suction pump at the surface about 80 gallons per minute. Well 4- miles east of Baton Rouge. — Pipe 1-inch, flow from 2-inch hole 4^ feet above ground, 5 gallons per minute; from 2-inch hole li feet above ground, 30 gallons per minute; temperature 71° F. Pressure head about 50 feet above tide. BAKER. Well at old mill, one-fourth mile south of statio?i. — Depth, 850 feet; 2-inch pipe; has flowed freely 16 feet above present faucet. It now furnishes large quantities of water. harkis.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 49 Elevation of pressure head, about 100 feet above tide. (Elevation of Baker station given by Gannett as 82 feet above tide.) Driven wells, 150 feet deep, furnish fair water. Bored wells, 25 to 10 feet deep, yield very impure water. Wells here, some as deep as 200 feet, have to be pumped. Most of the water used is from shallow bored wells. WEST FELICIANA PARISH. BAYOU SARA. Well just southeast of railroad station, 210 feet deep; passed through gravel at 100 feet. It is pumped. Darton gives the following data from one well at this place: Depth, 736 feet; pipe 1-inch; yield, 317 gallons; height of water [above mouth of well?] +2 feet; temperature 63°. For another he gives siinply depth 150 feet and "height" +1 foot. ARTESIAN AND DEEP WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. LA FOURCHE PARISH. THIBODAUX. Ice factory well. — Depth, 225 feet; passes through moderately fine bluish sand all the way down; water impotable on account of various salts; stands 13 feet below the surface of the ground; used for con- densing. ASSUMPTION PARISH. NAPOLEONVILLE. City waterworks. — Two wells, an 8-inch, 190 feet deep; a 6-inch, 210 feet deep. Both said to furnish 25,000 gallons per hour; the smaller, and deeper, with 9-foot strainer, furnishes more water than the larger, with 20-foot strainer. Several such wells around the town furnish a similar water, i. e., very ferruginous, staining bath tubs and connections an orange yellow. ST. JAMES PARISH. St. James well. — Mr. Weasel, contractor for well drilling on the Texas and Pacific Railroad, says that at St. James he found good water at a depth of 285 feet, passing through a bed of shells (probably Rangia shells). ikk 101—04 4 50 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Convent well. — Mr. C. Oley, of the Blakemore Well Drilling Com- pany, states that here he put a well down to the depth of 190 feet and procured good water. It rises and falls with the Mississippi. ST. MARY PARISH. MORGAN CITY. Well penetrated a very coarse gravel bed at a depth of 500 feet. Clendenin" gives a section of an artesian well at this place furnished by Doctor Simmons. It shows coarse sand and water at a depth of 615 feet. Section of well at Glencoe, St. Mary Parish. Thickness in feet. Soil 1 Yellow clay 11 Quicksand 12 Blue clay 100 Shale 1 Undeter- Tough, gray clay J mined. Coarse sand and gravel and water at ! Depth in feet. 1 12 24 124 615 IBERIA PARISH. JEANERETTE AND VICINITY. MoresVs barnyard well. b — Depth, 110 feet; pipe, li-inch; flow, Feb- ruary 16, 1901, 7i gallons per minute; temperature, 70°. See table of analyses given on page 78. Elevation of station, 18 feet above tide; well, 13.2 feet below sta- tion; hence flow is about 5 feet above tide. MoresPs foundry well. — Depth, 700 feet. See table of analyses given on page 78. Section given as follows: Section of Moresi' s foundry well at Jeanerette, Iberia Parish. Clay Sand and gravel Blue and gray clay, shells, and red water. Gravel Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. 40 40 160 200 460 660 40 700 "Part III, Geol. and Agric. State Exp. Sta., 1896, p. 213. £Rept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, p. 232. harkis.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 51 Elevation, 5.5 feet below railroad station; water stands within 5 or 6 feet of the surface; hence water is about 8 feet above tide. Ice factory well. — Pipe, 8-inch. Clendenin gives this well section as follows: Section of well at ice factory, Jeanerette. Red clay Mottled clay and sand Organic bed Sand and gravel Yellow clay Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. 15 15 80 95 10 105 70 175 175 350 Flow from base of cap, 7.69 feet below railroad station or about 10.5 feet above tide. Old Moresi plantation. — One mile southeast of Jeanerette; depth, 180 feet; flows freely about 8 feet above tide; stains pipes and con- nections bright reddish yellow. S. B. Roand swell. — Three miles south of Jeanerette; depth, 420 feet; pipe, 10-inch; water flows over the top of pipes perhaps 10 feet above tide when wells are not pumped for a time; water seems good for general family use; potable; wells pumped for rice irrigation. This is known as the Kilgore plantation. The section is as follows: Section of Roane's well at Kilgore plantation, near Jeanerette, Iberia Parish. Depth in feet. Clay Gravel .„ Clay, full of shells. Gravel and sand. . . 80 86 236 420 NEW IBERIA. Ice works wells. — Depth, about 230 feet; quality and quantit}^ not as desired for general use; pipes soon cake and clog up. John Emmis well. — Depth, about 260 feet; extremely ferruginous; not potable; rises 5 feet above the bayou at mid-stage. Oil well. — North of New Iberia; depth, said to be about 500 feet, with pockets of oil, and one "rock" 2 feet thick; good water also reported at a depth of about 400 feet. The quality of the water at the Roane well, mentioned above, is such as to seem to bear out ex-Mayor Moresi's statement that good water is to be found only at the usual depths some distance back from the 52 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no.101. bayou. It is probable that the problem of furnishing New Iberia with good water will be solved by pumping it from a station a few miles to the west. Mr. Caldwell, the machinist, vouches for the statement that good water was found in the " Oil" well. ST. MARTIN PARISH. ST. MARTINVILLE AND VICINITY. Oil well.-, — About li miles northwest of St. Martinville. Section of oil well near St. Martinville, St. Martin Parish. [According to Mr. William Kennedy.] Clay and soil Fine sand Blue clay Water-bearing sand and gravel Tenacious clay and gravel Water-bearing sand and gravel Tenacious clay, with gravel Coarse sand Tenacious clay and gravel Coarse sand and gravel Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. 40 40 60 100 40 140 150 290 25 315 120 435 200 635 200 835 150 985 150 1,135 It will be observed that two beds of water-bearing sand and gravel are mentioned. Doubtless other sand and gravel beds, like the lowest penetrated, would furnish an ample supply of water, though very likely to be salty. The Southern Pacific Railroad station is marked 25 feet above tide; a spirit-level line to the well shows that the floor of the derrick is 16.3 feet above tide. For diagram of this well see PI. II. In an irrigation well close by the water surface stood at a height of 11.6 feet above tide Januar}^ 13, 1903. Lahhe^s well. — Four miles south of St. Martinville; spirit-level line from St. Martinville showed surface of water to be 11.13 feet above tide; surface of the land 17.3 feet above tide January 11, 1903. BREAUX BRIDGE. Gilbeaux place. — Three-fourths mile west of station, on Gilbeaux plantation; elevation of railroad station 27.5 feet above tide; well pipe 12 feet above tide; water said to have flowed over the top of this pipe when well was first put down. hareis.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 53 LAFAYETTE PARISH. LAFAYETTE AND VICINITY. Waterworks wells. — We have here an instance of lack of care in leaving the orifice of the wells accessible, so that the wells may at any time be cleaned, or rather flushed, when clogged with sand. Three wells have been put down here in succession, because, after a few years, they became clogged up. The depth of the new and conse- quently best well was given as 226 feet. Its casing is 6 inches; screen, 35.5 feet long. This well supplies Lafayette, besides 220,000 gallons to the Southern Pacific Railroad daily; height of surface of ground, reckoning Lafayette station as 40 feet, about 34.6 feet; water said to be between 20 to 25 feet below, hence about 10 or 15 feet above tide; when cleaned occasionally it is as good as when first put down; screen in very coarse gravel; C. H. Melchert, engineer in charge. Lafayette Compress and Storage Company' 's well. — Depth, 125 feet; water surface about 25 feet below surface of the ground, i. e., about 10 feet above tide. ST. LANDRY PARISH. OPELOUSAS. Waterworks well.- — Depth, 184 feet; pipe, 10 inches; screen, 64 feet; has been pumped to the extent of 300 gallons per minute, guaranteed 600; elevation of water in well, 22.28 feet above tide, i. e., considering the station as 67.5 feet, as given by the Southern Pacific Railroad. Section of waterworks well at Opelousas, St. Landry Parish. Depth in feet. Clay Fine sand Gravel to bottom of well 83 120 184 Oil Mill well. — Depth, 208 feet; pipe, 8 inches, with 40 feet of screen. WASHINGTON. Washington well. — The following section was given for the well at Washington: Section of well at Wasldnglon, St. Landry Parish. Quicksand Sand Gravel . . . Thickness in feet. 18 52 124 Depth in feet. 18 70 194 Water said to rise to within 11 feet of .surface of ground, or about 30 feet above tide. 54 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH. BATON ROUGE JUNCTION. Mr. Weasel says he found good water here at 160 feet. LOBDELL. The same authority just quoted says that good water is found here at a depth of 150 feet. The surface of the water is 21 feet below the general level of the ground. POINTE COUPEE PARISH. NEW ROADS. Mr. Weasel reports poor water at 120 feet. BATCHELOR. The same condition exists here as at New Roads. AVOYELLES PARISH. Railroad wells. — One 90, the other 112 feet deep; the water from both impotable. Water stands in both about 13 feet below station. W. D. Haas's well. — One 1-inch well, 180 feet deep, furnishes enough water to run four large boilers in Haas's cotton compress works; water stands about 10 feet below surface of ground or about 11.5 feet below the station. Gannett gives Bunkie an elevation of 66 feet. Hence water stands in these wells about 52 or 54 feet above tide. MARKSVILLE. Court-house well. — This well is reported to have a depth of 800 feet, encountering salt water. At a depth of 230 feet a 5-foot stratum of lignite was penetrated. Mouth of well 0.3 foot above railroad station, hence approximately 82 feet above tide. VERMILION PARISH. ABBEVILLE AND VICINITY. Court-house well. — Well about 16.6 feet above tide with section as follows: Section of well at court-house, Abbeville, Vermilion Parish. Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. Clay Fine sand Clay Hard layers of clay alternating with sand Coarse white sand with white pebbles Reddish clay and "rock" 15 65 2 57 21 60 15 80 82 139 160 220 Harris.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 55 The upper bed here alone furnishes water. Exact height of water could not be told; certainly it lacks several feet of overflowing'. Well 9 miles west of Abbeville. — On Mr. John Waltham's place W. i SE. i sec. 32, 12 S., R. 3 E., are several wells. The land is here 10 feet above tide and the general well section, according to Mr. Moresi, is about as follows: Section of well on Waltham' s place, 9 miles west of Abbeville, Vermilion Parish. Depth in feet. Clay Gray sand Clay White sharp sand and gravel Even at this low level the water does not overflow. SHELL BEACH. Wells that have a feeble flow above the surface of the ground were heard of at this place, but were not visited. GUEYDAN. Wilkinson's well, 3 miles southwest of Gueydan. — Depth, 190 feet; pipe, 8-inch; flow, 8+ gallons per minute; temperature, 73°. Eleva- tion of flow, 6.9 feet above tide, determined by spirit-level line from Gueydan; bench mark on station; according to Southern Pacific Rail- road, 9.07 feet above tide. Donnelly place, 6 or 7 miles east of Gueydan. — Two 8-inch and two 6-inch wells. Water said to rise 8 inches above the surface. ACADIA PARISH. KAYNE AND VICINITY. Chapuis's well. — Depth, 210 feet, with 10-foot strainer; water stands 16 feet below surface. Elevation of station, according to Southern Pacific Railroad, 37.5 feet above tide, well about 2 feet below; hence, water in well about 19.5 feet above tide. Hippolite Richard's well. — This is 3 miles east-northeast of Rayne. Depth, 200 feet; water stands within 17.5 feet of surface. Elevation of surface of water in well about 20 feet above tide, based on spirit- level line run from Rayne to mouth of well. CROWLEY AND VICINITY, Railroad well.- — Depth, 173 feet. Water usually rises to within 5 or 6 feet of surface. Elevation of water, about 19 feet above tide. 56 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Ice factory well. — Depth, 600 feet; water unsatisfactory; pipe with- drawn to the usual depth, 170-180 feet. Long Point, 15 miles northeast of Crowley. — One 8-inch and three 6-inch wells. Water at 180 feet; rises to within 26 feet of the surface. Three miles east of Crowley. — Two wells pass through log's at depth of 168 and 202 feet. In the first, beneath the 168-foot log, 7 feet of water-bearing sand was encountered, water rising to within 7 feet of surface. Sol Wrighfs well. — About 3 miles southwest of Crowley, or in center of sec. 19, T. 10 S., R. 1 E. ; depth, 293 feet; surface of ground, 19.37 feet above tide; of water, 9.37 feet above tide January 29, 1903. Strainer, 70 feet long. L. J. Bowerts well.— Middle of NE. \ sec. 19; depth, 196.6 feet; top of pipe, 21.39 feet above tide; of water, 9.19 feet above tide. Water stands in this well, February 5, 1903, 10.5 feet below station; hence 7.5 feet above tide. ORIZA AND VICINITY. John Wendlincfs well, 1 mile southwest of Oriza. — Pipe, 6-inch; flow, 1.2 feet above surface; 20 gallons per minute. Elevation of Oriza (Southern Pacific Railroad), 21 feet above tide. By spirit-level line, top well is 11.1 feet above tide. D. J. Scanliii's well, 2 miles southwest of Oriza. — Elevation of sur- face of water, 12.2 feet above tide; line from Oriza. F. ScanlirCs well, 2 miles south-southwest of Oriza. — Elevation of surface of water, 12 feet above tide; leveled from Oriza. CALCASIEU PARISH. It is in the eastern half of this parish that perhaps two-thirds of all the large irrigation wells of southwestern Louisiana are located. Not that this particular area is better adapted to the growing of rice than many other sections of southern Louisiana, but by a glance at any map of this part of the State it will be seen that east Calcasieu has comparatively few large rivers, creeks, or bayous from which water may be had for irrigation purposes. The result is that here are found the most advanced methods of sinking wells and lifting the water from them. It is entirely out of the question to refer to even a tenth part of the wells now in operation in this section; of late years their number has gone up into the hundreds, and will soon reach a thousand or more. A few statistics regarding some of these wells will show the general characters of all of them. Welsh may be taken as the central point of interest in deep-well activity. haeris.