Qass ( jI U'J^S Book tfz r Ml i^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/qualityofwatersuOOpark 'A A.yT . DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director Water-supply Paper 273 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS BY HORATIO NEWTON PARKER WITH A Preliminary Report on Stream Pollution by Mine Waters in Southeastern Kansas BY E. H. S. BAILEY PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH THE KANSAS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1911 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director Water- Supply Paper 273 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS 3 7 BY 9^1 HORATIO NEWTON PARKER »J7'- WITH A Preliminary Report on Stream Pollution by Mine Waters in Southeastern Kansas BY E. H. S. BAILEY PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH THE KANSAS STATE BOARD OP HEALTH WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1911 ^ V 'N ^ ^^ ^ ^"^ ^ CONTENTS. Introduction 9 Acknowledgments 12 Remarks on chemical analyses of water 14 Significance of mineral constituents of water 15 Classification of waters 20 Topographic features of Kansas 21 Geology and underground waters 23 General features 23 Paleozoic rocks 23 Carboniferous system 23 Mississippian series 23 Pennsylvanian series 24 Permian (?) series 24 Mesozoic rocks 25 Cretaceous system 25 Lower Cretaceous or Comanche series 25 Upper Cretaceous series 25 Dakota sandstone 25 Character and distribution 25 Water supplies 27 Benton group 28 Niobrara formation ' 28 Pierre shale 29 Cenozoic rocks 30 Tertiary deposits 30 Distribution and character •. 30 Water supplies 31 Quaternary deposits 34 Pleistocene system 34 Equus beds 34 Drift 35 Hardpan '. 36 Gumbo 36 Loess 36 Waters of the Pleistocene rocks 37 Recent deposits 38 Alluvium 38 Sand hills 39 Artesian water 39 Conditions of occurrence 39 Meade artesian area 40 Artesian water of Dickinson County 43 Artesian water from the Ozark dome 43 3 4 CONTENTS. Geology and underground waters— Continued. Page. Deposits notably affecting quality of water _ 45 Salt 45 Gypsum '. 49 Quality of underground waters, by counties 50 Allen County 50 Anderson County 51 Atchison County 52 Barber County 53 Barton County , 53 Bourbon County 58 Brown County 59 Butler County 60 Chase County 61 Chautauqua County 62 Cherokee County 63 Cheyenne County 65 Clark County 66 Clay County 68 Cloud County 68 Coffey County. : . . . 70 Comanche County — 70 Cowley County 71 Crawford County 73 Decatur County 76 Dickinson County 77 Doniphan County. 80 Douglas County 80 Edwards County 82 Elk County 84 Ellis County ./.... 84 Ellsworth County 85 Finney County 87 Ford County 91 Franklin County 95 Geary County : . . 95 Gove County .■ 96 Graham County 97 Grant County , 98 Gray County ; 99 Greeley County 101 Greenwood County 102 Hamilton County 103 Harper County 106 Harvey County 108 Haskell County 110 Hodgeman County 110 Jackson County 112 Jefferson County '. 113 Jewell County 113 Johnson County 116 Kearny County ". 116 Kingman County 119 Kiowa County , 121 CONTENTS. 5 Geology and underground waters — Continued. Page, Quality of underground waters, by counties — Continued. Labette County 123 Lane County 123 Leavenworth County 124 Lincoln County 125 Linn County 126 Logan County 126 Lyon County 128 McPherson County ' 128 Marion County 132 Marshall County 134 Meade County 136 Miami County 138 Mitchell County 139 Montgomery County 140 Morris County 141 Morton County '. 143 Nemaha County 144 Neosho County 144 Ness Coimty . 145 Norton County 149 Osage County 150 Osborne County 150 Ottawa County 153 Pawnee County 153 Phillips County 157 Pottawatomie County 160 Pratt County 160 Rawlins County 162 Reno County.-.. 163 Republic County : 167 Rice County 168 Riley County 170 Rooks County 172 Rush County 173 Russell County 175 Saline County 177 Scott County 179 Sedgwick County 180 Seward County 182 Shawnee County 183 Sheridan County 185 Sherman County : 185 Smith County 187 Stafford County. .• 188 Stanton County • 189 Stevens County '. 190 Sumner County '. 190 Thomas County : 192 Trego County 193 Wabaunsee County 194 Wallace County 195 Washington County 196 6 CONTENTS. Geology and underground waters — Continued. Quality of underground waters, by counties — Continued. Page. Wichita County 198 Wilson County 199 Woodson County 199 Wyandotte County 200 Surface waters '. 202 General features of drainage . . . ." 202 Missouri River drainage basin 202 Missouri River above Kansas City 202 . Description 202 Quality of water 203 Kansas River system 212 Principal rivers 212 Smoky Hill River basin 212 Description 212 Quality of waters 215 Saline River 219 Solomon River 223 Republican River basin 228 Description 228 Quality of water 232 Republican River at Junction 232 Sappa Creek 234 Prairie Dog Creek 235 Other tributaries 237 Kansas River 238 Description 238 Quality of water 241 Main River 241 Minor tributaries 248 Big Blue River r. 249 Delaware River 254 Osage River basin 257 Description 257 Quality of water 259 Osage River 259 Marmaton River 267 Arkansas River drainage basin 269 Arkansas River 269 Description 269 Quality of water 275 Tests of Arkansas River and its tributaries in Colorado 275 Main River in Kansas 275 Bear Creek 288 White Woman Creek 289 Pawnee Creek ": 289 Wain at Creek 290 Rattlesnake Creek 291 Cow Creek 291 Little Arkansas River 292 Ninnescah River 292 Slate Creek 293 Walnut River 294 . . CONTENTS. 7 Surface waters — Continued. Arkansas River drainage basin — Continued. ■ Page. Grouse Creek 298 Salt Fork of Arkansas River 299 Description 299 Nesgatunga and Big Mule Creeks 299 Medicine Lodge River 300 Chikaskia River _ 303 Cimarron River 305 Verdigris River 312 Fall River 317 Elk River 321 Caney River * 322 Neosho River 322 Cottonwood River 335 Spring River 340 Pollution of streams by waste from oil refineries 347 Preliminary report on stream pollution by mine waters in southeastern Kansas, by E. H. S. Bailey 349 Introduction 349 Waters analyzed 351 Water from Spring River and its tributaries 351 Character of water 351 Comparison of sulphates 353 Water from mines and concentration mills 354 Coal-mine waters 357 Effect of mine waters on fish 358 . Effect of mine waters on metals 359 Acknowledgments 361 Index : 363 ILLUSTRATIONS. / Page. Plate I. Geologic map of Kansas 24 Figure 1. Map illustrating stream pollution by mine drainage. .-. 352 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. By Horatio Newton Parker. INTRODUCTION. The variety of uses to which water is put by man has increased with the evolution of the race. Uncivihzed people used water chiefly for drinking, cooking, and cleansing, and the very httle necessary to suffice them could be found in all except the arid regions. When men became herdsmen, roving from place to place with their animals in search of good grazing, more water was needed; wherever the water supply was short various devices were adopted to cojiceal wells, and many bitter feuds rose out of disputes over water supplies. Later, when men adopted permanent abodes and became farmers, came the additional need of water for irrigating crops ; the develop- ment of mining created another use for water; and finally came the complex life of the modern city, which demands water for a multitude of uses besides slaking thirst, washing, and cooking. To supply the necessities of a twentieth century city a public water supply must be both sufficient in quantity and of satisfactory quahty. An inade- quate supply tends to foster habits of uncleanfiness, hampers indus- trial development, and exposes a city to the danger of destruction by fire. The quality of the water of a public supply may be as im- portant as its abundance, though for some uses quahty is unimportant. For fire protection salt water does as well as fresh, but for many other uses to which water is put its character is of prime importance. For example, so many ravaging epidemics of Asiatic cholera and typhoid fever have been traced to polluted water that it is now recognized that water defiled by human excrement is unsafe to drink because at all times it is hkely to contain the germs of disease. Water used in washing wool must be soft in order that the wool may not feel harsh. Soft water, also, must be used to wash goods that are to be dyed in order that they may take the dyes evenly. In laundering, hard waters are most undesirable because they consume a great deal of soap and because clothes washed in them are not bright and white. In locomotive and stationary boilers the quality of water used is of the utmost importance, for some waters corrode them and others 9 10 QUALITY OP THE WATEE SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. deposit in them a scale which by reason of its nonconductivity increases the coal consumption and also renders the boiler liable to explosioh. These are but a few examples of the industries which might be mentioned in which the quality of water used is a factor in determining the grade of goods and the cost of their production. A public water supply may be developed from either surface or underground sources. In the United States more public water sup- plies are derived from ground water than from impounded surface waters or from flowing streams; but the total consumption of water in cities using ground water is far less than in those using surface waters. This is because ground-water supphes sufficient for a large city are available only in exceptional localities, and growing cities must therefore in time seek supplies from surface waters. The best surface-water supplies are those that are collected in large reservoirs on catchment areas that are sparsely populated and that are guarded by sanitary police. Under such conditions pollu- tion is reduced to a minimum, and while the water is held in the big storage reservoirs its suspended matter settles out, it is bleached by the sunlight, and the pathogenic bacteria that it may carry are reduced in numbers by sedimentation, insolation, and other factors. Water supplies of this kind rank amongst the safest, yet it seems impossible to protect them against chance pollution, and some of the most disastrous epidemics of typhoid fever that have occurred in this country originated on drainage areas that were believed to be perfectly guarded from contamination. The worst surface supphes are those that take the unpurified water of rapidly running streams whose drainage areas above the intake of the waterworks are thickly populated. Such water is too polluted to be safely potable, and it is hkely to be so impaired by trade wastes as to be inferior for use in the arts and industries. It is evident, therefore, that an ample supply of good water is not easy to obtain. Consequently water has a money value which is small in some regions but is greatly enhanced wherever scarcity of rainfall, unfavorable geological conditions, a dense population, or unrestrained pollution makes the competition for water keen. So great is the value of water in some sections of the country that cor- porations have secured control of the best sources of supply, and municipalities have spent immense sums of money in procuring waters. In one State, at least, the burden of procuring water sup- plies in its most densely populated section has been deemed too great for the cities to shoulder, and the State itself has developed a comprehensive plan for providing water for the cities and a part of the works are already in operation. Another State, recognizing that its plenteous water supply might be made a factor in attracting capital and in other ways making its cities prosperous, has passed a INTRODUCTION, 11 law prohibiting the piping of its natural waters outside of the State boundaries. In fine, water is a great natural resource with a con- stantly increasing value. Ta take account of this asset of the State of Kansas has been the object of this investigation. Measurements of the quantity of water flowing in the larger rivers of Kansas were carried on by the United States Geological Survey through a period of years and a summary of the records at each river station is published in the appropriate place in this paper. To determine the quality of surface waters, sampling stations were established as follows : Sampling stations on Kansas rivers. River. Sampling station. Collector. Period. Deerfleld /Chas. E. Gordon JDec. 11, 1906, to Dec. 2, 1907. }Nov. 26, 1906, to Dec. 7, 1907. Dec. 7, 1906, to Dec. 10, 1907. Dec. 19, 1900, to Dec. 20, 1907. \C. E. Hogle. Great Bend Do /M. L. Roseborough \S. M. Smith A. L. Newman Do Arkansas City Big Blue Ed. MarkshefEel Argonia E. McCann Nov. 30, 1906, to July 5, 1907. Nov. 30, 1906, to Nov. 30, 1907. John M. Hilton Dec. 4, 1906, to Dec. 3, 1907. Perry C. G. Hart Jan. 4 to June 28, 1907. Do Valley Falls Geo. Harmon J. J. Carroll June 12 to Nov. 29, 1907. Fall July 1, 1907, to June 10, 1908. Dec. 29, 1906, to Dec. 31, 1908. Kansas Holliday E. W. Johnson Marmaton Fort Scott Jas. Burton Feb. 1, 1907, to Feb. 1, 1908. /Lou Bedwell jjan. 22, 1907, to Sept. 11, 1907. Medicine Lodge \R. L. Vandusen Kansas City, Mo Emporia E. M. Purdue Oct. 4, 1906, to Oct. 21, 1907. Neosho Frank A. Bacon . .. Dec. 5, 1906, to Dec. 5, 1907. Do Oswego Nelie Nafus Dec. 11, 1906, to Dec. 9, 1907. Osage J. W. L. Gray Nov. 29, 1906, to Nov. 30, 1907. Long Island /Frank Swart JDec. 6, 1906, to Dec. 4, 1907. Nov. 26, 1906, to Sept. 10, 1907. Nov. 27, 1906, to Nov. 29, 1907. \A. H. Mischke Junction i Republican J. H. Rathert Sappa Creek. Oberlin C. S. Maddox Nov. 28, 1906, to Jan. 9, 1907. Smoky Hill Lindsborg P. E. Gibson Nov. 27, 1906, to Nov. 29, 1907. Beloit A. T. Rodgers Dec. 1, 1906, to Dec. 5, 1907. Spring Baxter Springs Paul E. Mason D. M. Blair Winfleld Boiler Mill & Elevator Co. Dec. 1, 1906, to Nov. 30, 1907. Dec. 11, 1906, to Dec. 10, 1907. Walnut Winfleld Dec. 1, 1906, to Nov. 26, 1907. At each of these stations there was collected each day a 111 cubic centimeter sample of water, which was sent to the University of Kansas at Lawrence. There the samples for each 10 successive days were combined into a single composite sample, which was analyzed. The quality of the minor afiluents was approximated by water assays that were made in the field by representatives of the United States Geological Survey, and the quality of the ground waters of the State was determined by analyses and assays. To find out how fully and how wisely the waters of the State had been utilized, the public water supplies were investigated, and the sewerage and methods of disposing of offal in the cities were looked into in order that the injury done to surface and underground water by sewage and other wastes might be known. In connection with these studies 12 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KAIstSAS. samples of water were tested at the University of Kansas for the presence of Bacillus coli. This report, which presents the results of the investigation, also describes briefly the salient features of the geology of the State in order that its relation to the water supply may be understood. The field work covered the period from October 5, 1906, to Feb- ruary 9, 1908. It is believed that although the details of certain areas yet remain to be worked out, the fundamental facts concerning water supplies in Kansas are fully set forth. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. The investigation of the quality of Kansas waters was prosecuted under a joint agreement between the Kansas State Board of Health and the United States Geological Survey. As originally planned, the work was of broader scope than the results in this report indi- cate, but defects in the law passed by the Kansas Legislature pro- viding for the investigation made certain funds that it was intended to appropriate unavailable, and the work had to be curtailed. The United States Geological Survey paid the salary of an engineer in the field for 16 months, the expenses of operating 23 sampling stations for 11 months, and those of writing and publishing this report. The State Board of Health of Kansas paid for the maintenance of 23 sampling stations for one month and of 1 station for a year. The board also paid the traveling expenses of an engineer in the field. Dr. S. J. Crumbine, secretary of the board, made many useful sug- gestions pertaining to the work and furthered it in every possible way. As the law of Kansas provides that the scientific work of the State board of health shall be done at the University of Kansas, the univer- sity became an active participant in the study. Through Chancellor Frank Strong, to whom hearty thanks are due for his sincere efforts to carry the work to a successful conclusion, the facilities of the chemical, bacteriological, engineering, and geological departments of the uni- versity were made available. In the chemical laboratories, under the direction of E. H. S. Bailey, F. W. Bushong, Archie J. Weith, and others analyzed the composite samples from the 23 sampling stations on the principal streams of the State. In the bacteriological laboratories, under the direction of M. A. Barber, W. A. Stearin tested for the presence of Bacillus coli samples of water which were forwarded for examination from the many public water supplies of the State by an engineer of the United States Geological Survey. In the department of civil engineering F. O. Marvin was often con- sulted, and W. C. Hoad, in his capacity as sanitary engineer of the State board of health, supplied descriptions of waterworks and sewer- age systems that were built after field work by the United States ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. • 13 Geological Survey was closed. In the department of geology Eras- mus Haworth, State geologist, gave valuable assistance. As State geologist he granted permission to have copies of the geologic map of the State that was prepared under his direction, and that appears in this report, struck from the stone owned by the Kansas Univer- sity Geological Survey. Attention should be called to the fact that a-lthough the State geologist has permitted the map to appear with a slightly different legend from that prepared by him, his approval of the changes is not necessarily implied. The chemical analyses in the section of this report that treats of the quality of ground waters are almost wholly the work of- industrial chemists who have generously given their work for publication. For this liberality particular thanks are offered W. A. Powers, chief chemist of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway; M. Miller, superintendent of water service, Missouri Pacific Railway; N. F. Harriman, chemist and engineer of tests. Union Pacific Railroad; J. B. Berry, chief engineer of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ra^ilway; T. E, Calvert, chief engineer, and M. H. Wickhorst, engi- neer of tests, of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad; C. R. Gray, second vice president of the St. Louis and San Francisco Rail- road, and the Kennicott Water Softener Co. The analyses by these chemists and by others were stated in hypothetical combinations and have been recalculated to the ionic form in the offices of the United States Geological Survey. In the summer of 1905 Edward Bartow and a representative of the United States Geological Survey made many water assays in the val- leys of Verdigris, Spring, and Neosho Rivers, and these assays appear in this report. All the water assays that are published in this vol- ume were made by H. N. Parker, of the United States Geological Survey, unless it is specifically stated that they were made by some one else. The stream flow data that appears in this report was compiled from the records of the United States Geological Survey by R. H. Bolster. Many citizens of Kansas helped on the work. The Kansas Sanitary League and the. Kansas Water, Gas and Electric Association indorsed the investigation and helped through their secretaries, W. A. S. Bird and James D. Nicholson. J. W, Berrynaan, of Ashland; C. L. Becker, of Ottawa; W. E. Hutchinson and O. L. Helwig, of Garden; W. W. Cockins, jr., of Crooked L ranch, Meade; C. D. Perry, of Claremont ranch, Englewood; W. E. Sweezy, of Junction; and B. F. Eyer, of Manhattan, have all assisted in different ways. A. T. Rodgers, of Beloit; C. S. Maddox, of Oberlin; A. L. Newman, of Arkansas City; the Winfield Roller Mills & Elevator Co., the St. Louis & San Fran- cisco Railroad, and the cities of Coffeyville, Fort Scott, Junction, 14 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. • Manhattan, Oswego, and Valley Falls maintained daily sampling stations for the United States Geological Survey at their own expense. It is impossible to give credit to all who have supported the investiga- tion of the quality of Kansas waters, but the spirit in which the study was welcomed contributed to whatever degree of success has been attained. REMARKS ON CHEMICAt ANALYSES OF WATER. Water has been called the universal solvent, and though the state- ment is somewhat exaggerated, most substances of common occur- rence yield to its solvent action. Some things water dissolves very quickly, but others succumb to its attacks so very slowly that it is not apparent that solution is being effected. Kain and snow in the act of falling, before they have come in con- tact with the earth, are water in the purest state known in nature; but even such water is not absolutely pure, for in falling from the clouds the water dissolves from the atmosphere certain gases, such as carbon dioxide, and certain mineral substances, such as chlorides, derived from the dust which is wafted high into the air by the wind. Rain water, indeed, exhibits great differences in quality, for that wMch falls in the clear atmosphere of a high mountain peak is decid- edly purer than that which falls through the smoky, dirty air of a man- ufacturing city. But the amount of inorganic matter dissolved by rain and snow in falling from the clouds to earth is small, and such tests as have been made indicate that the total dissolved solids vary ■from 2 to 10 parts per million.^ As soon as this ver^'^ slightly mineralized water reaches the ground it begins to attack actively the rocks on which it falls. In humid regions most of the readily soluble salts are washed out of the ground, and as the surface water does not remain long in contact with the soil it does not become higlaly mineralized. In such regions, therefore, the surface water is as a rule softer than that from wells and springs. In arid regions and in regions where rainfall is markedly deficient the processes of rock weathering keep pace with the leaching of the soil, and the easily soluble salts accumulate as fast as or faster than they are removed by water; hence when rain does fall that which runs off over the surface is very nearly as highly mineralized as the ground water. The water of springs and wells is likely to be hard, as it is derived from that portion of the rainfall which sinks into the ground and circulates so slowly through the rocks that solvent action is exerted for a long time; and unless the region comprises chiefly granitic and other igneous rocks very resistant to solution, the water may pick up considerable mineral matter, for most sedimentary rocks 1 Richards and Woodman, Air, water, and food, p. 197, REMARKS ON CHEMICAL ANALYSES OF WATER. 15 yield readily to solution. Temperature and pressure are also factors that in a measure determine the vigor of the solvent action of water. The ability of water to dissolve limestones and some other rocks is increased by its absorption of carbonic acid in passing through the upper layers of the soil, where the decomposition of organic matter is in process. Such rocks are very effectively attacked, as is shown by the caves and underground passages found in many limestone regions. Some of the ''sink holes" in the Kansas prairies have been caused by the subsurface solution of the limestone beds which allowed the land above the solution cavities to fall in. The amount of erosion and chemical denudation accomplished by the circulation of water is very great. Some inkling of its importance may be had from, studying the tables which show the amount of matter transported by the Kansas and other streams. (See espe- cially tables on pp. 243-247.) In presenting the results the terms ' ' hard ' ' and ' ' soft ' ' are applied to waters, and the several constituents are said to be low, moderate, high, or great. Such descriptive words are used in a purely relative sense and from the point of view of the Kansan. Most of the waters of the State are excessively mineralized as compared with the soft waters of New England, but this fact is unknown to the average citi- zen of the State, or at least he does not use the New England waters as a standard in grading the waters of his own State. He rates a water by comparing it with those waters in general use about him and people in other States do the same. Hence, although in Kansas and elsewhere the terms cited have a local and somewhat inexact meaning, they yet convey fairly definite ideas. In Kansas the waters that are generally called hard contain over 300 parts of HCO3, or over 40 parts of SO4, in equilibrium with calcium and magnesium, and in this report this interpretation of the popular term has been followed. In one other matter the public should be cautioned — that is, that the words "fair," "good," and "excellent," as used in this report in discussing mineral analyses of waters, have no reference whatsoever to the potability of the waters. The methods used in making complete mineral analyses of the samples from the daily sampling stations maintained by the United States Geological Survey in Kansas are those described by Dole.^ SIGNIFICANCE OF MINERAL CONSTITUENTS OF WATER. Mineral analyses of waters are made to determine the character and amount of mineral matter the waters hold in solution. Ordina- rily silica, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, carbonates, bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, chlorides, and total dissolved 1 Dole, R. B., The quality of surface waters in the United States, Part I, Analyses of waters east of the one hundredth meridian: Water-Supply Paper U. S. Oeol. Survey No. 236, 1909 pp. 9-26, 16 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. solids are determined. In the more refined mineral analyses of waters, such as those of medicinal springs, it is customary to determine other elements, such as aluminum, arsenic, lithium, and manganese. These are usually present in minute amounts and are generally unim- portant in municipal and industrial supplies, but sometimes even these rarer metals are significant. There are varieties of Crenothrix, for instance, which instead of constructing their sheaths of the iron in the water, as the common variety does, utilize manganese or alumi- num for sheath building.^ The general import of the common mineral constituents of water are briefly discussed in the following pages, but the reader should remember that the statements are only broadly true, and that a chemist with a knowledge of waters of exceptional character would perhaps modify them, Silica and carbon dioxide are supposed to be dissolved independ- ently in water, the silica as a colloid and the carbon dioxide as a gas. The other constituents are supposed to be in chemical equilibrium, and the analytical results are expressed in terms of the radicles thus held balanced in solution. The radicles are iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), carbonate (CO3); bicarbonate (HCO3), sulphate (SO4), nitrate (NO3), and chlorine (CI). The. many analyses made by chemists not connected with the United States Geological Survey originally expressed the constituents as being in hypothetical combination; but for the sake of uniformity such analyses have been recomputed in the ofiices of the Survey to the form of statement here adopted. Carbon dioxide (CO2) . — Free carbon dioxide is reported in but few of the analyses that appear in this report for the reason that in the course of the analytical work only a few tests for it were made. The determination of carbon dioxide should always be made in the field, because the amount contained in a sample of water changes almost as soon as the water is collected. The presence of much carbon dioxide in a water promotes the growth of microscopic organisms ^ and also effects the solution of lead, zinc, and copper from service pipes. ^ 1 Jackson, D. D., A new species of Crenothrix: Trans. Am. Micr. Soc, vol. 23, 1901, pp. 31-39; The precipi- tation of iron, manganese, and aluminum by bacterial action: Jour. Soc. Chemical Industry, vol. 21, 1902, pp. 681-684; Crenothrix as a source of trouble in public water supplies: Eng. News, vol. 48, 1902, pp. 175- 176. 2 Whipple, G. C, and Parker, H. N., On the amount of oxygen and carbonic acid dissolved in natural waters and the effect of these gases upon the occurrence of microscopic organisms: Trans. Am. Micr. Society, vol. 23, 1901, pp. 103-144. 3 Clark, H. W., An Investigation of the action of water upon lead, tin, and zinc, with especial reference to the use of lead pipes with Massachusetts water supplies: Thirtieth Ann. Rept. Massachusetts State Board of Health, pp. 542-585; Continuation of an investigation of the action of water upon metallic or metal-lined service pipe, and methods for the separation and determination of metals in water: Thirty-second Ann. Rept. Massachusetts State Board of Health, 1900, pp. 487-506. SIGNIPICAlSrCE OF MHSTEEAL CONSTITUENTS OF WATER. 17 Silica (SiOj). — Silica is present in most waters only in small amounts and it is usually regarded as a constituent of minor impor- tance. In boiler waters it is an incrustant, however, and W. P. Headden ^ has noted that in some slightly mineralized waters which contain much siUcic acid the silica forms considerable quantities of scale. In one boiler, which had been in service four years and had been fed with artesian water, the incrustation formed on the tubes was one-fourth of an inch thick and consisted of silicic acid and lime, 76 per cent of the former and 24 per cent of the latter, including a small amount of alkalies. Siliceous deposit has also been observed in steam pipes and vacuum pans in sugar refineries.^ Iron. — Iron, if found at all, is present in most natural waters only in small amounts, but waters contaminated by certain mine drainage and by certain industrial wastes carry very considerable quantities of iron. In some mineral springs iron is the constituent which imparts a medicinal value to the water, but ordinarily it is undesirable. A half part per million is detectable by taste and more than 4 or 5 parts make a water unpalatable. More than 2.5 parts per million in water used for laundering makes a stain on clothes. Iron must be removed from water from which ice is made or a cloudy discolored product will result. An iron content of over 2 or 3 parts per million in water used in the manufacture of paper will stain the paper. Iron is harmful in water used for steaming, for it is in equilibrium with acids which inside the boiler become dissociated, with the result that the free acids corrode the boiler plates; but the amount of iron carried in solution by most waters is so small that the damage it does to steam boilers generally amounts to little. In Kansas iron is found in some waters from the fluviatile deposits of Kansas River and in waters from coal and zinc mining regions, and it is sometimes present in other waters of the State. Waters having high iron content have in some places caused an immense amount of trouble and expense whe-n used as city supplies, for they favor the growth of Crenothrix to such a degree that the water pipes become clogged with the iron sheaths of the organism. The removal of iron from water is sometimes easy and sometimes very difficult. The processes for effecting the removal of iron have been carefully described by R. S. Weston.^ Aluminum. — Aluminum is usually present in water in such small amounts that it is unimportant save therapeutically. In steam boilers it forms an insignificant amount of scale. 1 Brown artesian waters of Costilla County, Colo.: Am. Jour. Sci., 4tli ser., vol. 27, No. 160, p. 310. 2 Am. Chemist, vol. 4, 1874, p. 245. 3 The purification of ground waters containing iron and manganese: Proc. Am. Soc. Civil Eng., vol. 34, pp. 1324-1393. 77836°— wsp 273—11 2 18 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Calcium, — Calcium is the principal scale-forming constituent in water. In carbonate waters it forms soft scale in boilers. But it may be partially removed from such waters by the addition of lime. In sulphate and carbonate-sulphate waters calcium forms hard scale. These waters are often treated with soda ash to remove the calcium. Both carbonate and sulphate waters containing calcium are some- times treated in a preheater to remove the calcium. The heating of carbonate waters containing calcium results in the precipitation of the calcium as calcium carbonate, as the carbonic acid which holds the calcium in solution is driven off. The heating of sulphate waters carrying calcium results in the precipitation of the calcium as cal- cium sulphate, which is less soluble in hot than in cold water. Waters high in calcium and chlorides are apt to be corrosive to steam boilers. Waters containing calcium, carbonates, sulphates, and also sodium are in a measure self-corrective, the precipitation of calcium sulphate (hard scale) being largely or even wholly prevented. The behavior of such waters in boilers is difficult to predict, for in actual use they may form a sufficient quantity of hard scale to make trouble, or they may cause foaming. Calcium is one of the soap-consuming elements in water, and therefore waters with high content of calcium are expensive in the household and laundry because they increase the soap bill. For several other reasons it is important to know the calcium content of waters. In the salt industry, for instance, sulphate waters high in calcium must not be used to extract salt from the ground, for the salt evaporated from such waters will cake so hard that it is an inferior and sometimes an unsalable product. Magnesium. — ^Magnesium is present in waters that contain calcium but usually in smaller quantities. From carbonate waters in steam boilers magnesium is precipitated as magnesium carbonate or oxide which forms a scale. The other salts of magnesium are soluble and of themselves do not form scale, but in sulphate waters in which cal- cium is present they do. Sulphate Avaters containing calcium and magnesium form a very dense, porcelain-like scale, whereas carbon- ate waters carrying calcium and magnesium form a friable scale that is very easily removed. Waters containing nitrates, chlorides, or sul- phates, and considerable quantities of magnesium are likely to corrode boilers. Sodium and potassium. — In most of the analyses in this report sodium and potassium are not reported separately, it being the belief of the chemists that the amount of potassium is generally so small that it is unimportant except possibly therapeutically. As sodium is a constituent of common salt the waters of saline springs and wells are high in this element. SIGNIFICANCE OF MINEKAL CONSTITUENTS OF WATER. 19 Carbonate and sulphate waters carrying large amounts of sodium and potassium together with considerable calcium and magnesium are likely to cause foaming in boilers, because in such waters precipi- tates of calcium and magnesium carbonates and of calcium sulphate are likely to form, and the fine particles of these precipitates serve as points from which steam is liberated. Sulphate and chloride waters high in sodium may act corrosively on boilers, but this tend- ency is not believed to be as great as in those sulphate and chloride waters in which the magnesium" content is high or as in those chloride waters having high calcium. Bicarbonates. — Many tests by water assay of the ground and surface waters of Kansas indicate that carbonates occur but seldom and only m small quantities. The analyses of the composite samples of sur- face waters at the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas point to the same conclusion, but these analyses and the assays show that bicarbonates are always present and frequently in large amounts. Carbonates. — In recomputing analyses to the form of statement adopted in this report, the calcium, magnesium, sodium, and other carbonates that appear in the results have been converted to the proper metallic radicle and the radicle CO3 because it is impossible to tell whether there were really some normal carbonates in the water or whether, as is most likely, only bicarbonates were present. Sulphates. — In Kansas, sulphates are common in ground waters from the Blue Rapids, Gypsum City, and Medicine Lodge gypsum areas, in the waters of wells and springs that tap the gypsiferous shales of the Dakota, in the water of shallow wells that tap the ''underflow" of Arkansas River, in the water of streams that are cutting through the coal-measure shales, in the waters from wells sunk in these shales, and in the waters of streams that are contami- nated by acid mine waters from coal and zinc mines. The quality of these sulphate waters varies according to whether calcium, magne- sium, or sodium is predominant. Sulphate waters higher in calcium than magnesium and sodium come from the gypsum areas, the coal- measure shales, the gypsiferous shales of the Dakota, and the mining regions. These waters are commonly called "gyp" waters, and are disliked because of their hardness and because they form hard scale in boilers. Those sulphate waters in which sodium is present in greater quantity than the calcium and magnesium are often found in the shallow wells that derive their water from the "underflow" of Arkansas River. These waters locally are called "alkali" waters, and are so laxative as to be most unpleasant to those unaccustomed to their use. Moreover, they are apt to cause foaming in steam boilers. Chlorides. — The chlorides in Kansas waters are mostly derived from the solution of common salt which is widely distributed through 20 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. the State. (See pp. 45-49.) Most of the chlorides in the streams and wells probably come from the solution of saliferous shales which are of common occurrence. The quantity of chlorides carried by Kansas waters varies from the very small amount in the waters of the arte- sian wells at Meade, to the very large amounts in the flowing salt well at Larned and in other salt wells. The distribution of salt in Kansas is so irregular that it does not appear possible to construct a normal chlorine map of the State. Volatile and organic matter. — Nearly all waters contain organic and volatile matter. Spring and well waters usually carry only small amounts. Some ground-water analyses by unnamed analysts show such large quantities of this matter as to arouse the suspicion that the heading ''volatile and organic matter" conceals losses in the analyses. Total dissolved solids. — Total dissolved solids are determined by evaporating a measured quantity of water to dryness on the water bath. Hardness. — The hardness of water is of two sorts — temporary and permanent. Temporary hardness is due to calcium and magnesium in equilibrium with carbonates and bicarbonates. Most of the tem- porary hardness, but not all of it, can be removed by boiling. In many Kansas waters the temporary hardness is very great and the waters in which it is not marked are few. Permanent hardness is due to sulphates, chlorides, and nitrates of calcium and magnesium; these compounds are held in solution by the water itself. This sort of hardness may usually be partially removed, by adding certain chemicals to the water, and sulphate waters with a high calcium content may be partly softened by heating. CLASSIFICATION OF WATERS. All natural waters are more or less impure; that is, they contain in solution substances of different kinds and in widely varying amounts, and the quality of any water is determined largely by the properties of the materials which it holds in solution. Carbonates and bicarbonates of the alkalies and alkaline earths are common constituents not only of water which flows over the land, as rills, rivulets, rivers, and fresh-water lakes, but also of nearly all underground waters. Solutions of the carbonates and bicarbonates are hydrolized by the water and the hydrolized products impart to the water an alkaline quality. Sulphates, chlorides, and nitrates of the alkahes and alkaline earths, also present in natural waters, are not affected in this way, so that they impart a saline quality to the water in which they are dissolved. TOPOGBAPHIC FEATURES OF KANSAS. 