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 57 WELSH AND VICINITY. E. L. Solver's well. — About one-half mile northeast of Welsh, cen- ter of sec. 30, called in the last report of the Geological Survey of Louisiana (1902) "E. L. Brown's well;" depth, 130 feet; pipe, 8 inches; strainer, 38 feet; surface of water above tide February 26, 1901, 16.68 feet; March 21, 1903, 13.92; July 13, 1.18 feet. The section shows clay to 65 feet and sand, growing- coarser below, to 130 feet. Mr. Bower has recently put down another well 92 feet north of this well; it has a 10-inch casing, is 175 feet deep, and has a 56-foot strainer. From top of pipe to water surface, March 21, 1903, 6.73 feet of the water stood 13.26 above tide; July 13, 1903, 0.5 foot above tide. Cooper's well, i mile east of Welsh. — The section shows clay to 90 feet, coarse sand, clay, sand, and finally blue sand at a depth of 140-115 feet. Field's well, f mile east of station. — The section shows clay to 90 feet; sand, clay, coarse below, to 161 feet. Welsh planing mill well. — Pipe, 3 inches; top of pipe, 20.33 feet; surface of water, March 19, 13.86 feet; March 21, 13.93 feet above tide. Section of well at Welsh planing mill, Welsh, Calcasieu Parish. Clay Sand Clay Coarse, light sand Thickness in feet. 12 4 182 40 Depth in feet. 12 16 198 238 S. i?. May's well, i mile north of station. — Top of flume 20.3 feet above tide, of water; March 19, 1903, 14.3 feet; March 21, 15.16 feet; July 12, 1903, 0.8 foot above tide; Juty 13, after pump had been working 1 hour, but had stopped 5 minutes before the measurement was taken, 1.7 foot above tide; same conditions except pump had been stopped for about 20 minutes, 1.1 foot above tide; lowest level in 1902 said to be —8 feet; depth, 190 feet; pipe, 8 inches; temperature of water, 71.5° F. ; supplies 1,200 gallons per minute when pumped by a 20-horsepower Erie engine. Abhofs well, 2 miles southeast of Welsh. — Elevation of water surf ace, February 26, 1901, 16.42 feet above tide; that is, 7.08 feet below the railroad station. Herald' 1 s well, perhaps 1\ miles east- southeast of the station. — Eleva- tion of water, February 26, 1901, 16.6 feet above tide, or 6.9 feet below the railroad station. 58 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. id. Well 9 miles north-northwest of Welsh. — The section shows clay to 192 feet and sand to 235 feet. LAKE ARTHUR. Wells at mills reported as flowing' 5 feet above tide. R. E. Camp's well, 1\ miles northwest of Lake Arthur. — Southeast \ sec. 8, 11 S, 3 W.; depth, 215.7 feet, water-bearing sand 40 feet thick; elevation of top of pipe as determined by a spirit-level line from the lake, 17.5 feet above tide; elevation of water surface, 8 feet above tide. JENNINGS AND VICINITY. Andersons wells, about 1 mile west-southwest of Jennings. — Three 10- inch wells, connected to a 14-inch main and pumped with a 50 horse- power engine. Depth, approximately, 300 feet; wells about 20 feet apart, furnishing, with engine running at perhaps half -rated power, 1,800 gallons per minute. These wells are furnishing now (1903) about half as much water as they did last year owing to clogging of the strainer with fine sand. The fireman at the plant says the 150-foot well, about 50 feet north of the three, is capable of furnishing nearly as much as these three are furnishing now. Though so various in depth, when the deeper wells are pumped, the amount obtainable from the shallower one is materially diminished. Carey' s wells.— In this same vicinity are the three Carey wells, a general log of which is herewith given: General section of three wells near Jennings, La. Thickness in feet. Depth in feet. Clay, with shells at about 50 feet, and with vegetable matter and a log below xl5 45 20 50 30 115 Quicksand above, gravelly below Bluish, sandy gravel 160 180 Sandv clav 230 Gravel 260 City waterworks well. — When measured, March 19, 1903, the water in this new well stood 18 feet below the mouth of the pipe or, perhaps, 12 feet above tide. The capacity of the tank is 65,000 gallons. The engineer informed us that the well seemed to lower none while the tank was being filled, the operation lasting about three hours. Well 3 miles east-southeast of Jennings. — This well was being sunk on February 24, 1900, by the Brechner outfit. The beds penetrated showed reddish, j^ellow, and gray mottled clay for 30 feet, becoming U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEV WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. VI A. ARTESIAN WELL OF BRADLEY AND RAMSAY LUMBER COMPANY, 1 MILE NORTH OF LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA. Flow in March, 1901, 210 gallons a minute. B. SCREEN WOUND AT THE MORESI BROTHERS' SHOP, JEANERETTE, LA. haeeis.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 59 less tenacious, with fossil fragments, Rangia, Helix, Balanus, etc., until a depth of 90 feet was reached, when blue sand, with thickness undetermined, was struck. KINDER AND VICINITY. McRUVs well, 1 mile north of Kinder. — Depth, 150 feet; elevation of water surface as determined by leveling, from Kinder Station, March 8, 1902, 27.1 feet above tide, assuming that the station is 49.3 feet above tide. Tillotson's well. — Depth, 138 feet; depth of water from top of pipe, 21 feet, 10 inches; temperature, 68° F.; elevation of water surface March 7, 1902, 25.4 feet above tide. McRimey's wells. — A number of wells in this vicinity, ranging in depth from 140 to 175 feet and in size from 6 inches to 8 inches, in which water rises to within 14 to 23 feet of surface, depending on local topography. OBERLIN. Mr. Dennis Moore says that the railroad tank well is 190 feet in depth, and that water rises to within 10 feet of the surface, or about 60 feet above tide. In general the water level would probably be somewhat lower than this. No hopes can be entertained of obtaining a flowing well at this comparatively shallow depth: LAKE CHARLES. Well 1 mile north of lake. — The Bradley and Ramsay Lumber Company's well, about 500 feet deep, has the greatest flow of any well measured in the State, 210 gallons per minute; pipe, 6 inches. See analysis given below. (See PI. VI, A, for view at well.) Ele- vation, 10.5 feet above tide. Based on tide gage reading at Lake Charles, by G. D. Harris. Reiser's machine-shop well. — The following is a section of the well: Section at well at Reiser's machine shop, near Lake Charles. Sand Red sand with pebbles Gray sand and clay alternating. Thickness in feet. 96 6 98 Depth in feet. 102 200 60 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Water with iron taste. See analysis given below. Elevation of well about 13 feet; known to flow to 17 feet and said to have flowed to 27 feet above tide. Judge Miller's well. — Pressure of 5.25 pounds per square inch; flows 12 gallons per minute. Elevation of present flow, 12.72 feet above tide; would flow at 21.79 feet above tide. WEST LAKE. Perkins and Miller Lumber Company's well. — Pipe, 1 inches; eleva- tion of flow, 10 feet above tide, and would doubtless flow to 16 feet or more above tide. Well 3 miles northwest of lake. — Pipe, 8 inches. Following- is a partial section of this well: Partial section of well at iVest Lake, Calcasieu Parish. Feet. Hard clay between 250-350 Shells 300 Gravel 360 This is a very strong flowing well. RAPIDES PARISH. BLOWING WELLS. It would doubtless be an unpardonable omission, if in enumerating the various classes of wells in southern Louisiana, with their depths, kinds of water, and other characteristics, no mention were made of the " blowing" wells of Rapides Parish, that have attracted much attention, at least locally. Judge Blackman, of Alexandria, has frequently called attention to a certain well of this character, and has recently sent, through Mr. Kennedy, of the Southern Pacific geological survey, a clipping from the Alexandria Town Talk, of September 19, 1903, relating to this subject. Though Judge Blackman knows of two other wells having similar characteristics, the one best known is located on the farm of Mr. Frank Melder, Melder post-office, between Spring Creek and Calca- sieu River, 2 miles east of the river, and 3 miles east of Strothers Crossing, on the Calcasieu. It was in 1892 that Mr. Frank Melder started to bore a 12-inch well, but had to give it up after reaching a depth of 80 feet. The air would come rushing from the well, sometimes for a period of three or four days, and again at shorter periods. When the air was not rushing from the well, it would turn the other way and be sucked into the well with great force * * * The force of the air coming from the well would keep a man's hat suspended over it. In boring the well a stratum of about 1 foot of pipe clay was penetrated, and for the remainder of the distance, over 75 feet, a bed of yellow sand was penetrated. haeris.] VARIATIONS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA WELLS. 61 While boring it was discovered that every foot deeper the well was sunk, the harder the air would blow from it. When the well was first completed, it would blow a day and then air, would be sucked in for a day. No water ever appeared in the well at any period. The subject of "blowing* wells" has been discussed in Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 29, by Mr. Barbour. a He attributes such phenomena, doubtless correct^, to changes of atmospheric pressure at the surface of the earth. Those interested in this subject will find, without doubt, that when the wells are "blowing," the barometer reading as recorded by the nearest weather station is low; when the wells are "sucking in," the barometer is rising. It seems from the above statement regarding the section of the Melder well that its great capabilities as a "blowing" well are due to the absence of water between the grains of sand. When such interstices are mainly filled with water, as is usually the case, the phenomenon of "blowing" is much less noticeable. VARIATION IN FLOW AND PRESSURE HEAD SHOWN BY WELLS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA. WELLS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. As a result of investigations already carried on, it is safe to say that the total amount of water obtained from deep and artesian wells in this part of the State north of Lake Pontchartrain does not exceed 3,000 gallons per minute. South of the lake, in the city of New Orleans, there are a number of 6-inch wells, but they are pumped so irregularly, both as to time and amount, and are so "connected up," that no safe estimate can be given as to their total yield. The water- bearing sands, ranging from 600 to 900 feet below the surface through- out the city, have been penetrated in so many places that the water rarely overflows from these wells. All admit that the head has been gradually lowered somewhat in proportion to the number of new wells put down. (For a record of the present stand of the waters in these wells, see pp. 4A-4*I.) There seems to have been a slight decline in the waters of the Mandeville region, if we may trust occasional measurements, }^et by referring to the data presented under Mandeville (p. 37), it will be seen that some of the important wells are flowing now almost as much as two years ago. Some have become practically clogged up and of little or no value. The presumption is that, were new wells put down or were those now in existence occasionally flushed, the supply would be as great as ever from each well. Very few new wells have been put down in this vicinity during recent years. a Barbour, E. H., Wells and windmills in Nebraska: Water-Sup. and Irr. Paper No. 29, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1899, pp. 78-82. 62 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. About Covington the new wells seem to show the same head as those put down two or more years showed at that time. Here, too, there is a suspicion that the marked falling off of head in several of the wells is to be accounted for by the clogging of the pipes. At Abita Springs it has been noticed that the flowing of the last new large well put down decreases to a marked extent the head in the wells close by, especially to the south and west. Some of the better wells, however, have shown an increase rather than a decrease, so that with care in properly spacing the wells and judgment in using the water no one need expect to be obliged to resort to pumping for a long time to come. At Hammond the better wells have shown no decrease of flow or pressure head for the last two years, even though their number has greatly increased during this interval. When the extent of catchment area is taken into account, reaching, as it must, northward as far as Crystal Springs, Miss., and when the total amount of waters obtained from deep sources in this section of the State is considered, it is no wonder that there seems to be no general variation in flow or pressure head thus far recorded. Two moderate-sized rice plantations in southwest Louisiana would call for more water during the summer months than flows from all these wells combined. Until irrigation is practiced far more generally in this section of the country there will probably be no marked decline in the flow of the carefully constructed artesian and deep wells. WELLS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. The statement is often made that the wells along the Mississippi and in the alluvial or delta region to the west vary as to head accord- ing to the different stages of the river. In the lowest regions, close to the river channel, this probably means that when the river is very high, held far above the wells by the great levee system, some of the river water gradually seeps through the intervening soils and enters the wells. Many instances are on record of the pressure of the river water becoming so great as to cause a spring to burst forth from the ground several hundred yards from the river's border. When such waters are welled up to a height corresponding to that of the surface of the river, they cease to flow. However, if it is assumed that the motion of most underground waters is but a few feet a day, or only a mile or two a year, it is evident that the underground transmission of water from the Missis- sippi eastward, westward, or Gulfward is not sufficiently rapid to be detected and correlated with stages of the river except for a distance of a few hundreds j^ards from the channel. It is obvious, however, that there may be a transmission of pressure, affecting the flow of wells more promptly and at a greater distance HARRIS.] VARIATIONS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA WELLS. 63 than would the actual translation of the water itself. Data touching upon this interesting question are in the delta region unfortunately lacking, and this for two reasons: (1) Since the water there obtained from wells is usually of poor qualit} r , their number is not great, and (2) when they are put down they are nearly always on the bank of some navigable bayou where the villages and sugarhouses are to be found. The fluctuations of such wells may be due, as explained above, mainly to the lateral transmission of river or bayou water, and not to the simple transmission of pressure. Wells farther west, some distance from the Mississippi and its distributaries, show, as will be seen below, no appreciable effect of transmission of either water or pressure from the Mississippi- No observations continuing throughout the whole year have been made, so far as the writer is aware, of the height of water in the vari- ous deep wells in the southwest part of the State. As explained in the prefatory notice to this paper, the facts upon which this report is based were collected by the writer during the winter months, while engaged in general work of the State geological survey. However, several short series of observations have been made, covering intervals in three successive } T ears. In 1901 Mr. Pacheco, of the State survey, was kept in the field nearly two months for the sole purpose of making such observations. The results of his observations, as published by the State survey, are as follows: Variation of 'height of water in Hammill's well, 2\ miles south of station, Jennings, La. 1901. Hour. Feet. Inches. 1901. Hour. Feet. Inches. Feb. 21 13 4.0 Apr. 29 a. in. 13 7.2 Apr. 20 21 13 9.5 p.m. a. m. 13 7.0 a. m. 13 9.0 30 13 7.16 p. m. 13 8.5 p. m. 13 7.12 22 9 a. in. 13 7.25 May 1 2 p. HI. 13 7.0 11 a. in. 13 7.0 4 p. m. 13 6.9 12 m. 13 6.9 5 p. m. 13 6.8 2 p. in. 3 p. m. 5 p. in. 13 13 13 6.87 6.75 6.75 5 6 13 7.75 7.75 r a. m. 1 p. m. 24 25 26 27 28 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 8.75 8.0 8.33 8.25 8.5 8.4 7.0 14 15 16 17 18 20 13 13 13 14 14 14 mm p. 10. 25 11.0 11.75 0. 125 2.0 2.0 a. m. p. m. 10 a. m. 11 a. m. Water drc >pped below ] 64 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Variation of height of water in Lawson's well, 1 mile east of station, Jennings, La. 1901. Hour. Feet. Inches. 1901. Hour. Feet. Inches. Apr. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 May 1 2 10 a. m. 6 p. m. 8 a. ni. 6 p. m. 8-11 a.m. p. m. 7 a. m. a. m. p. m. 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5. 75 4.12 4.0 3.9 4.0 4.37 4.2 4.37 4.33 4.75 5.33 5.8 5.75 5.66 6.0 6.12 6.12 6.12 May 2 5 6 18 19 20 22 24 1902. Feb. 22 23 25 26 27 Mar. 11 13 10 a. m. 3 p. m. 3.30 p.m. 6 p. m. 6 6 6 6 6 7, 7 7 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 6.25 7.25 7.0 6.8 6.83 5.25 3.5 2.87 10.25 10. 25 9.75 8.5 8.25 9.25 9. 125 / 9 a. m.- \ .4 p. in. 8 a. m. 2 p. m. 6 p. in. 9 a. m. 11a. m. 8 a. m. Variation of height of water in Bower' 's well, Welsh, La. 1901. Hour. Feet. Inches. 1901. Hour. Feet. Inches. Feb. 26 Mar. 21 Apr. 20 23 24 May 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4 4 4, 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6.0 3.0 1,25 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.75 1.75 2.0 2.0 1.75 2.12 2.12 2.12 2.25 May 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 28 30 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 2.5 2.75 2.75 3.5 3.75 3.75 4.0 4.25 4.5 5.0 5.0 7.0 9.0 5.0 9.0 8 a. m. 10 a. m. 11 a. in. 12 m. Harris] VAKIATIONS IN" SOUTH LOUISIANA. WELLS. Variation of heighth of ivater in Hawkey e rice mill well, Fenton, La. 65 1901. Hour. Feet. Inches. 1902. Hour. Feet. Inches. Mar. 31 May 5 14 15 10 Mar. 7 8 18 18 3 2 It will be observed that in these measurements the numbers under feet and inches indicate distances downward from some datum plane, generally the top of the casing or the floor of the discharge trough. As the season advances, the surface of the water in the wells gradually lowers. The rate of lowering is not constant, but the total result of the various fluctuations is to materially lower the water surface as summer approaches. The noticeable acceleration in the rate of lower- ing after May 15 is due to the beginning of pumping for rice irriga- tion. Perhaps there is nothing new or unexpected in these results thus far. The variations shown throughout different hours of the day are much more difficult of explanation. Very possibly, though, care- fully kept barometric readings would give a clew to their meaning. By far the most interesting and unexpected variations are those of about April 22, 1901, and February 25 to 27, 1902. Instead of the gradual downward course, there is indicated for these dates a notice- able rise. The Weather Bureau reports show that heavy showers were abundant on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of April, 1901, in this part of the State, and from the 19th to the 26th of February, 1902. Again, these same tendencies toward a lowering in summer and a quick response to local showers has been observed this } 7 ear (1903), as is shown by the following table: Date. May well. Rice Planing- mill. mill. Bower's wells. North. South. Mar. 19 21.... 25.... July 12.... 13.... Feet. 6.00 5.14 5.85 19.5 19.2 Feet. Feet. ! 6.4 ! 6.33 6. 70 ; 6. 50 18.8 Feet. Feet. 6.73 6.87 19.5 6.26 6.63 I Over 2 inches of rain fell on the 19th and 20th of March in this vicinity, and from the changes in level noted in the foregoing tables for previous years it is only to be expected that these wells would show a similar change for a similar cause. Observe especially in the May well how the water level rose on the 21st, but went back again on irr 101—04 5 66 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. the 25th. Notice, too, the effect of the summer with its pumping sea- son, under July 12. The marked effect of copious showers on the water level in the deep wells of southwestern Louisiana has not escaped the general observation of planters." The extent to which very local heav^ showers affect the territory just without their limits is an interesting topic that thus far has not been investigated, nor have time and circumstances permitted the observation of effects produced by local or extensive rainfall in dif- ferent directions from any given well or group of wells, though the importance of such observations, when a full explanation of the occur- rence and conditions of the underground waters of this part of the State is attempted, can not be too much emphasized. From what has already been said, it is evident that in some respects the waters of this section behave like the common "ground water" of this or any other well-watered land; but that, ordinarily, there is no very direct connection between the water of these deep wells and the ordinary soil supply is evident from the fact that at a number of places the deep waters flow several feet above the surface of the soil for miles around; and, again, the water in the casing of the deep wells never, so far as observed, stands at the same level as the water in the pit out- side. Again, the supply of deep water is not obtained until one or, more generally, several, thick, impervious layers of clay have been penetrated. Since the thickness and character of the sand and clay beds encoun- tered in sinking wells but a short distance from one another ma}^ vary greatly, and since the position of a clay bed in one well may be taken by. a sand bed in another it is very evident that, in southern Louisiana, the artesian and deep-well conditions are somewhat different from those encountered in regions where there is one great extensive underlying formation, sharply defined from overlying and underlying beds, and alone transmitting the deep underground flow. Yet some t} r pical or ideal artesian features are represented in this part of the State. The first hundred or two hundred feet passed through in sinking deep wells contains comparatively few very porous layers; below, the sand usually becomes coarser, and sometimes thick beds of gravel are found. Gravel deposits are by no means uncommon to a depth of 1,000 feet, as will be seen by inspecting the logs of the wells put down in search for oil or deep artesian water and published herewith as PL II. Very coarse gravel is reported in the bottom of many of the best water wells throughout the Gulf border. As will be seen by referring to the record of a well just completed in Biloxi, Miss., the casing, over 900 feet down, is in extremely coarse gravel (see p. 31). "For remarks on this point, see Kept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, p. 246. haeris.] VAKIATIONS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA WELLS. 67 Water naturally Hows much more readily through coarse thari through fine material. The best flowing or deep wells of southwest Louisiana obtain their waters from very coarse sand or gravel beds. Such beds are generally below 150 or 200 feet from the surface. Ground-water features or characteristics decrease in this region down- ward, according as those more typically artesian increase. There is one more somewhat interesting fact connected with varia- tion in pressure head as noticed in the Ma}^ well at Welsh, though probably it is common to all others in this part of the State. On the 12th of July no pumping was done, and from all appearances none had been done for several days. At 5 o'clock in the evening the water stood 19.5 feet below the top of the mouth of the casing. Next morn- ing the pump had run but an hour when, at the writer's request, it was stopped in order that the stage of the water might be measured. The surface of the water, after dropping suddenly, balanced up and down for a moment and then appeared to have come to rest. Five minutes after the pump had ceased working, the water stood 18.6 feet below the mouth of the casing. After the pump had been stopped for twent} r minutes the water stood at 19.2 below the same datum plane. It thus appears that the pumping, which was equivalent to a flow of 1,200 gallons per minute, or 72,000 gallons per hour, had not in one hour's time material^ lowered the water level — in fact, had actually raised it temporarily. That long-continued pumping does lower the level of the water in wells is understood by all who are connected with deep-water supplies. For example, in July, 1903, Mr. Roanes's place was visited, and, although under ordinaiy circumstances his wells are flowing, at that time, owing to several hours of intermittent pumping, continuing for a period of several days, the water stood just below the tops of the pipes. The Fabacher well in New Orleans (see p. 44), which ordinarily flows continuously from a 4-inch pipe but 2 feet or less above the general level of the ground, will, if suddenly turned into a smaller pipe, rise up and overflow for a few minutes to a height of 11 or 11.5 feet above the ground. Then the water gradually descends to a permanent head of about 10 feet above the ground. The cause of the temporary, unusually high head in the above-mentioned cases is doubtless attrib- utable to the momentum of the water in the porous sand or gravel bed below. What seems worthy of special note is the length of time required for the water to descend to its normal head, especially in the case of wells that have just been pumped. 68 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no.101. WELL DRILLING AND PUMPING. METHODS OF DRILLING. In southern Louisiana practically but one method is used in sinking wells, either for water or oil. This consists primarily of loosening the earth with a hollow revolving bit and bringing it to the surface by the upward current of water obtained by forcing water down through the hollow bit. There are, to be sure, many different devices for producing the necessary rotating motion, man}^ different^ shaped bits, and many different sized and shaped derricks used; but the fun- damental principle of drilling is the same with all. Preferences as to kind and size of well desired differ considerably in different localities. East of the Mississippi and north of Lake Pont- chartrain most of the wells are furnished with a 2-inch casing, and the water is expected to flow at the surface of the ground or even some feet above. The wells are used for dairy or ordinary household purposes. West of the delta region the wells are usually 6, 8, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, the water is not expected to rise to the surface, and irrigation is the main object for which the wells are put down. As a result of the number, kind, and size of wells required in different sections of the State, methods of drilling varying somewhat in detail are resorted to by local drillers. JETTING. Fig. 10 shows what is usually called the jetting process. The trac- tion engine furnishes steam to run the small force pump (A), which obtains water from a local source and pumps it through a strong hose (B) to the drill pipe (C). The rotating of the pipe with bit attached is here accomplished by the simple method of temporarily attaching a Stiison wrench (H) and moving it to and fro. The pipe carrying the downward current of water with the bit is held up by a block (D) and ropes (E) and is moved up and down every few seconds by power from the engine transmitted hj a rope and the force of gravity. The rope going to the engine in this case simply passed over a drum or large spool about 6 inches in diameter, on the outer end of the fly- wheel shaft. Two or three turns onty were made around this drum, and when no work was required of the rope the engine continued turning, but the coils were allowed to slip loosely on the drum. By tightening the coils the drill pipe was immediatel) r raised. The drill pipe in this instance is about li inches in diameter, while the casing is about 2i inches. The casing is sunk nearly as far. as the drill has penetrated, and the return water, laden with drillings, comes up be- tween the pipes. Its exit is shown at F. HARRIS.] WELL DRILLING AND PUMPING. 