21 A classification of natural waters, based upon these considerations, is simple. A water in which the carbonates and bicarbonates ex- ceed the sum of the sulphates, chlorides, and nitrates may be desig- nated alkaline; a water in which the sum of the sulphates, chlorides, and nitrates exceeds the sum of the carbonates and bicarbonates is essentially a saline water. Besides alkaline and saline waters, there are acid waters. Most acid waters are abnormal, being produced by man in his practice of certain manufacturing and other industries. Thus from dye works, tin-plate works, and galvanizing works, highly acid efiluents escape into the stream and convert waters that are naturally alkaline into waters that contain much free acid. Likewise, the water that is drained or pumped from certain mines, such as coal, zinc, or iron mines, is so acid that it often makes the alkaline water of a stream into which it flows decidedly acid. In naming waters, the prominence of any basic radicle is indi- cated by prefixing the name of the base to the regular class name, as calcic, magnesic, alkaline, or, sodic saline, but the nomenclature takes account also of the chemical equivalents of the radicles, the amounts of which are expressed in parts per million of water. Chemical equivalents. (Oxygen=16.) Ca 20 Mg.. , ... 12 (Na+K) 23- CO3 , 30 HCO3 61 SO4 48 NO3 62 CI 35.5 The chemical ratio of any two radicles present is the quotient of their amounts in parts per million divided by their respective chemical equivalents. TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF KANSAS.^ Kansas is a part of the great plain which extends from Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. Its northern and southern bounda- ries stretch 400 miles east and west; its eastern and western reach 200 miles north and south; and its exact area is 82,158 square miles, or somewhat greater than the combined areas of the six New England States, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The east end of Kansas has an average altitude of approximately 850 feet. Bonita — about the highest point — being 1,075 feet above sea level. Altitudes along its western boundary rise and fall slightly 1 Abstracted from Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 1, pp. 9-15. 22 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. from north to south, but hold close to an average of 4,000 feet above sea level. The north and south boundaries have approximately equal elevations, although the increase in height westward is more rapid along the northern side than along the southern. West of Independ- ence the southern line crosses the Flint Hills, which raise the elevation to 1,700 feet, from which it declines again to 1,066 feet at Arkansas City, whence it rises gradually. The lowest point in the State is at the Missouri Pacific Railway depot in Coffeyville, where the elevation is 734 feet. Thus it appears that the general slope of the State is to the east and, consequently, most of the streams flow eastward, but numerous diversions from this course are caused by local flexures and by the character of the materials in which the stream channels are eroded. Thus the streams in the northwestern and northeastern cor- ners of Kansas flow northeastward, those in the southeastern corner flow southwestward, and still others have southeasterly or southerly course. The great incline of the surface as a whole, which, from west to east, for the whole State averages nearly 8 feet to a mile, gives to many of the streams considerable current. In the western part of the State some of the streams have scarcely reached base level, while in the eastern part they have broad level valleys filled in from 20 to 60 feet with alluvial material. The Flint Hills, ^ which occupy approximately the southern part of Chase County, the western border of Greenwood^ Elk, and Chautau- qua counties, and the eastern portion of Butler and Cowley counties, contain the headwaters of a number of streams. Fall River, Elk River, and Big Caney Creek, tributaries of Verdi- gris River, have their sources in many small streams on the eastern slope of Flint Hills; Cottonwood River, a tributary of the Neosho, sweeps in a broad curve around the northern end of the hills ; the South Fork of the Cottonwood heads in them, and the main Cottonwood receives tributary drainage from them. The streams on the west flank of the hills empty into Walnut River. In their southern por- tion Grouse Creek, flowing in a general southwesterly direction, divides the hills into two ridges, of which the eastern is known as Big Flmt Hills and the western as Little Flint Hills. The hills trend in a general north and south direction, the ridge being indicated on the map by the sig- nificant names of the towns of Grand Summit, Beaumont, Summit, and Flint Ridge. In their highest parts they are 1,550 feet above sea level. The Flint Hills owe their contour wholly to erosion, the strata lying in nearly horizontal positions, with a dip to the west of 10 feet to the mile and affording no evidence of disturbance. The hills are characterized by even terraces and ^mall canyons and gulches. Along the top of the terraces the several limestone systems of the region are seen in parallel ridges which are very conspicuous on 1 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 1, pp. 27-29. GEOLOGY ATSTD UNDEEGROUND WATERS. ^S account of the whiteness of the rock. The eastern slope of the hills is more abrupt, partly because of the slight western dip, but chiefly because the great shale and sandstone formation, which makes their eastern base, contains much less lime than the hills themselves, and so was much more easily eroded. Big Caney Creek, which flows nearly parallel to the trend of the hills, has cut off a ridge of this mate- rial. The hills get their name from the large amount of flint which is strewn over the surface in such profusion as to impede travel and which has been derived by weathering from the limestones. The State as a whole is an undulating plain, but within it are to be found valleys 200 feet deep, bluffs and mounds 300 feet high, over- hanging rocky ledges, and, in many streams, falls. Altogether, it is a country of great beauty and interest. GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS. GENERAL FEATURES. Considered as a whole the geology of Kansas is simple ; but its details are intricate and require careful investigation before they can be truthfully interpreted. A brief description of the salient features is given herewith. The principal sources of the information were the volumes of the Kansas University Geological Survey, the report of the Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 1896 to the Legislature of Kansas, Professional Paper 32 of the United States Geological Survey, and occasional papers in the transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, in the reports of the State Board of Agri- culture, and in the Kansas University Quarterly. (See PI. I.) PALEOZOIC ROCKS. CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM. MISSISSIPPIAN SERIES. The oldest rocks found at the surface in Kansas belong to the Mississippian series and occur in the extreme southeastern corner of the State in an area not exceeding 30 square miles in extent. The series consists of dense limestones with interbedded chert rocks and of the residual products resulting from their superficial decay, and it forms a floor extending indefinitely westward, on which the younger formations of the State rest. In the eastern part of the State this floor dips westward, southwestward, or northwestward, and the superposed strata follow this inclination. This westward dip of the strata and the eastward slope of the land surface bring one stratum after another to the surface; but the westward dip continues scarcely one-third of the distance across the State before it is reversed to the east. The westward dip is produced by the Ozark Hills; the east- ward dip is effected by the mighty Rocky Mountain uplift. 24 QUALITY OF THE WATER, SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. PENNSYLVANIAN SERIES. Resting upon the Mississippiari series, and exposed over the eastern quarter of Kansas, is the Pennsylvanian series, about 3,000 feet thick and commonly divided into the "Upper Coal Measures" and the "Lower Coal Measures." This series consists of alternating beds of limestones, sandstones, and shales, the shales making about four-fifths of its entire thickness. The limestones usually cover wide areas, extending hundreds of miles laterally, and being only 10 to 100 feet thick, are very thin compared to their lateral extent. The sandstones vary in lateral extent from a few yards to a few miles — rarely over 40 — and they vary in thickness from a few inches to 50 feet or more. The shale beds extend north and south across the State and from the east end westward as far as they are known. In some places they attain a thickness of nearly 300 feet. The shales of the Pennsylvanian series are almost impervious to water and rarely yield it in any considerable quantity. Moreover, the water obtained by drilling in the shales and deeply buried sand- stones is almost invariably salty. It is useless, therefore, to hope to get a large supply of good water by sinking wells to great depths in the Pennsylvanian rocks. The residual materials — clays, gravels, and sands that overlie this rock series in many places eagerly absorb moisture, and as they are bountifully fed by rain they afford water supplies, sufficient and acceptable for domestic use, everywhere in the eastern part of the State. PERMIAN (?) SERIES. Next above the Pennsylvanian series is a series of rocks which have been called Permian, but which have not been definitely correlated with the true Permian. All that is known is that they are younger than the Pennsylvanian rocks on which they" rest and older than the Cretaceous rocks which overlie them. They are exposed in a broad, irregular belt that extends north and south across the State from the northern boundary above Marysville to the southern boundary below Arkansas City. This so-called Permian has been divided by Prosser into the Big Blue "series" and the Cimarron "series."^ The Big Blue "series" is made up of shales and limestones. The shales, bluish gray, buff, or varicolored, contain locally beds of gypsum, rock salt, and dolomite; the limestones are cherty. The Cimarron "series" is commonly known as the "Red Beds" and is exposed in Kingman, Harper, Barber, the southern part of Comanche and Clark, and the western part of Sedgwick and Sumner counties. The strong dark-red color of the dominant rocks of this "series" is due to the large amount of red iron oxide that accumulated in the sands and gravels of which they are composed. In places, as for 1 Jcnor. Geology, vol. 10, No. 7, p. 702, 1902. U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 273 PLATE I le Universit)" GeotogicBl Sm r Carboniferous GE(JLO(^I(: MAP OF lO^NSAS Prepai-ed under the direction of Erasmus Haworlli, State Geologist ?°^<^^li^-"li-24 miles ,„,..,„ GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS. 25 instance at Medicine Lodge, the "Red Beds" contain heavy deposits of gypsum and they are everywhere somewhat heavily minerahzed with salt and magnesium sulphate, as well as with other constituents of ocean water. Hence it seems probable that the sediments that form the "Red Beds" were deposited in water which was at one time part of the ocean, but which, by some movement of the earth, was cut off from it and then evaporated till the salts became much concentrated. The absence of fossils from most of the strata of the "Red Beds" irhplies the same origin, for the water doubtless became too highly mineralized to support life. In their eastern extension the " Red Beds" thin out, but westward they thicken to an unknown extent, probably being over 1,000 feet thick in Meade County. As the "Red Beds" are exceedingly fine-grained and compact, little water percolates through them. Therefore, wells sunk in the "Red Beds" yield only a scanty supply of water that is so highly mineral- ized by soluble constituents, particularly salt, that it is unfit for domestic use. The surface waters also are highly mineralized with calcium and sulphates in those localities where the gypsum deposits are exposed at or approach the surface. The Permian (?) shales, below the "Red Beds," are unlikely to afford water except from a sandstone stratum. Water found in either the shale or sandstone, however, would doubtless be unusable because of its high content probably of calcium and sulphates. As neither the "Red Beds" nor the rocks beneath them yield water of good quality, drilling should be stopped as soon as the "Red Beds" are encountered. In places the Permian (?) is mantled by a con- siderable thickness of unconsolidated material in which many wells are sunk. These yield water of variable character, but most of it is very hard. MESOZOIC ROCKS. CRETACEOUS SYSTEM. LOWER CRETACEOTTS OR COMANCHE SERIES. In places the "Red Beds" are immediately overlain by the Comanche series, which in this part of the country is about 200 feet thick. It consists of sandstones and shales, and is so limited in extent that it is not a factor affecting the water supply of Kansas. UPPER CRETACEOTTS SERIES. DAKOTA SANDSTONE. Character and distribution. — The Dakota sandstone underlies the western half of Kansas, outcropping in a zone 12 to 20 miles wide and extending from Washington County southward and southwest- ward to Arkansas River, in Rice and Barton counties, and thence 26 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. up Arkansas Valley to Ford County, where it passes under the Ter- tiary deposits. It appears again in the valleys of Cimarron River and some of its branches near the Colorado State line. North of Arkansas River, in northwestern Kansas, it passes beneath the Ben- ton, Niobrara, Pierre, and Tertiary formations, probably lying more than 2,000 feet below the surface in the northwest corner of the State. In north-central Kansas it rests on the dark shales and salt beds of the so-called Permian, and to the south and southwest on the ''Red Beds" or in places on the Comanche series. The stratigraphy of the Dakota is so variant that no very distinct subdivisions can be estabHshed. At the top of the formation, as defined by the Kansas University Geological Surve}^, is a thin bed of sandstone, in most places not much more than a foot thick. Next below are shales, varying in thickness from 10 to 20 feet, containing so much gypsum in loose crystals and thin seams that this member has been called the "gypsiferous horizon." Next comes a series of sahferous shales which give rise to many salt marshes and saHne springs. The shales range in thickness from 15 to 30 feet and are in many places underlain by a thin bed of hgnite, which is locally 2 feet in thickness. The hgnite is associated with shale, but commonly hes on or between sandstone. The characteristic member of the Dakota lies next below. It is a thick mass of sandstone with intercalated beds of clays of various kinds. The relations of the shale to the sandstone are exceedingly variable, but in the eastern part of the State well borings show first a series of sandstones, next a mass of shales of considerable thickness, in places amounting to 100 feet, then a second sandstone, 50 or 60 feet in thickness, and then an alternation of sandstones and shales, amounting in all to 300 feet or possibly somewhat more. The formation is so largely composed of sandstone that it is called Dakota sandstone, though it is probably true that in some locahties less than one-half the thickness of the whole Dakota is sandstone. The shales and clays of the Dakota vary much in texture and color. Not uncommonly they are black, but they are generally white, blue, or yeUow, with many bands of red or green. The darker shales are, as a rule, argillaceous, while the lighter colors indicate a greater amount of sand. In most places where it is exposed at the surface in Kansas, the sandstone looks rusty, but locally it may be gray, buff, or red, the shade being determined by the amount of brown iron oxide present. In Colorado the color is as a rule very Hght, even white in places. The quartz grains of which the sandstone is made up vary from one-eighth inch to perhaps one- thousandth inch in diameter, with occasional individuals outside these extremes. In most places the grains are remarkably even in size and the sandstone is of medium texture containing Uttle foreign GEOLOGY AND UNDEEGROUND WATEES. 2Y matter. The cementing material is calcareous and varies consid- erably in amount, in some places being sufficient to form a hard resistant rock, and in others being so deficient that the sandstone is soft . and crumbHng. As a rule the calcareous cement is so slight that the rock is porous and capable of holding and transmitting large quantities of water, but where the interstices between the grains are more nearly filled by the cement water conditions are not so favorable. The Dakota sandstone is distributed over the Great Plains gen- erally and extends westward beyond the eastern range of the western mountains. Originally it must have covered in the United States an area 1,000 miles wide by 2,000 miles long. To-day it outcrops in upturned strata along the western edge of the Great Plains and along their eastern edge. It is not now possible to fijc the original eastern limit of the Dakota, for large areas of it were removed by erosion, but remnants are found as far east as eastern Iowa and Minnesota. The Dakota sandstone is one of the most important water-bearing terranes in America. It occurs mostly in arid and semiarid regions and much of it is covered very deeply by younger formations. The Dakota slopes from the mountains to the eastward, except where local swells interrupt the general inchnation of the beds. Water supplies. — The sandstone is almost everywhere water-bearing, though there are places where the grains are too closely cemented, or are too choked with silt and other impurities that were deposited originally with the sand, to admit the passage of water. In por- tions of the State, particularly the northwest, the Dakota is buried so far beneath the surface that it has not yet been reached by deep borings. The water which the Dakota carries is chiefly derived from rains and snows that fall on its western exposed upturned edges, though large quantities are evidently supplied it by the North Platte, Bighorn, Yellowstone, and other streams that cross the formation. Colonel Nettleton ^ has estimated that at the Great Falls of the Missouri in Cascade County, Mont., as much as 834 cubic feet a second, or about 1,673 acre-feet a day, are lost by the river, and it is believed that nearly all of this vast amount enters the Dakota sandstone. Finally, in areas where the impervious rocks of the Benton group are absent, and the Dakota is immediately overlain by the Tertiary deposits, an opportunity is afl'orded for an exchange of water between the two formations. How extensive such contacts are is unknown, but it is certain that they exist in two or three places. As the outcroppings of the Dakota sandstone in Colorado, where it imbibes most of its water, are elevated far above the level of the Dakota in Kansas, the pressure of the wells there that reach it would 1 S. Doc. No. 41, pt. 2, 1892, pp. 74-78. 28 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. be very great were it not relieved in many places where streams have cut deep into the Dakota and also where the rocks outcrop at the eastern margin of the formation. However, the water rises in practically all of the wells that reach the Dakota and many of them are flowing. In the Dakotas and some other places artesian waters from this sandstone have a pressure of 400 pounds to the square inch. BENTON GROITP. The Benton group of rocks extends in a wide belt diagonall}^ across the State, from Republic into Ford and Finney counties, where it passes under the Tertiary deposits, reappearing again along the valley of Arkansas River in Kearny and Hamilton counties. It consists of three formations. The uppermost is a shale kno'vvn as the Carlile shale. Below this is a formation consisting of thin beds of limestone separated one from another by thin beds of shale, and known as the Greenhorn limestone. These limestone layers are in many places not more than 12 inches thick, yet they have a lateral extent almost as great as the Benton itself, which is believed to be nearly coextensive with the Dakota. One of these limestones is called the ''Fencepost" limestone and is of considerable economic importance because it is widely quarried and used for fence posts. The average thickness of the ''Fencepost" limestone is 9 inches. A ferrugmous seam passes through the center of the layer, and by splitting the limestone along this seam, excellent flagstones are pro- duced. In 1896 it was estimated that at least 50,000 fence posts from this limestone were in use in Mitchell and Lincoln counties alone. Beneath the Greenhorn limestone is a shale known as the Graneros shale. This is the basal formation of the Benton group. At the summit of the Benton group, embedded in the black shal.e, occur lens-shaped concretions, varying in size up to 4 or 5 feet in diameter. They are dark colored and are composed largely of car- bonate of lime. Some of them are hollow or consist of geodes lined with calcite crystals or traversed by cracks filled with calcite or other minerals. The thickness of the Benton is about 400 feet. The shales of the Benton are nearly impervious to water. This is par- ticularly true of the basal shales of the group (Graneros), which are so bituminous that they emit a strong odor of petroleum. The rocks are known to contain so much salt that any water derived from them would be unfit for domestic use. No considerable amount of usable water can be expected anywhere in this group of rocks. NIOBRARA FORMATION. Above the Benton group are the rocks belonging to the Niobrara formation, which underlie a wide region in Kansas west of the ninety-eighth meridian and north of Arkansas River. The eastern GEOLOGY AND UNDEEGROUND WATERS. 29 margin of the Niobrara is exposed in a series of slopes rising above the rolling topography of the Benton group and trending southwest- ward across the State from Jewell County to the northeast corner of Finney County. To the west the Niobrara is thickly overlain by Tertiary deposits, but some of the larger valleys, notably that of Smoky Hill River, are so deeply cut that they afford extensive exposures. The formation consists of a lower series of limestones, called the Fort Hays limestone, and an upper series of chalks called the Pteran- odon beds or Smoky Hill chalk. The total thickness of the forma- tion is about 350 to 400 feet, of which the Pteranodon beds comprise 300 to 350 feet. These beds immediately underlie the Pierre shale, but the two formations have not been observed in contact in Kansas, owing to the overlap of Tertiary formations. The Pteranodon beds are composed of a massive, light bluish-gray clay, which on weathermg becomes yellow or buff, or, in some places, light red, a change due to the oxidation of the iron contained in the deposits. In well borings the material is pale-blue chalky clay, not very sticky when wet. Some rather pure chalk occurs in the forma- tion, notably in the vicinity of Norton in the valley of Smoky Hill River, where it gives rise to man.y prominent buttes and castellated cliffs. The Fort Hays limestone, b}^ which the Pteranodon beds are underlain, is a soft, massive, light-colored rock which weathers out in bluffs of moderate prominence and which is about 50 feet thick. In well boring it is usually distinguished from the Pteranodon beds by its increased hardness. Neither member of the Niobrara is water- bearing. Indeed the great chalk beds are as nearly free from water as any formation in the State. PIERRE SHALE. In the northwest corner of Kansas the Niobrara formation is over- lain by the Pierre shale, which is exposed at intervals in the valleys of Republican and Arikaree rivers and their branches in Cheyenne County, notably in the banks of Hackberry Creek, 15 miles south of St. Francis; on Beaver Creek, in Rawlins County, and on Prairie Dog Creek, in Norton County. The Pierre consists of heavy, dark grayish-blue shale, that weathers to a rusty yellowish brown and that only here and there contains a small amount of calcareous material. So far as is known, the Pierre has a maximum thickness of 100 feet within the State. The Pierre is entirely devoid of water. It is evident from the foregoing paragraphs that practically no water is to be obtained throughout the mass of Cretaceous shales and limestones comprised in the Pierre, Niobrara, and Benton for- mations — aggregating between 800 and 900 feet in thickness. These shales form an impervious floor upon which the water-bearing Ter- 30 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. tiary deposits rest, and drilling should cease when the Cretaceous floor is reached, unless it is intended to pass through the barren strata into the Dakota sandstone. CENOZOIC ROCKS. TERTIARY DEPOSITS. DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. Overlying a large part of western Kansas, covering, in fact, nearly two-fifths of the entire area of the State, is a mantle of sand, clay-, and gravel with a minimum thickness of about 350 feet, which is known to be of Tertiary age. The material is surprisingly regular when considered in a general way, its appearance and composition being so characteristic that it is readily recognized wherever seen. However, it exhibits in detail great differences, varying from exceed- ingly fine sand to coarse sand or gravel, which in places is made up of pebbles 4 to 5 inches in diameter. The clay is in some places almost pure, but elsewhere it is intimately mixed with fine sand of uniform grains. The arrangement of the material also shows great irregularity, but in general the clay is found on top, immediately at the surface, and has been called the ''plains marl." In many locali- ties, however, the surface is of sand 20 to 40 feet deep, with but little clay intermingled, while the clay is liable to be found at any depth below the surface. In places the sand beds are heavy and relatively thick; elsewhere they are thin and interspersed with beds of clay and gravel. The gravel likewise is unevenly,distribut&d. In some places it is found at the base of the Tertiary, but in almost as many it occurs at intermediate levels, and it is not uncommon at the surface. Another very characteristic feature of the Tertiary deposits is the great abundance of calcium carbonate found in them. Samples from many localities showed that at a depth of more than 5 or 6 feet below the surface the deposits contained calcium carbonate enough to effervesce strongly when treated with dilute muriatic acid.' In places this calcium carbonate is present in quantities so great that it strongly cements the sand and gravel, forming a firm rock which resists erosion much better than uncemented beds of clays and finer sands. As the result these rocks are generally prominent along the bluffs of various rivers and lesser streams. Such accumulations of sand and gravel of various degrees of coarseness, cemented together as indicated, are called "mortar beds," and almost every stream throughout the whole Tertiary area of the State exposes mortar beds in the upmost part of the material of the bluff. Tliis is notably true along the north bank of Arkansas River from Garden to Dodge along the banks of Sawlog and Buckner creeks to the north of Dodge, along the bluffs of Prairie Dog Creek throughout its course in the Tertiary GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS. 31 deposits, along the high uplands on either side of the Saline River, and prominently along Crooked Creek and the Cimarron Ejver in Meade and Seward counties. At Arkalon the mortar beds along the Cimarron are very prominent near the upper level of the bluffs. It was formerly thought that the mortar beds occurred at the base of the Tertiary, but investigation has shown that they occur irregularly, with a tendency to appear near thie surface. Nowhere has ground water been found in the mortar beds, and none has been discovered in sand and gravel in which the grains are in any degree cemented by calcium carbonate. Erasmus Haworth offers the following explanation of the mortar beds: The Tertiary deposits were derived from the disintegration of rocks in the mountainous areas to the west and contain an abun-: dance of finely comminuted calcium carbonate. Rain, in soaking into the ground, picks up from the decaying vegetation carbon diox- ide, which reacts on the carbonates in the ground, dissolves them, and carries them into the underground water. In regions of abundant rainfall these carbonates remain in solution; but on the plains, where the rainfall is deficient, the rain carrying the carbonates downward is likely to evaporate or be absorbed by the very dry ground before it reaches the ground water, in either of which cases the carbonates would be precipitated in the ground where they would act as a cement binding together the particles on which they are deposited. Thus the mortar beds might be built up, starting perhaps as small concre- tions and gradually growing into vast beds. • This explanation of the formation of the mortar beds accounts for their occurrence at different levels in the Tertiary deposits and for their rarity at the base of that system, for the beds would be built up at whatever level the water evaporated, wliich might be near the sur- face, somewhat farther down, or even near the bottom; but they would never be formed where there is water containing enough car- bon dioxide to hold the carbonates in solution. WATER SUPPLIES.i Rainfall over most of the Tertiary area is rather small, but nearly all of it is absorbed, as the ground is very porous. The rain water has very little tendency to flow away over the surface, and such as exists is checked by the sod of buffalo grass, which holds the soil in place and prevents washing. The rain that is absorbed by the Tertiary deposits sinks into the ground until its downward progress is stopped by the Cretaceous rocks, or the "Red Beds" beneath. These rocks form a floor on which the Tertiary deposits rest and which is every- where impervious, except in the few places where the Tertiary is in direct contact with the Dakota sandstone. If this floor did not 1 Report of the Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 1896 to tlie Legislature of Kansas, pp. 79-87. 32 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. exist, water, instead of being generally available throughout western Kansas, would be scarce, for so much of the light rainfall as might collect in pools and ponds would be rapidly dissipated by the intense evaporation, and the rest would sink to unknown depths did not the floor stop it and serve as a surface for it to accumulate on. Before being covered with Tertiary deposits, this floor was a land surface, exposed to the same agencies ot weathering and erosion that are at work on the land surfaces of to-day; and, like them, it was cut into valleys, ridges, and hills. Moreover, in the elevation and subsidence to which this floor has been subjected, it has been somewhat warped and bent, so that instead of being perfectly even it is rough. Its inequalities are covered by the Tertiary deposits which lie over them in smooth, level prairies. If the topography of this buried land were known, it would be possible to accurately foretell the depth neces- sary to drill any particular place to reach the ground water below. But lacking such information, predictions of the depth at which water is to be found must be based on deductions as to the ancient topog- raphy, deductions that may be legitimately made from the records of the nearest wells. Such prophecies are, as a rule, fairly depend- able, but not invariably so. For instance, the site of a proposed well may be over a valley of the buried land, in which case the depth to water will be unexpectedly great; or the well may be over a hidden ridge and the distance to water be less than anticipated; or the ridge may be so high that it projects above the present underground water level, in which case no water at all can be obtained; and of two wells but a mile or so (or perhaps only a few yards) apart, one may yield no water at all and the other supply it in abundance, because one well is over a ridge and the other is not. Indeed, areas of considerable extent in western Kansas are without ground water because a broad swell in the floor is thus elevated. The difficulty of predicting the depth at which water will be found is further complicated by the lack of uniformity in the materials which compose the Tertiary and by the irregularity of their arrange- ment. The sand and gravel deposits ordinarily carry the water, but hot where they are at the surface, for there' they lie above the underground water level. Only very rarely does the clay contain water, and when a thick bed of it occurs in a spot where a well is to be sunk, the entire clay bed must be pierced before the water-bearing sand below can be tapped. Sometimes such a thick bed is dis- tinctly local and in two neighboring wells the driller must go to a much greater depth for water in one than in the other. Again, the thick bed of clay spreads over a wide area and compels deeper drilling for water than is necessary in a contiguous district. The water that accumulates above the Cretaceous floor forms what is known as the ''underflow/' or "sheet water" of the plains. The GEOLOGY AND UNDEKGltOUND WATERS. 33 iyxst, second, and third waters of the plainsmen are found where sheets of clay, occurring one above another, are separated by beds of water-bearing gravel or sand. It is the common impression that these aquifers are in no way related to each other, but as a rule, when all of the clay sheets are penetrated, the lowest water rises to the level of the first, which shows that the different waters are all connected with the great underground supply, which is merely sepa- rated into layers by the interposed clay sheets. However, the first water may be more highly mineralized than the others, because the excessive evaporation to which it is exposed concentrates the salts which it carries in solution. The two popular names, "sheet water" and "imderflow," recog- nize the wide extent and the motion of the ground water of the plains. The motion is imparted by the general tilting of the floor eastward at about the same angle as the inclination of the present land surface. Through the western 100 miles of the State the fall averages 7 to 8 feet to the mile eastward, though local variations occur which turn the flow to the northeast, southeast, or in some other direction at a greatly increased angle. Thus, in the southwestern part of Clark County, the inclination from Minneola to the south line of the State is close to 20 feet to the mile, and in some places, even more than 30 feet to the mile. Likewise, along the south line of the State, in Meade County, the inclination eastward is more than 20 feet to the mile. As the floor is inclined, it is apparent that the sheet water can not everyv/here be found at the same depth beneath the surface, although over small areas it appears to be so because the inclination is relatively slight. This eastward flow of the groiuid water would completely drain the western county if it were not for the retarding influence of the sand and gravel. In many places the streams have cut through the Ter- tiary deposits to the Cretaceous floor, and even deep into it. Wher- ever this has occurred the Tertiary deposits close to the streams are so robbed of their underground water by rapid drainage that good wells are not to be found, but the resistance of the sands to the flow of the water is so great that wells a mile or less away yield abund- antly. The size of the particles that compose the sands and gravels is a most important factor in controlling the rate of flow of water, because the water moves much more freely through the coarse mate- rial than it does through fine. Hence, a well in a gravel aquifer is likely to be supplied with water so rapidly that vigorous pumping will not lower it very much, whereas a well in an aquifer of compact, fine sand may very probably be fed with water so slowly that it may easily be pumped dry. The flow of the underground water, besides being retarded by the sand, is checked by inequahties of the floor. 7783G°— wsp 273—11 3 34 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Ridges or swells restrain the water just as a dam restrains a flowing stream, and depressions hold it back in the same way that lakes hold back surface waters. Such is the water that is in common use on the plains and has made their development possible. Its presence was unsuspected by the pioneers, many of whom perished for thirst, ignorant of the water beneath their feet. QUATERNARY DEPOSITS. PLEISTOCENE SYSTEM. EQUUS BEDS. In McPherson, the western part of Marion, Harvey, and the eastern part of Reno counties is a geologic formation known as the Equus beds,^ which, as shown by well drillings, occupies a channel that was carved out of the Permian ( ?) shales and Dakota sandstone and that once probably connected Smoky HiU River with Arkansas River. The channel was shallowest at the eastern edge of the area and sloped to the west, where the deepest of the drillings, about 150 feet, have not reached bedrock. In their broadest part the Equus beds are 25 miles across, and they occupy an area about 800 miles in extent north of Little Arkansas River, and, exclusive of the sand hills, 100 square miles south of it. The Equus beds are very flat, and offer marked contrast to the rough surfaces presented by the Permian ( ?) series on the east and tho Dakota sandstone on the north. Little Arkansas River drains the entire area of the Equus beds, except a small portion north of the divide, vfhich is drained by Smoky Hill River. As a rule, the area has sufficient slope to drain it, but a chain of lakes and basins extends from McPherson along the western edge of the area over the deepest portion of the buried channel. The largest basin is 2 miles west of McPherson and is nearly 3 miles in diameter, while the largest lake is Lake Inman, 10 miles southwest of McPherson. The divide between Smoky Hill and Arkansas rivers has an average elevation of a little more than 1,500 feet. Arkansas River at the southeastern limit of the area is at 1,290 feet. There is, therefore, a fall of 200 feet in 60 miles. Smoky Hill River at its nearest approach is within 4 miles of the divide, but its bed is nearly 200 feet below it. The strata that compose the Equus beds consist of alternating layers of sand and clay. Near the bottom of the deepest part of the buried channel is a heavy layer of gravel, which everywhere contains an abundance of water. At McPherson it lies at a depth of 140 to 150 feet, or even more. The upper part of this gravel bed grades 1 The following description of the water from the Equus beds has been taken largely from Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 2, pp. 288-289, 295-296. GEOLOGY AND UNDEEGEOUND WATEES. 