69 By turning back and forth on the long-handled wrench at K the casing is loosened from the outside sand and clay and ordinarily readily descends by its own weight about as rapidly as the jet clears the way, but in some instances is forced down by driving. Fig. 10. — Portion of well-drilling outfit of Bacon and Gamble, sinking a well at Ponchatoula by the jetting process. As the drill descends and the swivel coupling (G) approaches the top of the casing, the coupling is unscrewed and another length of drill pipe, 12 to 20 feet long, is put in, and the drilling is continued. ROTARY. PROCESS. Where many wells of large diameter are to be put down, as in the southwestern part of the State, much of the manual labor required by the above-described process is done away with by the use of a mechan- 70 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. ism for rotating the pipe by steam power. This method is substan- tially as follows : a A long pit, perhaps 10 feet wide by 20 long, is dug or scraped for a temporary res- ervoir. This is divided into two compartments, connected, however, in one or two places. The derrick having been erected and engine placed, a 3-inch pipe with a broad bit attached to one end is hoisted up by rope and drum, and the water hose, of equal size, is attached to the upper end. By a simple device, this pipe is rotated by power from the engine while water is pumped from the pit just described through the hose, down the pipe into the ground. As the pipe descends, the matter disengaged by the bit is washed out and brought to the surface by the jet. When the pipe, say 12 feet long, is sunk into the ground nearly its whole length, another section from 12 to 20 feet long is attached and the rotating and pumping is continued till it too is sunk almost to the surface of the ground. And so the 3-inch pipe is put down till, by the appearance of the sand or the feeling of the pipe when rotated, there is an indication that the water-bearing sand is reached. Mention should be made here of the care shown in one of the compartments of the pit or pool referred to above, to see that plenty of earth or clay is mixed with the water just before it is pumped through the hose into the pipe. The pressure from the engine pumps is sufficient to force this muddy water into the sandy layers and cause them to stand firmly and not cave as they would be sure to do if only clear water was used. It usually occupies the attention of one man to keep the ingoing waters well stirred up and turbid. The other compartment of the pit contains that portion of the water that has just come out from the well, hence contains the dril- lings, if such they may be called, derived from the well. The same water as it flows into the first compartment is again used after being properly roiled or mixed with soil. After the desired depth has been attained, the 3-inch pipe is removed, section by section, and the 6-inch, 10-inch, or 12-inch casing is hoisted up and sunk into the hole made by the 3-inch pipe and its arrow-head bit. The hole is often nearly 14 inches in diameter. The first one, two, or three sections of this large pipe or ' ' casing ' ' are perforated and form the strainer, near the bottom of the completed well. If the strainer is to be three lengths long, say 60 feet, care is taken to insert in the casing three lengths of 3-inch pipe and to fill the space between this inner and the outside pipe with shav- ings so that it can not fill with earthy matter while descending. Length after length of casing is screwed on and lowered until the desired amount is sunk into the ground. In case it does not descend readily of its own accord, resort is had to rotating the casing by machinery precisely as the 3-inch pipe was rotated in the beginning. The lower margin of the casing is cut with points like saw teeth, so that it answers fairly well as a drill or auger. & The upper end of the 3-inch pipe within carries a conical sleeve, so that it can be caught readily by the thread end of other lengths that are lowered afterwards and coupled up with the three lengths already spoken of as being in the strainer part of the casing. The shavings can now be jettied out, the interior pipe withdrawn, and the well "pumped" to withdraw all the muddy impurities forced down while drilling, as well as fine sand that might eventually fill up the strainer. One of the most satisfactoiy methods of drilling is by^ portable out- fits, in which the derrick, traction and dumnry engines, pumps, etc., "Harris, G. D., and Pacheco, J., The subterranean waters of Louisiana: Rept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, pt. 6, Special Report No. 6, pp. 236-238. bBond, Frank, Irrigation of rice in the United States: U. S. Dept. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 113, p. 47. U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEV WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. VII 4. MAY PUMPING PLANT, WELSH, LA. Snows general appearance of small stations throughout the ri-ce district of southwestern Louisiana. ■""—- "— -— ■ ^J— - T"^ ■■ ..... f V ': 3§g* ; , ; 5 V P* is- ■ F . £ "7 /] saiw - WtT*' 4 ' i' k lfcp»ss |M. *>**>; ': LgR/f"" ' -ft, T - tav^ * ^Bfc^. Jfe. ^^1 ' " I"-' v J3. PUMPING FROM A 12-INCH WELL ON THE FARM OF A. E. LEE, 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF CROWLEY, LA. haeris.] WELL DRILLING AND PUMPING. 71 are loaded on special carriages. The lightness of this rig and the consequent facility with which it can be moved from place to place tend to make it popular in regions where depths no greater than 300 feet are to be drilled. For various styles of light derricks see the State survey report already referred to (Pis. XLII and XLIII). If it is expected that drilling will be carried to a depth of 500 or 1,000 feet, larger, stronger outfits are called for. The great advantage of the taller form of derrick is that in hoisting the drill pipe or casing, whenever necessaiw, it can be uncoupled two lengths at a time instead of length by length, so that nearly half the labor required to remove or replace the pipe is thus avoided. Oil wells that reach depths of 1,000, 2,000, or even 3,000 feet are put down by similar but heavier outfits. The derrick is sufficiently high to allow the pipes and casing' to be removed three lengths at a time. SCREENS. Nearly every driller has his own ideas as to the proper manner of treating or placing the lower end of the casing so that a well may have a f ree inflow of water and at the same time may not be liable to clog up. Many assert that all ordinary screens are liable to give out and ruin the wells they are in. No screen at all is most satisfactory if the lower end of the pipe is set in very coarse gravel with no mixture of clay or fine sand. Some advocate the pumping out of several tons of finer material from around the bottom of the pipe and the forcing down, in its stead, of several wagonloads of gravel, so as to make a pebble screen. As a rule, however, some kind of metallic screen is used. Mr. Bond, in the bulletin referred to above, thus describes a common type in use in southwestern Louisiana: In the screens now generally used perforations in the well casing are three-fourths to seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, and the distance between centers averages about 1J inch, the perforated portion being, carefully wound with galvanized- iron wire. On 10-inch pipe No. 14 wire is wound nine wires to the inch; on 18-inch pipe No. 16 wire is wound eleven wires to the inch; on 6-inch pipe No. 17 wire is wound fourteen wires to the inch. A common machine-shop lathe is used for wind- ing the wire upon the casing, and the wire is not only wound on tightly, but is soldered in place to prevent its sliding, so as to close openings between strands. Seven rows of solder are placed upon a 10-inch pipe, the number increasing with larger pipe and decreasing with smaller pipe. Fig. 11 is taken from Bond's work, and represents the casing, holes, wire, rows of solder as he has just described them. PL VI, B, shows a different method of constructing a screen. The wires are wound much farther apart than in the type above described. Over the wires is placed fine brass gauze. The pipe is then wound 72 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. II • •> • • II • i_jk • mj*_ m it irrf iFim fi again over the gauze in the opposite oblique direction. The outside coarse wire is mainly to protect the brass gauze, while the inner coarse wire is to hold the same from fitting down tight upon the exterior of the pipe, thus shutting out all ingress of water except immediately over the bored holes. Machinists very quickly find it to their advan- tage to have three to five strands winding at once, side by side, not simply one at a time, as repre- sented in Bond's figure. The lower end of these pipes is generally closed by a ball valve that is so constructed as to allow the jet of water to pass down and out, but imme- diately closes against any pressure from below. This is to prevent the entrance of line sand or other foreign substance. PUMPING. As would naturally be supposed, water is pumped from deep wells of southwestern Louisi- ana by steam power. Formerly the fuel used on method for generating steam was wood from the nearby of constructing a screen, lowlands or banks of the bayous or coal brought from Alabama or Kansas City hy rail. 'Since the discovery of oil in such quantities at Beaumont, Tex. , nearly all the pumping plants have h^i/L^i^v^i^vvv Fig. 12. — Common form of rotary pump. Van Wie model. - erected tanks at an elevation of from 8 to 10, feet above the boiler furnace, and so are able to store and use oil in a very easy and econom- harris.] WELL DRILLING AND PUMPING. 73 ical manner. However, as the price of oil gradually rises above 80 cents per barrel there is a tendency to return to the old methods and materials for making steam. PI. VII, A. shows a t}^pical small pumping plant of to-day, with its fuel tank and cheap board structure with engine inside. PI. VII, B, shows the rear of a similar plant. A centrifugal pump (see fig. 12) is on the lower end of the same shaft that carries the band wheel. It is placed in a wooden-curbed well sufficiently low to be beneath the surface of the water at the driest season of the year. When it is not so placed resort must be had to priming every time the pump is started. Around Kinder and China, where the usual head of the water is 25 feet below the surface of the ground, the pumps are depressed to a depth of 25 or 30 feet. WATER SUPPLIES FROM WELLS IN SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. By M. L. Fuller. INCREASED USE OF UNDERGROUND WATER. The past decade has witnessed a great impetus to well drilling in southern Louisiana, and as the advantages of underground water sup- plies become better understood, more and more attention will be given to such sources. The use of underground waters for the irrigation of rice has led to the sinking of an unusually large number of wells, especially in the region along the coast, where values in some locali- ties have increased five to ten fold within the last ten years through the reclamation of the land by irrigation. The use of water for this purpose will be considered in detail in the section on "Rice irriga- tion in southern Louisiana," the present discussion being limited to town, domestic, farm, railroad, and manufacturing supplies. TOWN AND DOMESTIC SUPPLIES. Increasing attention is always given to the quality of water sup- plies as a country becomes older. In the earty stages of development the settlements are of small size, and are more or less remote from one another. Even within the villages themselves the houses are gener- ally scattering. Under such conditions a sufficient water supply can usually be had near at hand, either from surface streams, or from springs, or shallow wells, though in some instances a deep supply must be sought from the start. As the country develops and the vil- lages and towns become more crowded the original sources of supply are frequently either exhausted or become too contaminated for use. Contamination of the shallow wells, where arising from local sources, can frequently be prevented by proper systems of drainage or sewage disposal, but in small communities such sj^stems are often more expensive than a new and deeper system of water supply. Moreover, shallow wells of the open type are not only liable to pol- lution by the entrance of surface water or of ground water of the surface zone, both of which are often charged with matter derived from stables, privies, cesspools, etc., but receive more or less refuse blown in by the wind from the adjoining yards or streets, while small 74 fuller.] WATER SUPPLIES FROM WELLS. 75 animals not uncommon \y fall into such wells and the water is contam- inated b} T their decajnng bodies. The odor and taste of the water in some instances, and the odorous masses of muck removed in cleaning in others, attest the occurrence of large amounts of decajdng organic matter. In fact, an open well can seldom be so guarded as to entirely prevent pollution, and although often not especially deleterious to health, the water is rarely equal to that of a driven well of the same depth, from which it is possible to shut out all waters from or near the surface. In the case of streams, the contamination may not, and in fact usu- ally does not, rest with the community using the water, but with other villages or cities farther up the stream, perhaps in another State. Little can be done in such cases toward removing the sources of pollution, and to secure even a moderately pure supply resort must be had to filtration or other processes of purification, or to deep wells. In many parts of the country little water can be obtained from deep wells, but in southern Louisiana the conditions are exceptionally favorable for obtaining satisfactory supplies in this manner. Fig. 7, page 28, shows graphically the subdivisions of this portion of the State as regards the occurrence of underground water. It will be noted that there are three definite east-west belts, each of which is bisected by the northwest-southeast belt along Mississippi River. The latter belt, which in area is the largest of them all, is made up of lands consisting mainly of materials deposited by the river in recent geological times, though older deposits sometimes show at the surface. In general it consists of alternations of sands and mucks, all of which carry more or less organic matter. In this area water can be obtained at almost any depth, but it carries a large amount of iron and organic matter, and although used for drinking purposes and for watering stock, has a decidedly deleterious action on health and is a great hin- drance to the proper development of the region, especially as the available surface supplies except along Mississippi, Red, and Atcha- falaya rivers, Bayou Lafourche, Bayou Teche, etc., are mainly from sluggish streams and bayous (PI. VIII), which are generally equally bad. Certain of the waters of this belt are, however, sometimes placed on the market as mineral waters, and are used for bathing at several resorts. The most southerly of the three east- west belts affords the best under- ground supplies. In this area the water can be obtained at a moderate depth, flows without pumping, and is of good quality. Most of the towns depending for their public supplies on wells (see table on p. 77) are located in this belt. In the middle east-west belt pure supplies are also obtained at no great depths, but in general the wells do not flow. The towns listed in the table mentioned and not situated in