35 into a stratum, partly argillaceous and partly arenaceous, which is many feet in thickness, and which locally contains isolated sand beds, or at least sand beds of great irregularity, that carry very httle water. The upper surface of this stratum is nearly on a level with the rim of the deeper part of the buried channel. On top of this stratum, and extending over a very slightly undulating Permian ( ?) floor for ^5 miles to the east, is a stratum of sand varying in thickness from 30 feet at McPherson (according to S.Z. Sharp) to 3 feet in other places farther east, but averaging 6 to 8 feet in thickness. This stratum also contains a good supply of water and covers nearly the entire area of the Equus beds, except a part of the area to the north. The uppermost stratum, which covers the entire area, is 10 to 35 feet thick, and is composed of clay of varying texture and color. In the northern part of McPherson County this clay contains an area of "volcanic ash" 18 to 24 inches thick. The sands of the Eguus beds have been examined microscopically and appear to be derived from the Dakota sandstone rather than from the rock detritus brought down from the west by rivers. The Equus bed^ of McPherson County are very fertile, valuable farm land. The region is so flat that almost all of it can be cultivated. Over the eastern part good water is found in abundance at a depth of 18 to 30 feet, being easily reached because the sandy texture of the clay above the water-bearing beds makes digging easy. Over the western part of the area wefls 40 to 150 feet in depth furnish an appar- ently inexhaustible supply of good water. The wonderful amount of water contamed in this lower gravel bed of smafl extent is remarkable. A section through the Equus beds from Arkansas River to Smoky Hifl River suggests that upon further investigation the water supply may be traced to Smoky Hifl and Arkansas rivers. Cottonwood and other trees thrive wherever J)lanted in this area in marked con- trast to the area eastward, where the Permian (?) shales form the surface rock and where the cottonwood grows to a fair size and dies. DRIFT. 1 Northeastern Kansas was subject to glacial action. The ice itself crossed the Kaw Vafley, not for its whole length but for most of the distance east of Big Blue River. The southwest corner of the ice region is characterized by an immense moraine. East of St. George the tops of the bluffs overlooking Kaw Vafley are paved with large bowlders, and on the south side of the vafley a flttle to the east the moraine is simply immense. At the western extremity two hill- tops—flat mounds — are paved with bowlders to a depth of 8 or 10 feet, and to the northeast, east, and southeast the morame extends 1 Abstracted from report by Robert Hay in Eighth Bien. Kept., Kansas State Board Agr , vol 13 1893 pp. 118-120. 36 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. for miles. Fully 95 per cent of the bowlders of this moraine are of the red quartzite that comes from South Dakota and Minnesota. The rest are mainly hornblendic greenstone and granite. There are a few fragments of hard limestone that is very common in the drift of North Dakota. A tongue of the glacier was pushed across a low divide here, and continued down to Mill Creek, where the main body of the moraine trends east, still on the south side of the Kaw. At Topeka the river valley was also crossed by a tongue of moraine stretching down to Tevis, 10 miles southeast. At Lawrence, and a few miles south and west, there are again immense morainic deposits. In Missouri they are found farther south than the mouth of the Kaw. Bowlders are found in all counties from the Missouri to the Big Blue. In Washington County they are found west of the Big Blue, and there are also found mounds of gravel and small bowlders, which, if they were not so weathered, would be recognized as osars and kames, which were probably first melted out on the top of the glacier and at last were left in position by the final disappearance of the ice resting on bedrock of the county. HARDPAN. The true hardpan, or till, is a stiff, pasty, dark-brown clay, with pebbles and small bowlders. It seems to have been formed under the ice by the grinding of the material over which the glacier passed — clay, shales, soft limestones, and sand. It is not as extensively found in the glacial area of Kansas as in some other States. It occurs in thin beds in Washington, Pottawatomie, and Nemaha counties and without doubt it exists elsewhere under other deposits. As it forms an intractable soil, it is fortunate that it is not widely found at the surface. Where it exists as a subsoil, drainage is required. A modified hardpan, joint clay, or gumbo of post-glacial origin is found in many places near, the surface in the glacial area, and far away from the glaciated region there is a similar deposit. Some of these beds of gumbo are of very recent origin, being the result of floods and weathering by agencies still at work, so that these beds, aU strictly local, come down from immediately after the ice to the present day. LOESS. The loess, which is often called bluff, because the bluffs of the Missouri River are formed of it or capped with it from Kansas City to Yankton, is a buff or yellowish marl. Over immense areas it is substantially the same material as that which gives color and muddi- ness to the water of the present river. In some regions it takes color from local surroundings, contains streaks of coarse sand or gravel. GEOLOGY AND UNDERGEOUND WATERS. 37 and becomes of orange brightness. It is generally agreed that the loess is the material deposited in the broad lakes and streams that fronted the ice sheet and that followed its retreat to the north. In some regions there is believed to have been an interglacial epoch of milder climate; that is, there was a retreat of the ice sheet for a time and a second advance and repetition of the various phenomena; but in Kansas the whole of the direct glacial phenomena belongs to the oldest ice epoch, and the second ice sheet did not overspread the area. The loess of the second advance, however, overlapped the more ancient loess, although the limits of the overlap have not been worked out. Loess occurs as far west as Dickinson County and Medi- cine Lodge and down the Arkansas and Neosho valleys into Okla- homa. It is found low down in river valleys and at great elevations in ridges as high as 1,200 feet above sea level in Geary County up to 1,500 in Morris County, and to 1,000 feet in Bourbon County. The so-called "Plains marl" shades into it. When the Kaw River valley was dammed by ice in Wabaunsee County, the Platte Valley of Nebraska must also have been closed, the Missouri was stopped at Fort Randall, and its waters must have been thrown over Nebraska and northwestern Kansas. The height of the wall of ice must have been sufficient to throw the waters over the high divides to the west and south. Perhaps some Missouri River water, after being spread out into wide lakes, was thrown into the valleys of the Neosho and the Arkansas. Across these waters floated icebergs, large or small, which carried angular bowlders far beyond the ice border, and which are found in the loess that was deposited on the glaciated area during the recession of the ice to the north. Probably at this time the deep trough of Big Blue River was cut by the strong current along the west front of the ice, and the pass cut across Wabaunsee County round the southwest terminal moraine to Mill Creek, whose wide valley below McFarland, filled with deep alluvia, shows that a large stream once worked there. The pass referred to is now used by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway for their" tracks from Manhattan to Mill Creek. The tracks at the highest point are little over 100 feet above Manhattan or McFarland, but the neigh- boring hills are from 200 to 300 feet above the two valleys. The loess has done much to smooth the contour of a region that before this age was very rugged. WATERS or THE PLEISTOCENE ROCKS.' The glacial deposits form a valuable source of water. The meager investigations that have been made on the drift indicate that its 1 Hay, Robert, Some characteristics of the glaciated area of northeastern Kansas: Kansas Acad, of Sci., Trans., vol. 13, 1891, pp. 104-106. Swem, E. G., A prelimiuaty report on the glaciated area of Kansas: Kansas Univ. Quart., vol. 4, 1895-96, pp. 153-159. 38 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. maximum depth is probably not much more than 175 feet. A well at Holton, 126 feet deep, passes entirely through the drift, and one at Wliite Cloud, 126 feet deep, does not reach rock. Most of the wells that are known to be in glacial deposits range in depth from 40 to 60 feet, though wells of a depth of 70 to 100 feet are not uncommon. RECENT DEPOSITS. ALLUVIUM. Many wide valleys in Kansas are covered to a greater or less depth with deposits of alluvial materials brought by the streams at various stages of their development. The process of valley filling following valley erosion is a well recognized phase of river development, result- ing from the fact that the transporting power of streams decreases as the channels approach base level. The most extensive of these alluvial deposits is found in the Arkansas River valley, but all the river and creek valleys contain more or less alluvial material of rela- tively recent origin. The unconsolidated material with which the rivers fill in their valleys is derived from the land along their courses and from mountains near their headwaters, and consists of sand, gravel, clay, and small waterworn rock fragments. This material is admirably adapted for holding water and it yields very valuable water supplies. The Kansas River valley ^ from Salina to Kansas City is filled in with unconsolidated material derived from the hills along its course, from the mountains to the west, and from glacial material that occurs along its banks. On both sides of jthe river, but par- ticularly on the north side from the mouth to Topeka, great masses of loess exist along the bluffs. These masses send long streamers down into the valley and so have contributed largely to the fluviatile material. Throughout this part of the valley, which is about 4 miles wide and 150 miles long, and comprises approximately 600 square miles, the alluvial deposits yield an abundant water supply. Walnut Creek and its tributaries are filled in with alluvial deposits which are water-bearing and which form the principi^l source of water in the counties drained by this stream. In the valley of Cimarron River, in Morton, Stevens, and Seward counties, the gravels are near the surface and apparently afford an abundance of water, though their capacity has never been tested. The gravels that have accumulated in the valleys of several of the rivers in the eastern part of Kansas also furnish an abundance of water, but none of them yield so richly as the gravels of the Kansas and Arkansas River valleys. 1 Kirk, M. Z., The sands of the Kansas River valley: Kansas Univ. Quart., vol. 4, 1895, pp. 125-128. GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS. 39 Not all of the rivers have accumulated gravel m their valleys. Smoky Hill River, for example, is almost entirely devoid of it, although in some places the sand and gravel is 6 feet thick and yields a little water on digging. The water found in these deposits in river valleys is usually derived from the land along the river ; that is, it is commonly subsurface drainage of the land that is making its way to the river, but sometimes it is part of the flow of the river. Wliere water from the fiuviatile deposits is to be used for a city supply it is very important to determine its source. If the water is from the river it may be somewhat impure, as the waters of most rivers are polluted; if the water is from the land on its way to the river, it is likely to be pure unless it is nothing more than the underdrainage of a city or town, in which case it should not be developed for a city supply because it is contaminated from such sources as leakage from privies, cesspools, sewers, and the drainage from manure heaps. SAND HILLS. Fine, blown sand, constituting hills and ridges of moderate height with intervening irregular basins and flats, is found in central Kansas, in the Arkansas River valley from Coolidge to Great Bend and on the adjoining slopes to the southeast. This sand has been derived from the alluvial flats along the river and blown out by the prevailing winds, which are strongest from the northwest. Along the river east of Great Bend is an accumulation of sand derived from the Dakota sandstone, and doubtless it yields water to the underflow of the river, though this has not been experimentally demonstrated. ARTESIAN WATER. CONDITIONS OF OCCUHEENCE. The term "artesian" has been used with much confusion, but the best usage now restricts the word to those wells in wliich the water rises under pressure to a level higher than the water-bearing bed wliich yields it. Flowing wells are artesian wells in which the water rises above the level of the mouth of the well. Flowing wells, though not rare, are unusual enough to excite interest wherever they occur. The many conditions that produce artesian wells are fully discussed in Bulletin 319 and Water-Supply Paper 160 of the United States Geological Survey. The essential principle is that the water is under hydrostatic pressure and so tends to rise at any point where the pres- sure is reheved. The pressure is usually produced by the water per- colating downward from an elevated source tlu'ough an inclined por- ous stratum or channel, from which it can not escape. Therefore at levels lower than the source pressure is developed which may be suffi- cient to make the water rise only part way in the well that taps the aquifer, or wliich may be great enough to cause the water to rise 40 QUALITY OF TPIE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. to the surface and overflow. The difi^erence in elevation between the mouth of the well and the source of the water, and also the grain of the aquifer determine the pressure of the water and, consequently? whether it rises to overflowing or not. In Kansas there are many flowing wells; those in Meade County, in Marion County, and in the southeastern corner of the State deserve special notice. MEADE ARTESIAN AREA. The Meade area is an important one and has been carefully described by Erasmus Ha worth, from whose report ^ most of the following description is taken. The Meade artesian area is located in the valley of Crooked Creek and extends from some 5 miles south of Meade nearly to Wilburn, so that it is about 20 miles long with a width in places of nearly 6 miles. The flowing wells have been sunk in an area of approximately 80 square miles. The area com- prises a broad, flat valley, apparently almost level, with scarcely any irregularities of surface within it other than the small drainage chan- nels tributary to Crooked Creek, which are 5 to 8 feet deep. On all sides and in every direction from the valley the ground is higher, so that there appears to be a natural wall around it. On the east and southeast the wall is from 50 to 100 feet high, with gently sloping sides, and the surface is largely covered with sand hills. On the north is a gentle rise toward Crooked Creek, producing a maximum eleva- tion of about 75 feet between the main part of the valley and Crooked Creek itself. But at the northeast, toward Wilburn, the wall is much more abrupt, rising rapidly to a height of 100 to 140 feet. A few drainage channels originate in the high ground to the west and pass across the artesian valley to Crooked Creek, which is insignificant in appearance. It is generally but a few feet wide, is often dry, and can rarely be observed in the landscape farther than 100 feet away, so closely does it resemble an artificial ditch. It, as well as the other drainage channels, to a notable extent has also lifted its banks higher than the adjacent land. The uplands to the west of the artesian valley increase in height so rapidly that the plains to the north and northwest of Jasper, not over 10 miles away from the vaUey, are 2,700 feet high, while the general elevation of the artesian valley is between 2,400 and 2,500 feet. The Tertiary ground water in the high plains to the west is found at a depth of 125 to 150 feet, so that it must be 100 to 120 feet above the surface of the valley itself. The artesian valley throughout is covered with Tertiary or Pleisto- cene deposits, the thickness of which is not known, for none of the artesian wells has passed through them. To the north, beyond Crooked Creek, the Benton group is exposed at the surface in a few places and has been reached by many of the wells. To the northeast, I Water-supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 6, 1897. GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS, 41 a few miles beyond Wilburn, the Dakota sandstone was reached by different wells. South of the valley the ''Red Beds" appear at the surface, for the Benton and Dakota thin out to the south until they disappear. It is believed that the strata were here faulted so that the Meade valley was sunk to an unknown distance, at least 100 to 150 feet and that it has since been filled in to a considerable extent, probably in Pleistocene time. The materials shown in the borings from different wells over the valley can not be distinguished from the Tertiary deposits adjacent on all sides. They are composed of silt, clay, sand, and fine gravel, very irregularly mixed, so that there is no greater continuity of the bedding planes than may be found in the Tertiary deposits elsewhere. The "mortar beds" produced by the cementing of coarse sand seem to be wanting, but the finer sand and clay are in many places partially cemented by calcium carbonate, producing a certain degree of hardening similar to that observed in the mortar beds elsewhere. The flowing wells come from Tertiary deposits or from Pleistocene beds composed of materials in every respect similar to the Tertiary deposits surrounding the valley upon all sides and seem sharply dis- tinguished from the Dakota artesian wells known to exist to the north and northwest. The flowing wells of Crooked Creek valley, it is believed, are fed by the ordinary ground water of the plains, which is slowly moving east- ward on the inclined Cretaceous or ''Red Beds " floor. Ordinarily this water is not confined between impervious layers, so that artesian con- ditions do not often develop, but as the Crooked Creek valley is ap- proached the water in some way gently dips downward and passes under the clay beds near the west border of the flowing well area, per- haps rarely extending farther away than from 2 to 4 miles, and estab- lishes a lim ited pressure. Haworth made a few experiments to test the height to which water would rise in an open tube at the wells and found that the rise is only a few feet, perhaps always less than 20. The pressure which causes the flow from the wells, therefore, can not be due to the extra height the water has 10 miles to the west, otherwise the head would be much greater and the flow correspondingly stronger. The flow of the wells varies from almost nothing to 80 gallons a minute. It is impossible to give an average flow for the wells in the valley, but many exist which yield 30 gallons a minute. The first flowing well in the valley was discovered in August, 1887, on the property of Benjamin Cox, about 300 feet southwest of a well in the SW. J sec. 33, T. 30 S., R. 27 W., and was 142 feet deep.^ 1 S. Ex. Doc. No. 41, pt. 2, Ap. 26, 52d Cong., 1st sess. 42 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. It appears to be the well in the XE. I sec. 5, T. 31 S., R. 27 W./ which, in October, 1907, was pointed out as the original well. It no longer flows, but water is easily raised from it by a pump. Appa- renth' the well has become clogged wdth fine sand, for it yields plenty of sand with the water, and other weUs nearb}^ are flowing freely. The second well put down in the yaUey is located in the SW. I sec. 33, T. 30 S., R. 27 W., and is stiU flowing strongly. On October 31, 1907, the temperature of many of the wells was taken with a thermometer and was found to yary between 14.5° and 16°C., 15° being the common- est. The shallowest flo\ying well in the valley is at the head of a draw in the SE. i sec. 4, T. 30 S., R. 26 W., and is 65 feet deep. The deepest flowing well is in the XE. i sec. 27, T. 31 S., R. 27 W., and is 320 feet deep. Most of the wells are 2 inches in diameter. Many of the weUs are from 140 to 160 feet deep. In a general way the material passed through by all of the wells is aUke, but in detail it is different. Each one passes tlirough the surface soil, below which is encountered altera- tions of clay, sand, and soil. The sand is often cemented so that driUers speak of it as rock, but few of the cemented layers are more than 12 inches thick and many of them are not more than 6 inches. Apparently there is no particular stratum that must be reached in order to obtain flowing water. A mass of bluish clay fre- quently rests on top of a bed of uncemented sand stained yellow with iron rust, and this sand always contains water, generaUy the artesian water. The log of the well near the center of sec. 6, T. 31 S., R. 27 W., may be found on page 51, Water-Supply Paper of the United States Geological Suryey Xo. 6,^ and the logs of other weUs in Senate Ex- ecutiye Document No. 41, part 2, Fifty-second Congress, first session, Appendix 26. Although flowing wells may be found almost any- where oyer the y alley, failures haye been recorded. The northern and western sides of the yaUey are the most productiye, though flowing weUs are found aU the way from Wilbum to the south of Meade. Some well sites on the west side of the yalley are so liigh that the water does not overflow at the surface or does so yery gently. East of Crooked Creek and south of Meade there are not many wells, and these do not flow strongly. The artesian area does not appear to extend much south of Spring Creek. Springs exist at several places in the yalley. One noted area is in the vicinity of Simm'.s ranch, 1^ miles north of Fowler. The springs are on the eastern side of Crooked Creek just along the border line betwe§n the vaUey proper and the liigher lands to the east. The largest springs are located near the southeast valley fine along the east side of the vaUey. If the valley has been dropped I S. Ex. Doc. No. 222, 51st Cong., 1st sess. - This water-supply paper is no longer obtainable from the Survey, but it may be seen in the geologic library of Kansas University at Lawrence and in other large public libraries. GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS. 43 by faulting, the water-bearing sands in the valley are doubtless on a level with the "Red Beds" or the underlying Dakota sandstone on the east, which condition would cause springs to be more abundant along the east line than elsewhere. Farther south, along the western tributaries to Crooked Creek and in the valley of Crooked Creek itself, springs and seeps abound. The largest amount of spring water flows through Spring Creek, a stream about 3 miles south of Meade. Springs are abundant throughout almost the entire length of this stream but are particularly so in sec. 21, where most beau- tiful springs exist. At one place within an area of not more than 10 square rods the cold, clear water, comes bursting forth from under the "mortar beds" bluff, forming a stream like a mill race. An approximate measurement of the run-off from this one area gave 3 second-feet. South from Spring Creek the next most important tributary from the west is Stump Arroyo, a stream along wliich springs are numerous, but which does not carry nearly as much water as Spring Creek. All these springs are connected with the artesian area to the north. The water obtained from the springs and flowing wells is largely used for irrigation. At many of the ranch houses ponds or tanks fed by the flowing water are also used for fish. Many of the wells are left flowing and the water is allowed to waste without any attempt being made to utilize it. The whole artesian valley is supphed with the ordinary ground water, which is found at 5 to 15 feet below the surface. Its abun- dance is not known, for no one cares to use it. As it has no artesian properties, it appears to be sharply distinguished from the deeper- lying water, though it must be admitted that the reason for the lack of connection is not clear. ARTESIAN WATER OF DICKINSON COUNTY. At Herington, in Dickinson County, in the course of prospecting for a suitable city water supply, some very gently flowing wells were located southwest of the city. The source of this water is not apparent. It may be that the water makes its way westward along the surface of the Cottonwood hmestone, wliich outcrops to the east of Herington in Lyon and Wabaunsee counties and dips to the west beneath Morris County toward Herington. The discovery of the flowing wells is interesting, but the water is much too highly mineralized for it to be of economic importance. ARTESIAN WATER FROM THE OZARK DOME. Fort Scott, Girard, Pittsburg, Weir, Cherokee, Columbus, Chetopa, and other cities in the southeastern corner of the State have deep wells wliich are highly esteemed. The water is usually sulpho- 44 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. saline in character, is reached at a depth of several hundred feet, is artesian or flowing, and is believed to be derived from the Ozark uplift, which occupies the southern part of Missouri, the northern part of Arkansas, the northeastern corner of Oklahoma, and a bit of the southeastern corner of Kansas, being bounded on the north by ]\iissouri River, on the northeast by Mississippi River, on the southeast by the upper portion of St. Francis River and by Black River, on the south by Arkansas River, and on the west by Neosho and Spring rivers. The area is elliptical and its axis is a curved line which extends northeastward through Missouri from the extreme northwestern corner of Arkansas through Aurora, Springfield, Marshfield, and Salem to the St. Francis Mountains in Iron County. The rivers which drain the area have a radial arrangement, heading along the axis of the dome and running therefrom toward all points of the compass. It is on the northwestern slope that the Galena- Joplin mining district is situated. Center Creek, Turkey Creek, Shoal Creek, and Spring River carry off the surface drainage, but there is a large permanent body of water located beneath the surface which is slowly making its way westward. Its source is somewhat uncer- tain. H. F. Bain beheves it comes from underlying Silurian rocks which collect the water on their outcrop near Cedar Gap in Wright County, Mo., and which, dipping to the west and being overlain and underlain by impermeable rocks, carry the water westward beneath younger formation to the minin g district.^ Erasmus Haworth contends that the Cedar Gap catchment area is too small to supply all of the water and that the prevailing ground water throughout the mining area of the Galena-Joplin district is surface water, probably more than 90 per cent of it having fallen as rain farther west than the surface exposure of Silurian rocks in the Ozark area. This water, he holds, has worked its way downward through various openings in the Mississippian Burlington limestone and is augmented by an unknown but relatively small amount of water which may work its way upward from the underlying Silurian rocks. These waters mingle and become as one body, making it impracticable to separate them from each other in effect and in their influence. This water which is slowly moving down the northwest slope of the Ozark dome is beheved to be the source of the artesian waters of Bourbon, Crawford, Cherokee, and Labette counties, Kans., though the artesian effect in Kansas is not as great as might be expected from the fact that the general level of the Ozark dome is 1,500 feet or more, while that of the top of the wells is usually only about 900 feet, never over 1,000 feet. At Joplin, Empire, Columbus, Cherryvale, Weir, and Pittsburg there are many weUs drilled into the Silurian sandstone, but the pressure is not sufficient 1 Twenty-second Ann. Rapt. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 2, pp. 92-94. GEOLOGY AND UNDEKGEOUND WATERS. 45 to bring the water to the surface. If there was not some vent giving rehef to water starting westward from Cedar Gap, the pressure would certainly be much greater than it is. Probably it is through crevices of the badly fractured Mississippian rocks which overlie the Silurian that the pressure of the water contained within the latter formations is relieved. It seems likely, too, that through these same crevices the rainfall which comes down on the Mississip- pian — the surface rock west of Cedar Gap — works its way down to the great body of ground water.^ DEPOSITS NOTABLY AFFECTING QUALITY OF WATER. SALT.^ Salt is found over a large part of the State of Kansas, either at the surface or within easy drilhng distance. A very important salt area Ues near the middle of the State, extending entirely across from the north line to the south and beyond into Oklahoma. The salt occurs (1) as brines in salt marshes, which by evaporation in the dry season leave salt on the surf ace, producing the so-called salt plains; and (2) as rock salt, which is found beneath the surface. In the eastern part of the State the shales belonging to the Permian (?) and Pennsyl- vanian series contain so much salt that the water obtained from them by means of deep wells is strongly sahne. The salt marshes are found in a zone trending a little east of north and west of south, reaching from Republic County on the north to Barber County on the south and to Cimarron River in Oklahoma. Robert Hay enumerates 12 salt marshes in Kansas, as follows: 1. The Tuthill Marsh, in southeastern Repubhc County, that drains into Republican River southeast of Lawrenceburg through Salt Creek. 2. Little Marsh, in northwestern Cloud County, that drains into Repubhcan River through Buffalo Creek. 3. Jamestown Marsh, in Cloud, Repubhc, and Jewell counties, that drains into Republican River through Buffalo Creek. 4. A marsh on Plum Creek in Mitchell County, 4 mUes northwest of Beloit, that drains into Solomon River. 5. Great Marsh, on Salt Creek, in Mitchell County, that drains into Solomon River. 6. A smaUer marsh on Salt Creek in Mitchell County, northwest of number 5, that drains into Solomon River. 1 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, pp. 57-68, 93-103, 125. 2 Prepared from articles by: Haworth, Erasmus, Mineral resources of Kansas, 1S98, Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, pp. S6-S9. Kirk, M. Z., Mineral resources of Kansas, 1898, Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, pp. G9-S5, 98-123. Hay, Robert, Sixth Bienn. Rept. Kansas State Board Agr., 1889, pp. 192-204; Seventh Bienn. Rept. Kansas State Board Agr., 1891, pp. 83-94; Eighth Bienn. Rept. Kansas State Board Agr., 1893, pp. 137-142. • Bailey, E. H. S., Eighth Bieim. Rept. Kansas State Board Agr., 1893, pp. 167-180. 46 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. 7. A marsh on llattlesnake Creek, in Lincoln County, that drains into Solomon River through Salt Creek. 8. A marsh in Lincoln County, at the junction of Prosser and Battle creeks, which drains into Rattlesnake Creek, and thence by way of Salt Creek into Solomon River. 9. Big Marsh in Stafford County. 10. Little Marsh, southeast from No. 9 in Stafford County. Rattle- snake Creek, which empties into Ai^^ansas River at Alden, passes between Nos. 9 and 10, absorbs salt and becomes brackish, but does not drain either of them. 11. Geuda Springs, in Sumner County, wliich are drained by Salt Creek into Arkansas River. 12. A marsh in Sumner County northwest of Geuda Springs; this marsh drains into Arkansas River. A brief description of a few of these marshes will serve to give a correct conception of them all. Repubhc County has two marshes, Tuthill Marsh and Jamestown Marsh. The Tuthill was one of the most important marshes in pioneer times. In autumn the water is generally nearly all evaporated, and the edges of the marsh are dry and covered by a hard, thin scale of impure salt. Toward the center of the marsh the surface is more moist and the scale of salt less tliick and sohd. Nearer the center are found numerous pools of clear, briny water. During rainy seasons water collects over the marsh to a depth of a foot or more, coming from ravines in neighboring hill- sides and from numerous seeping springs near the edge of the marsh. This marsh and other similar marshes of the State were of great value to hunters in early times. They came here to "jerk" their buffalo meat. When they were in too great haste to wait to evaporate the brine and get the crystalhzed salt, they dipped the meat and hides into the pool of strongest brine and then dried them in the sunsliine or by the fire. Wlien a considerable quantity of meat was to be "jerked," the meat was cut into long strips and dipped in brine that was boiled in kettles over a fire of buffalo chips. It was then laid out to dry in the sunshine or on a lattice work made of green poles supported on four posts with a fire under it. In this way 200 or 300 pounds could be cured in five or six hours. Mr. Tuthill (Tuttle ?), for whose family the marsh was named, was the first salt manufacturer of the State. In the early sixties he made salt and hauled it to Man- hattan, where it brought as high as 10 cents' a pound. In Mitchell County salt springs and marshes are abundant on Salt Creek in the southern portion, while a few are found on Carr and Hard Scrabble creeks. The Waconda Spring is heavily impregnated with salt.^ 1 SLxth Bienn. Kept. State Board Agr., 1887-88, p. 315. GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS, 47 In the northern part of Mitchell County on Plum Creek is a small marsh scarcely more than a small lick. Its banks have become tramped and there is but slight efflorescence on a very small area — less than an acre— though signs of it show at intervals farther down the valley. In Lincoln County, besides the marshes mentioned by Hay, saline springs are abundant along Saline River and Spillman Creek,i a tributary of that stream. The two marshes in Stafford County are known as Big Marsh and Little Marsh. These marshes were not only used for curing venison, but a httle salt plant was erected and a considerable quantity of salt was made about 1878. The product came from a spring at the south part of the Big Marsh and was sold in Great Bend as early as 1867. In Reno County, Peace Creek, which enters Arkansas River near Sterling, drains a small salt marsh. In the southeastern part of Greenwood County in Salt Springs Township there are salt springs from which salt was at one time manufactured. These springs discharge into Fall River.^ The three saline reserves, East, Middle, and West, in Oklahoma, are closely alhed to the salt marshes of Kansas. The East Saline Reserve is located on Salt Fork of Arkansas River in Alfalfa County, Okla., a httle below the mouth of Medicine Lodge River. Tliis marsh is larger than any in Kansas, extending 14 miles from north to south and 8 miles from east to west at the widest point. It is locally known as the Great Salt Plain. Middle Sahne Reserve is in Woods, Vfoodward, and Harper coun- ties, Okla., on Cimarron River at the mouth of Buffalo Creek. The marsh covers a large part of two sections and is the most valuable salt plain of the whole region. On the south side of Buffalo Creek are some strong salt springs, and in numerous places the strong brine bursts forth and runs into a second httle stream or disappears in the sand. In dry weather the brines from the springs are so concentrated that they deposit rock salt over the whole surface of the marsh. The wind-blown sand soon covers the salt to a depth of several inches or even feet. In early times the Indians and, later, the stockmen came here and hauled away the salt in large quantities, taking it to various places in Oklahoma and Kansas. West Saline Reserve is a few miles above Middle Reserve on the Cimarron in Woods and Harper counties, Okla. It is small and of minor importance. The salt marshes in the northern part of Kansas and possibly as far south as Stafford County obtain their salt from the sahferous shales of the Dakota sandstone. On account of their highly salty 1 Sixth Bienn. Rept. Kansas State Board Agr., 1887-88, p. 270. 2 idem, p. 193. 48 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. character, these shales are particularly subject to erosion and have been important factors in the production of many of the low marshy areas so common to the northern part of the State. An extreme example of the result produced by the resolution of the shales is the great basin known as the Cheyenne Bottoms/ a few miles north of Great Bend. The salt marshes represent in most cases, first, a low level area produced by erosion of these shales and, second, a mass of brine which has received its salt by the rain water leaching the latter from adjacent shales to the west. In some places the brine seems to reach the surface in the form of deep-seated springs, while elsewhere it is by ordinary hillside springs. It is quite possible the other hori- sons in the Dakota assist in supplying salt for the salt marshes, as they are known to be slightly saline, but the saliferous shale beds are the principal producers. The source of the salt in the Stafford County marshes may be somewhat doubtful. The surface of the country here is so mantled by the Tertiary deposits and alluvial sands and gravel that it is difficult to make accurate observations regarding conditions beneath them. The ''Red Beds" are known to be saline throughout their whole thickness. The salt of the marshes in Cimarron River area and the Salt Fork area comes from the "Red Beds," being produced by rain waters leaching the salt from beds near the surface in the gradual process of erosion. The "Red Beds" are known to extend northward under the Tertiary deposits to a point beyond Stafford County. It is therefore somewhat difficult to decide from which source, the "Red Beds" or the shales of the Dakota, the Stafford marshes are supplied. From the earliest settlement of the State numerous briny wells have been found throughout the rocks of the Pennsylvanian series. None of these have been at any time of great importance, although some salt has been produced from those at Alma, St. Marys, Osawato- mie, and Junction. The only brine wells that were ever commer- cially successful for a considerable period were those at Solomon, where for some years salt was made by the solar process. At present the plant is abandoned. Rock salt was discovered in the fall of 1887 and during 1888 at Ellsworth, Lyons, Hutchinson, Great Bend, Kanopolis, Pratt, Nick- erson, Sterling, Kingman, Anthony, Wellington, Rago, and Arlington. In 1889 it was found at Wilson and in 1895 at Little River. In sev- eral of these places the salt bed is 300 to 400 feet thick. These immense salt deposits were formed by the evaporation of bodies of salt water. They belong to the Permian ( ?) series and occupy a posi- tion intermediate between the Marion formation below and the Wel- lington shale above. The gypsum of Kansas usually underlies the salt and was probably precipitated from the same bodies of water 1 A description of the Cheyenne Bottoms appears in vol. 2, Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, pp. 42-45, GEOLOGY AND UNDEKGROUND WATERS, 49 by evaporation prior to the deposition of the salt. The relations of the gypsum and salt deposits to each other in Kansas is an interesting matter, but it is not thought pertinent to this description of the salt deposits. Papers by Robert Hay in the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth biennial reports of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, and one by Erasmus .Haworth in the Mineral Resources of Kansas for 1898, Kansas University Geological Survey, discuss the subject thoroughly. A peculiar salt pool at Meade is described by Robert Hay. It seems that in 1878 the surface of the ground suddenly sank in a cir- cular area over 150 feet in diameter and that a depression with steep sides, having in the bottom a pool of water 50 feet deep, was formed. From the prairie to the surface of the water is about 20 feet. The water had a high temperature at the time, but has since cooled. In the interval since its formation the pool has diminished in depth from the accumulation of debris from its sides. Many flowing salt wells in the State contribute to the salt content of the streams. The wells at Larned and Great Bend, which flow into Arkansas River, may be noted as examples. Analyses of Kansas salt by E. H. S. Bailey ^ show it to be very pure. Gypsum is the most troublesome impurity to salt manufacturers. In making salt by the pan process the gypsum is deposited on the pan and is some- what difficult and expensive to remove. Moreover, any residuum of gypsum in the salt prepared for commerce makes it cake and harden. In some instances the undesirability of gj^sum limits the scale of operation of those plants which take the salt from the ground by forcing fresh water into the salt and then withdrawing it, because waters containing much gypsum are unfit for the purpose and so it may be necessary to reject an abundant supply of water carrying gypsum in solution in favor of an inadequate one that is free from it. The production of salt in Kansas for the year 1908 was 2,588,814 barrels and was valued at .$882,984. The production from 1888 to 1908 was 34,050,724 barrels and was valued at $11,989,822.^ GYPSUM.^ The Kansas gypsum deposits of economic value form a belt trend- ing northeast and southwest across the State. The belt of exposed rock varies in width from 5 miles at the north to 25 miles in the central part, and to 140 miles near the southern line, with a length of 230 miles. This area is naturally divided into three districts, which are named from the important centers of manufacture: The northern or Blue Rapids area, in Marshall County; the central or Gypsum City area, 1 Eighth Bienn. Report Kansas State Board Agr., 1S93, pp. 167-lSO. 2 Mineral Resources U. S., for 1898, 1900, 1908, U. S. Oeol. Survey. 3 Abstracted from Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 5, p. 31, 77836°— wsp 273—11 4 50 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. in Dicldnson and Saline counties ; and the southern or Medicine Lodge area, in Barber and Comanche counties. These areas appear to be separate, but careful mapping shows a number of isolated interme- diate deposits, which serve to connect the northern and central areas, and indicate connection between the central and southern areas These connecting links are found near Randolph and in the reservoir excavation at Manhattan, in Riley County; at Longford, in the southern part of Clay County; and near Manchester, in the northern part of Dickinson County. From an examination of a map of west central United States with the gypsum deposits indicated thereon, it will be seen that if the northeast line of the Kansas deposits is extended it will strike the Fort Dodge area in Iowa, and if it is continued to the southwest it will strike the extensive deposits of Canadian River in Oklahoma and those of Texas. QUALITY OF UNDERGROUND WATERS, BY COUNTIES. For the convenience of the greater number of users of this report the information that has been gathered concerning the quality of underground waters has been assembled under county headings, but it is believed that this arbitrary grouping will not seriously inconven- ience those who, in the course of special examinations, have to make a more natural arrangement of the analyses, as, for instance, to group together the wells in the fluviatile deposits of a river. Unless otherwise stated, all the assays herein reported were made by H. N. Parker, of the United States Geological Survey. ALLEN COUNTY. As Allen County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks the prospect of discovering soft waters is not good. The' only analysis presented in the accompanying table (No. 1) is that of the waters of a deep well in lola, which is very salty. Assay 3, Table 1, shows the results of a test of the water of a deep well at Humboldt ; the water is very hard and contains considerable common salt. Assays 1, 2, and 4 are tests of shallow well waters. The first and last of these assays indicate high permanent hardness; the second shows very low permanent and high temporary hardness. Assays 5 and 6 are tests of spring waters, both of which have marked temporary and considerable permanent hardness. ANDEKSON COUNTY. '51 Table 1. — Analysis and assays of underground waters of Allen County. [Parts per million.] No. ANALYSIS. lola well a . Depth (feet). Analyst. W. R. Kedzie. Iron Cal- Magne- (SiOa). (Fc). cium (Ca). sium (Mg). 10 21 25G 104 Sodium and po- tassium (Na-hK). f(Na) a, 580 t (K)192 Chlo- rine (CI). 40, 321 No. Date. 1 1905. July 21 2 ...do 3 4 ...do ...do 5 ...do 6 ...do 7 ...do 8 1907. Apr. 25 9 ...do 10 1905. June 30 ASSAYS. Humboldt, well at northwest city limits. Humboldt, v/ell at southeast city limits. Himiboldt, well. . . Humboldt, upland well 4 miles south of city. Humboldt, spring west side of river below dam. Humboldt, spring south of Coal Creek, lola, well near Atchison, Tope- ka and Santa Fe Ry. depot. lola, well at 702 South Chestnut Street. lola, well at 828 North Street. La Harpe, well one-half mile south and three- fourths mile west of city. Depth (feet). 214 20 Analyst. Edward Bartow. do .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. Edward Bartow... Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). 0.0 0.0 365 Trace. .0 486 .0 .0 .0 .0 461 288 .0 .0 330 .5 .0 304 .0 .0 396 .5 .0 332 .0 .0 200 .0 .0 489 Sul- phate. (SO4). 72 Trace. 539 Chlo- rine (CI). 224 150 258 47 12 36 276 (6) 202 14 69 146 34 40 a Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 7. b SO4 greater than G26. ANDERSON COUNTY. As Anderson County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, soft waters are not common. No complete analyses are presented. Of the five water assays (Table 2), one is of a deep well water, one of a spring water, and the rest are of waters from wells 35 feet or less deep. The deep well water is very high in chlorides but is not notably hard. The water from the 16-foot well at Harris is soft, and that from the 15-foot well at Greeley has little permanent hardness, but the water from the 35-foot well at Greeley and that from the spring at Garnett have great permanent hardness. 52 QUALITY OF TPIE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 2. — Assays of underground waters froTn Anderson County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. Source. Depth (feet). Analyst. Iron (Fe). Car- bon- ate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). 1 9 1905. June 23 ...do.... June 22 ...do June 23 Garnett, deep well in southeast part of city. Garnett, spring at creamery on Sixth Street. Harris, well 2 miles north and 3 miles east of city. Greeley, well half mile north and 3 miles west of city. Greeley, well 1 mile north and one-half mile west of city. Edward Bartow.. - do 33.0 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 305 341 123 180 377 Trace. 256 Trace. 150 Trace. 27,916 61 3 4 5 16 35 15 do do do .0 .0 .0 108 147 15 ATCHISON COUNTY. As Atchison County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, most of the waters are hard, though there may be soft waters in the glacial deposits. The analyses (Table 3) show that the waters from two deep wells and a shallow one in Atchison are very high in chlorides and are very hard. The assaj^s (Table 3) are tests of other Atchison well waters ; these waters also are hard and are much lower in chlo- rides than those well waters that were tested by analysis. Table 3. — Analyses and assays of underground waters in Atchison County. [Parts per million.] ^" s ^ .3 ■ cS '-s m . No. Date. Source. d- Analyst. g. B>5 03 d 5 ft m .l 1 5. C!3 PI CI .Q 03 C3 ft d ft S 1— 1 S fq 3 CO ANALYSES. 1907. 1 Apr. 2 1900. Atchison, well of A. B. C. laundry. 63 Kennicott Water Sof- tener Co. 28 2.7 130 62 692 474 1G5 1,072 2 Summer. Atchison, dia- a 1,353 E. H. S. Bai- 1 /(Na) 9,801 \Trace (K) }.... mond-drill pros- pect boring. ley and F. B. Porter. \ 36 62.0 570 123 2,408 19 15,066 8 Atchison, & Beck- er's mineral well.o I 125 E. B. Knerr. 18 42.0 420 310 /10,100(Na) t 36 (K) |l671 1,109 15,550 ASSAYS. 1907. 1 July 18 Atchison, well of Cain Milling Co. c 60 10.0 .0 358 98 282 2 ...do.... Atchison, well of Luken's Milling Co.d 46 24.0 .0 319 186 146 a Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 7. 6 In valley of White Clay Creek. c Put down in 1893. d Put down in 1902. QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OB' KANSAS. 53 BARBER COUNTY. Most of Barber County is underlain by Permian ( ?) rocks, but in the northern part and in a narrow arm indenting the western side the Comanche series and Tertiary deposits appear. The prospect of finding soft water outside of the area of Tertiary deposits is poor, for the Comanche series covers such a restricted area that it is an unimportant water-bearing terrane, and the Permian ( ?) rocks yield in most places highly mineralized waters. All of the waters tested come from the Permian ( ?) rocks and are very hard. The results of tests of underground waters in this county are shown by the analyses and assays in Table 4. Table 4. — Analyses and assays of underground waters, Barber County. [Parts per million.] 3 ^ 6 ■S o fl "o ^ c^ bjO No. Date. Source. 1 ft Analyst. d i o "3 3 •3 d o B 3 0) g rt C3 3 ^n M m O M CQ U cq 02 O > H ANALYSES. 1902. 1 Oct. 21 Kiowa, surface well. Atchison, T o - 7 '-" S R 41 10(1 S(i •H'f HI 4 66 peka & Santa Fe Ry. 1903. ?, Feb. 7 Apr. 24 do 12 15 298 100 104 20 87 32 120 141 979 98 99 46 214 19 1,917 S Kiowa, test well south of tank. .do 471 4 Sept. 4 Kiowa, Atchison, Topeka & Santa .do 2.4 142 117 129 106 654 184 171 1,583 Fe Ry. well. ASSAYS. 1907. 1 Jan. 21 "^fiO (a) 130 1908. ? Jan. 8 Medicine Lodge, well of Thos. Pfi 'lY n 914 (a) 41 Murphy. a SO4 greater than 626. BARTON COUNTY.^ The southern half of Barton County is underlain by the Dakota sandstone and the northern half by shales belonging to the Benton group. Along Arkansas Valley the Dakota sandstone is covered by a considerable thickness of alluvial materials, and also, on the south side of the river, by large deposits of dune sands. The Dakota sandstone is penetrated by numerous wells, to most of which it furnishes satisfactory supplies of water. Some of these wells begin in the sandstone and are bored or dug into its lower beds. The 1 Abstracted in large part from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 290. 54 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. wells in the highlands in the north part of the county pass through a greater or less thickness of shales of the Benton and thence into the sandstone. A well 245 feet deep, 8 miles north and 2 miles west of Hoisington, penetrates 222 feet of shale before reaching the sand rock, where it obtains a large supply of water, which rises to within 212 feet of the surface. Southwest of Galatia the shale is 260 feet thick and the underlying sandstone furnishes a good supply of water, which rises to within 236 feet of the surface. At Olmitz a well 202 feet deep passes through the shales of the Benton into the sandstone and obtains a supply of very soft water, which rises to within 142 feet of the sur- face. A well 3 miles north of Verbeck has a depth of 244 feet, and the water rises to within 144 feet of the surface. These representative wells indicate that satisfactory supplies of water a.re obtainable from the Dakota sandstone through most of the north portion of the county, but that there are no prospects for flows. Several wells about Roberts, from 175 to 300 feet deep, obtain only salty or brackish water, of which the source'is probably the transition salty series at the base of the Benton shales. In the southern part of the county the wells are shallower and mostly successful. The only unsuccessful well which has been reported is one in sec. 17, T. 18 S., R. 12 W., which penetrated the Dakota sandstone 200 feet without obtaining a water supply. Four miles northeast of Great Bend a deep well was sunk some years ago to a depth of 1,365 feet to test the water supplies of the formations underlying the Dakota sandstone. Flowing water was obtained at 344 feet and at somewhat over 700 feet. The first water is still flow- ing at the rate of 10 gallons per minute, but is too salty to be of any use. From 1,202 to 1,365 feet a large amount of rock salt was pene- trated, and some of .the overlying beds were highly gypsiferous. The following record is given : Record of deep well at Great Bend. Feet. Surface materials 0- 60 Red sandstone 60- 75 Red shale 75- 140 Blue shale 140- 155 Sandstone, brown near top, hard near bottom 155- 255 Shale 255- 258 Hard sandstone ' 258- 275 Conglomerate water 275- 310 Gray sandstone, artesian flow of salt water 310- 360 Gray sand and shales; salt water 360- 400 Red shale 400- 420 Blue shale , - - 420- 425 • Sandstone 425- 475 Red shale with some sandstone 475-1, 110 Blue shale... 1,110-1,240 Salt and shale 1, 240-1, 365 BARTON COUNTY. 55 This well was mainly in the Permian rocks, and it is doubtful if the red sandstone from 60 to 75 feet belongs in the Dakota. The analyses and assays recorded in Table 5 were made on waters derived from several different water-bearing formations. The anal- yses of the water taken from the wells at Ellin wood and Great Bend show the characters of the waters derived from the fluviatile deposits of Arkansas River, which are characteristically high in sodium and sulphates. The variations in the constituents of the water of the Great Bend Water Supply Co. are noticeable, but they may be in part accounted for by the fact that the supply is derived from several wells, one of which — a shallow one — was abandoned about 1902. Analysis 8 is of the water of the flowing salt Vv^ell. Information is lacking as to the sources of the waters in the wells at Albert and Hoisington. A calcic alkaline water from the well at Albert is shown by analysis 1 . The assays are very interesting. Nos. 1, 2, and 5 show the results of tests of shallow- well waters. They indicate high temporary hard- ness, but the permanent hardness is not great. Nos. 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 are all tests of water from the Dakota sandstone and show very nicely the different degrees of mineralization that obtains in waters from the upper part of the formation. Nos. 3 and 4 show waters low in chlo- rides and sulphates. These waters, except for the temporary hard- ness, which is not great for the region, are very satisfactory for domes- tic and industrial use. Nos. 6, 7, and 8 are tests of waters that are successively higher in sulphates and chlorides. Their use in the house- hold would cause large soap consumption and in boilers they might be expected to form scale rapidly. They could not be softened with- out increasing their tendency to foam. These three v/aters are derived from wells in the gypsiferous and saliferous shales of the Dakota. Probably by casing off the water from these shales and sink- ing the wells deeper into the Dakota good water could be obtained. Tests of waters from shallow wells in the Cheyenne Bottoms, an alkali basin of over 30,000 acres in area, which receives the waters of Blood Creek and which has only a partial outlet, are recorded in assays 9-13, inclusive. It is beheved that the evaporation in the basin is very intense and that thereby the waters become con- centrated. The water of the well at the St. Regis Club House is particularly highly mineralized, and it is to be hoped that a com- plete mineral analysis of water from this well will sometime be made. Assays 14 and 15 are tests of shallow wells in the fluviatile deposits of Arkansas River. • 56 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Total dis- solved solids. C-l O t^ 'M ^ Vola- tile and or- ganic. (M-^CO CO oooico iOOiO oaicc i^co oiooo coo oo .-HO -^ CJ O CD 1 '"'~- "3 So 0>01- CO.-MCO COOj^ .O . OS «JO M CO CO CO I— < -;1^ (M t^ T-< ^ O O O t-1 T- "* t5 S S 2 ir< Eh Eh e - 1 0)^ .118 c» aico oicococo ooco oc C-l-r' Oi-HCDi-l 010 Cv C.JIM COCOCO-3< -:((-^ c c3 dO o 00 ttj CT> cncco: 00 0000 00 Sodium and po- tassium (Na-t-K). .-1 CS T C) ,-. lO 0^03 CO O 03 o-i '5 a; M fa 1 ft, - If o o 8S S CO c c^ »o . -^ <;_j t^ T" CO t^ CO ^ ^ CO ^ ^ CO 3 o 1 1 % -a 1 ! J- 5 c o % o •a c (5 O o ■a ~C) ■3 ^ fig 5I am OW &n - ■ ~ cj rt - r^ ^0^ ^ ^'&^^ ^ i-^uo'-'co ^0 ■5 i ^ .° °^o -oo "S .Oc3 0-:: J ta !j(+^ P t)0_y t!rj_y er."!-* ht >-., • bfij^, bu >, ' t£ .. csj:i3d'3c-3a-agfea.ia£fe:a.i4 •E2-3.£p3-So-S§-SH-s5^-^ri5M£l^-Sg ooh:i«o3oSoSJo ftSocco ftSo ^ KM W W W W WW W »o (M in ^Hco Oi .-) .-1 CN .-1 COrt C<1 CO COO t^faS -=; log d d d '^ !N CO -* >o u= t* 00 0: ^ IM CO ^ 10 CO t~ 00 01 BARTON COUNTY. 57 U3 O »0 O '^ lO O to CO -* lO (N 00 -!!< r-l CO 00 rH rH r^ cq CO »c rt* t-- ■* CO T' o r^ C3 rH (N ^< ;g- lO ,-1 CD lO C-l C^ O <>) -i< -:< -5> CO CO CO oi Si o • o o o o o o o o o o c: c . o o -* C3 ,- s s y l\ 1 c C c c p 'c -t t e son in Lheyenne Basin, SE. i sec. 10, T. 18 S., R. 13 W. Hoisington, well of Jolin Hall in Cheyenne Basin, NW. J sec. 10, T. 18S., R.13 W. Hoisington, well of J. B. Prose in Cheyenne Basin, NW. J S3C. 24, T. 18 S., R. 13 W. Hoisington, well of Gus r.owe in Cheyenne Basin, NW. i sec. 26, T. 18S., R. 13 W. Hoisington, well at St. Regis Club House of Great Bend Sports- men's A.ssociation in Cheyenne Basin, SW. J sec. 12, T. 18 S., R. 13 W. Great Bend, well of A.tchison, To- peka & Santa Fc Rv. Great Bend, shallow well of Great Bend Water Co. c c c c c c^ ^ cc Ol ^ o <> rel n > 03 a n> ■/) ^ ^ 6« s o E-- 1 2 3 1897. Apr. 8 1908. July 1902. Sept. 30 Sept. 23 1897. Apr. 7 1905. July 28 ...do ...do -4.NALYSES. Clements, At- chison, Tope- ka & Santa Fe Ry. Cottonwood Falls, spring (new public supply).o Elmdale, arte- sian well. S af fordville, surface well. Strong City, At- chison, Tope- ka & Santa Fe Ry. well. ASSAYS. Cottonwood Falls, dug well at court- house. Cottonwood Falls, well 4 miles east of city. Elmdale, well... Atchison, To- pekait San- ta FeRy. Archie J . Weith. Atchison, To- peka & San- ta Fe Rv- do....'.... 19 9.4 54 20 8.0 0.4 .? Tr. .0 .0 n 122 98 17 98 128 20 12 Tr. 29 IS 15 11 29 28 5.5 174 0.0 48 5(5' 198 .0 .0 .0 333 379 385 W5 94 8.2 7.7 304 59 344 61 113 0.56 23 4 12 12 0.4 124 24 438 66 526 287 4 S 1 31 35 do Edward Jiar- tow. do do 20 443 2 ?, a Made at laboratories of University of Kansas. CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY. Chautauqua County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, which may be expected to yield hard waters. Not much is known about the composition of the ground waters of the county, as only two of them were tested. Both the analysis and the assay (Table 10) show hard waters. CHEROKEE COUNTY. 63 Table 10. — Ancnys s and assay of underground ivaters from Chautauqua County. [Parts per million.] r, 03 . '^ °\A o "^ No. Date. Source. 1 P. Analyst. C o "a? d o O "a O a 1^ |g 'S.d O M CO o o 03 O °o SB o o a> .d ft 3 o ANALYSIS. 1S97. 1 Apr. 7 1907. Chautauqua Springs, Chau- tauqua springs.^ ASSAY. E. n. S. Bailey and E. C. Franklin. 28 2.4 37 8.4 27 109 49 34 1 May 10 Cedarvale, well of Fred ;^s H'^.5 fM ,V^4 Cox, on Main Street. a Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. ' 6 SO4 greater than 626. CHEROKEE COUNTY. Pennsylvanian rocks underlie all of Cherokee County except the southeast corner, which is underlain by Mississippian rocks. There are two distinct sources of water supply in this county — the shallow wells, most of which yield hard waters, and the deep wells, whose waters come from the Ozark dome and are not uncommonly high in sodium and chlorides and usually smell of hydrogen sulphide. The results of tests of underground waters in Cherokee County are recorded in Table 1 1 . Analysis 1 represents a test of a deep well water at Columbus ; assay 9 is a test of the same water and indicates higher sulphates than are indicated by the analysis. Analysis 3 shows the water of the deep well at Empire to be low in sulphates, differing in this respect from assay 12, which indicates high sulphates and low alkalinity. Assays 16, 21, and 27 are also tests of deep well waters, and all of them, except assay 16, indicate hard waters. Assays 1, 10, 14, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are tests of shallow well waters. Two of these, 19 and 20, indicate high temporary hardness, and all show marked permanent hardness. Marked per- manent hardness is shown, too, by assays 2, 3, and 13, which are tests of waters from three wells somewhat deeper than the shallow ones. Assay 1 is a test of a soft water. Assays 4 to 7 are tests of the waters of the well-known springs at Baxter. Assays 11, 15, and 17 are also tests of spring waters, and these appear to be rather softer than those at Baxter. 64 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 11. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Cherokee County. [Parts ijer Tnillion.] cS . No. Date. Source. Analyst. O t C3 6 1 aw d <^ C d d o a; d 1 1 ^ s 3 ^ o .d Ph i3 d o ■s 03 'O.S O M S •3 o o fi m M o y OQ O CJ U H ANALYSES. 1 Columbus, well ab — 1 Am G. H. Failyerand ri 7 n 4 4S 22 (Na) 115 14 3fi J. T. Willard. (K) 3.4 1901. 2 June 1899. Baxter Springs, spring No. 2. a A. B. Knerr 18 y.G 126 5.4 (Na) 12 (K) 4 2 246 142 16 3 Dec. 27 Empire, waterworks weD. c 17 S 9 S7 1 n ''■■1 5 2S2 No. Date. Source. Analyst. OJ CD +J ■g ^ d ^^ 03 ■ a) oo ^o c 03 tn O 03 .X *-^ D '-' a pq GQ 0.0 0.0 261 Tr. .0 .0 229 79 2.5 .0 256 383 2.0 .0 239 16S .0 .0 243 130 .0 .0 96 56 .5 .0 213 119 .0 .0 134 (h) .0 .0 341 60 .0 .0 36 88 .0 .0 71 Tr. .0 .0 279 84 Tr. .0 80 119 .0 .0 162 113 .0 .0 210 37 .0 .0 168 Tr. .0 133 42 .0 .0 187 328 .0 .0 299 56 Tr. .0 406 530 l.S .0 117 86 .0 7.8 238 Tr. .0 116 C) 1905. 1 July 10 2 ...do... 3 ...do... 4 ...do... 5 ...do... 6 ...do... 7 ...do... 8 July 14 9 ...do... 10 ...do... 11 ...do... 12 ...do... 13 July 13 14 ...do... 15 ...do... 16 July 12 17 July 13 18 July 15 19 July 10 20 ...do... 21 ...do... 22 ...do... 23 ...do.. Baxter Springs, city well at River and Military Streets. Baxter Springs, well of Dr. C. M. Jones d. Baxter Springs, well of St. Louis and San Francisco R. R.« Baxter Springs, spring No. 1 Baxter Springs, spring No. 2 / Baxter Springs, spring of Mr. Newhouso on north side of Spring Creek. Baxter Springs, "Doty Spring " on north side of Spring Creek.? Columbus, dug well of Hotel Middaugh.. Columbus, well of waterworks Columbus, well 1 mile south and three- fourths mile east of city, i Columbus, spring one-half mile south and one-fourth mile west of city, i Empire well of waterworks k Empire well I Empire well 2 miles north and 2 miles west of city. Empire, Chico Spring west of city Galena m Galena, TiUman Spring northeast of city. Hallowell, city weU.. Lowell, citv well « Lowell, well of C. S. Yost - Scammon, well of city waterworks Scammon, well at Second Street and Sixth .Avenue. Scammon, shallow well 2 miles north of city. 225 285 1,400 31 Edward Bartow. ....do ---.do..; do 1,004 125 20 ....do.... ...do ....do ....do.... ....do.... ....do.... ....do.... 816 22 Edward Bartow. ..-.do .do. 14 6.6 15 20 25 91 40 178 9.7 9.2 22 65 22 6.6 12 32 30 50 25 86 20 a Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 7. b Lithium (Li), 1; manganese (Mn), 2; S2O3, 8.4. c The well is 1,004 feet deep and 10 inches in diameter to 175 feet 6J inches to 320 feet and 4 inches to the bottom. d Drilled May, 1904. Is used by the Baxter Mineral Springs Water Co. to supply the city. e Sample taken from tank. / 125 feet southeast of spring No. 1. g Situated at edge of Spring Creek in back yard, ft SO4 greater than 626. j Dug in 1869. Has never failed. ;" Water peddled in city. * No longer used as source of public supply. I Originally a prospect hole. m Used at the ice plant and sold in the city. ■n At 20 feet a gravel stratum yields some water; this weU is reputed the softest of the city. SO4 greater than 626. CHEYENNE COUNTY. 65 Table 11. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Cherokee County — Cont'd. No. Date. 1905. 24^ July 10 25 ...do.... 26 ...do.... 27 ...do.... Som"ce. ASSAYS — continued . ■\Veir, well south of Main Street, one-half mile west of St. Louis and San Fran- cisco R. R. tracks, a Weir, shallow well south of Main Street, one-half mile west of St. Louis and San Francisco R. R.a Weir, weU 5 blocks west and 1 hlock south of Main Street and St. Louis and San Francisco R. R. tracks. Weir, well at ice plant b Analvst. . .. Edward Barlow do 18 do 525i do (D n. ■r SO a o 03 3 O m m 0.0 0.0 185 530 Tr. .0 16 202 Tr. .0 239 56 .0 .0 462 35 a Water 3 feet from surface. b Used for public water supply. CHEYENNE COUNTY/ Cheyenne Count37^ occupies a region of high plains traversed by Republican River, which has cut a valley about 200 feet below the general ])lain surface. Tlie highlands are covered \vith Tertiar}^ grit, which, as revealed in Republican and Arikaree valle3^s, is underlain by Pierre sliale. The Niobrara chalk and limestone lie at a depth of 1,000 feet or more, but their precise position has not been ascertained. The thickness of this formation and the underlying Bentcn group is about 900 feet in northwest Kansas, and the depth to the Dakota sandstone is probably over 2,300 feet in Cheyenne County. Un- doubtedly, this sandstone contains water under sufficient pressure to rise several hundred feet in a well but not enough to afford a flow, even in the deeper valleys. Apparently the beds lie nearly level or dip slightly to the west. So far as is known, there have been no borings in the county sufficiently deep to reach the chalk. On the high plains good water supplies for pump wells are usually obtained by sinking deeply into the "mortar beds," or Tertiary grit, and in the valleys the alluvial deposits usually yield considerable water. It is by no means uncommon in Cheyenne County to find valleys along the principal tributaries of the Republican River well watered the year round without any artificial application. The valleys have been eroded to the base of the Tertiary, and an outlet to the general body of underground water has thus been provided, so that constant seepage is in progress, forming pools of living water here and there along the streams, and in places saturating the soil of the valleys to so great an extent that even in dry seasons further application of water is not desirable. ' Abstracted in large part from Prof. Paper U, S. Gaol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 292, and from Report p[ the Board of Irrigfition Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 1896 to the Legislature of Kansas, p. 99. 7T836°^WSP 273—11 5 66 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Cheyenne County is interesting to the student of the water problem on account of the general diversity of conditions existing. In the central part of the county, and again to the northwest and north, certain areas of Cretaceous rocks are exposed. Even in the very center of the county, at St. Francis, is a small shale area sufficient to interfere materially with the production of water. In few counties in the State have more wells been drilled than in this, and in few localities have the people been more determined to obtain water from the Cretaceous shales than here, but almost every attempt has failed. Success following such efforts has probably been due to fissures in the shale leading off from the Tertiary water. The evidence given by the wells also seejns to indicate that the surface of the Cretaceous floor is more irregular here than in most localities. Two wells are reported only a few yards apart, one of which is wholly in the Cre- taceous deposits, while the other is wholly in the Tertiary. The only available analysis (Table 12) is of a soft water from a well in St. Francis. The assays (Table 12) are tests of shallow well waters in the Republican River valley and indicate soft waters. Table 12. — Analysis and assays of well ivatersfrom Cheyenne County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. Source. 1 ft ft Analyst. a s =1 'S o i 1 C3 O Q 0) 03 a 1 o o o a s a o 1 s 6 M a> Q o 3 o 1 1909. 1907. Oct. 4 ...do... ...do... ANALYSIS. 30 10 20 30 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. a76 .0 .0 .0 75 26 72 216 .0 .0 .0 211 271 280 54 Tr. Tr. Tr. ''4 1 ASSAYS. St. Francis, well at court- house. St. Francis, well at Com- mercial Hotel. St. Francis, well of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. 1") ? 9ei 3 ?o a SiOz-l-FesOs-l-AJzOa. CLAKK COUNTY. Clark County extends from the high plains on the divide south of Arkansas River into Cimarron Valley. The plains are capped by Tertiary deposits underlain to the north by Dakota sandstone ^nd to the south by lower Cretaceous sandstones and shales. To the south the underlying ''Red Beds" are exposed over a wide area. To the north water for pump wells is obtained from the basal portion of the Tertiary deposits and from the underlying sandstones. In the ''Red Beds" area the alluvial deposits in the valleys are the only CLARK COUNTY. 67 sources of supply. Some years ago an attempt was made near Lex- ington to obtain water in the "Red Beds" by boring 300 feet deep, but only salt water was obtained. No artesian fresh waters are to be expected in this county from the "Red Beds/' and as this forma- tion is probably very thick, the outlook is discouraging.'^ The two analyses (Table 13) represent very different types of water. Analysis 1 is a test of water from the Permian deposits; analysis 2 shows the quality of water from the Tertiary. The former is hard, for it is high in calcium and sulphates ; the latter is soft and satisfac- tory. The assays in Table 13 represent tests of waters from the Permian rocks. These waters are highly mineralized and all except the two, of which assays 5 and 9 are tests, have great permanent hardness. Assays 6 and 7 show waters very high in chlorides. Table 13. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Clark County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. Source. Analyst. ca 'buO =^M n ^ o a 2 1 3 "i a -0 + a 03 la' .2 P 8 03 c O 03 o Q a _o 2 60 Tr. lU 42 43 196 155 45 68.9 60 15 16 117 25 16 1902. Oct. 25 1908. Sept. ANALYSES. Englewood, surface well. Minneola, well 125 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. 258 No. Date. Source. 1908. Jan. 2 ...do ...do.... ...do.... 1907. Dec. 31 ...do.... ...do.... ...do.... ...do.... Ashland, well at sehooLhouse . Ashland, public well c Ashland, well of Frank Abelf*. Ashland, well of F. P. Kerns. . Englewood, well of Englewood Light & Water Co. at edge of Five Mile Creek north of block 51 Englewood, well at Third Street and Claremont Avenue Englewood, well at Price restaurant, Fourth Street, block 32 Englewood, well of Alva Milling & Elevator Co., north of block 51 Englewood, public well on Third Street, a little northeast of the well of Englewood Light & Water Co Tr. .0 .0 .0 0.0 .0 .0 .0 222 245 258 197 326 430 445 317 344 430 492 492 70 (0 286 36 26 359 41 26 36 1,017 1,198 226 36 a Description abstracted from Prof. Paper XJ. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, p. 292. 6Si02+Fe203+Al203. c 35 feet to water. d 25 feet to water. « SOigreater than 626. 68 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. CLAY COUNTY. Clay County is immediately underlain by Permian rocks, except in the western and northern parts, which are" underlain by the Dakota sandstone. Analysis 1, Table 14, shows that the city water at Clay Center, which is derived from wells in the fluviatile deposits of Republican River, is very hard. Analysis 2 represents a test of water in a shallow well and indicates low permanent and high temporary hardness. The assays were made on the same waters that were tested by the two analyses and confirm the results. Table 14. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from. Clay County. [Parts per million.] s ^ -a M o ■f^ Im CD n o o > 1 3 o No. Date. Source. 43 Analyst. o m PI 2 l-H o a" 3 o "2 + g 03 o ■2 c3 a o O 03 a o 5 CO a ft D o S o s o 13 a 03 O > ANALYSES. 1908. 1 Sept. Clay Center, city wa- terworks, 5 wells. 2&-38 Chicago, Rock Is- land & Pacific Ry. Missouri Pacific a 22 186 41 28 193 321 27 818 2 ...do Clifton, city water- 60 32 1.3 62 25 35 169 29 15 9.2 378 works, wells. Ry. ASSAYS. 1907. 1 Feb. 26 Clay Center, public water supply from 5 26-38 (1 ^ 358 3'>8 '4 wells. ■> Feb. 25 Clifton, public water supply, well. 6 60 'I'r (1 '-^63 'IV 14 S Aug. 5 do ^60 .0 .0 253 Tr. 20 a Si02-t-Fe203-l-Al203 6 Water stratum at 53 feet. CLOUD COUNTY. In Cloud County the divide between Solomon and Republican rivers is capped by Benton shale and the lower lands are excavated in Dakota sandstone. This sandstone 3delds water to many shallow wells, both in the area of its outcrop and on the divide,, in borings which pass through 25 to 150 feet of Benton shale. The conditions are unfavorable for artesian waters. The Dakota sandstone is under- lain by shale, sandstone, and limestone of the Permian series, which are probably several hundred feet thick, and although these rocks as a rule contain water under considerable pressure, it is ordinarily too salty for domestic use.^ 1 Description abstracted from Prof, Paper XJ, S, Geol. Survey No. 32, p. 292, CLOUD COUNTY. 69 Os a Total dis- solved solids. C31 -** OC Vola- tile and organic. g- O 0)^ rH CO Ti< -^ COt^CO 010 « 00 10 01 ^rt MlOit5 1 '^'-^ 10 1^ ■* ^rocsov otoiN Bicar- bonate (HCO3). CO -f CO 1 Car- bonate (CO3). 161 160 474 179 255 182 117 .0 .0 .0 Sodium and po- tassium '(Na+K). (M ^ t^ 00 t^ t^ Pi 05 10 CO 06 i-i 0^ 3|l c^i a> -f CO .-1 Th 00 OS 00 CC C5 CO CO (M.-( 00 ■ ;J flCC^ ^ T-; ^ IM O-^Jio OC OS'S So C ;s ^ grt ^ cS t «^ ""«■ ^ 1 1 as al i>5 go §§ 8'3 2^g go If^ |oP B^.^ W <; I5i a o3 02 ft 2 CU Depth (feet). CO CO 00 i^ ^ 3 T3 33 3 oj N« 1 1 '0 -^ '-p ■at "« S 000 ■a 1 1 s ■qj £: I l-s % > 3 C 5 11 i ■::^ -2 k 0'-' 1 St « oT 6 2 00 P 00 oi _ 06 . m Oi ft CO 05 CM iC CO 1—1 , 1 1901. May 24 1902. Oct. 21 Oct. 14 ANALYSES. Protection, well Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. do 39 ?. Protection, surface well WiLmore, surface well S . .do No. , Date. 1908. 1 Jan. 3 2 ...do.... 3 ...do.... 4 ...do.... 5 ...do 6 ...do.. 7 ...do.... 8 ...do.... Source. ^ ^ m •-:;^ ^ ^ a> ) cs'So .ago 00 'O CO.-ICOCO co^ r-o cC'a O 1 o < ■a ll ^ 1 1 ^i 1 1 "-■ !P .a — V, s M ^°cS "^ >:.t^-t^d!^.>, ^tcs. ^ <: o.S (M o^ o — -o S C3 , 10 O ® '-A 3.9q t-- -t 00 Tf Oi r-( CD 00 -TfH CO 00 CO c^ o coo o •O CD CO 00 00 c< ^ c o*-^ c^ (M '^ cs ^" ^ CO Tf QJ^ CO cncc -* C-: CO rq r~ooo -* J3 ■^ 00 ■^ ^ OSr- oc coco CD 0. n lO CO 02'^ CO § a •^ ftCI- ^ ^ 1 ffi-^ 2 =Jo i> •* Tltl,-H -* CI T^ -^ CO 00 OCOb- CO 01 W 05 s co^co ^ CO Tf TtH CO i-l HjW (B ■ c ooc= c oc c O go oo oc ^cq cc b- cq Tj cr Oi cc 00 CO CO ir: p^ Sodium and po- tassium (Na+K) So '^ ir i ^ » Sg § o3- '5) ? c O C^l '"' §^'~ £ 8 '^ ' E^ ^ ^ H &^ 03 'i P C . C^ OJ ^>. B c fcj n B ^ CO o a <1 c O M III O .2 m 1 ft c c c c M ^1 ■c ■c ■^ -c CO H c5-IC C^ ^ CD a- o- ocno- (T o- 05 '^'~ ,-h"^ a a P 1 1 1 e p p > ID P c 12 c a cS > p .s ■3 c ^5 IS (D '^ S -a CD P g "a ■ ^ > 'Z ■a a Q, 0. C C P a; ~ 1 c -H " 1 - ..(DO) ©"a 0) ■5^ H C3 ■— • ^ .S 03 (S £ ~ 3 o& IP ^0" 03 g g bog a . a ffi c ■S C3 H) .!:1 S < C 0(i C 5 p^ < >c ■3^ > .§ 4 :'^ 1^ 1-^ i : d . OJ a a CD A ^ c» !-> •^•^ t>> Ol 0) o n1 •c ^ d (1 OJ Q) +t; c3 (S o3 OJ a " ca o CBAWFOED COUNTt. Y5 76 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. DECATUR COUNTY. 1 Decatur County is an undulating region of high plains cut to a depth of 200 to 300 feet by the valleys of Beaver, Sappa, and Prairie Dog creeks. The entire area appears to be mantled by the Tertiary "mortar beds" and other deposits, although possibly these have been cut through in the deeper portions of some of the valleys. The county is underlain by Pierre shale, which is thin to the east but thickens rapidly to the west. The underlying Niobrara chalk and the Benton group have a thickness of about 900 feet, and dip gently to the west. These ^statements indicate that the Dakota sandstone probably lies at a depth of about 1,000 feet in the eastern portion of the county and considerably deeper on the higher lands in the west. Three deep wells have been bored in the county, at Jen- nings, Kanona, and Oberlin, which throw considerable light on the underground geology. The boring at Jennings was sunk to a depth of 1,050 feet, and a large volume of water, rising to within about 400 feet of the surface, was found in the lower sandstone, which is probably the Dakota. At Kanona, in 1903, a deep boring had progressed to the depth of 1,620 feet. A sand (Dakota) was encountered at from 1,450 to 1,550" feet, which yielded water in considerable amount that rose to within about 450 feet of the surface. These borings prove that the Dakota sand- stone extends westward in Kansas and contains a water supply, but, unfortunately, the head is too low to afford prospects for flowing wells, even on the lowest lands. At Oberlin a well said to have a depth of about 1,000 feet, through chalk and shale to a bed of sandstone, yields a small flow of water (and gas). It is believed that this well is not deep enough to pene- trate the Dakota sandstone and that it obtains its supply from the saliferous shales at the base of the Benton, a water horizon not reported in the boring at Kanona. Analysis 1, Table 20, shows a soft water; analysis 2 one of high temporary hardness, and analysis 3 one of high permanent and tem- porary hardness. Assay 1 shows a water of high temporary and permanent hardness. Assays 2 and 3 indicate soft waters and assays 4 and 5 waters of high temporary hardness. Assay 6 is a test of the water of a flowing salt well. The chlorides are very high, the bicar- bonates moderate in amount, and there are no sulphates, which is unusual in the deep-seated saline waters of Kansas. I Description abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, pp. 293-294. DICKINSON COUNTY. Table 20. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Decatur County. [Parts per million,] 77 , ^ ■73 tS n V ^ o > 'P, ftM n W -^ — ' ^ T1 + o o ^-^ M m No. Date. Source. 