the south- ern belt occur in the middle belt. In the northern belt the land is 76 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. hillj r and abounds in surface streams and springs. Water can be ob- tained almost everywhere by shallow wells, but does not occur in defi- nite and persistent beds, and is not found in as large quantities as in the more southern belts. It does not often rise to the surface. The great advantage of the deeper underground supplies is their general freedom from pollution from human sources. A great majority of the cases of t} 7 phoid fever, one of the great scourges of this coun- try, appears to be due to impure drinking water. In some instances the number of cases has decreased 75 per cent on the substitution of a pure supply. Malaria, so prevalent in its various forms throughout the South, is believed by many to be largely due to the unsatisfactory quality of the domestic water supplies, although it is probable that poor food and the general unsanitary surroundings have much to do with its prevalence. Whether due to the direct transmission of germs or to a g-eneral injurious effect on the constitution, the use of man} T of the relatively stagnant surface waters certainly adversely affects the health. The substitution of pure underground supplies almost alwaj's results in an immediate and marked improvement in health. To secure a pure underground water suppty it is necessary to sink the well to a depth sufficiently great to prevent the possibility of con- tamination by seepage from the surface zone of the groundwater. The depth will depend largely on local conditions. In general, water obtained from beneath a bed of clay of sufficient thickness to form a barrier to the passage of surface waters, will be entirely satisfactory as far as freedom from contamination is concerned. In flat areas a source of supply 20 to 30 feet below the nearest source of pollution would probably be safe to use if all access to surface waters were cut off by proper casing. Among the disadvantages of underground supplies are (1) their uncertain distribution and depth, (2) their uncertain quality, (3) the cost of deep wells, (4) the cost of pumping" nonflowing wells, and (5) the insufficiency of supply in certain crowded communities and in some irrigable areas. The first two objections are of great importance. The conditions of the occurrence of waters are, however, well under- stood by those who have investigated them, and valuable information can usually be obtained from the numerous State or national bureaus engaged in the study of the subject. The cost of drilling and pump- ing deep wells is nearly always greater than the cost of obtaining sur- face supplies where the latter are at hand, but this is offset in many parts of southern Louisiana by the greater purity and the consequent greater number of uses to which well water can be put, and by the greater number of points at which it can be obtained. Good wells can frequently be obtained at localities far removed from surface sources arid in such instances afford the only means of development of the country. The fifth objection is one that is less readily met, but FULLER.] WATER SUPPLIES FROM WELLS. 77 surface supplies are often subject to the same drawbacks and fail where wells succeed. In the following table is given a list of the towns and cities in southern Louisiana depending in whole or in part on deep wells for their supplies. Doubtless all of the inhabitants of a given communit}^ do not draw upon the public supply; but, on the other hand, the waters are frequently piped beyond the corporate limits. The total number of persons using water from the deep wells in the localities mentioned is, therefore, probabty not far from the number indicated by the figures of population, aggregating about 45,000. To these must be added the large but unknown number living in the smaller towns, or scattered throughout the country, who draw their supplies from deep private wells. Man} 7 of the more important hotels possess such wells. When it is borne in mind that the amount of sickness and number of deaths is much lower among those using deep waters, and that the productiveness of the State is thereby increased b} 7 hundreds of thousands of dollars, the importance of pure water supplies will be appreciated. Cities and towns depending on deep wells for public water supplies. [Compiled from Insurance Maps of Sanborn Map Company and other sources.] Town. Parish. Date of infor- mation. Popu- ' Num- lation, 1 berof 1900. wells. Depth of wells. Method of storage. Alexandria Crowley Rapides East BatonRouge . Acadia 1900 1903 1902 1899 1898 1903 5,040 11, 269 4,214 2,692 1,905 1, 539 3,314 6,680 2, 951 3,590 1,007 2 2 2 2 1 1 3 2 2 2 1 560, 760 758, 800 170, 270 Standpipe. Do. Do. Franklin St. Mary Do. Tanks 60 feet deep. 240 150, 150, 226 1903 1899 1900 1903 Standpipe. Standpipe and reservoir. St. Landry (?),184 Plaquemine 250 a System i>roposed. The interest exhibited in the problems of pure water supplies is made manifest by a constantly increasing number of analyses, especially those of a sanitary character. A number of analyses, in part sanitary and in part purely chemical, made by the State experiment station a are given in the following- table: a Kept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, pt. 6, special report No. 6, pp. 251-252. 78 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101 ft ~z -4-3 T3 £ ■4J £ a> ,- s 0Q p - M S3 a p£3 of Pi -> ft oT Pi 0) ft 0Q 1 03 ft ^ £ 35. J5 03 £ OQ 0Q £ rr OJ , m £ « o 3 c. >> >~ <£ - o 03 o ft XI £ 03 g c T3 £ £ — 12 -c X ft ~ o p £ £ o — - z £ Z +j c ft C r- ^ "-' — z P- O K* u ft o ft U r" xn U OS ■* "* OS TtH OS T CM ,_, iC CM CM rrs o 1-1 O CO lO 1- CO ^* ■* CM CM Tt< ■* IS "^r" tl 1-1 ■HH CO cry o ■* iM lO o t^ ^d CO CO ■* CM Of! — W i— i CO OS -i-l CO CM K rH CO OS m lO OS CM. Tf CO i~ O -H 00 I> CO -F CO CM CM o o o o •* o T 1 t^ ■* <-> o lO CO CM o O- o TJH (~ ft Ol iC -# rQ -~ CO on >o CO CO rH ■* -T co ■* a) o -# o CC or C l-O bc^ CO CO ir 0) CC (>) CM lO CM CM co -i -1 CO. 5a -t O X ■* o o o o O o o CO CC o m CO c CC o -t- CO t^ -+ OS 10 lO a rt CM i- 1—1 o -a 5 ■* o 00 -+ o CO O o o o -f C- C o 5^ ^a CO o r^ OS -T ft OS X lO = ft r^ 10 t^- o X t~ 1 CD CO ;r i^ h- -1 CO C-) -t ■* 1-1 1-1 7-1 rH CM fM 01 CM CN 1- i-H • 02 > CJO • ! 03 £ 02 ■ ; I >, £ £ .s , ©h s- , , T ft 03 ai P C P "3 o > £ £ c £ ft H 32 M o o3ft o rt o c 1 o J T3 Pi X £ t; T3 3 a 03 IE < C "> o D •d 02 £,' ^ft ^4 03 ft i3 TS ^z £ >- ■ • O | • I ^_; ■r s l £ 0Q o ft ; O 02 ft o — 02 o o a (S O <1J o "M > . rt ft O oi .S r— £ 02 Pi o OJ a "A £ 05 "o 7 a (- c r "a a f- c — - 5 d ft 03 on £ o < a. ■— £ PI £ 02 02 V. Ol "3b a £ S- C £ ft c ft £ S3 u 03 X ft <£ 0) 'r3 £ ft ft £ b = I— a ft ft O « CO +3 £ o. ft, TOLLER. ] WATER SUJf PLIES FROM WELLS . 79 O O Tf o 03 CO CXI C) ^ T—t o o CO o o o -. -*j q=! R ft u tsi S'O •z o > Ph p^ o O 0) 03 eg 02 1-1 pq _c 'V ffi CpO * R O 0) «5 ICt-H 0) — - O Ph PQ PA 80 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. In the above analyses the total amount of solid matter held b} T the water is indicated in the third column. This solid matter is the residue which is left after the water has been evaporated to dryness, and includes both the suspended matter noted in the last column and matter held in solution. The waters of the table show less foreign matter than is generally found in ground waters, except in the New England States. ' Iowa ground waters, for example, usualty contain from 1,000 to 12,500 parts of residue per million; Illinois waters run from 300 to 1,200, while those of Kansas vary from 1,000 to 7,000 parts. The "ash" column indicates the amount of residue left after the solid matter of the previous column has been heated to a red heat. In the table the difference between the amounts of the ash and the solid matter is given in the third column as organic matter. In reality this is not all organic matter, but includes the volatile parts of car- bonates, nitrates, etc., the amounts being, therefore, considerably too large. The figures in the sixth or albuminoid column indicate the amount of ammonia in actual organic combination, while the figures in the free ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate columns represent the amounts in each of the progressive stages through which organic matter passes during its oxidation to mineral matter. No single determination is an absolute indication of the quality of the water, but in general an association of high ammonia and nitrites, especially when associated with high chlorine, indicates pollution by sewage. Most of the waters of the table seem to be of excellent qualit} 7 , but it is apparent that in a few cases the oxidation of the organic matter has been arrested, while in the case of the 100-foot well in Ponchatoula there are certain evidences pointing to recent pollution. The amounts of calcium oxide do not indicate that the waters are especially hard, and they would probably give rise to only a small amount of scale if used in boilers, even if all of the calcium were in the form of sulphate. a FARM SUPPLIES. A considerable number of cattle are pastured on the prairies or in the more or less open pine lands throughout southern Louisiana, where the}' feed on the rich grass which abounds in such places, especially where recently burned over. These cattle find the neces- sary drinking water in the streams and bayous, artificial provision seldom being necessar} T . For horses and such cattle, sheep, hogs, etc., as are confined within narrow limits on the scattered farms, however, an artificial supply must often be provided. In a large part of the area this is a simple matter, good water, either flowing or nonflowing, being obtained within a moderate distance of the surface. PI. V shows typical examples of flowing wells, such as are obtained in the southern portion of the State. a Acknowledgments are due to Mr. M. 0. Leighton for portions of the discussion of analyses. fuller.] WATEE SUPPLIES FROM WELLS. 81 RAILROAD SUPPLIES. One of the most common and important uses of underground water is for the locomotive supplies of railroads. On ever}^ line, usually but a few miles apart, are located the familiar water tanks, each of some hundreds or thousands of barrels capacity. For these, pure sup- plies must be had. The waters of the bayous and streams are in many instances unsatisfactory for locomotive use, and wells are commonly resorted to. Relatively little difficulty is encountered in southern Louisiana in obtaining water in this way. Except in the Mississippi lowlands, water of a satisfactory quality ma,j usually be obtained in ample amounts at moderate depths. In general, the waters give only slight amounts of boiler scale. MANUFACTURING SUPPLIES. Under this head are included both the boiler supplies of manufac- turing establishments and the supplies used directly in manufacturing- processes. The statements in regard to waters required for railroad locomotives apply equally to boiler waters in other lines. Taken as a whole, such supplies are of great importance, the very existence of the industries of certain localities being largely dependent upon them. The lumber business, with its numerous saw and planing mills, demands supplies of pure water at a great number of points. This water is generally obtained from deep wells. Well waters are also of great importance in many other industries, and as these increase in number, variety, size, and output the economic value of water will proportionally increase. Of the processes in which water plays a direct and leading part the manufacture of ice is the most important. Many of the cities and towns, including Baton Rouge, Crowley, Covington, Hammond, Jeanerette, and New Iberia, employ well water for this purpose. ire 101—04 6 RICE IRRIGATION IN SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. Compiled by M. L. Fuller. DEVELOPMENT OF RICE IRRIGATION. One of the newest and most successful applications of irrigation is its use in the cultivation of rice. In 1888 lowlands near the bayous suitable for growing sugar cane, corn, and cotton could be purchased for $3.50 per acre, while the prairie lands back from the bayous could be bought for $1 per acre. With almost the first crop under irriga- tion the values showed a marked rise, and have continued to increase to the present time. In the first five years the value of the best rice lands rose to $10 per acre, while in 1901 the values reached $30 to $50 per acre. The productiveness of the crops and the increased values of the land have led to a rapid development, which is still in its earlier stages. Rice land at a distance from railroads and not under canals may still be had for about $15 an acre, and will doubtless yield fair profits if carefully developed. It is with a view of calling attention to the possibilities of rice irrigation that the present description has been prepared. Many of the main facts here presented are taken from the. descriptions of Mr. Frank Bond, who investigated the subject for the Office of Experiment Stations, United States Department of Agri- culture, and published a report of his investigations as Bulletin 113 of that Bureau. The statistics of the use of wells for rice irriga- tion, which are brought up to the end of 1902, are presented through the kindness of the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce and Labor. The first people to plant rice in southern Louisiana were the Acadians, who, after their expulsion from Nova Scotia by the English in 1755, settled in considerable numbers in Louisiana and planted small areas to rice. The cultivation, primitive in its methods, was confined to the lowlands along the ba}^ous, the prairies affording pasturage for their herds of cattle. The lowland areas seldom admitted of satisfactory drainage and were too small for profitable cultivation. The crops frequently failed in years of deficient rainfall. Attempts were made to create additional water supplies by building levees across low sags 82 U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. IX A. PUMPING STATION ON ONE OF THE LARGER STREAMS OF THE GULF COASTAL REGION. B. DISCHARGE OF A HEAVY PUMP SYSTEM. fuller.] RICE IRRIGATION. 