0) 1 p Analyst. a o 3 •3 "3 o a 1 si .2 3 o 1 o O d O s 0) .d _ft "3 CO s o 3 o m2 "3 o ANALYSES. 1908. 1 Sept. 1909. Jennings, well 36 Chicago, Rock Island & Pa- cific Ry. ol8 •72 18 8.5 142 23 10 291 2 Norcatur, well 245 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. a82 82 25 22 196 8.3 14 3 Oberlin, well 16 ....do .. ail 140 39 86 337 78 38 No. Date. Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SOO. Chlo- rine (CI). 1 2 3 4 5 1907. Oct. 2 Sept. 30 ...do Oct. 1 ...do ...do ASSAYS. Cedar Bluffs, well at Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy R. R. station. Jennings, well of B. W. Simpson 6 Kanona, well of H. A. Hansen, sec. 17, T.3S., R.27 W. Oberlin, city waterworks well Oberlin, well of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. 38 40 38 <21,000 0.0 .0 .0 .0 1.0 .0 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 377 290 236 317 394 249 53 Trace. ...do... ...do... ...do... .0 36 26 15 20 26 5,454 a Si02+Fe203-I-Al203. b Sunk in 1902. c Natural gas bubbles up through the water. d About. DICKINSON COUNTY. Dickinson County is almost wholly underlain by Permian rocks, although in the northwest and southwest are patches of Dakota sandstone. The city of Abilene gets its water from the Dakota sandstone and the supply is very satisfactory, as analyses 1 and 2 and assay 1 (Table 21) show. All of the other analyses recorded in this table show very hard waters. The permanent hardness is due to the large amount of calcium sulphate or gypsum that is dissolved by the waters from the Permian rocks. Erasmus Haworth (by letter) says that in some places in southern Dickinson County the gypsum is exposed imme- diately at the surface with hardly enough soil covering to hold rain water an hour after the rain. In Table 21, analyses 5 and 12 show waters remarkably high in sulphates. All of the assays except No. 1 indicate highly mineral- ized waters high in sulphates. 78 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. ^ Total dis- solved solids. 00 f^ ! '^ CO 1 CO -•* i is. Si (N 6 aci (N OCO (N-^ troO'-HOlCTlCOCO'O '^»0 Nitrate (NO3). CO ;c 10 CO Sul- phate (SOO. CO -* CO COCO COOS'^»OC000»O'^ 5^oco . 1^ C3 1— 1 1— 1 (>^ 1 0-^ .2 CO . »0 10 t^ (M ^ 01 c^i ^ rr 10 10 •* CO CD t^ CO »0 10 ^ I^ t^ ^ ^ (M -* ll. •73 " 0000 (M t-^ (M^ OiOO'oOOO CV) 00 ■-" '^ "* l>- CO .-H ^ C^ CO ^ ^ Sodium and po- tassium (Na-fK). (M 100 CDO CMGOOCqOCMOSi— 1 (M CSyP C5CO rHCOCOiOCOTt*)rH '^' ■^ OOCO CD ^ CO TP 10 -a" ^ 10 —1 tH rt Tl ,-H ,-H ,-H IM a < 1 P^ a Ph ' ^^5 III <1 M f^ c c c t3 1 Pm 3 a - 5-^ ^ OJ "^ »0 CO « -^ 10 ira CD Tl< 3 . -2 i ^ R-O c <5 "a s c c S" c>> 3 .dJia"f^c-§a£fa~3fl"S^ ft • hjo ^ M c be 0) M'-' bjO_- b£ cu aj) 0) M 0) S fev, «s= g-E a K C ,; 3=5 3 M c w 3 M E "^ -SS-ES -C ft-C C-E S-E g-C C-E C-E3 5 wW wpdwataMWoQ Tog ol g fatHM .2 b ftcd ft g . fe <( a W 2 "= : s CO S I f!^ . °> : S S : : 1^ . ■ • • So. t* .2 M M ° So fe& M -: 15 ;i« flea C3 03 53 O-S !^ „ O M . p,.jO fl "^ fcH L, t., Ph ^ .S be O) oj oi I ra t- a t- t. t^ "T OTI! OJ M to£ bjD -^•^ u. fc- -* '^ -^ 9^ o oOOO 03 S f!H P^ CO 02 CQ 80 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. DONIPHAN COUNTY. Doniphan County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks which may be expected to yield hard waters. The glacial deposits that cover much of the county possibly afford a somewhat softer water. Both the analysis and assays in Table 22 represent tests of the waters of wells sunk in the drift, and these waters have rather high temporary hardness but almost no permanent hardness. Table 22. — Analysis and assays of underground tvater from Doniphan County. [Parts per million. 1 ^ o aw n CJ ^ No. Date. Source. 1 Analyst. ffl" o s ■2t C3 03 O s p. c o '3 ■3 a cs s s ft o 3 o W t— ( o fel CZ2 o W CO tJ H ANALYSIS. 1908. 1 Sept. Bendena, dug well of 75 Chicago. Rock Island a 9.9 54 21 fi 115 28i0.9 244 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. & Pacific Ry. ASSAYS. 1907. 1 July 17 Troy, well of Wm. Stuart. 6 70 .0 ... .0 334 .0 40 ?. ...do Troy, well at Hotel 70 Tr. .0 432 .0 45 Avon. a Si02+Fe203+Al203. Sunk in 1901. DOUGLAS COUNTY. As Douglas County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, hard waters may be expected except possibly from wells in glacial deposits. All of the analyses recorded in Table 23 are tests of the waters of wells in Lawrence at the edge of Kansas River. The water from the wells of the Lawrence Water Co. has high temporary and con- siderable permanent hardness. Moreover, the water carries much iron in solution that has to be removed by aeration and the addi- tion of chemicals before the water can be delivered to the public. The water of the wells of the Lawrence Paper Manufacturing Co. has greater permanent hardness than that of the water company. Analysis 5 shows the character of water from an old test hole.^ Assay No. 1 shows a soft water. The other assays indicate waters of marked permanent and temporary hardness. 1 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 7, p. 151. DOUGLAS COUNTY. 81 — .• g SB -2 '5 >— ' ■^ or; I-H ^ ^ S TS o 2 o S s >|°a , I^ TP oo COS c: o c a-. o 00 .2 ao o CO ^ ■V CN "^ 1 pq^M , -2^ o c OC o J- g3 ~ t^ C^ o O oo _< • ^ o Oi oc Pt CM CO ^^. S"- |-,^ CO o^ o OCT "3 § ts rH CO t~ ^o- i-H . o ^ w <« Id T* ^ r— ^ ■^ o t- " > S 1^1 2^1 77836°— wsp 273—11- 82 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. - 1 EDWARDS COUNTY. Edwards County lies in Arkansas Valley and is mainly underlain by Dakota sandstone. On the bottom lands the sandstone is largely covered by alluvium ; the highlands are mantled by Tertiary deposits. In the extreme northern portion of the county Benton shale outcrops in a small area. The principal water supplies are derived from the lower portion of the alluvial and the Tertiary deposits, though some of the wells penetrate the Dakota sandstone and obtain good waters at moderate depths. So far as known no attempts have been made to sink deeper wells, and as the ''Red Beds" lie at no great distance below the surface, are of great thickness, and yield only saline waters, there is no encouragement for deep boring in this county. Analysis 1, Table 24, is a test of a soft calcic alkaline water from the Tertiary deposits. The other analyses were made in the course of an investigation of the quality of ground water in the vicinity of Kinsley. They demonstrate that most of the waters in the locaUty are unsatisfactory for use in boilers. Analyses 8, 10, and 13 show good soft alkaline waters, and analysis. 12 indicates a hard calcic alkaline saline water. Analyses 3, 4, 5, and 6 are tests of sodic saline waters. Analysis 7 shows a calcic magnesic saline water. Analyses 11 and 14 to 22 demonstrate calcic sodic saline waters. Analyses 2 and 9 show highly mineralized sodic calcic magnesic saline waters. Calcic sodic saline waters are cha,racteristic of the underflow of Arkansas River. As these waters of the underflow are high in sodium, magnesium, and sulphates, they are laxative in their effect on those unaccustomed to their use, but within t^he river valley they are used for public water supplies and apparently have no therapeutic effect on the citizens. 1 Description abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 295. EDWARDS COUNTY. 83 OS — S ^ o o O Tt< CO COCMCOOO COOOiC^ T— I rH CO CD "* CO CO CO O IM O O OrHr-COO C^ rH IlO 1-lT 1-1 OlO t^rH 1-1 t-CNCOi— I COOtH 1-1 COOOOOCq i-iOOi-HCrs Tp Tt< CD -^ iO "^ lO ■^ OOi-l'XXM i-IM 00 o (M a> O rH »o t^ O iO »0 (M ■^o o CO T-H t^ as T-4 o ■^ CO »0 »0 wo ■**< UD CO .2 «5^ CO i-HOOi 00 ^ CI 0.-I 5 »0 00 C5 CO -^ CO O O 00 t^ t^ 00 00 O CO CO 00 lO ^H ,— ( 00 .2 ^.2 4- CD ^ Ol lO lO Oi O C O i-(ir3CO o ^^ ::2 > - ., - ^«£ s — r c3 03 > V ai ®^ ^ ^ (U - - . ^ 2 !>■-!>. >i>i CS O Qj QJ CP 3 c n o g MMMM ^M§ CO 's d ■^.gs-^ .g^s.g M M s ^° ° § 1 1 ^^ i-lOOCO OCOOCO ,COCO0 •* >OCOI>00 roO^IM i-H r-l T-lT-lrtT-l >-liM 05 00 « O CO l^ll , ■o t^ -J5 O O CC 00 lO ^ TP -^ -^ I-t o < u~ CO Tf( oco t^ ni O oi Ol Q 05 o O 3 so CO (M O 00 OC i^ a- C^ CO Ol ,-H «^ft« ' ^^ OC Cl 1^ t^ o S'So ^ I^ ^ LO .ago m^M ffi . c o oo o r^ (31 O CO OiO ^ t^ o- 00 en ^ o TIH s (N fi^ . Sodium and po- tassium Na-l-K). o- 00 05 IM ooo ^ oc cs (M 1-1 00 >oco c t^ (M rt .-H 5 ^"^ 03 .2 g c^ t^ >o ^ ^ IMO c c CO o ^ ^ cr IM S"- 00 ^ 03 00 C35 O c o- c t^ c- CO CO CO CO (M TT (M 13 o Sm ^-^ Q J « =3 tf O tf ca ^ tf O a > « -bi C O "3 C! <1 cm 1 e a 'S to o c p. a o ID -2 d e o o o It ^ 2 c 'c 'So c. M '=' Q p H P f=H < J3^ "^ o CO >o CO lO ■n^ CO -^ 4. " a 6x) o H S « CO S o 1 o I (D 1 p - o 1 . 6f= T) O M 1 o Q o 3P '^tc'^'^g i o c o a •s IM 1 ' .IM t^ 00 I^ CJ - S o O tD O j> Oh. O+J O +J A+^ o s^ o o ai 0. 1-5 ^3 i-5 1-5 S p sg- -§& -§ :^ Iz; O O Ofi w CC .CO 6 IM CO ■000 -tCT 1> iC' OOOi- t-^ ■* o 3-Sc C" t~r-IIM(M10rt T-H^ ■-! ,- (M —IC (MCO Q i-i:^ 1 "^^ rH lO 3 go c O ^CC ^ Ci t^ OSOCO OOOOCT CO t^ 00 00'+ T( t- t^ o- CO CT> CO 00 O .-< (N CS C-) '-C u- t^ t^ o o O (M IM rt CC 1-H 1-1 rt a; . c-- cooot-'i'io^r-ooo f~co^ t- CO (M '^ c: CO "^ ,^|o t^ CO CO ^ xt* o o -* o »ooooo c^ oc rt o-t ■- ,-l^.-(.-(rt.-lr-lrtrt r-H 1-1 O oo ^^ dium d po- ssium a+K). t^ (M CO ffi >0 en 00 1-1 1-1 M (M rtlMO t> ev- T*^ T-i C- 1-1 C-J mUS'^ Tt<^ er ^ ■^ t^ t- CO '^ o CO -* OS 00 1-i cdoocs <= i> OOCO 00 Tf CO i-( 1-1 CO CO C^ CO ... 1-i 1- o ^ Ol 1-1 OOOCT) gM^ zc: O OS 00 (N (N t^ t^ lO 00 lOOSO I* •* -^ (M »r C: O OS ^g^ a ■* rt o CO ^ ira lO t~ "0 o)-!i o-«o "-^ Os_, •^ 03 ^ OJ ^ ft o >> ^ ^ ;:;::::: : : : "3 a c -S :::::::: : : : c3 ! i ! ! ,' 1 1 1 1 ! ,' tiooooooooo ooo o o doc o d o 1 '^ -a X3 TS-Or •c ■a-o 1 is OJ << ^ ^ ^ CO CTO c &■£ rt COCO ir OC c^ 0) Oj Pw o "2 ;- "o 'C S 'C ■+■ y. s J .H c c fl "3 c a 1 o p 1 o > 1 c > i c c 3J°t: o o K ..S c c c c 1 1 i o "3 02 ^ ^ § g !y^^lf PIf. §^^ "hi C3 o'c '3'ai'o: C o ■3 ^ i-;d ^ H;gH,-pPSH^0QH,-«h^C1^ ^ .2.S-S; .2.S " p: apflcccesccaflcc c > > ■? c !> . > > oiajtDa^ajajoa^ajva'aja, 'H'S'S'S'S'2'^'S'^'E CjC3c3c3a3o3c^c3c3^Cjc3c O OJ (U O) tu t^ OJ K OJ o t4 _2 "^ ID s ,£= o ft J4 o P< 5 CO C « t3 03 .s a a a> fe p. 3 ft 1 c c8 =■ ni > r-l >^ *V *" H Ul -# c co3 '-'." 0 CO ^ CO — Tj ,/ j^oco r- -M o <>: COCJi CO -t* Tota dis- solve solids CO o .-H O'OC' '~ CO Ol -1^ -1^ ^ CO -t CO CO 1 (H -■ ^ O CDOO h- CO o-i r^ CD IM-* OOTf 00 C35 ^ Ol C! -1=1 >0 -rt^ O C^» -t^ cn-* a> "o^tS fi ^ (M rH T-H , c< lO 02 t^CJl Oi CO o cs o O 00 t^ lO 00 r-- o O CD ^ (M -1< CO CO (M.-( t3i -* rH S-So Ol C^l o'-ii- 03 ^ Ol ■

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"3 OQ 184 62 Tr. Tr. Tr. Tr. .1 o 3 o 24 30 15 15 15 20 1 o a 03 > 37 ■T3 > O . o 1 1 1908. Mar. 16 1907. Sept. 21 ...do.... ...do.... ...do.... ANALYSIS. Grinnell, well 150 feet east of station of Union Pacific R. R. Co. ASSAYS. Gove, public well Gove, well of Benjamin Bacon, Main Street. Gove, well of J. E. Cavender, 3|- miles north of city on the Grainfield road, sec. 18, T. 12S.,R.28 W. Grainfield, town well o. Grainfield, well of L. H. 130 44 40 90 135 130 Union Pacific R. R. Co. 37 1.3 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 364 ? 3 4 Johnson at north edge of city on sec. 6, T. US., R.28W. a Put down in 1903 for a dairy. GRAHAM COUNTY. The high plains of Graham County are thickly covered by Ter- tiary deposits which are cut through in the valleys of South Fork of Solomon River, of Bow Creek, and of Saline River, which lies a short 1 From Report of the Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment to the Legislature of Kansas for 1895 and 1896, pp. 100, 113. 77836°— wsp 273—11 7 98 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. distance south. The Niobrara chalk has a thickness of considerably over 100 feet in the highlands and is underlain by about 400 feet of Benton shales lying on the Dakota sandstone. This sandstone is not more than 500 feet below the surface in the southeast corner of the county, but, with the northeasterly dip of the beds and the rise of the land to the west, is about 1,000 feet deep in the highest ridges between Bow Creek and North Fork of Solomon River. ^ No complete mineral analyses have been made of waters in Graham County, but seven assays of waters in Hill and one of a well water in Morland are presented in Table 32. Assay 1 is a test of a shallow well of considerable permanent hardness, and assays 2, 3, and 4 are tests of shallow well waters with very little permanent and only moderate temporary hardness. Assays 5, 6, and 7 show the composition of the waters of some deep wells that probably derive their water from the Benton group. All of these deep wells have very great temporary and permanent hardness. So they are less satisfactory for domestic use and for steam boilers than the waters of the shallow wells. Assay 8 shows a shallow well water of con- siderable permanent hardness. Table 32. — Assays of underground waters from. Graham County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1898. 1 2 Sept. 28 3 ...do 4 ...do 6 ...do 6 ...do 7 ...do 8 ...do Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3), Sul- phate (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). Hill, public well on Main Street Hill, well of De Shoup Hotel HiU, well of Graham Milling Co Hill, well of E. V. Cumberford Hill, well of RoUow Photographic Gal- lery, Pomroy Street Hill, well of S. N. Coder, Main Street b. Hill, well of E. v. Cumberford c Morland, well in livery barn of Charles Green 1300 314 395 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 272 283 295 277 462 382 385 47 Trace. ...do-. ...do.. 246 313 813 a About. b Sunk in July, 1907; water rose within 100 feet of surface. c Water rose within 100 feet of surface. GRANT COUNTY. Grant County extends from the valley of the Cimarron up the divide between that river and the Arkansas. The surface is covered by Tertiary deposits which are known to be underlain at no great depth by the Dakota sandstone. In the northeastern part of the county the sandstone is overlain by 100 feet or more of Benton shales. The State well, 6 miles south by east of Ulysses, at a depth of 231 feet reached an excellent water supply that rose to within 123 feet of the surface.^ 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 299. GEAY COUNTY. 99 William Easton Hutchinson has written a letter describing the water of the county. It appears from his statement that in the west half of the county the depth to water averages about 40 feet, but that in the southern part and south of South Fork of Cimarron River the depth to water is very much greater. In the eastern half of the county, except in the valleys of the streams, the depth ranges frorn 100 feet in the central part to 200 feet in the extreme eastern part. In the immediate valley of South Fork of Cimarron River the ground water is near the surface. Regardless of depth, the ground water is sufficient and satisfactory for domestic use. No analyses or assays of the waters of Grant County are available for presentation. GRAY COUNTY. Gray County is mainly in Arkansas Valley ^ but extends southward to the head of Crooked Creek. The entire area is thickly covered by Tertiary and younger formations, but is known to be underlain by the Dakota sandstone, covered by a greater or less thickness of Benton shale, which is exposed southeast of Montezuma. The depth to sandstone is not precisely known, but it is not great in any portion of the county. Apparently some of the deeper wells in the county have reached it, but no satisfactory records have been obtainable. No flowing water is to be expected, unless possibly from the under- lying Red Beds, the water from which would probably be too salty for use. The analyses (Table 33) are tests of well waters in the vicinity of Cimarron. Analyses 4 and 5 are tests of soft calcic alkaline waters from wells in the sand hills. Analyses 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are hard calcic alkaline waters," most of which come from deep wells. Analyses 1 and 2 are tests of calcic sodic saline waters. Analysis 6 shows calcic magnesic sodic saline water, and analysis 7 a calcic sodic magnesic water, both of which in boiler use would prove very bad. Assays 1, 2, and 4 are tests of deep well waters and show low bicar- bonates and high sulphates. Assay 3 is a test of a shallow well water which is shown to carry somewhat more bicarbonates and very much more sulphates than the deep wells. 1 Called "Cimarron Valley" (a manifest error) in Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 300, from which this description is abstracted. 100 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. O Ci s o zo I~ as r-H CO to 5 w ?-S 05 r^ ^ CM fM rj< CO w ei CO ^'nt " " 1 t. ■ 00 CO 'Tt* as 10 "o^T? R •-I > gt£ , 001^ Tf rH 3.SG '"' l-w Tt< 00 t^ t^ 3^0 ^ CO 10 00 S'So .S Co fq^K 1 ■£--< 0000 OS fiO -* (M CO CO CO 00 ^^ 6 ASW t^ .5^.5 + ■^-a j« ^ ^gj^ -*ooooi t^ "* CO .-H IM CO.-H i— S"^ Cal- cium (Ca). iracocoM IN c ""* s-;? 10 ►^b 6~ f-- a : a : 03 IX ■ -^5 "S ; • .ii 03 a : Eh : - c ; c . c 000 000c c ^.-a -c •C 'O TS tStS-Cc -a 73 c rt < _^ ^^ Pi:, _^ -n B ^ 1 C c ■^ . CO "-J C m •-- :S f-< i CQ c i 1 ~ 1 1 1 1 11 § S ° 1 1 1 a c3 ^ P ft a $ safe's „ ^ ffl & ^ H: (^^W^gn^S d^ ^ IN S ^o^^^g^fe c a"d n ~ agagc'H da a « d c ""., c 3 a -g d^ b3& t: n c« h M !-n-j ^caa c3:=i 03 w i:i:ot a u c3-te 5 a^E 6S h 6 6 ^ 000 QO 0000 I> t~ ;^ 1- . ^ "^ . c "C d y S-S°°iJ 2|g g •>■ S "O "O t3 ;z; ; ; Q CO ; ;o ^ : : : IN CC t^OOOJO — . IN rt IN CO -* :z; '"' 1 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS, 101 GREELEY COUNTY. Greeley County, on the high plains of western Kansas, slopes east- ward from an altitude of about 4,000 feet above sea level on the State line to 3,500 feet on its eastern margin. The surface is more or less deeply covered by Tertiary deposits, but the Niobrara chalk probably Ues at no great depth throughout the area, although possibly near the extreme north margin of the county there may be an overlap of Pierre shale. The dip is gently to the northeast. The Niobrara is probably from 600 to 700 feet thick and is separated from the Dakota sandstone by 400 feet of Benton shales. In the southeastern part of the county this sandstone lies from 800 to 1,100 feet deep, the depth increasing gradually from southeast to northwest until it is about 1,400 feet in the northwest corner of the county. In a well recently bored at Horace, Kans., the Dakota sandstone was reached at a depth of 1,050 feet and was found to have a thickness of 300 feet. Layers of clay were intercalated in the sandstone. The well was continued to 1,350 feet, where the "Red Beds" were found. The water rises within 700 feet of the surface and 40 gallons per minute may be pumped. The record of this well throws a most important light on the position and capabilities of the Dakota sandstone in western Kansas. The thickness of the overlying beds is shown and the head of water ascertained. The low head of water in the Horace well indicates that there are no prospects for flowing water in the higher lands of western Kansas.^ The evidence obtained from various wells along the line of the Missouri Pacific Rail- way shows that there is a great underground ridge in the Cretaceous floor, in many- places coming to within 50 or 75 feet of the surface, with little water above the under- ground ridge. This part of Greeley County is one of the most unfortunate *eas in the State in this respect, yet it appears on the map to be completely covered with the Tertiary formations. In places the water is relatively abundant and of good quality. One of the worst features of this condition is that there are practically no indications on the surface where water can be obtained and where it can not. It seems to be almost wholly dependent upon the existence of ravines and channels in the surface of the Cretaceous floor, the existence of not one of them being indicated at the surface. The State well at Tribune, in the valley of the White Woman, reached the Cretaceous floor without passing through any water-bearing sand, while other wells near by on the highest ridges in the county found large quantities of water. ******* In the western portion of Greeley County, where the Niobrara forms an underground ridge, water is very difficult to find in abundance, and often where a well is supplied with even a small quantity, the character of the water is such that it is not very usable because of the mineral substances contained in it. It would seem that the Niobrara floor under this area rises so decidedly that the underflow of sheet water does not find its way over it, and in consequence the Tertiary formation, although being in general of the same character as in other places, does not contain a supply of water. Along the valley of the White Woman, however, there is a supply of water in the sands, gravels, and clays, which seemingly is brought by the drainage of the valley.^ 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1965, pp. 300-301. 2 Report of the Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 1896 to the Legislature of Kansas, pp. 101, 112. 102 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Ill Table 34 the only analysis is of water from the wells of the Missouri Pacific Railway at Tribune. The water is soft. One of the assays is a test of water from the public well in Tribune which is shown to be soft. The assays of the two wells at Horace show that both well waters have high permanent hardness and that the chlorides in the private well are rather high. Table 34. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Greeley County. [Parts per million.] ^^ ^ 0) ;^ oM n <3 ■^ No. Date. Source. 1 Analyst. o o a 00 02 s o3 t3 ■3 «* fl p M h tS — ^ — ^ ft P a o ^ S S.2 M 1 > Eh ANALYSIS. 1 Tribune, 3 wells 129 Missouri Pacific 41 1.7 39 5.2 5 67 7.8 7.8 34 •^nq ASSAYS. 1907. 1 Dec. 14 ....do.... Horace, public well. . Horace, well of J. C. Holmes. oll5 121 .0 n .0 .0 176 133 82 168 40 116 9 3 ....do.... Tribune, public well. 96 .0 .0 188 Tr. 15 o About. GREENWOOD COUNTY. As Greenwood County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, hard waters must necessarily be expected. The analysis (Table 35) is of a very hard wat^r. Assay 1 is a test of water from the spring which was much used by the pioneers and which gave to the city of Eureka its name. The water is very much harder than that from the city wells, of which assay 2 is a test. Table 35. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Greenwood County. [Parts per million.] , ^ is o Ml O o ^ No. Date. Source. ft Analyst. O "a? g S 3 1 d T3"m § 1 o O ■a O CD fl O O za S o 02 c3 o fp 3 t3 ANALYSIS. 1 Madison, well on farm of Ar- nold Girard,a sec. 2, T. 22 22 F. W.Bushong. 13 9.2 408 384 550 274 3,054 70 S., R. 12 E. ASSAYS. 1907. 1 May 14 Eureka, Eureka Spring .0 364 431 421 2 ...do Eureka, city supply, 2 wells . . 21 .0 .0 307 Tr. 14 o Quoted from Kansas Acad, of Science, vol. 17, p. 53. QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. 103 HAMILTON COUNTY. Hamilton County, in Arkansas Valley, in the extreme western por- tion of the State, is underlain by the Dakota sandstone, Benton shales, and Niobrara formation, all of which dip gently to the north- east; the higher lands have a thick cover of Tertiary deposits. The Dakota sandstone is exposed in the southwest corner of the county, and the Benton shales appear in Arkansas Valley and at some isolated points to the south. The northern third of the county is underlain by Niobrara formation, which is exposed in some of the depressions north of Coolidge and Syracuse. The Dakota sandstone yields water to a number of wells in Arkan- sas Valley, some of which flow in the eastern margin of the Arkansas Valley artesian area, which extends into the center of this county. At Coolidge there is a group of flowing wells, ranging in depth from 226 to 300 feet, which furnish flows of 27 to over 100 gallons a minute under slight pressure. Farther down the valley, especially near Syracuse, there are a number of wells in which the water rises within 30 feet of the surface. Several wells have been sunk in portions of the county away from Arkansas Valley but have not reached Dakota sandstone. Even at Coolidge, flowing water is obtainable only in the lower part of the valley. The State well, 6 miles due north of Kendall, is 196 feet deep and obtains a water supply at 180 to 192 feet from Tertiary gravel and fine sand lying on Niobrara chalk. A number of wells in various parts of the county obtained supplies from this horizon, which is the principal source, the shales below rarely containing any water.^ Analyses 1 and 2 (Table 36) are tests of waters at Coolidge. Anal- ysis 1 indicates a calcic sodic magnesic saline water, and analysis 2 a calcic magnesic saline water. Analyses 3 to 8 show the quality of certain well waters about Kendall. Analysis 3 indicates a soft calcic alkaline water. Analysis 4 shows a calcic sodic saline water. Analyses 5, 6, and 8 are sodic alkaline waters that vary from fair to good for use in boilers. A sodic saline water is shown by analysis 7. The quality of waters around Syracuse is shown by analyses 9 to 20. Hard calcic alkaline waters are indicated by analyses 12 and 14. Calcic saline waters, poor for boiler use, are shown by analyses 15, 16, and 17. A very bad water for steam boilers is the calcic magnesic sodic saline water shown by analysis 13. Sodic alkaline waters are indicated by analyses 9, 10, 11, 19, and 20. A sodic saline water good for boiler use is shown by analysis 18. The quality of several well waters in Coolidge is shown by assays 1 to 4; these waters are all high in sulphates, but the shallow well water (assay 4) is notably the highest. The character of well waters at Syracuse is indicated by assays 5, 6, and 7. These waters are all high in sulphates, but the shallow well water (assay No. 1) is especially so. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 301. 104 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. ^ a- oo-^ o OC Tf os oc t^ 5^ o- ,_, t^o n "^ m oc c: (NtCCO oc "* nl-^ t^ r^ c^ a -^ t-^ ^iS-a t O) OiTT-a" ■^ c^ 00^ o 00 00 ^-11 r4 r^ ola- ile dor- nie. C-J cs — OCO«3 litt I-- ^~T^ oc COOC O ®o ^- -fj " 03 caO .SCO M^M — ' a>^ C J^ c^ oococc Ot— cc U^CC a- CO cs •^ c 05-<1< =3 cO o- o- tococ 01(M o- ro- oc OC^ !><>- N.^ « O go x:^^ ^ t^ Sodiun and po tassiuii (Na+K c 0^ (N oo -^ Tjoj o- 00 rt • O ■^ -^ 05 II? t-- ^ I> lO W ^00 y- rt (> ^ oa ■* CO p; c^ CO •-^ T-1 (M > rt P +j c >% ..« "ca c OQ a c -=1 c C doc d c c d o c d c d c d o 2 ■c •c rO-O-C 'Ot; ■OX) t; ■^t: ■a ■c ■a'o c "3 ^ ^ _ •^^ lO => (NOO t^ c -a- tc C 00 u- "qo^ t^o p-ffi t^ 3 locou: c lOOC (M l0^i (N ■c wcoo- u- T— 0} 0) Jscl ,_ l-t "^ ■ — v — ' C^) cv , , >« (r 1 tf x; o Q a • 2 w o C a> 1 S r< c CO C ^ c 1 (M '^ C! 3 o ^00 o a ^ _c C8 f M o 13 a P a5 P4 1 c a 03 1 1 03 O ft 03 ■a "3 o CO I? 1 C .0 a 1 _0 Q ci (M o 'Eh ll 1=1 ai ? 03 1 "o 1 Q O Eh Q "o W 1-5 i 03 "S |o •« o °% . ■5 >.^ l°g O o r 1^ 1 •a _3 03 03 c 'S-a-d C C MM o •3 c o a oSS ~o 3 o 1 3 03 O o 1 o C c i : 3 o c o <3J > ."^ > a> K- j'^ ^.> ■i^ >-. > !>i : c O m • OQ 03 02 CQ - Ul 03 02 . c (M iMc: ■OC c lO t^ 1> -* 00 lO . c^ .s .(N (M o- eq .(N cq cs a C ^ oo > ■> oo > > > ^ d o 6 00^ >>*i fi "^^ -H C ^ o o o a •d-O ■73 »-H a -go IS iz; !? :?^ P ^ d ^ oo ^ "^ ""* HAMILTON COUNTY. 105 O »0 O 00 O I- ot-h o-* c^ri £? nS C^Cq W'N (M o o o o o o o ,-..-1 H O '— I -^ CO 1— I lO CO ■ ^ ft .-H ® I 1 9i p. 03 S ^g ^.S ^o ~^ °-] —S g^ 1^ oT « S » oT dj S m ;:3 ;:3 f*>S S ° o3 oJ o od O Offi i- i- ,r ,r 5 ,rf=^ 03 03 c3 -^ri 106 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. HARPER COUNTY. As Harper County is underlain by Permian rocks, it is probable that deep wells will yield highly mineralized waters. In Table 37, analyses 1 and 2 are tests of waters in Anthony. A sodic calcic saline water is shown by analysis 1 and a calcic alkaline water by analysis 2. Tests of water at Attica are recorded in analyses 3 and 4; the former indicates a sodic calcic saline water and the latter a calcic sodic alkaline water. The shallow well water at Walden is shown by analysis 5 to belong to the calcic magnesic alkaline class. The city water of Anthony is shown by assay 1 to carry bicarbonates in moderate amount and high sulphates. The other assays are tests of well waters in Harper. Soft waters are indicated by assays 2 and 3. Assays 4 to 7 indicate waters high in bicarbonates, sulphates, and chlorides; therefore, these waters are so hard as to be distincth^ undesirable for domestic and manufacturing use. HARPER COUNTY. 107 Total dis- solved solids. o ^ " Vola- tile and or- ganic. 53 00 o oi ^ 2.9G O IN t^ o to C*^ C-J^ COOOIOO g cs ^ ^ Bicar- bonate IN 000 •* 00 CD CO -^ t^ to 00 OoO X2-^ o oo o o o o 00 —1 en IN 02 Sodium and po- tassium (Na-fK). O ^ O to 00 1^ CO '.D to CO a R s£ tM)3w^ t^ O IID -^ to !-l ^ Cq IN IN d i^ "■3^ 00 CO CD I:^ O to to -rt* . to to ■ 2S to 10 C3 to 00 "O 00 0000 . ^rt o ^ oy:^ o o3 |1 §1 P ^ .goa 2^^ "02 -< a < «3 C3 " Depth (feet). 16-23 20 (M CO 00 IC Cq " ^ J ^ M M W M M -^ to T-H CD to CD .C^ . . .IN . I| U it l| ii ig gg ^ c C C 6 i 1 c ) ■« Cv ci- ^ ■« C£ i> 108 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. HAEVEY COUNTY. Harvey County is underlain by Permian rocks, and as these rocks, as well as those beneath, yield highly mineralized waters, successful deep wells are improbable. The remarkable Equus beds (see pp. 34-35), cross the western part of the county and yield the public water supply of Newton. Analysis 1, Table 38, shows a sodic magnesic saline water; one that as a drinking water would have a decided laxative effect. Analysis 2 denotes a hard calcic saline water. Analyses 3, 4, and 5 are tests of calcic sodic alkaline waters. A calcic magnesic alkaline water is shown by analysis 6. The assays represent tests of well waters at Halstead and indicate soft waters. HARVEY COUNTY. 109 \ ^ ^rA en «5 Tota dis- solve( solid! CO ai 1 OO ■-3 o.S a> -■^s ^ga o t^Tt<00 CO C^ O ^ "^ -^ o «^ CO (NIM w ,-1 l-t ■'J^ 1-1 i-l i-H S-So O"- — 1 *''5 00 2li '"' ^-' a> ^ lO CO"5C o ■* to OSCOC^ M CO ^ ; : 1 QJ^ o 00 CO —1 t^ t.-M " C-) oc -f ^ o ■s csO t> lO en Cd r^ 03 0.2o «>-' t^ »0 00 CO o a^ O 4> 0»H Ab 03'i c~ So ^ O—l C^ CO ■^ (N-. a ft>. o opd >> -s ^« a O C3 3 n O C5 Sod O O o ^" <1 f^ <1 •^ ^ ^ O O h- cs 1 •^ 00 00 o »— 1 0) a> pe- «o C3 O •sits ft ■o |o ■3 ^ a W 02 3 O o ■?,'o3 gfd c8 9^ i "3 o 03 3 ^ > -^ c3tr' 1 o aj c 3 rt (D 2>. (2 w m wa;? ^ w w CO NtHOS ^ lO CO .c<< Cq rH .N Cq .rH aJ TT ev CD . (N CD ; l| st!tfa s^ i ft So •O'rt T) a: 'Z . . . ;^ OOm Iz; 6 ^ (NCO-* U5 CO >H NCO ■* iz; J 110 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. HASKELL COUNTY. Haskell County is situated on the High Plains, between Arkansas and Cimarron Rivers. Its entire surface is mantled by Tertiary deposits from 20 to 100 feet or more in thickness, underlain in greater part by Benton shales. In the southern portion of the county the underlying Dakota sandstone is probably not far below the surface. This sand- stone is reached by several wells in which water rises somewhat, but gives no promise of a flow. At Santa Fe a well was bored 1,300 feet or more through Tertiary deposits, Benton shale, Dakota sandstone, and far into the ^'Red Beds," but no flowing water was obtained.^ No complete mineral analyses of waters in this county are avail- able for publication. The assays (Table 39) are typical of the best waters that are drawn from the "underflow" which is moving slowly southeastward over the Cretaceous floor. These waters are soft and satisfactory for domestic use. Table 39. — Assays of ground waters from Haskell County. [Parts per million.] ^ No. Date. Source. 4J si ft o d o a o o o o a fl o .g o 5 6 m P. 3 m 6 o 1 1907. Nov. 4 ...do ...do ...do ...do Santa Fe, well of J. F. Rutledge, Santa Fe Hotel 330 382 208 159 150 0.0 Trace. Trace. .0 Trace. 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 185 185 185 178 180 Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. 15 2 Santa Fe. well of J. J. Miller, block 36, lot 7, Powell s addition 10 3 Santa Fe, well of Jas. S. Patrick, NE. J sec. 1, T. 29 S., R. 33 W 10 4 Santa Fe, well of J. H. Graver, 9 miles south- east of city on SW. J sec. 8, T. 29 S., R. 31 W 10 5 Santa Fe , well of John Rogers , 13 miles south- east of city on NE. i sec. 27, T. 29 S., R. 31 W 15 HODGEMAN COUNTY. The greater part of Hodgeman County is underlain by the Benton shales, but the higher divides are capped by Tertiary deposits, and Pawnee Valley, in the eastern part, cuts into the Dakota sandstone. Some of the numerous wells penetrate Dakota sandstone and obtain satisfactory supphes of water, especially wells in Pawnee Valley below Jetmore. In the extreme northwest corner of the county the Dakota sandstone lies about 400 feet below the surface; in the extreme southwest portion, about 200 to 250 feet; throughout the county, therefore, the sandstone is within reach of wefls of moderate depth. i 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 303. HODGEMAN COUNTY. Ill From the foregoing paragraph it appears that wells m Hodgeman County may derive their water from the Tertiary deposits, the Benton group, or the Dakota sandstone. Water from the first and last of these is generally very satisfactory, though that drawn from the upper part of the Dakota sandstone is apt to carry enough sul- phates to make it desirable to sink the wells below the gypsiferous shales of the formation. The water that is derived from the Benton group is usually limited in quantity and highly mineralized. George I. Adams has called attention to the fact that in this county a fiuviatile deposit, consisting of Tertiary sands and gravels and worked-over clay is found in every small stream and draw.^ At Jetmore in the bot- toms of Buckner Creek wells at the depth of 32 feet discover water in this material, which largely disappears farther upstream at the limits of the Benton group. The only complete analysis (Table 40) is that of water from a shal- low well in the alluvium; it indicates a calcic alkaline water of con- siderable temporary hardness. Assay 4 shows the composition of water from a well that is probably in the alluvium. Assay 1 is high in sul- phates and is a test of water from a well that probably draws its water from the Benton group. Assays 2 and 3 indicate soft waters from wells that are in the Tertiary and tap the "sheet water" or "under- flow." Assays 5, 6, and 7 show the quality of waters drawn from the Dakota sandstone. Table AQ.— Analysis and assays of ground waters from Hodgeman County. [Parts per million.] . ^ C3 ■ O 'S, a -¥ n .^ No. Date. Source. p. ft Analyst. o 1 a 2 IS o 11 il o 02 o a o O 03 a o C3 s o a "3 CO 3 i S o 1902. ANALYSIS. 1 Oct. 15 Jetmore, surface well . . ... Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. 54 1.5 9.5 14 31 170 36 24 1 Report of the Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 1896 to the Legislature of Kansas, pp. 105 et seq. 112 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 40. — Analysis and assays of ground waters from Hodgeman County — Continued. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1907. 1 Dec. e 2 ...do-... 3 ...do.... 4 ...do.... 5 ...do 6 ...do 7 ...do.... Source. ASSAYS. Jetmore, well of Geo. E. Martin, NE. } sec. 35, T.22S.,R.24W 15 0.0 0.0 272 116 10 Jetmore, well at almshouse, NE. J sec. 6, T. 2-4S., R.23W 60± Tr. .0 222 Tr. 34 Jetmore, J. McClure's well, NE. J sec. 12, T. 24 S.,R.24W 03 .0 .0 233 Tr. 15 Jetmore, public well 70 1.0 .0 241 Tr. 10 Jetmore, well of T. J. Palmer 200± .0 .0 278 47 24 Jetmore, well of Geo. Orbison, SW.isec. 36, T 22S., R. 24W 240 .0 .0 254 181 55 Jetmore, well of C. W. Patchen, SW.Jsec. 6, T.24S.,R.23W 256 Tr. .0 338 173 40 ^-^ o o O w '-! • o O 03 «s *&? +^ a a> si &- a o ^ Xi ft a ja p. ft P 2 03 O m 3 15 0.0 0.0 272 116 60± Tr. .0 222 Tr. 03 .0 .0 233 Tr. 70 1.0 .0 241 Tr. 200± .0 .0 278 47 240 .0 .0 254 181 256 Tr. .0 338 173 JACKSON COUNTY. As Jackson County is underlain by Pennsyivanian rocks hard waters must be expected, except possibly from some shallow wells that are sunk in glacial deposits. The analysis (Table 41) shows a calcic sodic alkaline water. Assay 1 indicates a soft water and assay 2 one of decided temporary and permanent hardness. Table 41. — Analysis and assays of ground waters from Jackson County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. Source. si 1 Analyst. o CO 2 o i to a 03 o • d o 03 a o O o C3 a o 5 O m S 03 -a 02 5 a> a _o 2 o 1 1902. Dee. 10 1907. July 15 ...do ANALYSIS. Holton, well of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. ASSAYS. Holton, well of city hotel Holton, well of Perkins Ice and Cold Storage Co. 60 72 Kennicott Water Softener Co. 33 1.4 120 27 80 209 .0 .0 258 340 125 Tr. 47 76 65 1 5 100 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. 113 JEFFERSON COUNTY. Underground water is Ojbtained in Jefferson County under practi- cally the same conditions as in Jackson County. The analysis, Table 42, shows a calcic magnesic alkaline water. Assay 1 indicates a hard water and assay 2 shows the highly mineral- ized water that may be expected in deep wells. Table 42. — Analysis and assays of ground waters from Jefferson County. [Parts per million.] 1 g O No. Date. Source. 1 .a ft Analyst. O 03 m 1 Q 1 '■B o m d o O 03 a M o o d ft 3 ai 3 1 o o ANALYSIS. 1903. 1 Feb. 24 Kennicott Water Softener Co. 20 65 .^4 3.9 136 34 6 ASSAYS. 1907. 1 July 13 Valley Falls, well of J. M. Piazzek.a 25 V4H T-17 162 r>, do Valley Falls, well of Mel. Legler.f) 1,253 •■i 5 llfi 36, 800 a Located between the Leavenworth, Kansas & Western and Missouri Pacific Ry. tracks. b Prospect hole put down in 1889. Water comes in at 400 feet. SO4 greater than 626. JEWELL COUNTY. . Jewell County is situated on the high divide between Solomon and Republican rivers. The high ridges in the northwestern part of the county are capped by Tertiary grit; the central, northern, and western portions are underlain by Niobrara chalk; and, in the lower lands to the south and east the Benton shales reach the sur- face. The Dakota sandstone, which outcrops in Republican and Solomon valleys, underlies the entire county, lying nearly level or dipping gently to the northwest. In the eastern and southern sec- tions of the county it lies but a short distance below the surface, but the depth increases gradually under the higher lands to the north and west, so that probably it lies 700 to 800 feet deep in the northwest portion of the county. Apparently the main body of the sandstone has not been reached by deep wells in this county, although several borings 300 to 500 feet deep have been sunk through the Benton shales to a water-bearing horizon, which in this region contains considerable salt and has yielded salty waters which have not been useful. One well near Jewell, 337 feet deep, obtained salt water which rose within 25 feet of the surface. At Ionia is a 77836°— wsp 273—11 8 114 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. similar well 432 feet deep. At Mankato a well 500 feet deep found an abundance of salt water which rose within 50 feet of the surface. Borings 3^ miles northwest of Lovewell 380 and 400 feet deep also found salt water. Unfortunately these borings were not made suffi- ciently deep to test Dakota sandstone, for although it is not likely that wells in that formation would obtain flowing water, except possibly on the lowest lands, the water may be expected to be of good quality.^ It will be seen by referring to the geologic map that a long nan-ow tongue of the Tertiary formation extends along the north side of the county to the Republican River, occupying the high ridge between the Republican River on the north and the White Rock on the south. The Cretaceous chalk beds are exposed along the White Rock almost entirely across the county, and also along the bluffs of the Republican, but on this divide the whole of the formation to a depth of about 100 feet is Tertiary. A cross section of the Tertiary ridge taken from surface contours and the records of various wells shows that the Tertiary ridge rests in an old Cretaceous trough. The whole belt is full of wells, usually nearly 100 feet deep, every one of which furnishes a large supply of good water, while along the Republican brakes to the north, or the White Rock to the south, water is hard to obtain by digging, and that which is pro- cured is so mineralized it is not very serviceable. Another evidence favoring the idea of a Cretaceous trough under the Tertiary ridge is the condition of springs. Scarcely a spring is known along either side of the belt throughout Jewell County, but at the eastern end of the area, along the bluffs of the Republican River, springs are numerous. The supply of water they furnish is abundant and the quality is the same as that produced by the wells of the Tertiary area.^ The analyses and assays (Table 43) that are available for pubh- cation are entirely inadequate to show the different kinds of ground waters in the county, for no tests have been made of waters from wells in the Tertiary nor of the salt water from the deep wells. Analysis 1 shows a very heavily mineralized magnesic calcic saline water. Analysis 4 is a test of a magnesic calcic potassic saline water that, as a drinking water, would be highly laxative. Analysis 2 indicates a hard calcic alkahne water. Analysis 3 shows a sodic calcic alka- hne water. The two assays indicate hard unsatisfactory waters. These analyses as a whole show that the waters outside of the Ter- tiary area are unsatisfactory for domestic and industrial use. This accords with the popular idea that it is difficult to find any other than hard waters in Jewell County. Outside of the Tertiary area the only solution of the water problem appears to be to sink wells deep into the Dakota sandstone. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, pp. 304-305. 2 Report of the Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 189G to the Legislature of Kansas, p. 97. JEWELL COUNTY. 115 Total dis- solved solids. ; 5S I CDt~ Vola- tile and or- ganic. 'I' CD .-( Tt< CT> i-H »0 1 ® ^ "3 "go i-( ^ ^ -^ CO o CT> r-l rt O COtH C4" lO 1 »'s S"So .3 ao t^ 0) . i 03 "^ a oo Sodium and po- tassium (Na-l-K). (M Olio OJ CO lO t> CO d Fl--^ CO 1^ d--A o ® c- >-"c3M O 5 2'^ r- c^ &-m t-OcO 00 c OJ C3- 00 ^ o- CO CO CO t^ CM t^ (M ^ ■2-^ >* go r^; •z,^ O) ^ 0: c (M 00 ^ CO 10 u" ^^ cr OC c^ CO r^ c ^ CC C^ IM >o c^ cooic<- ^ ^ n cscsO CC 1^ ?^ miW S^ c >3 I^,-^ c t^ :o r^ c: CO 10 (>) cno■ s c c; c: (N O oO ,Q^ idium and otas- ium a+K). c: o .ou- 1^ oc t~ cc c: ^ 0: CO t cs ^ -^^ CO 'MO CO P y-i cc CO (N "^ 1-^ go ■3|c5 C3 vS CO .-H Tj< 00 .2 go .-) t^ 00 Tt* -H 1-1 r^ 05 CO lO to Oi rH CSl ■-{ (N (M M .-1 (M (N OoO OOO o o o o o ■ ■ Sodium and potas- sium (Na+K). ga- lls o o § o " f 030 <1 6d- ft tt! 0) CO CO o ira o in o C*3 -f t^ CM 3 o 03 ■^ X, b:° ® °> °-9 °'S 03 -a '^ be '^^■^j:, -sS ■3'- 1 1 .• i ^§i^^i ^1 vj '^ Zl > COS .<^ .^r^ .►^.^ -^^ ij 1-1 02 MM M M ft c o o -a o ■a o c^ ■* ^. tc t> 00 oa QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. 119 KINGMAN COUNTY. As Kingman County is underlain by Permian rocks the prospect for good waters is poor, for the rocks of this series and of the Penn- sylvanian beneath it usually yield highly mineralized waters. But the western part of the county is underlain by Tertiary deposits which normally supply good water. Analysis 1, Table 46, shows a calcic saline water and analysis 4 a calcic alkaline water; both of these waters have considerable perma- nent hardness. Analyses 2 and 3 show soft calcic alkaline waters. Assay 2, Table 46, is a test of the same water as analysis 3, and this water is practically the same as that of which assay 1 is a test and which comes from a spring near the Hinds Spring. Assay 3 shows the composition of the old public water supply of Kingman. The water is apparently affected by the old salt well that is in the city. Assay No. 5 shows rather high chlorides, and it may be that the well from which the water was taken is very slightly influenced by the salt well. The other assays are of reasonably soft waters from shallow wells in the city. 120 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. Total dis- solved solids. s (^ o flj ro ■^ 3 s CT> cc q6 OC CI OicDCOi-ICDO Sul- phate (SO4). g "^ s g . § g S5 i i Bicar- bonate (HCO3). t— r^ CO CO cc (M T-i 00 r^ 0) . ,^lo 00000 tM CO CT> (M TO l~ t^ >-l Sodium and potas- sium (Na+K). 00 10 10 01 IM Pi -^ CM 06 f- CO 3|t 0^ C3 f^ CC 10 ■* 10 lb T-H cq « (>i i-i ^ 00 aJ So MM. S E^ S "3 a3 1* oJ •g grt ^ gP5 •g §^ 1=;^ g^ g SS 2o SS .S Soj S-S Boa •^ < i4 ^ - ^ i-ss 05 O? lO to O W3 M O CD 00 ^ rf rt 1 tul? : ?;?^ (N(N OO (N CO oo t^ O rH CO l~. Sodium and po- tassium (Na+K). 00 t~ 00 CO C3i CS 1-1 cc !>: C<1 Tji 00 o-go CO '^ Oi ■»!< lO CD 00 ^ (N 0> OO a a IN O 3 o 3 C o o 1 O — O sa i-H a . 0) .^ =§3 ^ °° " II &jo bjo 3 3 mm n a aj a> OO ft 00 00 CO ■ is U is ii' m ft m ft M ;? : d !2; -^ N CO •9 tH IM QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. 123 LABETTE COUNTY. Labette County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, from which, as a rule, hard waters are derived. No analyses are available for publication. Assay 1, Table 48, shows a water which carries a moderate amount of chlorides and bicarbonates, but which is high in sulphates. Assays 2 and 10 indicate soft waters low in chlorides. Assay 7 is a test of a water low in chlorides and sulphates, but having great temporary hardness. Assay 3 represents the hardest and most unsatisfactory water that was tested in the county, for its permanent and temporary hardness are very great and the chlorides are high. Assays 4 and 5 are tests of flowing wells that are believed to derive their waters from the Ozark dome; these waters have high temporary hardness and chlorides. Assays 6, 8, and 9 show rather unsatisfactory waters, such as are com- monly found in the shallow wells in the Pennsylvanian rocks. Table 48. — Assays of underground waters from Lahette County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1 2 1905. July 17 ...do 3 ...do.... 4 ...do.... 5 1906. Dec. 12 6 1905. July 17 7 ...do.... 8 July 19 9 ...do.... 10 ...do.... Source. Bartlett, well Bartlett, spring 24 miles south of city. Chetopa, well west of Mis- souri, Kansas & Texas Ry. depot. Chetopa, flowing well 4 miles east and 1 mile north of city.'' Chetopa, flowing well, city supply. 6 Oswego, well 1 mile south and 3 miles west of city. Oswego, well 4 miles south and 5 miles west of city. Parsons, well 2 miles south of city on upland. Parsons, well 2 miles south and 2 miles east of city. Parsons, well 3 miles south of city. Depth (feet). 12 10-12 950 1,114 Analyst. E. Bartow. do .do..., .do.... E. Bartow. do do Iron (Pe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO4). 0.0 .0 0.0 .0 216 255 176 Trace. Tr. .0 372 (a) .0 .0 358 44 .0 Trace. 456 0.0 .0 .0 264 138 .5 .0 449 Trace. .0 .0 293 40 .0 .0 274 48 .0 .0 196 Trace. Chlo- rine (01). 45 9.2 142 260 211 73 9.2 299 81 14 a SO4 greater than 626. ft H2S present. LANE COUNTY. Lane County is mantled by Tertiary deposits resting on several hundred feet of Niobrara chalk, which is exposed in some of the deeper depressions to the north and east. The Dakota sandstone lies at a depth which increases gradually from about 500 feet in the south- eastern corner of the county to 700 feet in the northwestern corner, the beds dipping very gently to the north and the surface rising very gradually to the west. A well 400 feet deep 3 miles north of Shields 124 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. obtains a very small supply of water from a thin sandstone bed, probably in the upper part of the Benton formation. This county lies too high for an artesian flow, but the Dakota sandstone may be expected to yield water that would rise within 300 or 400 feet of the surface and yield an abundant supply to pump wells.^ Both the analyses and the assays (Table 49) indicate fairly satis- factory waters from the Tertiary deposits. Table 49. — Analyses and assays of ground waters from Lane County. [Parts per million.] g 3 /■—, o 13 m o ■5 1 > 1 1^ d M d No Date. Source. 1 0) Analyst. d 1 a 2 1— 1 3 o s s «* 3 O m g o3 a o -S S 03 3 m o a o o CI 03 > ANALYSES. 1 Healy, 2 wells 110 Missouri Pacific Rv. 65 1.8 58 20 25 118 63 17 12 381 Pendennis, well ASSAYS. 105 do 38 1 51 14 8.9 112 20 5.9 8 •'fin 1907. ^ Dec. 11 Dighton, well of Commercial Hotel .0 254 46 75 on Main Street. ? ...do Dighton, well of Henry Seemann. Tr. .0 254 Tr. 4.5 LEAVENWORTH COUNTY. Leavenworth County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, which yield highly mineralized waters, but there may be wells in glacial de- posits that supply water of superior quality. Analysis 1, Table 50, represents a test of a highly mineralized mine water. The other analysis and the two assays indicate very hard waters. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 306. LINCOLN COUNTY. 125 Table 5Q. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Leavenworth County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1907. July 12 ...do. Source. ANALYSES. Leavenworth, natatorium of Home-Riverside Coal- Mining Co., from mines 750 feet deep.f Leavenworth, water in No. 1 plant of the Home mine.o ASSAYS. Leavenworth, well of Leav- enworth Packing Co., 744 Shawnee Street. Leavenworth, well of F. E. Lambert, 211 Kiowa Street. 60 Analyst. O. F. Stafford. .do. 110 9,296 15,717 141 130 a Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 7. LINCOLN COUNTY. Lincoln County includes a portion of the valley of Saline River and the adjoining slopes. In the river valley and along the east side of the county the Dakota sandstone is exposed and the higher lands are capped by a few hundred feet of Benton shales. Most of the many wells obtain their water from the Dakota sandstone, some of them from a depth as great as 280 feet. The water rises nearly to the sur- face and has considerable volume.^ The analysis and assays, Table 51, show hard, unsatisfactory waters- Probably wells sunk deep into the Dakota sandstone would yield better water. Table 51. — Analysis and assays of underground waters of Lincoln County. [Parts per million.] ^ . 0) S aw O Q c3 n No. Date. Source. ft ft Analyst. O S 03 5- a o l-H o '3 o is ■B.B O to 1 a o C3HH o2 O a 1 O ANALYSIS. 1902. 1 Sept. 19 Barnard, well Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. 30 Tr. 201 17 51 1.88 308 36 ASSAYS. 1907. 1 Sept. 9 Sept. 10 Lincohi, city supply, 2 wells. Lincoln, well of Cooper Ice Co. 4S 31'^ 143 34 9 75 n 356 T>~ 44 "Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 306. 126 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. LINN COUNTY. Linn County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks and its well waters are hard. No water analyses are available for publication. Of the assays in Table 52, only 7 and 9 indicate soft waters. Assays 1,3, and 6 show waters of high temporary and low permanent hardness. Assays 2, 4, and 8 are tests of waters of high temporary and permanent hardness. Assays 10 and 11 show the highly mineralized ground waters that are found at Pleasanton. Table 52. — Assays of underground waters of Linn County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1 1905. June 26 2 .. do 3 4 June 25 ...do 5 ...do 6 ...do 7 ...do 8 ...do 9 June 26 10 1907. Aug. 23 11 ...do Source. Depth (feet). Analyst. Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO4). 0.0 503 Trace. .0 450 54 .0 .0 487 329 Trace. 74 .0 265 43 .0 293 Trace. .0 265 Trace. .0 341 97 .0 136 Trace. .0 369 {d) .0 624 573 Chlo- rine (CI). Boicourt, well 3 miles west and 1 mile north of city.a Boicourt, well at Sugar Creek Bridge, southwest of city. Laeygne, public well Lacygne,well on high ground 2^ miles north and 4-J miles west of city. Laeygne, spring 3 miles east of city.ft Lacygiie, spring 3J miles east arid 1 mile north of city, c Laeygne, Rock Spring, 3J miles east and 2 miles north of city, c Laeygne, well 6 miles east of city. Pleasanton, spring near Mine Creek east of city. Pleasanton, stock well on Eighth Street. Pleasanton, Everett's well. Ninth and Main Streets, c E. Bartow. do ....do .1 ....do do... do... .do. .do. .do. ...do.. 0.0 .0 198 20 9.7 9.7 9.7 209 12 290 205 a Odor of H2S. & Used to supply E. W. Pollman's ranch. c Upland. d SO4 greater than 626. e Sunk 30 years ago and believed to be typical of local wells. LOGAN COUNTY. Logan County includes a portion of Smoky Hill Valley an^ adjoin- ing high plains. The Tertiary deposits have been extensively removed by the river, which has cut a wide valley into the underlying Pierre formation to the west and into the Niobrara chalk to the east. The western and northern parts of the county are underlain by the Pierre shale and the southeastern part by the Niobrara formation. The Dakota sandstone lies at a depth of 800 to 1,000 feet in the south- eastern part of the county and 1,000 to 1,500 feet in the higher lands in the northern and western parts, the beds dipping gently to the north. It is probable that the head of water in the Dakota sandstone is sufficient to raise it to an elevation of about 3,000 feet, so that the formation should be expected to yield a flow in wells in the valleys of Smoky Hill River and Twin Butte Creek. Several attempts have LOGAN COUNTY. 127 been made to reach the deeper-seated watets in this county. The boring put down by the Union Pacific Railroad Co. at Winona is 1,356 feet deep, all below 160 feet being in shales, and is reported as a dry hole. White shale was penetrated from 1,100 to 1,175 feet, probably representing a portion of the Niobrara formation. This hole undoubtedly would have reached the Dakota sandstone within a short distance and found a water supply which would have risen to within 300 or 400 feet below the surface. Two deep borings on Hell Creek, in the extreme southeastern corner of the county, reached a depth of 500 feet, all in the Niobrara formation and the top shales of the Benton, without obtaining water, and a 408-foot boring at Elkader had a similar result. A boring at Oakley is said to have reached a depth of 700 feet and obtained a small amount of water, which rose to within 30 feet of the surface. It is reported that some water was found at 90 feet and at intervals down to 350 feet in alter- nating sands and clays in part of the Tertiary deposits. The underly- ing shales extend to the bottom, which lacks about 450 feet of reach- ing the Dakota sandstone. Oakley is slightly too high for a flow.^ The only analysis in Table 53 shows a rather hard calcic magnesic alkaline water at Oakley; assays 1 and 2, which are also tests of well waters in Oakley, show soft waters. Assay 5 indicates low bicar- bonates and moderately high sulphates in a well at Winona. The Oakley and Winona waters are derived from the Tertiary deposits. Assays 3 and 4 show \ery hard waters at Russell Springs. Table 53. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Logan County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1 Mar. 18 1907. Sept. 22 Source. ANALYSIS. Oakley, well. ..do.... Nov. 24 Sept. 23 ..do... Oakley,wellof v. Kag- ger. Central Avenue and Fifth Street. Oakley, well of Union Pacific R. R. Russell Springs, spring at head of draw in south part of city, public supply. Russell Springs, well of R. J. Abell, in bottoms of Smoky Hill River. Winona, well of F. E. Brook. 20 Analyst. Union Pacific R. R. 34 300 83 26 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, pp. 306-307. 128 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. LYON COUNTY. Ijyon County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, which yield hard waters. The analysis, Table 54, indicates a sodic calcic saline water. All of the assays, except No. 4, show waters of high permanent hard- ness; assay 4 indicates a soft water. Table 54. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Lyon County. [Parts per million.] M C3 c3 OS ft 1 S 1 2 > ANALYSIS. 1901. 1 1 Oct. 3 1905. Emporia, well at stockyards.' . . . ASSAYS. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. 95 12 130 198 75 114 31 1 July 29 Emporia, well in eastern part of city.o E. Bartow 0.0 .0 306 76 229 .... 2 June 16 Reading, well one-fourth mile north of Duck Creek. 6 do 1.2 ... ... .0 287 121 24 ..... S ...do Reading, well east of city do n 14'> ?,H?. 35 4 ...do.... Reading, well near 142-mile Creek. 35 do 2.5 21 215 T. 40 a Peddled in city. b On high ground. m'pherson county. About 55 per cent of McPherson County is covered by the Equus beds, which occupy what is believed to be an old river channel that connected Arkansas and Smoky Hill rivers. These beds yield an abundance of satisfactory waters. Over the rest of the -county good, soft water is difficult to obtain, for, except in the northern part where there are irregular areas of Dakota sandstone, the character of the water is determined by Permian rocks, which generally yield hard waters. In Table 55 analyses 1, 3, 5, and 7 to 13 represent tests of waters from the Equus beds, and should be compared with analyses 2, 3, 5, and 6 and assays 1 to 4, Harvey County (Table 38), which are tests of waters from the same beds. Of the waters from the Equus beds in McPherson County, analyses ], 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 (Table 55) show calcic alkaline waters, analysis 9 shows a sodic calcic alkaline water, and analyses 12 and 13 show calcic sodic alkaline waters. Of the calcic alkaline waters analyses 1, 3, 7, 10, and 11 indicate waters of high temporary and considerable permanent hardness, analyses 4 and 5 waters of high temporary and low permanent hardness, and McPHEESON COUNTY. 129 analysis 8 shows a very satisfactory water of low temporary and low permanent hardness. A calcic saline water so highly mineralized as to be unfit for ordinary use is shown by analysis 6 and a calcic saline water so hard as to be unsatisfactory for use in steam boilers is shown by analysis 6. It is probable that neither of these waters comes from the Equus beds. The superiority of well waters from the Equus beds to well waters from the Permian deposits in McPherson and Harvey counties may be appreciated by comparing the waters from these beds with anah^sis 2 of McPherson County and analysis 1 of Harvey County. The assays of samples from Marquette are interesting, because they show a peculiarity of the well waters in the city, namely, that those north of Smoky Hill River are free from iron, whereas those south of it contain so much iron as to be most troublesome to the householders. The cause of this difference in the well waters is not certainly known, but it may be that the waters of the wells north of the river come from the Equus beds, which do not appear to yield water of a high iron content, while the wells south of the river are supplied with water from the unconsolidated material at the edge of the river, which water often contains much iron, as tests of well waters from this material at Salina, Manhattan, Topeka, Lawrence, and Argentine show. 77836°— wsp 273—11 9 130 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. o 3 CC r^ CC 00 ^ CC ■2 2 >S ^ CO CC CO 5 ^^11 IN S 6 -et^ '■S'^'5 « c s O C3 bjD ►> o CO C CO ^ c^ >o >.-: CO 02 irauo o ©^ CO OC CO 00 ^ CM S.S6 o^c- io c^ C ^ S^ t-- - ^;^ 1 ^^ (N oi c kT t^ OC oc ^ ^ CO "^ O-rf 1 ^ IT !r cs ■^ CO ^c '" H 1 a> '^ 0- i-ii ^ Oi ^ oa oaO cr p- CO .a SO njK ^-^ OJ . C c sl5 ^_^ c^ c c: QC t-- r^ 10 ^ oc t^ oc CC -* CO 03 CN 5 T-H .-1 C^ ^-^ ^ dium and otas- ium a+K). m 35 ^ ^ CM CC cr oc a cooc c^ C3 Cv- " Th OICN ig f^"5 2i i . ~^ cr c ^ C c oc ^ ira .-ICC rf "'^ CSl T-H C<1 C' |-SS ^ ^ r^ 00 oc c<- ^ c 0^ oc cr C: o- a- 00 >o T- »— ^^ .—1 T— 2S E^ CO cs t^ t^ ^ cs C<1 ,-H CS 1— (^ nO ^ " 03^^ IM t^ ^ oc r^ ^ C<1 S C~) ■Mo mS ^ =% S' ■'c CC -' K Q >> > ■^ 1^ •0 a •e Pi ^ a < C c (5 § '3 C ^ c =3 C c b. C " "5 > t 1 £ c d a c hi C C «- c 1 ->^ d IP c 5 d ^ ^ P^ i w M ^ r-- c c c CC oq CM c OS rt cr IT ■^ CM CMCS ftOJ 0) a P^ 3 c 1 > 'Z 1 ■ p. c % d bO C 1 "3 1 s > ' 1 "a ) 11 -c3 iS C3* CQ ■< 1 " > ; ^ c ' b, c 5 . i c c t s zj c c 5 < c c 1 r c C c5 1 c i- c p Ph a p. "S 3 a ^ c c C -^ g % :s S % %' ^ oc ^ c ^ ^ CO . c^ .c .s . CO (N 06 CD p- Tt IT CC t- oc cr c T-H oc ^ 2i ■" McPHEESON COUNTY. 131 1 3 § i ^ i t^ o o ■r> CO 00 o o o o o >o lO CO Marquette, well of Chas. Anderson, NE.i sec. 26, T. 17S.,R. 5 W.i Marquette, well of J. Gust Peterson, NE. -J sec. 26, T. 17S.,R. 6W. Marquette, well of H. A. Van Home, lot 4, block—, Bacon Addition, i N CO •* 22 o o o ^ s:^s Pi >>>>>> C3 ^ bob ^ §§i > t>i a a d ?i 'm MMW a €,-, «HH «-^ >!>.>.aj X!X!.i2'2 o T3T3T) " ~2i2— -3 3 3 3 cs « u •« « ■^ la* » 132 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. MARION COUNTY. All of Marion County is underlain by Permian rocks, and in certain parts of it gypsum deposits are found; hard waters are therefore to be expected. All of the analyses (Table 56) show waters of high temporary hard- ness, and they all show waters of very great permanent hardness except analysis 4, which indicates a water of low permanent hardness. Waters of the calcic alkaline class are shown by analyses 1, 2, 4, 5, and 10. A calcic magnesic alkaline water is indicated by analysis 6, a calcic sahne water by analysis 3, a calcic sodic saline water by analy- sis 9, and calcic magnesic sahne waters are shown by analyses 7 and 8. The assays all show exceptionally hard waters. MARION COUNTY. 133 w ai — I (M —< 00 o CD lO i-l 00 Mo OC lO o o CO O Oi rH C-l 1-1 i-(CO IOCS 1-H CM -^ 1— I lO -^ CO (N i-*T-H iC O (MCO M'Sc CD (M tH ^ CO i-H CO CO CO (N CD (MO ■Thi CO to C-l »0 OJ CO (S ^O .ago GO rH »0 O O -^04 00 Ol 00 O O .—I CO ■^ -rt^ CC -^ -^ -^ CO O oo CO tH ■ I-H 0-i< o oo o 6 o SC7 3 0.57 r^ T-IOG CO .-H O-rtP. 10 T-H CO 1-1 ■SO o t>> ■3^ 0=: ^« cd pPn ft _:^ ^1 ■^- C-- o ^ art >^>: >>;>, >>>^ 'grt -OTJ -a-o ^ ffl ^Xi x:'42 fl'>^ aJ 03 03 03 (D OP 0) a) P^ CLiCIh P-Ph ^■E S -e ^ — ' -C?-" S E S ja ; OS "3 S ^^ CD +^ ■3 2 3 ' 2 - 134 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. MARSHALL COUNTY. Marshall County is underlain by Permian and Pennsylvanian rocks, from which hard waters must be expected. In areas covered by gla- cial drift, however, wells may obtain somewhat softer water. Analyses 1 and 2 (Table 57) show calcic magnesic alkaline waters; the former indicates a soft water and the latter one of considerable temporary hardness. Assays 2 and 3 indicate very hard waters. Assay 1, like analysis 1, is a test of the city water at Blue Rapids. MARSHALL COUNTY. 135 Total dis- solved solids. • So.2 ^ -1< OiOO 1 *"---■ lis '■ c-1 -J ^ si 03 J? O oo ooo Sodium and po- tassium (Na-fK). mco 1 3|t C-1 r^ t^ 00 1^ 00 (M . O . 03 --A -4^ c c (£ c i ^ 5-^ Pi's (MO IM lO IM o 1 ID 1 0,0 li > p '0 > 3 <1> 10 csoo rH (P ttJ 0) d -H -r T-H i-icM CO CM CO 10-1^ Car- bonate (CO3). 00 000 i . .. = j Sodium and po- tassium (Na+K). 10 (N -^ lO CO cq 1-1 CO Magne- sium (Mg). lo CO -*< en (M C^ Ol -Ji 03 S =3 00 -1* CO t^ 03 00 01 00 0^ ocoooooo iO oi (N CO CM •^ a < ■3 =« . 1 >> M a c ^ 1 PC - ^ ^ c 1 fC 1 c x: 5-A §"1 00 CO CO CO 00 »o 00 CM -1* Ol ™ c fi a ■ o3 03 3 - s . i i g 5 |5 ^ ^ "^ ft nil '^"i 1 fi ft fl M C c cu P +^ " a ^ « 3 s >. • " S o'S S "'32 "3 '3 g^gSg^gg go| 0000 i< 03 00 ft 02 t~ 05 to .CM .CM .1-1 §§= i-s SB'S c C c S-g -a d ;5 - CQ c -■* - CQ c rt IT «: t^ 00 t q -f o QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. 143 MORTON COUNTY. Morton County ^ lies in the extreme southwestern corner of Kansas, along the valley of Cimarron River. The entire county appears to be underlain by Dakota sandstone, which is deeply covered by the Tertiary deposits on the higher lands. Along the Cimarron River bottoms, south and southwest of Richfield, this sandstone yields flowing water in wells 90 to 105 feet deep, but the pressure is very slight and no flow is obtainable on the higher lands. Two wells 50 feet apart were sunk at Richfield to the depths of 651 and 701 feet to obtain flowing water, but the flow obtained was from the ''Red Beds" and the water was of unsatisfactory quality. It is stated that the pressure was sufficient to raise the water 125 feet above the surface. The following record is given: Record of well at Richfield, Kans. Feet. Soil and Tertiary grit (reported as gypsum) 1-40 Yellow clay and sand 40-52 Sand 52-71 Blue joint clay 71-72 Dakota sandstone with great quantities of water which does not rise much 72-202 Blue shale 202-251 Hed sandstone with a flow of 6.3 gallons a minute at about 637 feet : . . 251-701 In the southern tier of counties, including Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade, and Clark counties, the Cimarron River valleys have an aggre- gate area of about 250 square miles of unusually smooth, even land in which water in great quantities lies at a depth of 10 to 30 feet. A few wells have reached greater depths before obtaining water, but in such wells the water usually rises within 20 or 30 feet of the surface, so that this measurement represents the distance the water will have to be lifted in pumping. In the southwestern part of the State the Dakota water can be reached at shallow depths.^ William Easton Hutchinson, of Garden, writes that near the North and South Forks of Cimarron River the wells are very shallow, many of them being less than 10 or 15 feet deep. In the northern part of Morton County, as well as in part of the extreme western section, the depth to water is 100 feet or more, but in nearly all of Morton County good water can be reached at a depth of 45 feet. Two artesian wells were drilled within a half mile of Richfield in 1890 and continued to flow good streams for 10 years, when the flow ceased because of lack of proper attention to the wells. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 308. 2 Abstracted from Report of the Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 1896 to the Legislature of Kansas, p. 103. 144 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS, Neither water anal^^ses nor assays were made in Morton County. E. Dudley, mayor of Liberal, who has had wide experience as a well driller and who has been thoroughly conversant with south- eastern Kansas since early pioneer days, says that at Point of Rocks there are three flowing wells. The first of these is 8 miles east of the city ; the' second is in the city and is a strong alkali water, while the third is 12 miles west of Point of Rocks. Mr. Dudley says further that in Colorado, 6 to 12 miles west of the Colorado-Kansas State line, in the Cimarron bottoms, is a bed of gravel 7 to 12 feet thick that carries water in abundance. A 5-inch pump inserted 1 foot below the top of the gravel failed to lower the water level. NEMAHA COUNTY. Nemaha County is underlain by the Penns3^1vanian series whose rocks normally yield hard waters; possibly wells in the glacial drift may prove more satisfactory. Analysis 1, Table 63, shows a calcic magnesic alkaline water of high temporary and considerable permanent hardness, and analysis 2 indicates a calcic sodic alkaline water of marked permanent hard- The assay denotes a water of considerable temporary hardness. ness. Table 63. — Analyses and assay of underground waters from Nemaha County. [Parts per million.] , B n 3 No. Date. Source. Analyst. o a 3 d Q o M 03 d CO o 03 o 1 A ^ f^ 3 s ai 3 - o o c3 .s 5 a ft 2 O 1^ m o 03 O 3 CO o 3 o o o ANALYSES. j 1908. - ( 1 Sept. Sabetha, well 50 feet from Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. tank. ■160 Chicago, Rock Is- land & Pacific Ry. ol6 89 39 34 208 87 12 ...'485 9 AVetmore, well 44 Missouri Pacific Ry. 31 2.9 86 16 48 139 111 24 72 530 ASSAY. 1907. 1 .July 22 Seneca, city water b _ . 6; .0 .0 278 Tr. 20 c Si02-I-Fe203+Al203. b Tap in Hotel Gilford. NEOSHO COUNTY. As Neosho County is entirely underlain by Pennsylvanian rock, the prospect of finding soft water is poor. In Table 64 the only analysis is a test of a very hard laxative calcic sodic alkaline well water at Erie. Assays 8 and 11 are the only ones that indicate soft water. Assay 5 shows the hardest water of those tested in the county, both the temporary and permanent hardness NESS COUNTY. 145 being remarkably high. The temporary hardness of the water, of which 10 is an assay, is very great and the water is high in chlorides. Assay 2 indicates a water of low permanent and rather high temporary hardness. The other waters assayed are very hard indeed. Table 64. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Neosho County. [Parts per million.] ^ ^ 2 n a No. Date. Source. 1 Analyst. O ■a? 1 3 i ^14 d a i a o a W 03 a o 6 o ft a) o s a o M o 6 03 o 03 _ft 02 o S o > ANALYSIS. 1902. 1 Nov. 7 Erie, well Atchison, Topeka & 18 1 7 1,W HI 134 947 ?57 a") 18 Santa Fe Ry. No. Date. Analyst. ^ o ^-s CJ O w '^ r) S A "u ^ toco ocq ^0 (M -^ . ^ cs 3.So 10 t^ •—! Oi oioo o (M b- SatsO TtH ^ (N 01 tH (M(M . (NCC .2 GO caJW -2'-^ 00 0000 ra aO 2§ s O oo .Q — , ^ CDIO ■d-d "5 .-i C-) i^ • rtlO lis "" §"- o|^ il ■-H OC °.^ ^ c: ^ ^ ° ^ H ^ ^ e t-i^-- cs'S >o^ .ao ig. >. « ^j <§ >. 03 "3 Ph CI ^ 43^ OC 100 ooc in t^ Oi c^ 05 10 cc r 00 »o p.-£ ^ ^; M !> M a - 1 p4 C i - - ^ - "S lJL — • ■— ' fc-i 03 ^ o B ►J << .far: . .a: » 1^ ~ -5 • a c ■^^ ■< s- >" ■3 a 0;SS'S=c "opi o« ooi'sci occ -T^ =3^ 3=3 = ©cc gcd'gaJ'aiM'S'^ 2 t= ^00 2 ft a g 03 O 1 o 02 a 03 O S ft 3 02 o o o in ANALYSES. 1909. 1 Norton, city water, 4 wells. 35-60 Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy 6 48 169 28 34 250 13] 40 R. R. 2 Sept. Norton, well 6 Cliicago, Rock Is- 6 7.9 89 18 15 164 37 15 347 land & Pacific Ry. ASSAYS. 1907. 1 Oct. 6 Norton, city water- works well, 1,400 35 .0 .0 472 Tr. 20 feet from Prairie Dog Creek. 2 ...do Norton, city water- works well at edge 61 1.0 .0 386 Tr. 15 of Prairie Dog Creek. ...do do 43 1.0 .0 369 Tr. 15 a Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 310. bSlOj-t-FesOs+AlsOs. 150 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. OSAGE COUNTY. Osage County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, which usually yield highly mineralized waters. Both the analysis and assays in Table 67 show very hard waters. The analysis indicates a water of the calcic magnesic saline class. The softest water tested is that of the public well in Quenemo. Assay 4 exliibits the most highly minerahzed water in the group of assays, for it carries much greater amounts of bicarbonates and chlorides than are carried by the other waters, and it is also very high in sulphates. Table 67. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Osage County. [Parts per million.] r^, n No. Date. Source. "£ ^ Analyst. O "a? o 3 P 3 d Q 1 g o 0) a o a) 03 cd & o d o O ^ S M s o ft 3 H m " O ^ m o W CO u ANALYSIS. 1902. 1 Nov. 7 Burlingame, well.. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. 22 23 97 37 20 69 26b s;^ No. Date. ,^ Source. Analyst. ^ O ^ o o — O +^ CQ OS s a o "§ o rd P< 2 s 3 Tr. 0.0 347 492 2.5 .0 367 .8 .0 318 115 .5 Tr. 695 222 .8 .0 347 68 2.5 .0 434 157 1905. June 13 ...do June 19 June 14 June 20 ...do..... ASSAYS. Burlingame, well at laundry on Main Street. . Burlingame, well of Martin Lund. . . Melvern, public well near the cream- ery. Osage, city well on south side of Market Street west of Fourth Street. Quenemo, public well at Third and Maple Streets. Quenemo, well at sanitarium of Dr. O. Robertson. E. Bartow.. E. Bartow. ....do 158 204 138 •30 66 OSBORNE COUNTY. Osborne County lies mainly on the Benton shale, which passes under the Niobrara chalk to the west, the beds dipping very gently to the north. The depth to the Dakota sandstone in this county ranges from a very few feet in its southeast corner to about 500 feet on the divides in the extreme western and northwestern sections. A number of borings have been made, of which some appear to have reached OSBORNE COUNTY. 151 the Dakota sandstone and to have found satisfactory water, while a number of others have not been quite deep enough and have been discontinued on encountering salt water, apparently in the shales underlying the Benton. A well of this character at Osborne, 301 feet deep, found very salty water, which rose to within 30 feet of the surface. The well passed entirely through shale, and no sandstone is reported. A well 9 miles south by east from Osborne (NW. | sec. 3, T. 8 S., R. 12 W.), 360 feet deep, found a large volume of salty water, which rises to within 45 feet of the surface. On Solomon River, 6 miles northeast of Osborne (NE. i sec. 14, T. 6 S., R. 12 W.), a well 315 feet deep, passed through blue shale and obtained a large volume of salty water which comes to the surface, and, it is claimed, rose several feet above it when the well was first opened. These wells indicate that an extensive stratum of water-bearing material lies at the base of the Benton shale, yielding water too salty for use. Doubtless wells bored through this horizon into the deeper beds of the Dakota sandstone would obtain satisfactory water for pump wells. ^ Analysis 1 (Table 68) is a test of a soft water from the valley of South Fork of Solomon River, and analysis 2 of a hard one in the valley of the North Fork, Assays 1, 3, and 4 denote waters of high temporary and low permanent hardness, and assays 2 and 5 indicate waters of high permanent and temporary hardness. 1 Description abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 310. 152 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. — Ti • ?s ?5 C<3iO 00 00 ° & > S "• O 0)^ in t~ o- "* Ol ■* OS S.S5 C^,-(— CO O "-w 1 '^-~- 9S, ^ aj aJ ^ CO lO (^ 3 so cS u § "^pS I a:''7? c: OO'S' tf -M ^ _>> « "3 c < 03 A^ IOC o- 0^(M lO CO ^ c^ r-io CO 00 Pi's fi?::- c -i -a. K fl bi 1 ^ 03 c P, § Si'S, ^ 1^5 g K ^JS"*^'^ ". 3 O 73 r a> . aj 30 02 a < ^ > .-£ . QJ c3 ° C3 cu OF ii c c CC m 03-w 03 0! (U , K mmm ■ d i-H(N ^ (MCO-* in ;?; 1 QUALITY OF THE. WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. 153 OTTAWA COUNTY. Ottawa County, which comprises a portion of the lower valley of Solomon River, is underlain chiefly by Dakota sandstone, but in the deeper valleys in the southern portion of the county the underlying Permian shales are exposed. Many wells in this county penetrate the sandstone to depths ranging from 20 to 150 feet, and generally obtain satisfactory water supplies. Deeper wells would pass into the salt-bearing shales which underlie the Dakota sandstone and which do not contain good water.^ The waters of Ottawa County are very inadequately represented by a single assay (Table 69), that of the wells of the city waterworks at the edge of Solomon River. The water has moderate temporary and decided permanent hardness. Table 69. — Assay of underground water from Ottawa County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCOs). Sul- pftaCe (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). 1 1907. Sept 2 Minneapolis, city waterworks wells and galleries; water derived from 57 0.0 0.0 272 44 29 PAWNEE COUNTY. Pawnee County embraces a portion of the valleys of Arkansas River and Pawnee Fork. All the lower lands are underlain by Dakota sandstone, but the ridge in the northern portion of the county is capped by a thin bed of Benton shales. Along the river there are extensive alluvial deposits, and to the south are sand dunes and Ter- tiary beds. Many shallow wells obtain from the Dakota sandstone water which rises to within a few feet of the surface. At Larned is a well 743 feet deep, from which there is a flow of 250 gallons per minute of very saline water. It is reported that fresh water was found in the Dakota sandstone near the surface, a slightly saline flow at 430 feet, and a strong brine under a pressure of 23^ pounds at 743 feet.i According to George I. Adams,^ the valleys of Pawnee Creek and its tributaries are filled with fluviatile materials which form an impor- tant source of water supply. The value of this aquifer depends on its depth, for along the main stream and in the broader valleys, where the material is thick, the water is never failing, but elsewhere the 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p 311. 2 Kept. Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 18S6 to the Legislature of Kansas, pp 104-107. 154 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. aquifer is thin and can not be so confidently relied on. In the eastern portion of the Pawnee bottoms, including the area drained by Saw- mill Creek, the thickness of the fluviatile deposits is about 40 feet. Analysis 2 (Table 70) shows the composition of the flowing salt well near the mouth of Pawnee Creek, and assay 5 is a test of the same water. The chlorine figure of the assay is lower than that of the analysis, which may be due to the fact that since the analysis was made the casing of the well has been so corroded that an opportunity for fresh waters to enter the well and dilute the chlorides now exists. Analysis 9 shows that the city water of Larned may be classed as a calcic sodic saline water; it is hard and has a laxative effect on those unaccustomed to its use. . The low chlorides make it apparent that the water is unaffected by that of the salt well. Analyses 3, 7, 11, and 12 indicate waters contaminated by leakage from the salt well. Analysis 5 shows a sodic saline water. Analyses 4, 10, 14, and 15 are tests of sodic calcic saline waters. These waters it is evident are removed from the influence of the salt well. Analyses 6 and 8 show calcic sodic saline waters. Analysis 1 shows a calcic magnesic alka- line water, and analysis 16 a calcic sodic alkaline water. Assay 1 of Table 70 represents a test of the city water at Larned and is in accord with analysis 9. Assay 2 is a test of the water of a shallow well in the valley of Pawnee Creek at a point considerably above the flowing salt well. The water is low in • carbonates and chlorides, but high in sulphates, though it carries much lower sul- phates than are carried by the city water or water of the 25-foot well of the C. W. Smith Electric Light & Ice Co. This 25-foot well (assay 3) and the deep well of the company (assay 4) are both injured by the salt well. PAWNEE COUlSrTY. 155 CO 00 CO 00 CM rt CO b- .—1 -H T) ,/ 00 to CO 0^ Ol CO ro IM CO rt (M T-H 00 < i-i -^ 10 ^ 1^ CD 00 01 t^ am-* C-3 10 !N 00 o> 00 rt 10 00 00 03 ^ , 1< CO CO t^ (33 t^ ^ r^ ^ OO'al 05 00 O Ol^ cs 05 CO ■^ ^ Tt* ■^ (M cz: a.S3 °i (M "^ "^ '~l ^ O "-^ ■^ ^ ^ O ^ 00 ^ t^ C-l ^ 00 •* ^ r^ 10 00 ^ COCBt^ 10 00 00 C4 ■0 ■^ ir3 -^t* CO ■i.^;^ 03 caO •sgo nSK ^ ^-^ CO 00 oc o> ~~oo ^ 00 CO 010 oc C-J 00 '3 3 =3 (> a- '^ t> ^ ^ ir moo CO 05 UO T-H •— f ^—* ^ 0^ cl--^ Tf cs fiii t c3 g ■B'B §1 ga .rt 1 3 7^ '^''^ ,0 ■ c r 0; 1 ^■3 C3 -tJ rt 03 e 03 fi = g C ,rt "3 ! b 0-^ 03 • c e c 1 1 P ■c a c ^ a !-, i^-K 03 1 1 Q a c "c 1 ^ 6: ^ 1 i 03 Ph 0) ^'^ CD a i. II !>. rt 0) fl rt s ^- M 03 rt 5 1- g 2 CD ^ rtT3 S 03 1 1 1 . a 9 P _rt o3~: c ■3 ^< CD (D a fl fl P 1 1 CD bi rt ft a ^1 I- 3 d CD ft . rt'd ojz; t 3 ^ "S SP^ ^ OM ^-a S m ^fe ■3 3 3k fin ft Sf^ s^is P 1- h:) "^ h:i h:i h^l h^h^^: ►^ h:; ~ 5 M ^ •^^ Tt 03 a ^ . c> c. c^ a5 Ir^ oi Tt* C3 It J X) H c»,r: rt ft rt a d d 13 a ) l-s ~ ) <1 (X |i |i( .< d ,- 1 00 -a CO t- « OiO.- s 00 '^ o ^ ^"1 156 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. c- lO o- — t3 M B M J^-S -* CO -'J' H^ll • tH ^: en (M ~ ^ o 0.2 00 (M ■"3 n3 t3 c •^ §6X1 , ■o t^ ~ o c O OO O t^ C-) 1- lO 00 o o 1 s>^ lO oc t^ 0.-H Oi t- a> cc ^ "go I— 1 r— .-H .-KM FQ^H ,-S^ o c O OO tj ID Pi +J ft . c "3 °fi 1 . 05 O o3 o 3 § 'O o -Soj .^ <1 s -s ^ TO c lO c O lO^ t^ IT- ft^ Ct3 w' •« — < 1 1 ^ +2 M o "3 c s m,S 1 ^'5 1 =1 o 02 g 8 Ms 1 g ;x S a ^3 o J; fn CD d ft^- a g s g ftS 1 a| CD £ ^ CC ^ ■s s 2-0 a: g 3 F P- CuO go a 03 1-:) '^ 3 (2 ^A k5 o (N (M » 3' t~I c^ §!