83 or coulees at poiius higher than the cultivated areas, but in most cases either the rainfall proved deficient or the capacit}^ of the reservoirs too limited. Little advance was made over the Acadian methods until a very recent date. Experiments in unusually wet years had served to show that the soils of the prairies were adapted to the growth of rice if suf- ficient water was at hand. This led to the trial of pumps as a means of raising water from the bayous to the rice fields. So successful was the test that pumps were at once installed at many points, and in a few years tens of thousands of acres of previously nearly worthless land tying from 10 to 70 feet above the bayous were put under cultivation. The first important pump was installed in 1894. It was a vacuum pump of the pattern used in the mining camps of the Northwest, and was established on the Bayou Plaquemine, in Acadia Parish, near Crowley. Although its failure at a critical time involved the partial loss of the crop, it showed the possibilities of pumping methods. In the following year a centrifugal pump was introduced, but was too small to meet the demands made upon it, and was succeeded in 1896 by a pump having a capacity of 5,000 gallons per minute, which by its success opened a new era in rice cultivation. Still larger pumps have since been introduced, both of the centrifugal and rotary types. These have discharge pipes ranging from 12 to 60 inches in diameter, and raise 20 to 100 cubic feet of water per second through a distance of several feet. In the larger plants batteries of pumps operated by compound Corliss engines of 100 to 800 horsepower are in common use. PI. IX, A, shows the surroundings of a typical pumping plant drawing its supply from a stream or bayou, while B of the same plate gives a good idea of the volume of discharge from a powerful battery of pumps. SOURCES OF WATER. Bayous. — In the early stages of rice irrigation practically all the water was drawn from the bayous. In the portion of Louisiana devoted to the cultivation of rice these are the channels of the slug- gish streams draining the prairies or marshes and not the abandoned or distributary channels of a river, such as those near the Mississippi. In physical aspect, however, they are very similar. The current, though fairly strong at certain seasons, is very weak at others; the slow moving waters resting in channels sunk below the prairies are more or less clogged in many instances by snags of waterlogged stumps, logs, trees, etc., and bordered by dense vegetation, including the constantly encroaching cypress. Notwithstanding the sluggish- ness of the currents throughout the greater part of the year, however, the bayous maintain deep channels, the bottoms of which, in the region near the coast, are often many feet below the level of the sea. 84 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Wells. — The bayous for a number of years furnished an adequate supply of water for the areas under cultivation, but the increase of acreage, combined with a deficiency of rainfall, as in 1901, brought to the attention of everyone the inadequacy of the supply under such conditions. In that year considerable areas planted to rice had to be abandoned, as the water supply failed, and in many localities the bayous were so lowered that salt water entered and by rendering the supply brackish .still further reduced the production. Emphasis was added to the fact already predicted that in dry years considerable areas remote from the bayous would either have to be abandoned or a new supply obtained. Deep wells, however, had already yielded abundant supplies at several points and were now regarded as the key to the situation. A number of the early wells are indicated on a map issued by the Office of Experiment Stations of the Department of Agricul- ture, and in part reproduced as PL XI. To these have been added a number of new wells." The wells shown, however, should be regarded as indicating the locations rather than the exact number, as at the close of 1903 several hundred wells existed where only a few are shown on the map. IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN OPERATION. The following tables giv T e an idea of the extent and importance of the use of well and combined well and bayou systems for the irrigation of rice in Louisiana: Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902. [As reported to the Bureau of the Census.] ACADIA PARISH. Owner of well system. Post-office. Cromwell, Wm Abbott.. Scanlan, Denis J. do . .. Barousse, E Branch . . Burns, J. W do . . . Edgar, H. P. do . . . Prosper Bros. & Edgar do . . . Allen, Robie Crowley . Black, R. J do . . . Carper, Benjamin F. Cromwell, E Cullumber, Chas Ginters, Oscar Hoag, Philip H Jamison, Thomas Kraus, George Lee, Alonzo E Lineberger, Jacob Linscombe, John (manager) Minga, J. A Omealy, Geo. H .do . .do. .do. .do. Jennings, Parish. Crowley 130 do 120 do 200 do 120 do 80 do -130 do 520 a Information furnished by Mr. A. C. Veatch Acres irrigated in 1902. 160 225 200 200 100 40 200 550 450 450 300 170 150 Farms irrigated Length of main canal in miles. 1 1 $25. 00 26.00 24.30 50.00 i 26.00 18.00 2 42.00 50.00 i 67.63 32.00 25.00 1 19.48 23. 20 10.00 18.00 27.01 20.00 30.00 Total cost. 42.00 25. 25 FULLER.] RICE IRRIGATION. 85 Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 — Continued. ACADIA PARISH— Continued. Owner of well svstem. Post-office. Acres irrigated in 1902. Farms irrigated. Length of main canal in miles. Total cost. Portis, J. E Stokes, Joseph Waugh, Wm. E Wendling, J. and D Wilsey, George W Williams, Floyd Zambeecher, Wm Shoemaker, J. F. (manager Crowley Farming Co.) . Williams, Thomas and Walter Hays, Alton B. and Isaac , Klumpps, John Hays, Frank Nordyke, Harley J Robertson, Burrell Robinson, Wm. S. and J. J Romero, A Bailey, J. F Chappuis, A. S Dupont, Z. N Deboral, Emil Hinen, Wm Hains & Duinenie Hensgens, Conrad Langdoc, S. N Lacroix, Francois Lege, Lizee Porter, Leroy Theois, Alois Theseis, Jerhard Zambeecher, X. J Bradford, Geo. K Snyder, V. (W. K. Andrews, tenant). Fabacher, Jas. H Frey, John Girerd & Mouton Kramer, K McNeil, M. W Remers, Frank Hosea & Guidrv Gow, David.. McCormack, Robert . Leger, Martin Simons, H. B Bernard & Chappius Gossen, Joseph Heinen, D Heinen, Joseph Staunn, John F Jones, W McCormic, B Crowley . ....do... ....do... do... ....do... ...,do... ....do... ....do... ....do ....do Gervais Iota do do do Mermenton ... Rayne do do do do ....do do do do do do do do do do Moweaqua, 111. Santo do do Star do do Duson, Lafayette Par- ish. Crowley" do Eunice Mermenton Rayne do do do do Star do 550 140 200 200 90 500 300 480 300 218 220 150 160 130 275 80 100 200 150 515 300 450 275 100 152 300 475 60 100 200 100 300 30 200 150 150 140 125 100 400 200 250 800 1,000 150 500 700 480 200 200 852. 00 26.50 45.00 33.00 21.88 40.00 30.00 58.50 44.00 35.00 7.75 24.00 25.00 6.00 53.00 24. 45 36. 75 24. 00 1.15 47.00 26.00 25. 20 25.00 35. 00 24.00 21.00 20.50 8.22 30.68 31.80 48.00 50.00 68.25 32.00 37.00 27.00 25.50 31.00 24.00 55. 00 82.00 34.00 IS. 00 45.00 26.00 19.00 70.00 35. 00 5.00 5.00 86 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no.101. Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 — Continued. CALCASIEU PARISH. Owner of well system. Post-office. Acres irrigated in 1902. Farms irrigated Length of main canal in miles. Total cost. Gerouard, M.I Boiler, E. L Bruchaus, William Hebert, M. A Bucklin, S. C Nutt, ,T. M Pilgrim, John M Baker & Fenton Day, A. F Fenton, S.J Miles, C. K Monger, Eliza J Mills, I. J Nicholas, James P. and Rock. Cluguston, James Peabody, Frank Webers, A Arthur, A. M Bliss, F. E Bryne, Maurice Carr, A. G Cooper, E. W Curtis, C. C Maund, George E Eastman, W. W Garlick, Geo. W Harris, W. E Anderson, Albert Jones, Augustus Jones, Perry B Kenny, J. A. (manager) Marsh, Martin V Maund, James Meyers, John R Pearl, John Remage, Dr. G. W Roberts, John H Twitchell, V. M White, H Oden,R.E Cary, Howard L Garlick, G. W Braden, John E Camp,R.E Trakam , Euzebe Winn.T.H Baker.M.S Wilcason, Dr Demeist, John B Hamond Harlan, A. D Sherman, Mark Raymond, Charles Calcasieu China do do do Elton do Fenton do do do do do , do Glen Fenton , Iowa Jennings do d© do..: do do , do do do do do do do do .....do do ,. do do do do do do Kinder Jennings do Lake Arthur. . do do ....do do Jennings ....do Lake Charles . ....do ....do Raymond 320 200 50 50 140 200 100 250 307 220 140 200 250 150 100 120 158 800 75 100 340 220 220 360 65 200 300 830 175 320 600 50 150 120 375 140 120 130 300 600 600 240 300 200 150 850 120 200 122 240 200 90 100 $27. 52 17.46 21.27 2.00 15.00 22.50 17.00 24.00 51.00 29. 00 19.15 30.00 28.00 39.50 26. C3 7.00 15.50 85.00 24.50 21.00 48.00 45.00 24.69 20.00 25.00 36.50 37.00 85.00 25.50 40.50 39.00 25.00 26.00 22.30 82.00 29.00 20.00 20.00 30.50 59.00 103. 50 .27. 00 55.00 23.56 20.36 150. 00 20.50 15.00 33.93 43.00 23.00 20.05 19.00 FULLER.] E1CE IRRIGATION. 87 Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 — Continued. CALCASIEU PARISH— Continued. Owner of well svstem. Post-office. Acres irrigated in 1902. Farms irrigated, Length of main canal in miles. Berry, J Booze, J. M Cary, Dr. C. A. (Auburn, Ala) Clayton, Thomas Diener, John Firestone, O. R Bowers, J. H Firestone, L. N Firestone, J. B Gabbert.W.B Minnix, J. C Robinson, E. T Miller & Sanders Plantation (W. H. Smith, manager) . Thomas, David and John Zwick & Son, C. H Abbott, E. S Coffman, J. M Austin, C. A Bower, Elmer Cooper, J. W Calkins & Spaulding Coleman, Geo Davis, N. C, and Patterson, A. D Ellis, James Fontenot, J. B Field, CM Fontenot, H. A Glick Bros Gravel & Soa% M Heald, Ernest Jeeter, Charles Kelly, N.L Kelley & Prentice McBurney, Wm. and A. R Moore, F. H Saxby, C. A Scharff, Edward Targart, L Winterton, S. A Whitney, Fred Fox,E.P Krause & Managan Roanoke do... do... do... do... do... do... .....do... do... do... do ... do... do... do '.. do do ...:do Welsh do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do Lake Arthur. West Lake... 300 300 100 300 150 145 100 155 80 110 200 130 200 125 850 500 740 450 250 90 200 160 110 300 100 30 80 350 100 200 140 300 320 900 450 180 500 65 200 200 3,300 150 VERMILION PARISH. Bondreau, Adam 150 300 207 240 225 1,200 1 2 3 1 1 1 822. 93 Dore, J. O do 33.00 do 16. 25 Le Blanc, Hon. R. P do do 41.00 1 4 21.35 Milling Co. do 100. 00 (Limited). UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 — Continued. VERMILION PARISH— Continued. Owner of well system. Post-office. Acres irrigated in 1902. Farms irrigated. Length of main canal in miles. Total cost. Sirmon, R. G Yantis, W. M Burgon Bros Bense & Arnold, Greencastle, Ind Fisher, Walter F Freeland, Wm. T Estate of J. P. Gueydan (Henry L. Gueydan, manager). Quereaux, Worthy Spencer, W. D McClure Bros, and Taylors Wilkinson. Roy Smith, Alvin Jones, J. P Stauffer, Chas Romaine & Son, Howard Suryer, Henry Broussard, Casar Deihl, Jacob J Hemingson, Mrs. I Hair, Hansford Peterson, M. W Wright, J. E Gilmore, Craig Laurents, Mrs. G Laurents, Jules G Laurents, P Huber, J. F do... do... Gueydan do... do... do... do... do do do do..' do Henry do Kaplan Indian Bayou Laurents Shellbeach ... do Wright do Esther Gueydan Laurents do do Perry 125 496 300 150 200 600 1,200 240 500 800 ■ 200 70 100 80 700 225 150 200 250 240 100 815 900 100 600 100 700 16.95 49.87 40.00 26.50 31.80 50.00 98.00 30.00 64.00 120. 00 25.00 12. 00 27.00 23.00 57.00 22. 50 9.00 32.00 30.00 40.50 20.00 39.00 51. 50 25.50 45.00. 28.50 60.00 Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902. [As reported to the Bureau of Census.] MISCELLANEOUS PARISHES. Parish. Cameron Do... Do... Do... Do... Iberia ... Do... Do... Lafayette Orleans. . Do... Do... Do... Do... Owner of system. Hamblin, Albert F Bridgeford, Walter F Pomeroy and Sons Monroe Rice Plantation . . . Lakeside Irrigation Co Loard, Mrs. M Poirson and Roane Poirson and Hebert Avant, Berr Funk, John Sarradet, J. M Schenck and Son, Michael . Seyer, Chas Witzel, Mrs. Chas Post-office. Laurents Lakeside do do Jennings New Iberia . . Jeanerette... do Duson New Orleans do do do do Acreage. Farms. 60 1 200 1 100 1 800 2 3,000 12 150 1 400 1 200 1 50 1 3 1 4 1 6 1 1 1 3 1 Length of main canal Miles. Total cost. $12. 00 24.00 28.00 104.53 420. 00 29.10 54.40 41.05 21.90 3.00 1.00 2.70 .25 FULLER.] RICE IRRIGATION. 89 Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 — Continued. MISCELLANEOUS PARISHES— Continued. Parish. Owner of system. Post-office. Acreage. Farms. Length of main canal. Total cost. St. Landry Do 405 6 Mile*. 4 52.50 Do Bordelon and E. B. Dubuson Gus Fusilier and Gaumay . . \ , s !• 60 Opelousas J Eunice 200 3 .. 20.00 Do 1 40.00 Do do 100 160 150 130 160 100 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 20.00 Do do 26.00 Do Tate, Theodore do 25.00 Do Washington 21.00 St Martin .. Smedes, C. E 27.55 Do * 16.00 Do Martin, Dr. J. S.. Hammel, C. H do 80 3.50 Tangipahoa . . . 1.85 Xumber of rice irrigation systems. [As reported to the Bureau of the Census.] Number of irrigation systems — Parish. Supplied with water from — Streams. Wells. Streams and wells. Total. Acadia 37 37 16 413 13 95 59 93 3 11 2 107 Calcasieu 132 Iberia 19 Plaquemines - 413 Vermilion 27 1 1 5 6 3 1 1 6 4 ' 46 Cameron Lafayette Orleans St. Landry St. Martin 1 118 Tangipahoa All other parishes • Total 611 200 24 835 90 TJNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. Cost of rice irrigation systems. Supplied with water from — Total. Average per Parish. Streams. Wells. Streams and wells. acre irri- gated, 1902. Acadia $1,148,630 1, 482, 778 89, 917 97, 077 981, 000 > 143, 199 $182, 600 $39,400 $1, 370, 630 1, 813, 858 102, 372 97,077 1,111,915 ■ 229,457 $12. 93 Calcasieu 318, 880 12. 200 13.12 Iberia 12, 455 10.11 Plaquemines 6.93 Vermilion 105, 965 ' 1, 200 2,190 895 15, 200 4,705 185 24, 950 57, 653 16.76 Cameron Lafayette Orleans St. Landry 5,250 4.35 St. Martin Tangipahoa All other parishes Total 3, 942, 601 644, 275 139, 453 4, 725, 309 12.20 Farms under irrigation for rice. [As reported to the Bureau of the Census.] Parish. Streams. Wells. Streams and wells. Total. Acadia 543 419 54 432 450 186 86 116 3 22 11 651 Calcasieu 546 Iberia 57 Plaquemines 432 Vermilion 43 1 1 5 8 3 1 11 17 16 510 Cameron Lafayette Orleans St. Landry St. Martin 6 237 Tangipahoa All other parishes Total 2,084 , 278 72 2,433 FULLER.] RICE IRRIGATION. Acreage under irrigation for rice. 91 Parish. Acadia Calcasieu Iberia Plaquemines Vermilion Cameron Lafayette Orleans St. Landry St. Martin Tangipahoa All other parishes Total 87, 666 111,636 9,376 14," 015 53, 875 > 46,191 322, 759 Wells. 13, 460 23, 117 750 J, 248 60 50 17 800 340 12 794 48, 648 Streams and wells. 4,880 3,450 3,215 4,100 405 16, 050 Total. 