>> hb io = 6 6 6 ft 1-5 3 13 -a-^ d ■^ >o o: T-H y-^ 00 a .5 > 13 A 'yi Km lo O-S -o <1 ._ -^'.-. -o !- o Si f-' Ota 3 tuoS D M-a g§3gg§ So :^o c ^^ r-ICM OOtH c: lO -rt^ o t^ lO CO toc^ cc r-,-1 c^ CO ft"£ COiO u S fiw ^ ^ > -1-. ^ -H a o S ort rt ^ s S,2 3^ g Is " !n C3 c O O o3 c3 O S^.Ph Ph 5p>.". ^ ^ o<^ tn cu . 3 m o u t« CO a 5 g ^ IK § ►J '_■ » wwf^S 1 ^3 w 5 gS: ^M & < -3 a Ti^ S > "a =3 =3 '"a 3 bB M.2 3 3 S i^ c.lo^ c O^.g-co-g VH.&d-B'f^ ;!^ o o ^ « -1- allil Wh^ k^Ph Ph S «w S dn Ph ■o t- 00 « cs t--^ o 02 e 1-1 a) 03 do ^ : : '-' : "^ 6 rHCq co^ >o rH (MCO ■* lO CO ^ 1 160 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY. Pottawatomie County is underlain by Pennsylvanian series and, in the northwest corner, by an area of Permian beds. The prospect for soft waters is therefore not good imless satisfactory wells should be developed in glacial deposits. The only waters tested are from wells in the Kansas River valley, so that little is actually known about the ground waters of the county. Both the assay and the analysis in Table 72 represent tests of shallow well waters at Wamego and indicate that the waters have decided permanent and moderate temporary hardness; the chlorides in the two waters are rather liigh. Table 72. — Analysis and assay of underground waters from Pottawatomie County. [Parts per million.] ^ o fcjo o CO o o -; No. Date. Source. =2 si Q Analyst. o O a O 03 O S .3 o el O a a 03 i a u o i-t O S J i xi ft "a m 3 i o o 2 "o o Eh ANALYSIS. 1908. 1 Mar. 5 1907. AVamego, 2 wells ASSAY. 57 Union Pacific R.R. 23 0.8 97 13 86 110 156 95 581 1 June 24 Wamego, city water, 4 wells. 50 n .0 292 157 100 PRATT COUNTY. Pratt County is situated in south-central Kansas on the High Plains, between Cimarron and Arkansas rivers. Its surface is cov- ered by Tertiary deposits from 50 to 200 feet thick, and its principal water supphes are obtained from coarser sands and gravels at the base of these deposits. The next underlying formation is the Dakota sandstone, which thins out to the south and gives place to ' ' Red Beds," which lie at no great depth in the southeast corner of the county. The only deep well reported in this county — that at Pratt — is 800 feet deep. Salt was found from 600 feet down. The salt-bearing beds carried some water that rose within 15 feet of the surface. Judging from the experience of the deep well at Anthony, in the adjoining county, the salt-bearing beds are very thick. The under- lying limestones are probably not to be reached at a depth of less than 2,500 feet, and possibly much more. Whether these limestones would yield satisfactory water is also uncertain.^ Analyses 2, 3, and 5, Table 73, show soft calcic alkaline waters. Analysis 1 is a test of a soft calcic sodic alkaline water, and analysis 4 of a hard calcic saline water. The three water assays indicate soft waters. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 312. PEATT COUNTY. 161 Total dis- solved solids. CTi 1 Vola- tile and organ- ic. ^ LO O --' (M -t* O O ■^ CO ca rr r-^ Ci (M CO g5 1 '^^ ^ k^ pi 03 oSO lO CI 1-H 00 1^ o T-H T-H 1-H a oo o o CT) CO lo :^ lo 1^ t~ 00 02 C33, o Sodium and po- tassium (Na-fK). CI 00 b- ^." 1-H Magne- sium (Mg). CO o CO U3 00 ^ 00 ^ t- CO >0 lO ^ lO o -, o P. -!x< «^ O 03 < c O lo ■ o o »0 OS o O 02 C -i c I- 13 °3 -^ . g ^ go ^ t t ^^ ■^ S -s £ o o So S o t3 ■« o iz; : : 6 - ^ C- 1 c 5 Tl H c q c ; 77836°— wsp 273—11- -11 162 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. RAWLINS COUNTY. Rawlins County lies on the High Plains and is traversed by the valleys of Beaver and Sappa creeks. The entire area appears to be covered by Tertiary beds, except in the .bottoms of some valleys, where the underlying Pierre shale is revealed. The Pierre formation is several hundred feet thick, the State well at McDonald having penetrated it for 213 feet without reaching its base. The underMng Niobrara formation and the Benton group have a thickness of about 900 feet. The Dakota sandstone is at an altitude of 850 to 1,150 feet above sea level. It dips gently to the northwest, and should therefore be expected at a depth of 1,600 feet in the southeast corner of the county and at 2,400 feet on the higher lands of the western tier of townships. Judging from the experience of the wells in the adjoining county — Decatur — the formation contains water, but not under sufficient head to yield a flow even in the deeper valleys.^ Still farther west in Decatur and Rawlins counties the Cretaceous deposits are rela- tively thick and the wells are correspondingly deep, but in almost every case the supply of water is abundant and the quality good. Some of the tributaries of the Republican in Rawlins County have cut their channels downward through the Ter- tiary, and for some distance into the Cretaceous, giving areas where the water supply is deficient. But while this result has been produced, another one exceedingly advantageous has also been brought about. The streams cutting through the Tertiary to the Cretaceous floor have made it possible for springs to exist. It is by no means uncommon in Rawlins and Cheyenne counties, particularly in the latter, to find various valleys along the principal tributaries of the Republican which are well watered the year round without any artificial application. The valleys have been corroded to the base of the Tertiary and an outlet to the general body of underground' water has been produced, so that constant seepage is in progress, forming pools of living water here and there along the streams, and frequently saturating the soil of the valleys to so great an extent that even in dry seasons further application of water is not desirable.^ Both the analyses and assays presented in Table 74 represent tests of waters in the valley of Beaver Creek. The assays should be com- pared with assay 1, Decatur County (Table 20). Analysis 1 denotes a calcic magnesic alkaline water, analysis 2 shows calcic sodic alkaline water, and analysis 3 a sodic calcic alkaline water. Of these analyses Nos. 1 and 2 show waters of high temporary and noticeable per- manent hardness; analysis 3 indicates a soft water. The assays represent waters of liigh temporary and permanent hardness. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 313. 2 Kept. Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 1896 to the Legislature of Kansas p. 99. RENO COUNTY, 163 Table 74. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Rawlins County. [Parts per million.] +-> . n d ^ No. Date. Source. ^ Analyst. 03 O o 01 M O i 6 o E3 Bg 1 o c o 05 a a 3 " O 'M M O w CO O 1909. ANALYSES. 1 Blakeman, well 50 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. a 62 133 43 76 321 su 40 ? 20 210 .. do am >o t^ Tt< CC Tj* b- •— * T-^ c^ »— ' (N g«_ ir -^ >o CO tl- c: CS ■0 C3 rj (^ c 00 OS 00 oc ^ 1— < ^^ Pl'-^ IT ^ (M (N t~ t- © T-H S2 M§, ■^ 1 QJ "3 =a n>> pi P.>> ■N cs (N ^ 2 2 i ^ Tt< 'S' "* -So -MO H 0^ 1 i s .c 1 >> PI 1 s 1 > ^ 3 s c ft a "°ft i pi c S3 ~ g^ 5 « ■oPh gi CO C SB jd d 1 i .s 1 i 1 11 d a a — r+3 "3 ^0^ g"l| b ^ ■a 3 c i3 '- ^ ^ s.g 3 ft 3W3 -M 3 a 30 ft5 03 3 +J 03 3 n-a 3C0 3x3 <) < m W w W w a a H M M ^ IN >c: "i* t- ^ .C^ . It a H is ift So sti is . ^ ' 3 C p <1 z 1^ 1-5 IS < 6 IN CO Til 10 i> oc CDS c ^ !z; '"' 166 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. — 'O m Tt< r- ^igl ,-( CO 5 e^oo » t-" «^ 00 CO 42 « 0.2 io n "o^-o CJ 1 t^ T-) TO IM m O .-H 00 ^_, CM CD O 03^^ O TO TO TO Oi O 05 Tt^ 3.So ■* i-H '"' '^ ■^^ C~l ^ •* QM^ TO 0) * +s '^ 2o S!2i iz;^' cu --^ lO .-I t^ 05 |^ o (^q ^^ t^ O O ■^ 00 03 1 0) '^ I-( T-t 00 -^ CM CM ;_, +J, CO C<] T-l O o3 mO (N (M CM CM CM (M .Sgo 1 ^ — ■ , S'^ O O o o o o o Bo ,-1 ira r^ o oc ^-^ Sodium and po- tassium Na-I-K). Tt^ o: OJ o c= CO OJ (M O c CM ■"-^ & r. ■ O r-l llg »0 "^ TO tP ^ '— gC^ "3 3J^ CO .-H CO TO ~^ TO c •^ CO t^ O-SS fl '^ ": , (M O o o 00 o o '^ 2^ '^ (M '"' §:? 1-H 03 ;i ' ^ -i S k! <^ ft>--!2>> <1 ill C "B-^ (M « lO rH in lO ^-v 00 Tt lO I-- "5 -* C^- CM 1| TO nil o =Y ^ ftp, gCC g'"52 o £ i 3 d^ 9 -5 ca a _ ^ "1 ^ gSgog •S PI .5 fl M A o ^ -g ^ °d +; a o CM 2 g p: 2 d^° ■So^j3 i!.g !>. "1 ol-^ ^ fe e5+- C3 pj* c ^ ©^ ^.d.t: K o d o S 4_. -IJ CD -w -IJ 5 SftI S 2 T l^sl 1- H 03 ^"Sft PCB SO o M n ftsm 15 c W M W M a w >o IM 00 05 I 03 CT> -S ft t^ . 1-1 ft %i i S^ > O d o ■< "A ft ^ : 66 ■0 1 1 .2 "3 1 2 1908. Sept. ...do ANALYSES. Narka, well, 900 feet from tank. Scandia, well, 100 feet from tank, .do 35 28 16 60 1.54 16 Chicasfo, Rock Is- land & Pacific Ry. do Missouri Pacific Ry. Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy R.R. 33 b 1.9 6 7.9 .8 631 2.5 Tr. 43 86 118 195 21 15 14 22 10 42 65 268 106 148 203 384 .0 .0 436 382 215 403 645 4 1909. 1907. Feb. 21 Feb. 22 Wayne, well ASSAYS. Belleville, city waterworks well. Scandia, well in Miller's livery .stable. 1 -7. aAbstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 313. 6Si02+Fe203-l-Al203. 168 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. RICE COUNTY. Rice County includes a small portion of Arkansas Valley below the Great Bend and extends northward to the low divide toward Smoky Hill Valley. The greater part of the county is underlain by Dakota sandstone, but the underlying Permian beds appear to the southeast. Many shallow wells obtain water from the Dakota sandstone. There are a number of salt wells and shafts in the county, one boring at Lyons having been carried to a depth of 1,625 feet. In Sterling there are brine wells 916 and 946 feet deep, and at Little River a salt well 1,000 feet deep was reported. The thickness of the salt-bearing formations and the nature of the rocks by which they are underlain have not been determined.^ Analysis No. 1, Table 77, shows a soft calcic alkaline water. Analy- sis 2 and assay 7 show the composition of a v/ater from the Dakota sandstone. The sandstone is entered at 45 feet and passed through at 50 feet. The well yields 45 gallons a minute and the water rises to within 30 feet of the surface. The water is soft and contains a con- siderable amount of chlorides. Analyses 3, 4, and 5 show hard calcic alkaline waters; analysis 6 indicates a very hard calcic alka- line water high in chlorides. A clay stratum is locally believed to separate the two sets of wells, of which 1 and 2 are assays. In some parts of Sterling this clay stratum is not found by wells wliich are sunk deep enough to pierce it, so that it is not unlikely that the wells are all connected with each other. The sample of which No. 1 is an assay was taken after 5,500 gallons of water had been pumped. The four wells were then dis- connected and the pumps attached to the two 48-foot wells from which a hke quantity of water was pumped before the sample, of which No. 2 is an assay, was taken. Assay 2 shows lower sulphates and higher chlorides than are shown by 1 , As these two sets of wells tap the underflow of Arkansas River the lower sulphates in the deeper sample is to be expected, but the higher chlorides is not easily explained. Assay 3 is a test of another shallow well water in the Arkansas River underflow. Assay 4 shows the composition of the water of the well at the Sterling salt works that was put down in 1902 and in 1907 was abandoned for boiler use because the infiltration of salt had destroyed it. Assay 5 is a test of the water of the well that was sunk in March, 1907, to be used in place of the old well. Assay 6 is a test of the city water of Lyons, which is shown to have considerable temporary and but little permanent hardness. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 313. RICE COUNTY. 169 Total dis- solved solids. OS s CO Vola- tile and organic. 10 01 CO CO Chlo- rine (CI). ^ r- • »-) -^ • CD 00 (NCOCO (M t^ 10-* t^ t^OT-tOOClCi.-H .-1 r-l(M(NCO(Ni-l.-l co" -* CO CD OiCD t^ 05-tC/:cD(Nfl*-; 10 -^ co^ '^ c35i--o^c»g9< c3 C3 .2 40 C<1 CO CO »o C7S OCO -f C^ CO C^ICOCO CO CO COCM • Ooo .000 00 cq 05^ to coco CO Sodium and po- tassium (Na+K). CO CD CO O) CO CO 0^ 00 "O 00 t^ CO '^ 06 c^ - t^ 1-H 1— 1 CO iU IM 00 >0 00 CO ~^ 00 Ol .-) - C/3 i^- 10 Iron (Fe). - • O o,fl > 1-1 hI 1- ft — ; 1 ^ f^ c h^l h- C Us fe 1 ^^-^ t 1 oj oj 13 _aj u:: _aj f 03COM ai m t- ■0 - a 3 P 03 • 01 CO ^ CO • l^ . <^ a> • -'o S 'S d III ■3 '3 71 C PI'S 170 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS, RILEY COUNTY. Riley County is underlain by Permian beds, except in the eastern and southeastern parts where Big Blue River and its tributaries have cut through to the Pennsylvanian series. The prospect for soft waters is not bright, for both the Permian and Pennsylvanian series yield hard waters. Analysis 1, Table 78, shows a water of high temporary and slight permanent hardness. Analysis 2 indicates a calcic alkaline water of high temporary and considerable permanent hardness. The four city wells are located at the base of a high bluff, and it is locally believed that they are supplied by sheet water from beneath the bluff. Analysis 3 indicates a very hard water. Analysis 4 is a test of a very hard and probably corrosive calcic magnesic saline water. Assays 1 to 10 were made in the course of an investigation of the wells in the city of Manhattan. The citizens call some of the well waters ha.rd and others soft. To determine whether there was actu- ally any difference in the waters, tests were made of wells located in widely separated parts of the city. It was found that the wells whose waters had a high permanent hardness v/ere called hard and the others soft, though the temporary hardness of all of the wells is Yerj marked. The wells of high permanent hardness are the ones of v/hich assays 2, 3, 6, and 10 are tests. All of these wells are located in the southeastern part of the city in an area bounded by Big Blue River, El Paso, Fourth, and Fremont streets. Assay 11 indicates a water of very high temporary and moderate permanent hardness. EILEY COUNTY. 171 bi ;S 5 Jd^-S '^ ^'^oo t-H ' • n_gO S"-- C o oc CD 3|g CN CO ira c o^oc CO ^ 00 -^ o ■^ co^ ^§>oc^ 05 ^E- Eh cc C-; > "S ■g .^ •g . '^ ^ o>. < rtrt c c asl 5 -m 6 8§ o sPh 6 ti o ■=!^ t^ ir ^ l^CC oc Phq; co c~ en CCTf cocc COM (M fit^ 1 O c g 1 1 ^ f 1 ' . 1 1 > o3 ; c ) ^ (Ul-H °^ fee 1 El r^ si III COM *- N SI P 11^ P-(PHfi 2S = C C 03 > a. a s c 1 "3 t3 Is ^ 1^ >> ^'^ 4:3^ a a a a g^-o a c tf a^ C C s ^ CD -r-. CD .a (^ a Sw- 7i ft CD ft 2 O n ft 02 36 Trace. 0.0 229- 276 300 0.0 .0 267 237 234 .0 .0 280 265 210 .0 21 279 344 295 .0 .0 280 265 308 .0 .0 272 237 325 Trace. .0 317 208 ASSAYS. Lacrosse, dug well of Missouri Pacific Ry Lacrosse, well of Missouri Pacific Ry Lacrosse, well of Bert Shiney Lacrosse, well of John Montfort Lacrosse, well of W. H. Russell, SW.i sec. 3, T. 1SS.,R. 18 W Lacrosse, well of Judge Anderson, NE. J sec. 9, T. 18S.,R. 18 W Lacrosse, well of Jas. A. Hite, S W. J sec. 27, T. 17 S.,R. 18 W , 146 453 443 490 443 457 438 EUSSELL COUNTY. Russell County comprises portions of the valleys of Smoky Hill and Saline rivers and adjoining divides. Over the greater part of the county the Benton shales lie at the surface, Dakota sandstone being exposed to the east in the valleys of the two rivers. The formation dips very gently to the north and is nowhere more than 500 feet below the surface, the depth being least along the river bottoms in the east, central, and south portions of the county. Many wells reach this sandstone and obtain water supplies, usually of good quality and in considerable volume. One well in Saline River bottom, north- west of Russell, is 125 feet deep and obtains from the Dakota sand- stone a flow of moderately hard water, which is said to have sufficient pressure to rise 40 feet above the mouth of the well. Some of the wells obtain their water from the top sandstone of the Dakota, and others go deeper into the formation to obtain better supplies. A well at Russell 325 feet deep apparently did not reach the Dakota sand- stone, but another well at this place^ sunk to a depth of 997 feet, 176 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. obtained water, which rose to within 300 feet of the surface but was too salty for use. A flow of fresh water was reported at 360 feet, apparently from Dakota sandstone, and it is claimed that rock salt was penetrated. This well was mainly in the Permian shales." Analj^sis 1, Table 81, shows a hard calcic alkaline water. Analysis 2 exhibits a highly mineralized water from the Dakota sandstone. Analysis 3 is a test of a calcic sodic saline water. The most satisfactory water shown by the assays is that of the spring that supplies Bunker Hill. The water has decided perma- nent hardness, but otherwise is very acceptable. Assay 2 denotes the softest water of the series of assays. Assays 3 and 4 are tests of waters of wells in the Dakota sandstone and indicate by the high sulphates and chlorides that these waters are derived from the gypsiferous and saliferous shales at the top of the formation. Assay 5 shows the quality of water of a shallow well in the valley of Wolf Creek, a tributary of Saline River, to be very hard. Assay 6 indicates the quality of the average shallow well of Russell, where the problem of obtaining good soft water has not been solved. Assay 7 is a test of a very hard water from a spring situated at the edge of Saline River and which it has been proposed to pipe into Russell for a public supply. Table 81. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Russell County. [Parts per million.] No. Source. ft a Analyst. 6 w .2 p g 3 a '3 03 ftM~ 2-3 d i o O M ft 02 3 B s o o > "c o 1 2 ANALYSES. Dorrance, well 300 feet east or station of Union Pacific R. R. Fay, flowing well?) of Mr.] Kellogg, SE. 1 sec. 14,^ T. 12 S., R. 15 W. J Gorham, well . . 60 121 43 Union Pacific R.R. J. T. Willard 17 1.4 108 171 0.0 282 32 /(Na) 4,921 136 Uo.'i 76 2,066 214 22 6,742 392 14. 627 3 Union Pacific R.R. 18 7.7 124 11 \ (K)39j"- 94 1.33 84 689 a Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 315. 6 Derived from Dakota sandstone. SALINE COUNTY. 177 Table 81. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Russell County — Continued. No. ■ Date. 1 1907. Sept. 17 2 ...do...- 3 ...do •1 5 ...do Sept. 9 1908. Sept. 18 7 ...do Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- Bicar- Sul- bonate bonate phate (CO3). (HCO3). (SO,). 0.0 0.0 300 77 .0 .0 445 Tr Tr. .0 312 150 Tr. .0 462 406 .0 .0 386 108 .0 .0 338 256 .0 .0 277 173 Chlo- rine (CI). 44 29 260 1,637 280 245 34 Bunl^er Hill, city supply spring from sandstone 2.\ rniles south of city, sec. 18, T. 14S., R. 13 W Bunker Hill, well of C. E. Lindsay, sec. 14, T.6S.,R. 12 W. a Bunker Hill, well of C. E. Lindsay, sec. 14, T,6S.,R.12 W.b Bunker Hill, well of A. H. Shaffer c . . . . Lucas, city waterworks well 246 265 50 Russell, well at livery stable of D. C. Winfleld Russell, spring at edge of Saline River, 4 miles due north of Russell d a Water was encountered at 15 feet and is probably of very local origin. 6 Water discovered at 221 feet and is derived from Dakota sandstone. c Put down in 1905. Is 80 rods northwest of Lindsay well and, like it, comes from the Dakota sandstone. Water rose 40 feet in well. d Proposed pubhc supply for Russell. SALINE COUNTY. Saline County is underlain by Permian rocks, which are in places overlain by the eastern edge of the Dakota sandstone, which has been so eroded that peninsular-like extensions project out into the county or detached isolated masses cover considerable arsas. The Permian rarely furnishes soft water, and so ths chief hope of finding any must lie in locating wells in the Dakota sandstone below the gypsiferous and saliferous shales at the top of that formation. But few tests of the waters of Saline County have been made and these are all analyses of well waters in fluviatile material at Salina (Table 82). All of these are very hard calcic alkaline waters. 77836°— wsp 273—11- -12 178 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. , Tf CC c^ r^ Total dis- solved solids. o -^ <3 I- t- 10 6-- O "* 0: a^ o ai 03 oi c cn -i< M (N to a o a . o >, 1 la <1 as 2^. 1— I la C C -^ 6^ o M D jq_^ iO o 00 1 Ro o- t^ oS c3 >> .a c3 0" i "o .9 a M ° "S a 1 "S M § CQ g 2 M 2 S 6 O ft ft 3 -SS-S ft 1 '0 r^ m m 03 3 O _o S C3 ^ fl • 2co C 3 o s^^^ !=!„—' fts- s|a.g ^1 03*~' 03 „™ ■^ •- l1 C3 §1 g 1 oft? =3« . w CQ M CQ m M OQ M M I 05 CO 1-H . a g-s, go gx! ^ M iz; ; M fi h s 6 <-( f^ « ■* w <0 t^ izi 1 < + o "; + Jo ^ a a* P p Mij ^ q=l W ^ -a rf^ ^ (It a) S sn ,0 01 0) « tuD-a fl 03 M ;^ e « QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. 179 SCOTT COUNTY. Scott County lies on the High Plains, between Smoky Hill and Arkansas rivers. Its surface is covered with Tertiary deposits, which are underlain at a depth of 50 to 200 feet by Niobrara chalk. Under this chalk, whose tliickness in this region probably ranges from 150 to 300 feet, increasing gradually to the northwest, there are about 400 feet of Benton shales underlain by Dakota sandstone. The beds all dip gently to the northeast. The depth to the sandstone is about 700 feet in the southeast corner of the county, gradually increasing to the northwest. So far as is known no attempts have been made to reach this sandstone. It doubtless contains water supphes, but would not afford surface flows, as the land is too high.^ The only analyses of waters in Scott County (Table 83) represent two wells in the Tertiary deposits at Scott. The waters are very much alike and are satisfactory. Analyses 1 and 2 show soft calcic alkaline waters. Assay 2 is a test of water from a well in the Tertiary deposits and shows it to have low temporary and permanent hardness. Assay 3 indicates- that the water wliich is taken from a well in a small basin west of Scott is like that of the wells sunk in the Tertiary. Assays 4 and 5 are tests of the waters of two wells in the Modoc Basin and show that as these waters contain large quantities of sulphates, they differ radically from the water obtained from wells in the Tertiary. 1 Abstracted from Trof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 316. 180 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 83. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Scott County. [Parts per million.] 1 _c5 .'H c o No. Date. Source. 1 Analyst. o '5' 6^ O Q 03 d 0) o CD o 1 '3 ^ 'J n 3 = o .JS i~< ".^j ft a o ^ ^ O 03 Q 3 m 3 o > o ANALYSES. 1902. 1 Oct. 30 Scott, surface well Atchison, Topeka, 49 4,'i ?A ',^4 114 34 1'^ & Santa Fe Ry. ' '> Scott, 2 wells 106 Missouri Pacific Ry. 53 0.8 60 19 19 122 31 V.6 S.b 311 No. Date. 1907. 1 Dec. 13 2 Dec. 12 3 Dec. 13 4 Dec. 12 5 ...do Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Ee). Car- bonate (COs). Bicar- bonate (IICOs). Sul- phate (SO^). Chlo- rine (CI). Scott, well of Missouri Pacific Ry Scott, well of E. E. Coffin, lot 8, block 5, Case Addition Scott, well of A. B. Daugherty, SE. J sec. 14, T. 18 S., R.33 W., in a small basin west of the city Scott, well of E. E. Coffin in Modoc Basin, SW. j sec. 31, T. 18 S., R. 32 W . Scott, dug well of Si Lynch, in Modoc Basin, NW. i sec. 36,T.1S S., R. 33 W.a 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 221 227 207 290 300 Trace. Trace. Trace. 313 313 a Well is not walled up. SEDGWICK COUNTY. Sedgwick County is entirely underlain by Permian rocks and as a rule hard waters are to be expected. Analyses 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 (Table 84) are tests of wells in Ninnescah Valley. Of these analyses, 1, 2, and 3 show soft calcic alkaline waters, while 5 and 6 denote hard calcic alkaline waters. Analysis 4 indicates a hard calcic alkaline water, high in chlorides. The waters from Wichita (analyses 7 to 13) differ distinctly from the preceding; they come from the underflow of Arkansas River, whereas the others do not. All these waters are hard and salty. The assay indicates that the city water is liighly mineralized with sulphates, chlorides, and bicarbonates. SEDGWICK COUNTY. 181 -^ n ^ g O ^ K5 ^JjS-o CO CO CO 00 »o ^^11 " *H ■^ tL 05 CM IM ■■5 o.g O o ^Ti fl O c* ^ c: cr (N C0 05 o >o C>5 CO CO ^ ^ 01 ^ o a>^ "^ ■-iCOlM 00 £P o cs Cvl S.So CN CO o "^-^ QJ ^ ^ ^ o o »o C) lO 00 00 o (N Co CO 10 1 03 ^ 00 (-< -M -S= CO cs.^ t^ cc ,-H lOO o ^ CO "^ (Z) CO 5-25 ^ t^^ O^ cc C3^ '"' C] (N cq "-' CJ-^ oc (N C<» t^ Tf cc lO 10 ro d^ o » c4coc^ o- c^i 10 ^5. a c3 -^ cr -i< oco t IM . c 03 c p? ta 15 O C3 IE O O o c •1 ^ eg a S ■II c Sa ^ Si 03 c 03 ^ Ph ^M 2Ph > IS "3 •So "3 a) 1— 1^ ^0 •" (N ■3 a 'S'^St^ t 03-^ ■^"SP 03'"o'S cf i c i 1 » o SW E3cph 1 (5 c adf^ 1 M r < -^.-H^ Tt OS (M 5 r-< Til ^ ) .i-l(N,-( .<>■ 1 .IM . IN OJ ei yi t^ b^ rq . ^ 10 t^ ■§ o O [; ? §"So s O-l- C5 a O ,-■ !§= 04. > ^ d . ro-t ^ C i, 00 c Ol '^ 05 f 5 ^1 '^OOO c/ R J n 3 a 'o §1 03 o a o ■a ■c3 fsi .O o M CO O r^i cc O P4 CO O c-i ANALYSES. 190S. 1 Sept. Arkalon, well 90 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. aF, 80 23 83 118 139 18 415 " ...do Liberal, well 165 do a3.9l 56 28 4.2 118 50 12 273 No. Date. Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Carbon- ate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). 1 2 ,S 1907. Nov. 5 ...do ...do ...do ...do ...do ASSAYS. Liberal, well of city waterworks Liberal, well of Alexander McCord Liberal, well of Chas. Calvert b. 175 156 165 227 ICO 241 0.0 .0 Tr. .0 .0 .0 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 213 213 213 222 221 47 Trace. Trace. Trace. 38 44 15 15 15 4 5 Liberal, well of McDermott's laundry . . Liberal, well of Jas. Dalton 15 10 6 Liberal, well No. 1 of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. 15 aSi02+Fe203-(-Al203. 6 Well is in the Dakota sandstone. SHAWNEE COUNTY. Shawnee County is wholly underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks^ con- sequently the outlook for soft waters is unfavorable, though it may be that in the glacial deposits there are satisfactory waters. In the valley of the Kansas considerable fluviatile material (see Brown County) has accumulated and is an important source of water supply. All of the tests (Table 86) are of waters from the immediate valley of Kansas River and indicate hard waters, some of which carry in solution an appreciable amount of iron and others noticeable amounts of chlorides. 184 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. "■ 00 00 c in J^ 00 IM CO 1 u; c 00 CO 0: 10 -t^ S'^ u^ CO ^ 10 CO CO CO 0=! ^ tHg ' ^ O lO CO -t^ cc .^ C -t 00 'o^'T^ P C ^ r- ,^ coo 10 03 (N Oi CO j^ CO 6 tu^ ■0 OJ m 00 oi 00 -r . b- I^ c 10 o a Oi OCT c-i 10 as « t- CO '"' C-1 ,Q^ S o6S~ 03 ^ c coc^ 10 CO t- O) Tf C35 c< ■. Ill s opi x . ^ cf-ii cfC os'pH 03 a .a ■£ > ;=: "ii; ^1=: > ft -^ 1 P is c c c ca c 'p. -is: H ,i< -isi^ ^ C ^'Z -^ Orii! ,l! r« fH J P ■i P ^ p ftp , . ^-3 ^£ a? § » o^^ 0^0 ft ^ c c c c p; ^ ^ &H Hen H e e H ^ H ;s t^- c .-H in ■ CO i^ 10 . c^ .c^ ~;'^ 06 Oi 00 s 06 -* 03 s^ 05 00 -JJ St T-H Sfefe §^ §g S^ fe ■< C\ m % i-g °g 05 ft r-l C rt 1— I C :s '^(5 '^ :z;;z; ""iS !? M d c ^ N CO ?i "^ ^ '^ "^ i QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. 185 SHERIDAN COUNTY. Sheridan County is a typical High Plains area, thickly covered by ''mortar beds" or Tertiary grit. The underlying formation is in part Niobrara chalk, which is exposed in the valley of Salina River in the southeast corner of the county, and in part Pierre shale, which probably occupies the higher portion of the region to the northwest. The depth to Dakota sandstone is probably about 800 feet in the southeast part of the county and 1,250 feet in the northwest part, the beds dipping gently to the north.^ The only analysis presented in Table 87 indicates a calcic magnesic alkaline water from the Tertiary deposits. The assays are all tests of waters in Hoxie. Assay 1 shows the water that came from a well in the valley of Sand Creek, which was dry at the time the sample was taken, to be rather hard. The two other waters examined were taken from wells high above the creek bottom. They proved to be soft and quite like the waters of many wells that are fed from the Tertiary. Table 87. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Sheridan County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1908. Sept. 1907. Sept. 28 .do. Source. ANALYSIS. Selden, well Hoxie, well of E. Crum Elevator Milling Co. Hoxie, well of R. Martin. b Hoxie, well of Wm. Dietz. M. Analyst. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. A-< ftW •^ §1 o c3 -n o ^ o oo o CO o CD a .;:^ HH a MO CD C3 ^^ r^ P 5 o ^ Q o W o O OS 1^ II o m w 3 o as. 2 44 22 26 120 30 10 290 40 20 .0 .0 .0 .0 241 233 Tr. Tr. 15 15 a Si02+re203+Al203. 6 Put down in 1886. SHERMAN COUNTY. Sherman County lies on the High Plains, chiefly on the divide between Republican and Arkansas valleys, its surface thickly covered by Tertiary deposits lying on Pierre shale. One of the State test wells, located 3 miles northeast of Goodland, reached a depth of 166 feet, all in Tertiary deposits, and obtained a large supply of water for pumping, probably from the basal beds. The Pierre shale in this vicinity is doubtless nearly 1,000 feet thick, and the underlying Niobrara and Benton formations are probably 950 feet thick, as in 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, p. 317. 186 QUALITY OP THE WATEK SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. the region to the east and south. These beds dip gently to the north. The Dakota sandstone should He about 1,500 feet below the surface in the southeast part of the county and at a depth of at least 2,500 feet m the northwest part. All of the land is too high for flowing water from the Dakota sandstone to be obtainable, although undoubtedly the water-bearing beds of this formation extend under the county and would yield water supplies for deep pump wells." The depth to the water varies slightly on account of the varying conditions of altitude of the surface, but in most places water is reached at from 150 to 200 feet and frequently will rise quite perceptibly in the well. It is not unusual for the drill to find a bed of water-bearing sand above a stratum of clay, below which is another bed of water-bearing sands, the water in which will rise to the level of the first water reached. Some wells even have passed a third water-bearing stratum before the Cretaceous floor was reached. A neck of the Cretaceous shales exposed along one of the tributaries of the Smoky Hill passes up into the southeastern part of Sherman County, producing an area in that part of the county over which water is hard to obtain. & The two analyses presented in Table 88 record tests of soft calcic alkahne waters from wells in the Tertiary deposits. The assays are all of waters in Goodland. A comparison of assays 1 and 2 makes it apparent that the water from the well of the light and power com- pany, which is used to eke out the city supply, is somewhat harder than the water from the city wells. Assay No. 3 indicates a well like that of the light and power company. The other assays show very satisfactory waters. Table 88. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Sherman County. [Parts per million.] 03 ^ "rt o^ O M ^M -^ u No. Date. Source. ft Analyst. a o o Si 3.3 o o o ill W 03 O o 3 o CD 3 O o > "3 o ANALYSES. 1908. 1 Sept. Kanorado, well 145 ChJeago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. C28 37 17 s 87 24 V07 '?, ...do Goodland, well 180 do cl8 88 10 18 89 29 V.8 211 a Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 317. 6 Rept. Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1895 and 1896 to the Legislature of Kansas, p. 100. <;Si02+Fe203+Al203. SMITH COUNTY. 187 Table 88. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Sherman County — Contd. No. Date. Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bynate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). 1 2 1907. Sept. 26 ...do Sept. 27 ...do ...do.. .. ASSAYS. Goodland, city waterworks, 2 wells Goodland, well of Goodland Light & Power Co. o 178 ICO 0.0 .0 .0 .0 1.0 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 207 19-i 197 184 188 Trace. 49 59 Trace. ...do... 15 41 3 Goodland, well at southwest corner of Courthouse Square 160 1C5 187 20 4 Goodland, well of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry 15 5 . ..do 10 a Used to eke out city supply. SMITH COUNTY. Smith County extends north from North Fork of Solomon River, in the north-central portion of the State. The north half of the county is covered by Tertiary deposits, under which the Niobrara formations appear to the south, Benton shales being exposed in the southeast corner of the county. The formations dip gently northward. The Dakota sandstone is from 300 to 500 feet beneath the surface in the southeastern part of the county, and the depth gradually increases northward to 800 feet in the highest lands of the northwest corner of the county. The principal water supplies are obtained from wells of moderate depth in the Tertiary and in alluvial deposits. Some deeper wells obtain small amounts of water in the Niobrara and Benton forma- tions, but usually in these the waters are insufficient in quantity or poor in quality. Several deep borings have been sunk. One at Smith Center, 600 feet deep, was all in shale, not being quite deep enough to reach the Dakota sandstone. Considerable water was found at a depth of 590 feet, which rose to within 390 feet of the sur- face, but was too salty to be of use. Apparently, it was derived from the salty sandstones and shales which usually occur under the Benton shales. Twelve miles southeast of Smith Center, sec. 5, T. 5 S., R. 12 W., a well 540 feet deep passed through a thick body of dark shales into 5 feet of sandstone containing a large volume of water, which rose to within 140 feet of the surface, but this water is reported as too salty for use. Near Cedarville a well 400 feet or more in depth failed to reach the bottom of the shale. Unfortunately no well has been sunk sufficiently deep to -test thoroughly the Dakota sandstone waters in this county, for although water from the Dakota would not flow at the surface, it would doubtless prove to be of better quality in the lower portion of the formation, and, having a large volume and considerable head, would prove an important source of supply for deep pump wells. ^ 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, pp. 317-318. 188 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. All of tlie analyses presented in Table 89 show calcic alkaline waters. Analyses 1 and 2 indicate waters of considerable permanent and high temporary hardness. Analysis 3 denotes a much harder water than either of the two preceding, and analysis 4 is a test of a water that has little temporary and decided permanent hardness. The assay indi- cates a water of great permanent and temporary hardness. Table 89. — Analyses and assay of underground luaters from Smith County. [Parts per million.] 1^ C3 . 8g 6 , o No. Date. Source. 0) Analyst. O 03 o O O o C 6 03 "S li & p o 3 6 1 Sri o " 02 o U ft "3 .s o O ANALYSES. 1 Harlan, well ,51 Missouri Pacific Rv. 2fi 1 h 104 u 43 179 73 23 7.5 474 1908. 2 Sei t. Kensington, well, 60 feet from tank. 60 Chicago, Rock Is- land & Pacific Ry. al7 118 12 26 174 63 31 440 X ...do.... Lebanon, well, 6,000 feet from tank. 24 do am 'J 176 14 47 278 10/ 17 VKi 4 ...do.... Smith Center, well. . ASSAY. 200 do a 2. 58 15 15 80 71 22 274 1 Sept. 5 Gaylord, public well 40 .0 0..354 C) 94 aSi02-l-re203+Al203. b SO4 greater than 626. STAFFOED COUNTY. Stafford County lies on the south side of the Great Bend of Arkan- sas Valley and is mostly a region of high plains. Its entire area is covered by Tertiary and later deposits, which are underlain through- out by the Dakota sandstone. Most of the wells in the county are 20 to 70 feet deep and obtain their water supplies from the Tertiary or later deposits. Doubtless wells sunk into the Dakota sandstone would yield additional supplies if they were required. The Dakota sandstone is underlain at a moderate depth by the '^Red Beds/' which contain saline waters and are probably very tliick.^ In the northeastern part of the county are two salt marshes that are believed to be fed by springs which may have their source in the saliferous shales of the Dakota sandstone. The analyses, Table 90, show soft calcic alkaline waters; the assays also indicate soft waters. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 319. STANTO]Sr COUNTY. 189 Table 90. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Stafford County. [Parts per million.] s n •a 3 "hn ftf/ -< o a No. Date. Source. •2 CD P Analyst. O 1 1 '3 6 o o o _g "S a o C3 a W CD C8 a o ,o u c3 S c5 03 0) ft 1 5 1 o o a a o > T3 0) O ANALYSES. 1902. 1 Oct. 1 St. John, surface Atchison, Topeka IS 1 !■> !>7 6 q HO 1(W 23 29 well. & Santa Fe Ry. '>, Seward, well: 68 Missouri Pacific Ry. 15 .8 70 4.7 15 113 18 15 7.2 '^(iO 3 Stafford, well 80 do '2-S 2.7 « 10 32 140 17 49 " 390 O O C? a ':5 ^ o O ^ No. Date. Source. H M O r'^ 03 fl s 2 fl (i( o c3 ■^ ft fl ^ 03 ft o .a ft " O K m o ASSAYS. 1907. 1 Dec. 3 St. John, well of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry 0.0 0.0 222 Trace. 26 9, Dec. 4 50 .0 .0 174 Trace. 44 3 ...do.... ...do.... ...do.... Stafford, well of Pacific Stafford, well of Wm. S Stafford, well of Earl Al Elevator Co 50 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 232 215 227 Trace. Trace. Trace. 50 4 oan. . . 72 5 90 104 STANTON COUNTY. The surface of Stanton County is almost entirely covered by the Tertiary deposits of the High Plains. The Dakota sandstone is exposed along some of the deeper valleys in the western portion of the county and is known to underlie the Tertiary deposits in the region to the east and south. It has been reached by a 420-foot well at Johnson and by other wells in the vicinity. The water of these wells is of satisfactory quality and good volume, but its head is sufficient to bring it only to within 150 to 180 feet from the surface. The "Red Beds" which underlie the sandstone have not been penetrated in this county; they doubtless contain water and might possibly afford a flow, as at Richfield, Morton County.^ Judge William Easton Hutchinson reports that wells are rather shallow along Bear Creek and in the southern part of the county along a draw which drains east and west, emptying in an indefinite manner into North Fork of Cimarron River. Furthermore, the depth to water in the extreme southern part of the county and a part of the western portion is somewhat more than 100 feet on an average, but lAbstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 319. 190 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. from a point near the center of the county to the eastern edge the depth gradually dimmishes and an abundance of good water is reached at a depth ranging from 40 to 50 feet. So far as is known, no tests have been made to show the quality of waters in Stanton County. STEVENS COUNTY. Stevens County lies in the big bend of Cimarron River near the southwest corner of the State. Its surface is heavily covered by Tertiary deposits which to the north lie on Dakota sandstone and to the south on the "Red Beds." The location of the line of division between the two underlying formations is not definitely ascertained. Most of the water supphes in this county are obtained from wells of moderate depth in Tertiary sands and gravels; possibly some wells reach the Dakota sandstone, but its precise depth and relations are not known. Apparently it lies from 200 to 300 feet below the surface, the depth probably being less in the Cimarron Valley. No deep wells have yet been sunk in the underlying ''Red Beds," but possibly the same horizon that yields the saline waters in the wells at Richfield, in Morton County, might be found.