106, 006 138, 203 10, 126 14, 015 66, 338 52, 769 387, 457 Lengths of rice canals and ditches in 1902. [As reported to the Bureau of the Census.] Parish. Total length in miles of main canals from well and well and streamsystems. Total length in miles of ditches of all systems. Acadia 53 47 3 239 Calcasieu 291 Iberia 12 Plaquemines 8 Vermilion 25 17 4 108 Cameron ") St. Landry 1 50 All other parishes - . ■ Total 149 708 PUMPING. The different types of pumps in common use have already been mentioned. The centrifugal, which is the prevailing type, is lighter, simpler, more readily established, and cheaper than the rotary pumps, although the latter are more efficient when carefully installed. The total lift of such pumps in raising waters from the bayous to the canals varies from 7 to 35 feet, 20 feet being an average lift. Higher 92 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no.ioi. levels require supplementary lifts. PL X shows a tj^pieal pumping plant on the Bayou des Cannes, Louisiana. In the case of some of the flowing wells the water can be turned directly into the canals for distribution, but where applied at a higher level than the wellhead, pumps are used for lifting the supply. Where the water rises within a few feet of the surface an excavation is made to such depth that the pump is submerged by the water. In the case of wells of small bore the pumping is generally conducted on batteries of wells located 12 to 20 feet apart, though single wells are sometimes pumped. Great numbers of. such batteries have been installed in Calcasieu Parish, where their success has been very marked. Much trouble is caused by sand entering the wells, but this can be largely remedied by screening devices, such as are described on pages 71-72. The fuel used in pumping is of three kinds: Coal, wood, and oil. In 1901 bituminous coal cost as high as $1.75 per ton; wood, $1.50 to $3 per cord, and oil from 18 to 62£ cents per barrel. The cost of oil was at that time said to be about $1 per acre for the season, while that of coal and wood was from $2 to $3 per acre. Oil now commands a much higher price and there is much less money saved through its use. Coal will doubtless continue to be extensively used in the plants near the railroads, but in localities remote from transportation facilities wood will probably afford the most available supply. PL X shows the process of unloading wood from a flatboat by means of a moving belt. APPLICATION OF THE WATER. CANALS. The water received from the pumps or directly from the flowing wells is conducted to the rice fields by canals. These consist of two parallel levees constructed of wet, impervious clays, or clayey loams, free from roots and twigs, between which the water is con- ducted. Fig. 13 is a cross section of the type of canal which has SUR FAC E Fig'. 13. — Cross section of rice canal. been found to yield the best results. Care should be taken to remove stumps and to keep out all growth of weeds or other sources of obstruction to the flow of the water. PL XI shows the distributary system in the leading rice district of Louisiana. FIELD LEVEES. The best form of field levees are low swells, from 15 to 20 feet in width, having the shape shown in fig. 14. They are used to regu- PULLER.] KICE IRRIGATION. 93 late the application of water in irrigation. The advantages of levees of this type over the old high and narrow variety are: (1) They are easily crossed, and without damage, b}^ farm machinery; (2) no land is withdrawn from cultivation bj r them; (3) the growth of the worthless red rice and of undesirable grasses and plants is largeh r pre- vented because of the cultivation of the entire area; (1) they are adapted to the varying slopes of the different t}^pes of rice fields. This kind of levee is more difficult to construct, and before its intro- duction the fields developed under the old s}^stem must be releveled. More levees are also required on sloping ground. In the end, how- ever, its use will probably prove the most economical of the various types. METHODS OF FARMING. The t} T pe of soil best adapted for the growing of rice is a medium loam, the materials of which are clayey enough to form resistant levees and to support heavy harvesting machinery. Organic matter tends to render the material more porous, and is undesirable where it is to be used for levees. The land is plowed with gang plows in the fall or spring, sometimes both, then disked and harrowed thoroughly. Planting is done with the broadcast machine attached to an ordinary farm wagon, or the Fig. 14. — Cross section of correct forfa of field, levee. seed is drilled in rows from 7 to 8 inches apart, the latter method insuring a better crop. During the planting season, which extends from April 1 to June 15, or later, no water is put upon the land, dependence being placed upon rainfall to sprout the seed and promote the growth of the plant for a period varying between one and two months, depending upon the season and water supply. Flooding usualty begins when the rice reaches a height varying between 6 and 10 inches, and from this time on until the grain is in the milk and well formed — a period of about seventy days — the fields are kept flooded. In other cases much less water is used. The accompanying diagram (fig. 15) shows the depths of water and dates of flooding of such a field at Crowley. About ten daj T s before harvest the levees are cut and the fields are drained. The grain rapidly hardens and matures, and by the time it is ready to cut the field is sufficiently diy to permit the use of the reaper and binder. This machine is identical with that used in the grain fields elsewhere in the United States. The sheaves of rice are 94 UNDERGROUND WATERS OB 1 SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [no. 101. shocked in the field immediately after the binder, ten sheaves to a shock being the rule, in order that there may be a free circulation of air to dry the straw. When harvesting- begins the stalks and leaves of the rice are still green, in the main, but the head is golden }^ellow on the terminal two-thirds. The green straw properly cured is a valuable substitute for ha} 7 , and is baled and fed to live stock, including the work horses and mules, which become accustomed to it, often prefer- ring it to prairie hay. Harvesting begins in September and continues through October and part of November, often until the 1st of Decern- June JOfLy AXJLffLLSt. 28 2930 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 1 (2 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 - O c < 1 1 z £ ! L C I :: ; .15 .14 " 3 't 1 H ..RksehIh S3 Hi "'Hi 02 Hi i | Fig. 15.— Diagram showing depths of water used on rice field at Crowley and dates of irrigation. ber, and thrashing the rice from the shock begins after it has been allowed to cure and dry for a period of two weeks at least. The machines used are the modern styles of wheat thrashers using steam power, revolving knives for cutting the binding twine, and a blower to remove and stack the straw. The rough rice as it comes from the thrasher is put in large gunny sacks, weighing, when filled, an average of 185 pounds each. The sacked rice is hauled either to the warehouses or directly to the mills. INDEX. Page. Abbeville, wells at and near, descriptions a ad sections of 54-55 Abbot, H. L., and Humphreys, A. A., cited on discharge of Mississippi River __ 14 Abbot well, elevation of water in 57 Abita Hotel, well at, description of £5 Abita Springs, pressure near, variations in 02 wells at, descriptions of . 35-36 Acadia Parish, rice-irrigation systems in 84-85,89,90,91 wells in 55-56 Alber well, description of 42 Albrecht, Joseph, analysis furnished by__ 47 Alexandria, artesian area near 29 rainfall at <.. 12 sections at 20 section from New Orleans to 18 Amite, rainfall at ._' 12 Analyses of artesian water 44, 47, 48, 78-79 Anderson well, Hammond, description of. 38 view of 34 Anderson well, Jennings, description of _ _ 58 Artesian water, advantages and disadvan- tages of 76 analyses of _ 44,47,48,78-79 area of 29-30,75 cities and towns using 77 flow of, variations in _ 61-67 origin of _ 12-14 Artesian wells, drilling, method of 68-71 flow of, variations in 61-67 pumping, methods of 72-73 statistics of _._ ___, 30-60 views of. __- 58 See also Artesian water; Water; "Wells. Assumption Parish, wells in 49 Auhert Hotel, well at, description of 36 Audubon Park, well at, description of___ 45-46 Avoyelles Parish, wells in 54 Baker, wells at, description of 48-49 Baltzell and Thomas well, description of _ 39 Batchelor, depth to water at 54 Baton Rouge, wells at and near, descrip- tions of, and analysis of water from 48 Baton Rouge Junction, depth to water at. 54 Bauerle, B. F., well of, description of 39 Bay St. Louis, Miss., wells at 33 Bayou des Cannes, pumping plant at 84 Bayou Sar.i , well at, description of 49 Bayou, view of l 76 Bayous, use of, in rice irrigation 83 Page. Biegel, G-. H., well of, description of 42 Biloxi, Miss., section from Pass Christian to. _ 32 wells at, sections and descriptions of. 31 Biloxi sands, definition of 22 Bishop well, description and section of ._ 42 Blakemore, section furnished by 45 Blanchard, A. G, section kept by 45 Blowing wells, occurrence of 60-61 Blumquist, John, information furnished by. 47 Bond, Frank, acknowledgments to 82 quoted on screens 71 Bonnabel, — ., information furnished by. 46 Bonnabel well, description of and analy- sis of water from " 43^-7 Bowen, L. J., well of, description of 56 Bower , E . L . , well of, description of 57 Bower well, height of water in, variation in . 64 Boy ce, strata penetrated at 21 Bradley & Ramsay Lumber Co., well of, description of 59 well of, view of. 58 Breaux Bridge, well near, description of. 52 Brinker, Frank, well of, description of... 36 Brown, — , section furnished by 31 Bunkie, wells at, descriptions of 54 Calcasieu Parish, rice irrigation systems in 86-87,89,90,91 wells in _- 53-60 Cameron Parish, rice irrigation systems in 88,89,90,91 section through 16 Canal systems, map showing 92 Canals, description of . 92 Carey wells, section of 58 Chapins well, description of 55 Cheney ville, rainfall at 12 China, wells near, description of 59 Chinchuba, well at, description of 38 Clemenshaw, C. , well of 32 Clendenin, W. W., section furnished by . 50 Clinton, rainfall at 12 Contamination, causes of 74-75 Cooper well, section of :... 57 Covington, pressure near, variation in . . 62 section through _ _ 18 well near, view of 34 wells at and near, descriptions and sections of 33-35 Crowley, wells at and near, descriptions of 55-56 Darton, N. H., cited on wells at Bay St. Louis, Miss 33 95 96 INDEX. Page. Deep wells, advantages and disadvan- tages of _:.__ .-- 76 cities and towns obtaining water from 77 occurrence of 29-30,75 See also Artesian wells; Artesian water. Delta region, topography of _ 16 Dessome well, description of 37 Dixon Academy well, description of 33 Domestic purposes, water supply for towns and . 74-£0 Donnelly wells, flow of 55 Dremmet well, section and description of 33-34 Drilling well s, methods of _ . 68-71 Durkee well, description of 39 Dutch, John, well of, description of 34 East Baton Rouge Parish, wells in 48^9 Eastman well, description of 39 Ellis, E. P., well of 32 Emms, John, well of, description of 51 Fabacher well, description and section of . 44-45 height of water in, variation in 67 Farming rice, methods of _ 93-94 Farms, water supply of__ 80 Fenton, well at, variation in height of water in .. 65 Field levee, cross section of. 93-94 description of _ _ . . . 92-93 Fields well, section of 57 Five Islands, relief of. 15 Flow, variations in - 61-67 Flower wells, section of _ 34 Forbes well, description of . _ _ 39 Fuel, kind used in pumping . _ _ _ _ 92 Gilbeaux well, description of 52 Glencoe, well at, section of 50 Grand Chenier Island, north side of, view of.. 24 sections across _ 24 springs on, view of 22 Grand Chenier Ridge, remnant of, view of ,.. .'. 22 Grand Gulf group, occurrence and char- acter of 19-21 Grand Lake, section through 18 Gueydan, wells near, descriptions of 55 Gulf of Mexico, relation of wells to _ 13 Haas, W. D., well of, description of 54 Haller , H . , well of, description of 35 Hammill well, height of water in, varia- tions in. _ 63 Hammond, flow at 62 rainfall at.. _ 12 well near, view of _ 34 wells at, descriptions and sections of. 38^2 Hammond Ice Company, well of, de- scription of _ . 39 Hammond Mineral Water Company, well of, description of _. 39 Harris, G. D., and Pacheco, J., quoted on rotary process... 70 Harrison County, Miss., wells in .... 31-33 Hawkeye well, height of water in, varia- tions in _ _ 65 Hawkins, Mrs. John, well of, description of „ 37 Herald well, elevation of water in 57 Hermann well, description of 39 Hernandez well, description of._ 35 view of 34 Hill lands, topography of 17 Hommel, C. H., well of, description of . . . 39 Humphreys, A. A., and Abbot, H. L., cited on discharge of Mississippi River _ 14 Iberia Parish, rice-irrigation systems in.. 88,89,90,91 wells in 50-52 Irrigation. See Rice irrigation. Istrouma Hotel, well at, description of. . . 48 Jackson, A. , well of, description of 39 Jackson, C. H., well of, description of 37 Jeanerette, wells at and near, descrip- tions and sections of 50-52 Jennings, section through 18 wells at and near, descriptions and sec- tions of.. -.. 58 wells near, variations in height of water in _ 63,64 Jetting process, description of 68,69 figure showing 69 June Brothers, well of, description of 39 Kallock, , section furnished by 31 Karlton, F. , well of, description of 40 Kate well, description of .'-... '.'. 40 Kemp well, description of 40 Kennedy, William, well section furnished by 52 Kinder, strata p3netrated near __ 21 wells neav, descriptions of 59 Labat Hotel, well at, description of 36 Labbe w ell, description of 52 Lafayette, rainfall at . 12 wells at, descriptions of 53 Lafayette Parish, wells in 53 Lafourche Parish, well in, description of. 49 Lake Arthur, well near, description of. . . 58 Lake Charles, rainfall at 12 well near, view of _ 58 wells near, description and section of. 59-60 Lake Pontchartrain, artesian area near. . 29 characteristics of 25 Section showing correlation of water- bearing sands north and south of 19 south shore of, view of 24 Lakes, formation of 25 Lawson well, height of water in, variation in -. 64 Lee, A. E., pumping plant of, view of 70 Leighton, M. O. , acknowledgments to 80 Levee, cross section of _ 93 description of 92-93 Lobdell, depth to water at 54 Long Point, wells at, depth of water in.. 56 Louisiana, southern, rainfall in 12 rice irrigation in 82-94 stratigraphy of. 17-27 subdivision of, based on underground water conditions 27-30 • topographic map of 14 topographic subdivisions of 15-17 map showing 15 INDEX. 97 Page. Louisiana, soiithern, underground waters in, origin of - 12-14 wells in, statistics of 33-60 water supplies from 74-81 Louisiana, southwestern, canal and well systems in, map showing 92 Lyon well, description of 35 McBirney wells, description of 59 McKinney, C. A., well of, description of. 43 McRill well, description of 59 Maison Blanche well, description of 35 Mandeville , flow near , variations in 61 wells at, descriptions of . - 38 Mandeville Junction, well at, description of . -. 37 Manufacturing, water supply for 81 Marksville, well at, description of. 54 May, S. R., well of, description of 57 May pumping plant, view of 70 May well, height of water in, variation in. 67 Melder, Frank, well of, description of . . . 60-61 Mermentau River, G-rand Chenier Ridge on, view of remnant of 22 Midland, well at, depth to water in 58 Miller, E. D., well of, description of. 60 Miller, Merritt, well of, description of . . _ 40 Miocene rocks, occurrence and character of 21 Mississippi, artesian wells in. 30-33 Mississippi City, wells at _ 32 Mississippi River, discharge of 14 effect of, on stratigraphy of Louisi- ana 26-27 on water in wells. 14 Moon well, description of. 43 Moresi wells, descriptions and sections of. 50 Morgan City, well at, depth of 50 Morrison well, description of 40 Murdock, , section furnished by 31 Napoleonville, wells at, descriptions of __ 49 New Iberia, wells at, descriptions of 51 New Orleans, section through 18 sections from Alexandria to 18 wells at __. 43-47 New Roads, depth to water at. 54 Oakdale, section through _ . _ 18 Oaks Hotel well, description of _ 40 Oberlin, well at, height of water in 59 Oligocene rocks, occurrence and charac- ter of 19-21 Opelousas, rainfall at 12 well at, description and section of 53 Oriza, wells at and near, descriptions of _ 56 Orleans Parish, rice irrigation systems in 88,89,90,91 wells in 43-47 Pacheco, J., and Harris, G. D., quoted on rotary process _ 70 Paine well, description of 37 Pass Christian, Miss., section from Biloxi to _ 32 Pearl River Junction, well at, description of.. 36 Perkins & Miller Lumber Company, well of, description of _ 60 IRR 101—04 7 Pointe Coupee Parish, wells in 54 Pontchartrain clay, definition of 22 Ponchatoula, wells near, descriptions and sections of _ . 42-43 Port Hudson clays, definition of 22 Port Hudson group, discussion of . _ 22 Prairie region, topography of 16-17 Precipitation. See Rainfall. Pressure, effect of topography on 27-29 variations in.. _ 61-67 Pump, rotary, figure showing _ _ 72 Pumping, method of 72-73 use of, in rice irrigation 91-92 Pumping plants, views of 70, 82, 84 Pushee well, description of _ _ 40 Quaternary deposits, genesis of 23-25 occurrence and character of 21-23 Railroads, water supply for 81 Rainfall, amount of _ _ 12- effect of, on pressure of wells 66 Rangia, occurrence of 25,27 Rapides Parish, wells in 60-61 Rayne, wells at and near, descriptions of. 55 Reiser well, description and section of . . . 59 Ribara well, description of 37 Rice farming, methods of 93-94 Rice irrigation, development of 82-83 discussion of 82-94 sources of water for 83-84 Rice-irrigation systems, acreage under. . 91 canals and ditches in, length of 91 cost of _ 90 farms under 90 number of 89 owners, acreage, and cost of, from wells. 84-89,90,91 Richard, Hippolite, well of, description of :... 55 Rivers, relation of water in wells to 13-14 Roane, S. B., well of, description and sec- tion of 51 Robinson well, description of 41 Rogers, Erastas, well of, description of . . 41 Rogers, Ben., well of, description of 41 Rotary process of well drilling, descrip- tion of 69-71 Rotary pump, figure showing 72 Ruddock, well of, description of 47 Rush well, description of 37 Sabine Lake, section through 16 St. James Parish, wells in 49-50 St. John the Baptist Parish, well in 47 St. Landry Parish, rice-irrigation sys- tems in. S8. 89, 90, 91 wells in _ 53 St. Martin Parish, rice-irrigation systems in. 88.89,90,91 wells in 52 St. Martinville, wells at and near, de- scriptions and section of 52 St. Mary Parish, wells in 50 St. Tammany Parish, wells in 33-38 Scanlin, D. J., well of, elevation of water in 56 Scanlin, F., well of, elevation of water in. 56 98 lnde: Page. Schmidt, C. W„ well of, description of. .. 36 Screen, description of 71-72 method of constructing, figure show- ing __ 72 plate showing ._ 58 Shallow wells, disadvantages of 74-75 Shell Beach, wells at 55 Ship Island, Mi s., wells at, sections and descriptions of 31-32 Shore line, description of 23 Singletry's still, well at, description and section of - 38 Simon's Hotel, well at, description of 36 Smith, J. T., well of, description of 41 Smith, W. B., well of, description of ". 41 Springs, view of 22 Stratigraphy, discussion of 17-27 effect of Mississippi River on 26-27 .Stratigraphy and topography , effect of, oh undergToxmd water conditions . 27-29 Streams, contamination cf 75 Sugartown, rainfall at 12 Sv. amp-lake area, topography of 15-17 Tangipahoa Parish, rice-irrigation sys- tems in.... 88,89,93,91 wells in 3343 Tertiary rocks, occurrence and character of 19-21 Thibodaux, well at, description of 49 Thomassy, R., cited on relation of rivers to well waters 13 Tigner well, description of.. 41 Tillotson well, description of 59 Topography, description of 15-17 Topography and stratigraphy, effect of, on underground water condi- tions 27-29 Towns, water supplies for domestic pur- poses and 74-80 Underground water, advantages and dis- advantages of.. 76 analyses of 44,47,48,78-79 area of 23-30,75 cities and towns iising 77 flow of, variation in 61-67 origin of 12-14 See, also, Artesian wells; Wells. Underground water conditions, effect of topography and stratigraphy on 27-29 subdivision of southern Louisiana ac- cordingto 28 Veatch, A. C, information furnished by. 84 Vermilion Parish, rice-irrigation systems . in 87-88,89,90,91 wells in 54-55 Wallbillick, Robert, section f urnishedby. 33 Walsh, H., well of, description of 41 Waltham, John, well of, description and section of _ _ 55 Washington, well at, section of 53 Water, amount used in rice farming, diagram showing 94 analyses of, from wells 44, 47, 48, 78-79 application of, in rice irrigation 92-94 Water, artesian, advantages and disad- vantages of 76 analyses of 44,47,48,78-79 area of 29-30,75 cities and towns using 77 'flow of, variations in 61-67 origin of . 12-14 Water, deep well. See Water, artesian. Water, underground. See Water, arte- sian. Water supplies from wells, use of, for domestic purposes 74-80 use of, for farms 80 for railroads 81 for towns 74-80 Way well, description of 41 Well drilling, methods of 68-71 Wells, flow of , variations in 61-67 statistics of 30-61 use of, in rice irrigation 84 water supplies from, discussion of . .. 74-81 Wells, artesian, drilling of, method of . . . 68-71 flow of , variations in 61-67 pumping, methods of 72-73 statistics of : 30-60 views of 58 See, also. Water, artesian; Wells. Wells, blowing, occurrence of 60-61 Wells, shallow, disadvantages of . 74-75 Well systems, map showing 92 Well water. See Underground water. Welsh, pumping plant at, view of 70 well at, variation in height of water in. 64, 67 wells at and near, descriptions and sections of 57 Wendling, John, well of, description of . . 56 West Baton Rouge Parish, wells in. _ 54 West Feliciana Parish, well in, descrip- tion of 49 West Lake, wells near . 60 Wilmot, W. J., well of, description of 41 Wright, S., well of, description of 56 Young Men's Gymnasium Club well, de- scription of, and analysis of water from 44 Zachary, wells at 49 LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS. [Mount each slip upon a separate card, placing the subject at the top of the second slip. The name of the series should not be repeated on the series card, but the additional numbers should be added, as received, to the first entry.] Harris, Gilbert Dennison. . . . Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by . Gilbert Dennison Harris ; with discussions of their I uses for water supplies and for rice irrigation, by M. L. Fuller. Washington, Gov't print, off., 1904. 98 p., 1 1. illus., 11 pi. (inch map). 235 cm . (U. S. Geological survey. Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 101.) Subject series O, Underground waters, 23. Harris, Gilbert Dennison. , . . Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by Gilbert Dennison Harris ; with discussions of their uses for water supplies and for rice irrigation, by M. L. Fuller. Washington, Gov't print, off., 1904. 98 p., 1 1. illus., 11 pi. (inch map). 23A cm . (U. S. Geological survey. Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 101. ) Subject series O, Underground waters, 23. U. S. Geological survey. Water-supply and irrigation papers I no. 101. Harris, G. D. Underground waters of south- ■ ern La., by G. D. Harris; with discussions of their uses for water supplies and for rice irri- gation, by M. L. Fuller. 1904. U.S. Dept. of the Interior. a I see also " U. S. Geological survey. SEP 16 1904 Series K— Pumping Water. WS 1. Pumping water for irrigation, by H. M. Wilson. 1896. 57 pp., 9 pl8. WS 8. Windmills for irrigation, by E. C. Murphy. 1897. 49 pp., 8 pis. WS 14. New tests of certain pumps and water lifts used in irrigation, by O. P. Hood. 1898. 91pp., lpl. WS 20. Experiments with windmills, by T. O. Perry. 1899. 97 pp., 12 pis. WS 29. Wells and windmills in Nebraska, by E. H. Barbour. 1899. 85 pp.* 27 pis. WS 41. The windmill; its efficiency and economic use, Pt. I, by E. C. Murphy. 1901. 72 pp., 14 pla. WS 42. The windmill, Pt. II (continuation of No. 41). 1901. 73-147 pp., 15-16 pis. WS 91. Natural features and economic development of Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Flynn and M. S. Flynn. 1904. 130 pp. Series L— Quality of Water. WS 3. Sewage irrigation, by G. W. Rafter. 1897. 100 pp., 4 pis. WS 22. Sewage irrigation, Part II, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100 pp., 7 pis. WS 72. Sewage pollution in the metropolitan area near New York City and its effect on inland water resources, by M. O. Leighton. 1902. 75 pp., 8 pis. WS 76. Observations on the flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey. 1903. 108 pp., 13 pis. WS 79. Normal and polluted waters in northeastern United States, by M. O. Leighton. 1903. 192 pp. Series M — General Hydrographic Investigations. WS 56. Methods of stream measurement. 1901. 51 pp., 12 pis. WS 64. Accuracy of stream measurements, by E. C. Murphy. 1902. 99 pp., 4 pis. WS 76. Observations on the flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey. 1903. 108 pp., 13 pis. WS 80. The relation of rainfall to run-off, by G. W. Rafter. 1903. 104 pp. WS 81. California hydrography, by J. B. Lippincott. 1903. 488 pp., lpl. WS 88. The Passaic flood of 1902, by G. B. Hollister and M. O. Leighton. 1903. 56 pp., 15 pis. WS 91. Natural features and economic development of Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Flynn and M. S. Flynn. 1904. 130 pp. WS 92. The Passaic flood of 1903, by M. O. Leighton. i904. 48 pp., 7 pis. WS 94. Hydrographic manual of the United States Geological Survey, prepared by E. C. Murphy, J. C. Hoyt, and G. B. Hollister. 1904. 76 pp., 3 pis. WS 95. Accuracy of stream measurements (second edition) , by E. C. Murphy. 1904. 169 pp., 6 pis. WS 96. Destructive floods in the United States in 1903, by E. C. Murphy. 1904. 81 pp., 13 pis. Series N— Water Power. WS 24. Water resources of State of New York, Pt. I, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 92 pp., 13 pis. WS 25. Water resources of State of New York, Pt. II, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100-200 pp., 12 pis. WS 41. Profiles of rivers, by Henry Gannett. 1901. 100 pp., 11 pis. WS 62. Hydrography ot the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Pt. I, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. 95 pp., 25 pis. WS 63. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Pt. II, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. 9G-39o pp., 26-44 pis. WS 09. Water powers of the State of Maine, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. 124 pp., 14 pis. IRK 101—3 Series O— Underground Waters. WS 4. A reconnaissance in southeastern Washington, by I. C. Russell. 1897. 96 pp. 7 pis. WS 6. Underground waters of southwestern Kansas, by Erasmus Ha worth. 1897. 65 pp., 12 ) WS 7. Seepage waters of northern Utah, by Samuel Fortier. 1897. 50 pp., 3 pis. WS 12. Underground waters of southeastern Nebraska, by N. H. Darton. 1898. 56 pp., 21 pis. WS 21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett. 1899. 82 pp., 2 pis. WS 26. Wells of southern Indiana (continuation of No. 21), by Frank Leverett. 1899. 64 pp. WS 30. Water resources of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 7 pis. WS 31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by A. C. Lane. 1899. 97 pp., 4 pis. WS 34. Geology and water resources of a portion of southeastern South Dakota, by J. R. T< 34 pp., 19 pis. WS 53. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. I, by I. C. Russell. pp., 10 pis. WS 54. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. IT, by I. C. Russell. 1901. 87-141 pp. WS 55. Geology and water resources of a portion of Yakima County. Wash., by G. O. Smith. 1901. 68 pp., 7 pis. WS 57. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States, Pt. I, by N. TI. Darton. 1902. 60 pp. WS ")9. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. I, by J. B. Lippincott. 1902. 95 pp., 11 pis. 0. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. II, by J. B. Lippincott 1902. 96-140 pp. WS 61. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United States'. Pt. II, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 67 pp. WS 67. The motions of underground waters, by 0. S. Slighter. 1902. 106 pp., 8 pis. B 199. Geology and water resources of the Snake River Plains of Idaho, by I. C. Russell. 1902. 192 pp., 25 pis. WS 77. W 7 ater resources of Molokai, Hawaiian Islands, by Waldemar Lindgren. 1903. 62 pp.. ! pK Preliminary report on artesian basins 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 part of the lower James River Valley, South Dakota, by J. E. Todd and C. M. Hail. 1904. 45 pp., 19 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. The following papers also relate to this subject: Underground waters of Arkansas Valley in eastern Colorado, by G.K.Gilbert, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Preliminary report on artesian waters of a portion of the Dakotas, by N. H. Darton, in Seventeenth Annual, Ft. II; Water resources of Illinois, by r Frank Leverett, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Water resources of Indiana and Ohio, by Frank Leverett, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt, IV; New developments in well boring and irrigation in eastern South Dakota, by N. H. Darton, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV; Rock waters of Ohio, by Edward Orton, in Nineteenth Annual, Pt. IV; Artesian well prospects in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region, by N. H. Darton, Bulletin No. 138. Series P — Hydrographic Progress Reports. Progress reports may be found in the following publications: For 1888-89, Tenth Annual, Pt. It: for 1889-90, Eleventh Annual, Pt. II; lor 1890-91, Twelfth Annual, Pt. U; for 1891-92, Thirteenth Annual, Pt. Ill; for 1893-94, B 131; for 1895, B 110; lor 1896, Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV, WS 11; for 1897, Nineteenth Annual, Pt. IV, WS 15, 16; for 1898, Twentieth Annual, Pt. IV, WS 27, 28; for Ls99, Twenty-first Annual, Pt. IV, WS 35-39: for 1900, Twenty-second Annual, Pt. IV, WS 47-52, for 1901, WS 05, 66, 75; for 1902, WS 82-85. Correspondence should be addressed to The Director, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. irr 101 — 4 G. P- °» •kP r ° 05 '