^ Judge William Easton Hutchinson says that in the valley of the Cimarron wells are shallow, and that over the rest of the county wells are 75 to 100 feet deep and have an abundance of water. In the southern tier of counties, including Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade, and Clark counties, in addition to the ordinary ground water, two other features are of special interest. The Cimarron River valleys aggregate about 250 square miles of unusually smooth even land, with the water in great quantities lying at a depth of from 10 to 30 feet.^ It is not known that any tests have been made to determine the quality of the waters of Stevens County. SUMNER. COUNTY. Sumner County is entirely underlain by Permian rocks, and the prospect for soft waters is poor. Analyses 3, 8, and 11, Table 91, show calcic magnesic alkaline waters. Analyses 4 and 7 indicate calcic alkaline waters. Analyses 1 and 2 denote sodic calcic saline waters. Analysis 12 shov/s a calcic saline water. Analyses 3, 8, and 11, tests of calcic magnesic alkaline waters that are very unsuitable for domestic and industrial use. Analyses 6 and 10 show calcic sodic saline waters. Analyses 9 and 13 denote calcic magnesic saline waters. lAbstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 318. 8 Rept. Board of Irrigation Survey and Experiment for 1S95 and 1896 to the Legislature of Kansas, p. 103, SUMNER COUNTY. 191 Assays 1 to 9, Table 91, are tests of several well waters in Argonia. Of these waters only two (those of which assays 1 and 4 are tests) are soft; the rest are very hard, and all are high in chlorides. Assays 10 and 1 1 are tests of the two wells that form the public water supply of Conway Springs. Assay 10 denotes a very soft water and assay 11 one that has great permanent hardness and high chlorides. Assays 10 and 11 are tests of wells at Mulvane; the former indicates a hard water and the latter one that is soft. Assay 14 shows a very hard water. Table 91. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Sumner County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. Source. Analyst. g s 03 a 1 O o 1 si p. 2 o CO O Q 03 g 1 d 1 O i 6 'S 03 £? o -a a 1 > 1 o , 1 1897. July 22 1898. Sept. 23 ANALYSES. Belle Plains, driven well. Belle Plaine, test well . Atchison, To- peka & Santa FeRy. do 115 126 41 24 79 47 87 92 247 294 143 279 186 26 29 16 2.2 20 8.9 18 31 105 46 50 41 75 342 328 16 8.1 126 49 24 45 14 224 40 50 54 259 205 84 82 317 53 124 190 226 63 221 182 208 61 87 27 12 136 113 68 502 783 150 469 410 454 466 26 27 17 24 12 48 126 152 90 129 83 46 108 72 17 68 36 1,311 9 25 16 1,385 3 Belle Plaine, 4 sand pits. Caldwell, new well Missouri Pacific Ry. Atchison, To- peka & Santa Fe Ry. ... .do.. .. 25 329 4 1900. July 30 1902. Sept. 9 118 5 Johnstons, well at red barn. Johnstons, hotel well. . 632 fi do 360 7 Sept. 23 Oct. 21 Mar. 11 June 10 Jan. 20 ...do.... 1908. Sept. Mulvane, well. . . . .do.... 24 15 3.6 8 South Haven, surface well. do q do 207 243 50 77 1,433 10 Wellington, private well. WelUngton, well at Hunter's mill. Wellington, test wells of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Wellington, well 95 feet from tank of Chicago, Rock Is- land & Pacific Ry. do 1,811 n do 750 12 13 33 do Chicago, Rock Island & Pa- cific Ry. 0.7 1,232 1,045 aSi02-fFe203-|-Al203. 192 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 91. — AnoJyss and assays of underground waters from Sumner County — Contd. No. Date. 1 1908. Jan. 10 2 3 ...do.... ...do.... 4 5 ...do.... ...do.... 6 7 1907. May 16 ...do 8 1908. Jan. 7 9 ...do.... 10 Jan. 10 11 ...do.... 12 1907. May 16 13 ...do.... 14 1898. Jan. 8 Source. Argonia, well opposite the bank and Smith's livery. 1 "'TOnia, well of Arlington Hotel Argoiia, well of H. C. Hetrick on Main Street. Argonia, well at Smith's livery Argonia, well of Badger Lumber Co.. Belle Plaine, public wello Belle Plaine, well at depot of Atchi- son. Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Caldwell, well on Main Street, oppo- site Detrick's store. * Caldwell, well on Fifth Street at Drake & Towner's smithy. Conway Springs, city supply, east well. Conway Springs, city supply, west well. Mulvane, well on Main Street oppo- site Minnich's store. " Mulvane, well on Mulvane Street, block 35, lot 3 and E. J lot 4. Wellington, 2 wells of Wellington Ice & Cold Storage Co. d Depth (feet). 30 40 40 65 18 32 40-45 Iron (Fe). 0.0 Trace. .0 Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). 272 214 249 222 176 140 204 184 163 65 232 212 Sul- phate (SO4). Trace. 344 Trace. 82 86 104 115 124 573 Trace. 115 Trace. 492 Chlo- rine (CI). 67 268 130 161 422 622 75 136 114 83 26 55 50 188 a Put down in 1900. ^ Put down about 1878. c Put down about 1891. d Used for condensers. THOMAS COUNTY. In Thomas County the conditions are similar to those in Sherman County, but o^ng to the shghtly diminished altitude of the High Plains and the slight rise to the south of the underlying formations the Dakota sandstone is probably nearer the surface, its depth being about 1,600 feet in the center of the county, 1,250 feet in the south- east corner, and 2,000 feet in the northwest corner. A well at Colby reached a depth of 200 feet and obtained from the Tertiary ''mortar beds" a satisfactory supply for pumping.^ Both the analyses and assays presented in Table 92 are tests of soft waters from the Tertiary deposits. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. GeoL Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 319. TEEGO COUNTY. 193 Table 92. — Analyses and assays of underground ivater from Thomas County. [Parts per million.] ■f? 1 M ^ 03 d -i T3 No. Date. Source. Analyst. a? a a O '3 03 t3 . CO 03 a 03 1 J 03 ft D 3 ID 3 .3 ■^ ANALYSES. 1P08. 1 Sept. Brewster, well 155 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. 08.2 38 19 29 105 41 15 256 •^ ...do Colby, well 147 do a'M 5'^ 19 Ifi VH ■^1 9 7 ''66 ASSAYS. 1907. 1 Sept. 25 Colby, well of G. I. Idzorek. 1(18 .0 .0 945 Tr 10 ? ...do Colby, well of Chicago, 14'i .0 .0 941; Tr 10 Rock Island & Pa- cific Ry. a Si02+Fe203+Al203. TREGO COUNTY. Trego County, in west-central Kansas, comprises a portion of Smoky Hill Valley. The higher lands are thickly covered with Tertiary deposits; the valleys expose the Niobrara formation, which underlies the entire county, attaining a thickness of 200 to 300 feet in the west part, but tliinning gradually to the east, owing to the erosion of its upper surface. The Niobrara is underlain by about 400 feet of Benton formation, which in turn rests on the Dakota sandstone, the beds all dipping gently to the north. The sandstone Ues about 400 feet below the surface in Smoky Hill Valley, 500 feet below in the lower lands along the east margin of the county, and about 900 feet below in the northwest townships. None of the wells reported have reached the sandstone, although several have penetrated the overlying formations for several hundred feet. One of these wells, 3 miles north of Smoky Hill River, near the west border of the county, is said to have the following record : Record of well north of Smoky Hill River, near western border of Trego County, Kans. Feet. Clay 0-40 Blue shale 40-150 White chalk, with small water supply 150-190 Blue shale 190-446 A well 3 miles south of the river has a similar record. In a well 12 miles southwest of Wakeeney (sec. 12, T. 14 S., R. 24 W.) a well 438 feet deep ending in black shale of the Benton formation obtains 50 gallons a day of satisfactory water at a depth of 150 feet below the 77836°— wsp 273—11 13 194 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. clialk. Many wells in the higher lands in the central part of the county obtam satisfactory water supplies in the gravels and sands of the Tertiary deposits, but usually fail to find any water in the underlymg shale. The alluvial formations along the bottoms of Smoky Hill and Saline rivers and some other streams contain con- siderable water.^ All the waters of which tests are recorded m Table 93 are from the Tertiary deposits and all are soft except that characterized by anal- ysis 2 as having high permanent hardness. No tests were made of the waters of any of the deep wells nor of those of the shallow wells in the southern part of the county. Table 93. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Trego County. [Parts per million.] ^ ^ •rt T3 + 6 o o M ^ No. Date. Source. t ft Analyst. O S .2 m i 03 o s 3 Q 6 3 s a 3 S .-H 3 ■dM o m 1 o a o CO i 3 O o ID a B o > 1 -a o ANALYSES. 1908. 1 Mar. IG Collyer, well 389 feet east of Union Pa- cific R. R. station. 99 Union Pacific R. R. 40 Tr. 64 16 11 lie 32 17 294 2 Apr. 20 Wakeeney, well 1,800 feet east of Union Pacific R. R. station. 72 do 48 1.2 84 IS 36 113 94 1.6 55 452 3 Apr. 21 Wakecnev, well one- 7S do H9 1 <) 43 s ^'{) 90 15 13 '^3(1 half mile west from Union Pa- cific R. R. tank. 1907. ASSAYS. 1 Sept. 21 Wakeeney, city • well east of Court- house Square. alOO 0.0 ... ..0.0 229 Tr. 26 •> ...do.... Wakeene}', well of J. R. Wilson on 90 ... .0 .0 211 rlo 20 Russell Street. a Depth of the average well in city. WABAUNSEE COUNTY. The southwest part of Wabaunsee County is underlain by Permian beds and the rest by rocks ol the Pennsylvanian series. Soft waters are therefore not obtainable, except possibly in the northern part of the county, where there are glacial deposits. The two analyses presented in Table 94 show very hard calcic alka- line waters. The assays were all made at Alma. The first three show soft waters, all of which are from wells in the hilly part of the city high above the Mill Creek bottoms. The last two assays indicate very hard waters in the Mill Creek bottoms in the flat part of the city. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, pp. 319, 320, 835, WALLACE COUNTY. 195 Table 94. — Analyses and assays of underground ivaters from Wabaunsee County. [Parts per million.] ^ o -.: O No. Date. Source. Ph P Analyst. o 03 m 'a n g 1— 1 '5~ o "3 o o O O a o o o a) ta a o .g 3 6 m CD o g o i o o 1902. ANALYSES. 1 Dec. 10 1908. McP'arland, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. wel). Kennicott Water Softener Co. 22 10 125 23 35 209 90 29 Sept. ■ VoUand, well 150 feet from tank of Chicago, Rock Is- land & Pacific Ry. Chicago, Rock Is- land & Pacific Ry. «6.8 130 31 5.7 202 101 16 493 No. Date. Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). 1 1907. Aug. 14 ...do.... ...do.... ...do.... ...do.... ASSAYS. Alma, well in courthouse yard on Kan- sas Avenue 6 50 50 75-80 35 40 1.5 .0 .0 1.0 .0 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 267 329 380 344 356 Trace. 37 Trace. 168 256 34 2 Alma, well of C. M. Rose, Kansas Ave- 109 3 Alma, well at new schoolhouse, Missouri Street^ 29 4 5 Alma, well at New Commercial Hotel. . . Alma, well at L. Schroeder's restau- rant, Missouri Street ^ 109 218 a Si02+Fe203-l-Al203. 6 Sunk in 1879, very old pipe. c Drilled about 1887. d Drilled in 1906. WALLACE COUNTY. e Put down August 10, 1907. In Wallace County the High Plains are deeply trenched by the headwaters of branches of Smoky Hill River. Altitudes in the county range from 3,000 fsat above sea level in the valley east of Wallace to slightly over 4,000 feet in the higher lands along the State line. The plains are occupied by Tertiary deposits, but in Smoky Hill Valley the underljdng Pierre shales are exposed. These shales are probably not over 300 feet thick in the valley east of Wallace, but they thicken to the northwest. The combined thiclaiess ol the Benton and Niobrara formations in this county is probably about 1,000 feet, for the Nio- brara beds thicken to the west. The Dakota sandstone, therefore, hes at a depth of about 1,100 feet in Smoky Hill Valley, at the eastern margin of the county, about 1,500 feet at Sharon Springs, and prob- ably 2,000 feet in the northwest corner of the county. The results of the well at Horace, in the next ccumty south, indicate that the Dakota sandstone contains a large volume of water, whose head, however, will take it only to an altitude of 2,938 feet; and although the head increases somewhat to the north, it is still insufficient to afford flows 196 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. except probably for a few miles in Smoky Hill Valley south, and east of Wallace. The principal water supplies are obtained from the lower portion of the Tertiary deposits and from the alluvial sands and gravels in the large valleys. A number of attempts have been made to obtain water from the und3rlying shales. Near the town of Wallace wells have been sunk to 400 and to 448 feet, all in shale below the Tertiary deposits, without obtaining much water. A short distance north- west of Wallace a boring 800 feet deep failed to reach the Dakota sandstone.^ The only analysis in Table 95 is of a very soft water at Weskan. All of the assays, and particularly- No. 1, show hard water. Table 95. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Wallace County. [Parts per million.] i T3 ^ o ?! -1- O ^5 •o No. Date. Source. Analyst. O M m a" a a o O m n o S ^ fl o ^ S t; M* .i:^ ft m Q O 02 a A o o ANALYSIS. 1908. 1 Mar. 16 Weskan, well 100 feet west of Union Pacific R. R. depot. 1.34 Union Pacific R.R. 27 5.7 41 10 17 92 9.1 12 216 No. Date* Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). ASSAYS. 1907. 1 Sept. 24 Sharon Springs, well at Wildman's liv- ery barn on north side of Eagle Tail Creek. 30 .0 .0 143 («) 242 2 ...do.... Sharon Springs, well of J. A. Johnson on south side of Eagle Tail Creek. 24 .0 .0 356 100 15 3 ...do.... Sharon, new weU of Union Pacific R. R. on south side of Eagle Tail Creek. 6 14 .0 .0 369 82 15 a SO4 greater than 626. b Under construction at time sample was taken; to be 40 feet deep when completed. WASHINGTON COUNTY. Washington County lies between Republican and Little Blue Val- leys in the north-central portion of the State. The Dakota sandstone is the prevailing formation over the greater part of the county, but in Little Blue Valley, in the southeast corner, the underlying Permian beds appear. Many wells of moderate depth obtain water from the Dakota sand- stone. A boring put down in the village of Washington to a depth 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 320. WASHINGTON COUNTY. 197 of 2,200 feet obtained no noteworthy water supply, and thus indicates that the Permian shales, limestones, and sandstones, which underlie the Dakota sandstone in this region, do not contain water .^® Glacial deposits occur in parts of this county and may possibly yield supplies of good water. Analysis 1 (Table 96) shows the city water of Greenleaf to be hard. Washington city water, according to analysis 3, has low temporary and high permanent hardness, but assay 5, which was made two years later and which is believed to correctly represent the water at the present time, shows the water to have a high temporary hardness and very great permanent hardness. Analysis 4 denotes a hard calcic magnesic saline water that would probably prove corrosive in steam boilers. Analysis 2 indicates a very hard calcic alkaline water. Assays 1 and 2 signify that the public water supply of Greenleaf has high temporary hardness. The water of the city of Hanover is remarkably hard, as assays 3 and 4 indicate. The difference in sul- phates in these two tests is noteworthy. Assays 5, 6, 7, and 8 are tests of several wells in Washington, all of which are proven to be very hard, though that of which assay 6 is a test is considerably softer than the others. Table 96. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Washington County. [Parts per million.] 1 d t3 ^ ^ § o No. Date. Source. 1 Analyst. o a o o 1 o m O o o 8 d 3 p ■c o o a > T3 0) > "o '■B "3 o ANALYSES. 1 Greenleaf, 6 wells 55-65 Missouri Pacific ''fi 1 81 ■JR % isn 54 15 H'> 49S ? Haddam, well 65 Ry. Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy 638 213 30 81 355 187 31 1905. R.R. 3 Jan. 25 Washington, city- waterworks well. 61 Dearborn Labora- tories. 24 1.5 54 16 33 109 56 27 325 4 ...do Washington, well at 58 do 85 7 1 146 47 83 178 383 31 970 plant of Hoerman Bros. Manufactur- ing Co.c o Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 321. 6 SiOa-l-FeaOs-f- AI2O3. c Analysis furnished by Hoerman Bros. Manufacturing Co. 198 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 96.- — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Washington County — Continued. No. Date. Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (COs). Bicar- bonate (HCO3V Sul- phate (SOO. Chlo- rine (CI). 1 2 1907. Feb. 20 Oct. 10 Feb. 18 Oct. 10 Feb. 19 Feb. 20 Feb. 19 ...do ASSAYS. Greenleaf, city waterworks, 6 wells Greenleaf, city waterworks, 3 wells Hanover, city waterworks well. 55-65 55-65 36 36 61 33 58 26 Tr. 0.0 Tr. .0 Tr. Tr. Tr. Tr. 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 358 350 394 394 224 302 268 371 47 Trace. 578 313 626 91 626 278 20 20 20 4 .. .do 20 5 6 7 8 Washington, city waterworks well Washington, we'll of Mr. Stackpole Washington, well at plant of Hoerman Bros. Manufacturing Co Washington, well on north bank of Mill Creek of Hoerman- Bros. Manu- facturing Co 45 40 30 14 WICHITA COUNTY. Wichita County is in west-central Kansas, on the High Plains, between the valley of Arkansas and Smoky Hill rivers. The surface is heavily covered by Tertiary deposits, which are probably under- lain throughout by the Niobrara formation and possibly, in the northwest corner of the county, by a small amount of Pierre shale. Beneath the Niobrara formation, here 300 to 400 feet thick, is the Benton shale, about 400 feet thick, resting on Dakota sandstone, the formations all dipping gently to the northeast. The Dakota sand- stone lies from 800 to 1,100 feet below the surface, its depth increas- ing gradually from southeast to northwest. It contains water, but the results of the well at Horace, in the adjoming county (Greeley), indicate that the head of this water is sufficient to bring it only within 700 feet of the surface, so that it does not promise to have economic value. The principal water supplies in the county are obtained from the coarse beds in the lower portions of the Tertiary deposits, at depths ranging from 100 to 300 feet. Some of the wells have been bored into the underlying shales, but these yield no water of any consequence.^ The two analyses in Table 97 indicate calcic alkaline waters. Assays 1 aixd 3 denote soft waters, and assay 2 represents a water that is low in bicarbonates and chlorides but which carries a rather large amount of sulphates. 1 Abstracted from Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 32, 1905, p. 321. WOODSON COUNTY. 199 Table 97. — Analyses and assays of underground waters from Wichita County. [Parts per million.] s 6 ■3 ^ ft. ^ S o No. Date. Source. 1 Analyst. o S a? g. O o a d la a) a o a "o 73 ft 1 a o 2 o 3 " o o o ft m o 3 o o > "3 o ANALYSES. 1 Coronado, 2 wells 135, 143 Missouri Paciiic Ry. 58 2 56 17 24 75 58 8.4 12 S11 ? Selkirk, 2 wells 154 do 461.9 44 18 16 99 33 11 17 '.>K'i No. Date. Source. Depth (feet). Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). 1 1907. Dec. 14 -..do ...do ASSAYS. Leoti, well of Frank Campbell .. 86 0.0 .0 .0 0.0 .0 .0 180 180 185 Trace. 65 Trace. 20 2 Leoti, well at rear of Font's Mercantile Co 24 3 Leoti, well at C. E. D. Whittaker's liv- ery barn '. 80-90 15 WILSON COUNTY. Wilson, County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, which yield hard waters. Analysis 1, Table 98, is a test of a ferromanganese well water and analysis 2 of a highly saline well water at Fredonia. Table 98. — Analyses of underground waters from Wilson County. [Parts per million.] "to d ■ ^ '3' s. .^ + O o 6 ^ No. Source. O) Analyst. g 3 i o a 3 II 2 o '^ ft C3 a o 1 O'm o ft "3 _o P M ^ o rt m o M O . 1 Coyville, well of Jacob Killion. a b E. H. S. Bailey and F. B. Porter. 24 12 17 7.7 26 157 39 2 Fredonia, Hudson well a <:1,175 E.,H. S. Bailey and H. E. Da vies. 43 £6 1,425 2,844 2,791 ISO 40 49,285 a Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 7. 6 Mn, 20. c The salt water is encountered at 400 feet. Br, 79; I, 8.4. WOODSON COUNTY. As Woodson County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks, the prospect of finding soft water is poor. 200 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. The only analysis presented in Table 99 is of a brine well. The assays are all tests of water at Yates Center. Of these assays, 1 and 4 show soft waters; 2 and 3 indicate very hard ones. Table 99. — Analysis and assays of underground waters from Woodson County. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1 ANALYSIS. Piqua, brine wella.. Analyst. E. II. S. Bailey. Tr. aw r(Na) 4, 540 t(K) 170 7,127 No. Date. Source. Analyst. •^ O C3 '^ a fl^ O °6 fi> ^ tl" .2 pR a ^M « o A a o o Tr. 0.0 53 0.0 0.0 .0 575 .0 .0 97 154 .0 .0 58 Tr. 1905. July 24 ...do July 25 July 24 Yates Center, well 4 miles south and 2 miles east of city. Yates Center, well 6 miles east of city, b Yates Center, well Yates Center, spring in southeastern part of city. E. Bartow. do .do. .do. 39 258 169 16 a Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 7. b On second bottom of Cherry Creek. SO4 greater than 626. WYANDOTTE COUNTY. Wyandotte County is underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks which may be expected to yield hard waters; it is possible, however, there may be glacial deposits that yield soft waters. Table 100 presents all the analyses of ground waters that were tested. All these analyses show very hard waters except analysis 13, which denotes a soft water. Calcic alkaline waters are shown by analyses 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, 13, and 14. Calcic magnesic alkaline waters are shown by analyses 10, 11, and 15, while calcic saline waters are shown by analyses 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. All the waters which were tested for iron show its presence in considerable amounts. The only assay is of the public water supply of Argentine, which is shown to be very hard and to contain a notable quantity of iron. In this latter respect it is like the wells of the public water supply of Lawrence and like those of other cities that derive their water supplies from the fluvia- tile deposits of the Kansas. WYANDOTTE COUNTY. 201 00 CJ! 05 CO o- CO i 10 en 00 d 00 0: 1 ■^ CO 0! CD Vola- tile and organic. i^ oo(NecooajO co -^^ (M 10 rt-*(NOO^CO OCOtH Ttl 01 00 OOCOOOi^OiOTt^I-- coo^ S -* .- ^ a ° 5 ^ w . ,^ 1 1= It i ! cTg -S -9 & " |i ^3 ^1 : 1-2 So "^ ^ la is ii '^ ^§ p» S2 g; t^ ft 03 P 0303 t W M M < 1. 1 Q o> .IN OS s : ™ c c t^ 00 r- 02 CD TO 00 .(M .IM . . .IN . .IN IM CO IM CO . 00 t^ 10 GO §§ §^ g^-S^g^ g-d g^ gd i ^ cs c- Tt IT u: I- « c (M o- T)< IT '- 1 202 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES Ol' KANSAS. SURFACE WATERS. GENERAL FEATURES OF DRAINAGE- The surface waters of Kansas reach the ocean through the Missis- sippi. The streams of the northern and eastern parts of the State enter the Mississippi by way of Missouri River, which unites with the main stream at a point 15 miles above St. Louis; those of the southern part reach it through Arkansas River at the eastern edge of Desha County, Ark. Kansas River — commonly called the Kaw — discharges into Missouri River at Kansas City, Mo.; it receives the drainage from the northern two-fifths of the State. Osage River carries the run-off of a small area in the eastern part of the State, the waters which enter it in Kansas being merely its fountain head. At the eastern edge of Linn County, the Osage crosses into Missouri, where the main portion of its drainage area lies and where it empties into Missouri River, 12 miles east of Jefferson City. Arkansas River with its tribu- taries, chief among which are Cimarron, Medicine Lodge, Chikaskia, Caney, Verdigris, Neosho, and Spring rivers, drain the western part of the State. MISSOURI RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN. Missouri River Above Kansas City. DESCRIPTION. Missouri River forms the northeastern boundary of Kansas to Kansas City and receives the drainage from somewhat more than half of the State; the southern part of the State drains-to the Arkansas. With the exception of the Nemaha, which drains a small area lying close to the northern boundary of the State, the Missouri receives in Kansas but one important tributary — the Kansas or Kaw — but south of the Kansas is a considerable area drained by the Osage, locally called Marais des Cygnes River, which reaches the main stream near Osage, Mo. The Missouri itself is utilized in Kansas chiefly as a place of disposal for the sewage of the cities along its banks but also as a source of drinking water. At Kansas City, Kans., its discharge varies within rather wide limits, as shown by Table 101. MISSOURI EIVEE ABOVE KANSAS CITY. 203 Table 101. — Monthly discharge of Missouri River at Kansas City, Kans., for period April 1 to December Si, 1905 (inclusive). [Drainage area, 492,000 square miles.] Month. April May June July August September October November December The period Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean 84, 800 138.300 148,800 2,36,000 105,800 ■ 168, 000 49, 680 54, 500 42,450 236, 000 33, 600 44, 700 73, 700 91,550 45, 150 30, 700 28,250 30,350 16, 250 16, 250 48, 990 81,170 111,800 150,800 77, 740 71,000 35,560 .38, 520 25, 750 Nemaha River enters the Missouri near Rulo, Nebr., a httle north of the Kansas-Nebraska State Une. The South Fork of this stream drains Nemaha County, Kans. QUALITY OF WATER. Samples of water were collected daily from Missouri River near Kansas City, Kans.,^ from October 4, 1906, to October 21, 1907. As described on page 11 of this report, samples for ten consecutive days were combined and the composite was analyzed. The results of these analyses are presented in Table 104. This table shows that in general the bicarbonates are numerically in excess of the sulphates. Considered also in terms of their chemical equivalents, it is found that though the bicarbonates predominate over the sulphates during the larger part of the year, the sulphates are in excess of the bicarbonates in the period from April 15 to June 23. As calcium and sulphates are high, and magnesium is present in moderate amount, the permanent hardness is marked, and as the bicarbonates are rather low, the temporary hardness of the water is moderate. The chlorides are low. The total dissolved solids rise rather regularly and normally. as the river falls, for at low stages the river carries considerable ground water, and the water is therefore more highly mineralized than it is when rain water constitutes a large proportion of the flow. The turbidity and suspended. matter are very high, excepting the composite sample taken February 3 to 12. The coefficient of fineness varies considerably, but is always high, indicating that the suspended matter is coarse. As observations of river stage were taken at Kansas City, Mo., below the mouth of the Kansas, during the period in which samples were collected for analysis, it was possible to estimate the amount of denudation accomplished by the river above this point. From these I Above the mouth of Kansas River. 204 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. estimates it appears that during the time that the investigation was in progress the Missouri carried away in suspension an average of 567,500 tons and in solution 102,000 tons every 24 hours. Tests were made of the waters of several Kansas streams that empty into Missouri River above the Kansas, and the results appear in assays 61-65, Table 102. The water of South Branch of Nemaha River at Seneca (assay 61) is soft. The water of Walnut Creek at Padonia (assay 62) has low temporary and marked permanent hardness. Assay 63 represents a test of Nemaha River in flood stage. Wolf Creek at Fanning (assay 64) is soft. Three Mile Creek at Leavenworth (assay 65, Table 102) has very marked permanent hardness. The character of several miscellaneous samples of Missouri River water is shown by Table 105. Below the mouth of the Kansas, northwest of Independence, Jack- son County, Mo., Big Blue River "^ empties into the Missouri. A test of the water of this river at Mastin, Kans. (analysis 60, Table 103), shows low temporary and permanent hardness. Table 102. — Assays of water of tributaries of Kansas River and of those of Missouri River between the mouths of Nemaha River and Kansas River. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1907. 1 Sept. 23 2 ...do 3 Dec. 13 4 Sept. 21 5 Sept. 20 ti Sept. 19 7 Sept. 16 8 9 Sept. 18 10 ...do 11 Sept. 9 12 Sept. 1 13 Sept. 5 14 ...do 15 ...do 16 Sept. 28 17 Sept. 8 18 Sept. 5 19 Sept. 2 20 ...do 21 ...do 22 Aug. 2 23 ...do 24 Aug. 1 25 Aug. 12 26 Aug. 1 Stream and place. Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (CDs). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sul- phate (SO,). Chlo- rine (CI). North Fork of Smoljy Hill River, southwest of W inona Smoky Hill River at Russell Springs Ladder Creels at Hoppers Dam, 7 miles north- west of Scott City Castle HiU Creek at G ove Big Creek at Ellis Big Creek at Hays Smoky Hill R iver at Ellsworth Saline River above Salt Creek north of RusSell . . . Salt Creek north of Russell & Saline River below Salt Creek north of Russell . . . West Fork of Wolf Creek at Lucas Gypsum Creek southwest of Solomon Deer Creek at Missouri Pacific Ry. bridge, Kir- win Tr. 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Tr. .0 0.0 12 Beaver Creek at Missouri Pacifle Ry. bridge, Gaylord North Fork of Solomon River, 30 rods above South Fork, south of Cawker South Fork of Solomon River at Morland South Fork of Solomon River at ford west of waterworks, Stockton South Fork of Solomon River, 60 rods above North Fork, south of Cawker Pipe Creek at Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. bridge, Minneapolis ." . Salt Creek at Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. bridge, west of Minneapolis Solomon River at Solomon Abilene (Mud) Creek at Abilene Turkey Creek at road bridge south of Abilene. . Chapman Creek at Union Pacific Ry. bridge, Chapman Lime Creek at Herington Lyons Creek at Missouri, Kansas & Texas Ry. bridge, Wreford 317 77 218 245 232 257 240 400 211 263 207 269 180 211 163 363 274 278 258 202 333 406 238 42 104 Trace. Trace. 362 362 362 574 100 38 90 58 Trace. 112 97 Trace. 287 176 574 («) 389 59 30 41 40 30 15 19 461 469 3,270 670 2,188 19 14 24 14 10 14 19 14 214 35 40 a Not to be confused with the river of the same name that flows into Kansas River at Manhattan. h By F. W. Bushong. CSO4 greater than 626. MISSOURI EIVER ABOVE KANSAS CITY. 205 Table 102. — Assays of water of tributaries of Kansas River and of those of Missouri River between the mouths of Nemaha River and Kansas River — Continued. No. Date. 1907. 27 Oct. 3 28 Oct. 2 29 Feb. 22 30 Feb. 25 31 Feb. 13 32 Feb. 18 33 Feb. 15 34 Feb. 19 35 Oct. 10 36 F«b. 15 37 Feb. 16 38 ...do 39 Feb. 14 40 July 24 41 Aug. 14 42 Aug. 27 43 ...do.... 44 July 16 45 July 15 46 (<=) 47 (<=) 48 C) 49 (^) 50 June 16 51 («) 52 (^) S3 (d) 54 Nov. 3 55 July 9 56 ...do 57 ...do 58 Jan. 4 59 ...do 60 Jan. 5 61 July 22 62 July 20 (« ...do 64 July 17 65 July 12 Stream and place. South Fork of Republican River at St. Francis. . Beaver Creek at Cedar Bluffs White Rock Creek at Republic Buffalo Creek at road bridge, Yuma Wild Cat Creek at Manhattan a Spring Creek at Union Pacific Ry. culvert, Marysville Big Blue River above Little Blue River, north- west of Blue Rapids Mill Creek at dam of Eureka Mills, Washington.. Little Blue River at Hanover Little Blue River at dam of Blue Valley Gyp- sum Co., Blue Rapids '. , . Vermilion Creek, ft Frankfort Black VermUion River at Missouri Pacific Ry. bridge, Frankfort Fancy Creek at Union Paciflc Ry. bridge, Ran- dolph Vermhion River at road bridge 5 miles east of Wamego , MiU Creek at Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. bridge, Ahna Big Soldier Creek at park. North Topeka Shonganunga Creek at Lake Street bridge,Topeka Little Delaware River at Horton Elk Creek north of Campbell CoUege, Holton South Fork Sweezy Creek, Lakeview S weezy Creek, Lakeview Lake, Lakeview Martin Creek, Lakeview Mud Creek, 2| miles north of Lawrence Rock Creek near mouth, southwest of LawTcnce Washington Creek near mouth, southwest of Lawrence Wakarusa Creek at bridge, southwest of Law- rence Wakarusa Creek south of Lawrence Big Stranger Creek above Nine Mile Creek at Ltnwood Nine Mile Creek at road bridge, Linwood Big Stranger Creek at Union Paciflc Ry. bridge, Ijinwood '. Cedar Creek west of Olathe RaUroad pond on Mill Creek, Olathe Mill Creek at Holliday South Branch of Nemaha River at Seneca Walnut Creek at Padonia , Nemaha River,'! 3 miles south of Falls City, Nebr. Wolf Creek at Fanning Three Mile Creek at Cherokee and Broadway streets, Leavenworth Iron (Fe). 0.0 .0 Tr. 1.5 Tr. Tr. Tr. Tr. .0 .0 Tr. Car- bonate (CO3). 12 0.0 .0 11 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Bicar- bonate (HCO3). 210 227 313 307 301 163 180 158 138 161 128 166 295 316 215 161 313 243 271 123 304 307 316 316 369 307 219 144 93 254 273 197 66 149 Sul- phate (SO4). Trace. Trace. IfiO 256 Trace. Trace. 36 47 Trace. 53 42 44 Trace. Trace. 97 62 Trace. Trace. 46 Trace. Trace. Trace. 40 Trace. 48 Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. 106 35 73 Trace. 42 Trace. Trace. Chlo- rine (CI). 15 20 20 859 14 a Above sewer outfall of Kansas Agricultural College. b Local name of west branch of Black Vermilion River. c Assay by Edward Bartow, June 3, 1905. • d Assay by Edward Bartow, June 6, 1905. e In flood. Note.— Trace in the sulphate column means less than 35 parts per million; trace in the iron column means less than 0.5 part per million. ' 206 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. •*j ir- c f^ cr Tt ,„ tr- t^ ,_^ c -* to c^ o o — c- OC tth c 01 3| OS ■^ CO OJC a- -* CO Tt< . c^ t- cc LT -*J CO ^ of • ^S '5? 6 o o ^ '• CO . I— ■^ -o ■° ■° 6iSt^ o .5^.5 + lO CE COOC OC- r^ \r coo c: ^^ 00 ^ c- c^ T-t CT r^ ^ 10 M CT '^ c» -t CO c t^co CO c*- Tj —1 o r- -c; -o -o ■^ i r-, • III lO O OC or^ 1^ ir CD-I ^ (V 1~ j^ rs C> oc J, J, 06 i-H o- C^ cr cocs ■^ o t— 1 I— 1 C-J a^m ^ • -^ glJ lO r- t^cr o c^ c t^ ^ lO 00 f- t^ GO ~ CO ^ 00 f^ OJ c t^ ~ r-io o c ^ cr c» CO 00 »o 10 r-. ^ O ^^-• ^ -* lOO- c^ c^ 10 cc CO cr coe - TP CO •0 - ^'i ■So t— 1 »r OiT r-1 »-H -t c- r^co c ^ ^ ^ ^ I- a- -t [, C c^ coo coo o o -*c- TT 10 'l" CO ,-1 ^ -- ss c -^ C8 05 03 =ii p C r:: 03 0; 03 -d ^ cc K cc c p c fE T >. > =3 =<; i>.= ^ B, ^ P^ c K tf 03 c: «C3 p; c ) _>. f- c c c 1. o > eg a ft i: ■" ft S a c ts- ^ e^l <5 ■ c3 ^-.^ c r?^ M c «l (5 r c c c c 5 c c f^ .S £ P^ 1 g 03 c c p. a ■3 !^ C Sf- s < fi: < § s gl • o M > c a: c tr ■> > o SI ^ a OJ S a > c c At c \ ^51 C3 ■? § ^ C3 a oi a o c 7^ 07: a a c Si a! • a ; ^^ 03 ^03 n ^ CI a 1 1 M p: .So t WS T - . i C c c 1 r a^ > 1 bj cr ^ ffit? mrj a: C Hm tt p- fHt^, C ^ < _ p- p: ^i S « c/ oc 00- c IM 0- C ^ 05 -* CO ooc CO ,^ p. g d a a- Tt<00t^OOOOr- 00 CN (M Ttlt-C^ l^u- •^ occ c3 ^g X3 ^■^"^ ^. Q) 3 3 C S 3 3^ cr lOOC CO CC (M (N CT ir y^ ^ ^ ^ >>>;^ 03 Pi 03 s li ir oc ,p cc ai rt" *"'-j .-1 00 00 00 00 00 05 1- (NI> II II II II - rt(N IMn O M (M O Tt< CO o- COO- CO CO C ^ ^ !>..^ =3 p:i m^ . =3 p^ =« Tl OS H^ fV Mh P^h^ .p^ 03 f^ a; u ^ ^ 1 k ir 0. • P a. ^^1 P< P H > 01 >.2 c •-. c « i C c e PC rtpq e Ph p: rt^p: p^^ ~ H 03P •^S H Si H ffl c c c c c c c 1- c rt c ip'C c c i c tci t: c ttf c "S2 FeRy E. Cur nion P §1 2 >-.Ph n> tf C 3 i-^r (^ P^i: C- ^ Ph a i h < c_ w < s C Sc o below Topeka. above Tojoeka. below Topeka. above Topeka. below Topeka. ^ "a c p c -ir o: C E- c c 8 l| cac fptr > > OS a. cc a > c Its til 03 -f- £ Q ca •dta > c a 1 IP 1 ta 1! ro 03 i 1 ansas River ansas River ansas River ansas River ansas River ill P. 03 5 a; > > III c c3 '^ it c c8 03^ i fe6 Hi 6 ^ 03 03 t> > Sp 03 C! si 3 ft J tdta ill Pn.S.S ^ 15 W iMMMMMfci MU W!^ fi(^ P P t^: M? ^ P3 Ph WW Ov « CO(M rr 00 cr o C' ^ <> coooc^ 00 (N oc C<1 ^, + >>>^ §gci ^ -:^ 03 (3 ^ '"' 'H rH "" rH "^ "^ -a CC 1 1.^ ^ .as c d 1-5 c a <;c 1-5 P p a o! 03.5 ^ a > 5 1 !3 c 0) p ■S 3 e J3 Ojl Jl u T3 » lOOb-COOiO'-iOl CO-* »OCO 0OO5 O 1— I (M CO -rf lO CD r* 00 osc C<1 (N CM cq C^ C^ (M CO CO « COCO COCO CO COCO -^ Tt ^ S.9o 00 0(M C moo CO (M ■* CO 10 Oi '^ CD r^ coo- CO a<-^ i-H '^ 1 ^'S 0^ ■350 t~a>c CD^iOO' ^ a> t^ t^ COO5 0C — cr ^ o- 05 000"- 00 c- CO c3 dO So i-*05 C^ s 1— T-H T— I 1— T— 1 ^^ aoSw .5 '^.S + Tf Tti(MC OiI>OS t^ 1:^ C-) ■* 00 tOTf >Ot^(M t> (M I> ^§|l Us 0^ 1> t^TjlTf (N OOCOC o- t-^ (M(Ni-< .-( 1-H(N 00 S"- -1.0- t^ir .-H-a t^MOOC (M c^ OJ ^3 c3 '"' o-sa fl^ 1^ 00 Q^ c< CO "^ ^•^ So Tf IM i-H -cj< CC (N t^ . ca |i. (S tf 1 >> 1 .it 1 1. s 03 ■3 CO . c c c C a < rt c c c c i 03 . Pi tf 3 K'^'« o'^'O'O g Ph Bo 5 ^ ph J c (in .2 fA <^ C M 5 S i tl ii n c ■2 a 1 1 <11 _^ ^ r o3

u-a > "^ Ci 03 & > S C3 C c c s oj cs fc; >:t , 3 K OT-C T ■e ■c ' 0: r^mt M ;fci M e 5 cocker ool cq oc Tf O' cr 000c oiaioc C5 OS OS C s oc 4) a- cor^ oj CO 0- ft t-<(N (M 03 f > 6 i-KMC' ■^ 10 CO t-^ 00 o- 1 !zi tr »r it; Ui >r: CO 1 MISSOURI EIVER ABOVE KANSAS CITY. 209 oooooooo i-HCO-rt^OOOOOO'^O TjlCO'^lOiOTjioO.— I oooooooooooooooooo Cr.Ot^CCCOT— lOcOCDCMOOCTiTj^OOOOi— I oTod T-H -t^' u^od c^o oTc^o oTu^iC lJ^^^co CO CCC^fNiMtOOat^OOOi-HOOOiOOfyDOt^ m CM i-Hi-H a^'i^-;t-CDiOT-H Or- IOOC-i-iOOtOCD K3 !^Si^ ":)(Mt>OcDcDO»0 o6t^o6oio6i>^i>^'OI>-T-l(MOCO.-HOt~^QOO I>lcDlOlOoco(^^co(^icoco(^iT--^ocol^^^o6 DcOt^cD^OiO O COCOOiO'^'^CNiOCSCXMOiOO-^O'^OOCO O DC^-T^OOOi-HCS 00 005t--0:>LOi--CDlC(Mi— .O O ■^■^■^■^■^■^1010 3.S5 COCOiOcOCO>Oh-0 M cooooir CO t--iO lO ^ 00 ^ ^ O 00 Oi T-H T-H (N '^ GO 00 00 g^ ^li H (N C^ Oi xt^ 00 O cOT-i(NO C0iCCMiOcO»O-rJit- GO »0 t~- 05 CO O "J^ t Cf:i T-H 1-H ^ CO r-- t-- c 1-1 (M (N C^ iM O 'S' ^ CD CM t^ tr- 05 00 CD »0 lO ■ lOcO ■ • ^ ■ CO CO r^ Iron (Fe). C.30 Tr. .50 .40 .40 .20 .40 .40 2 O lOOO o o ■^COOCMOOCM-J'-H — 1 ^ IOOOC<1 CM o ^O^ CM CM —1 CM CM 04 — 1 CO r-l ■^^ ^ T-ICDCOrHOOOOOO cocscocococococo OiiOi-HCOOrfii— HOiO(MrHOll>-OiCOOCDiO « CO CO -^ '- Ol i-T T-T i-T c^ of w CO cd cooooooooooooooo' lOt-TPCOC^OOOiOOOOOOiO'OOO COCvlrH O'^iO^i-'COCOOOOOfMOOCOC^O rn" T-H^ r-n" CO irJ C^' CO CO C-Tj, (N (M C^J C ^CJOOOOCUCDCU Oo:2;:z;Jzippp 2 ^ 'Tf'+'Tt^COCOCOCOCO CO T-H(N ^W(N ^ 1— lyOOOOOOtO' 000:2; :z;^;fiP COCOCOCOCOCOCDCOCDIOIOIOIOOIOTJI-Tf-^ '^'^'^c3cac3ftftP.lSc3'«"'^H 77836°— wsp 273—11- -14 210 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Dis- solved matter (tons per 24 hours). 187,320 182,780 146,080 105,040 75,220 51,020 43,580 36,330 34,690 38, 150 3,320 2.860.0.30 ■* 1 Sus- pended matter (1,000 tons per 24 hours). 2,287 1,820 1,564 1,074 685 292 195 95 81 87 57 21,566 5 •o Esti- mated mean dis- charge above Kansas River (second- feet). oooooooooooo -^OOOCOrnrot-COOOaCOCM r-»(Niooor-Tt.ioa50'*OT-( o s rH-Trt^^lO-S^CSOt^Ot-HOS OO-HOCOO^CDiOCOCO'^COO Run- off per square mile (cubic feet per sec- ond). oot^t^orf*oo^t^-*ocq d Mean dis- charge (cubic feet per second). 186,000 229,600 175, 500 137,600 100, 600 68, 150 56, 000 42,900 41,100 43,800 35,200 2,897,390 Mean gage height (feet). 00CD,-l»O00T-iO»O(r0O«3 OiCIOiCOCOT-IOOOOOOOt^ Total dis- solved solids. OOT-l(Ma:roc330COCOTI<00 COCOCC(N(N(NCOCOCOCOCO cq ^ CO t^o »o o • o6ooiot>l .rHcocor^co 2 CO 1 a>'T? t^— i-*oo3cooooa3ioco lO m^nm ,-i ,-h ,-! i-h ,-h ,-< 1 '^^ ^ft£ COCOT-HOlOCMt^lOQOOO '^OOasOiCSOOOOr^tM lO 00 ■ lO lO 00 CO (Td lO rH 1> ^ O CO lO »0 t^ CO t^ 00 O CM Car- bon- ate (COs). ooooooooo .j_; 1^ o ^H i • a e j "^ Sodium and potas- sium (Na-f-K). CO CO t^ (31 MtrOCOCM ,-H OOCD CO lO COCOCOTPTP ■* ^ d Mag- ne- sium (Mg). ; , 00 1 00 OCO '(M-*^(MOC<<^oi 1'"' TT §11 CO o Iron. (Fe). lOOO .■ OOOiOCOCOCD 00 0-*£-MCqOOCO(MO(M CO (M d "^ ,-; • (MTj^lOtN^HOOOt^t-^CDOO S5 o cri Coef- ficient of fine- ness. OGOi^--HT-,oooor^t^r^o o r-H T^rM^ Sus- pend- ed mat- ter. 4,676 3,147 3,458 3,013 2,651 1,677 1,376 878 791 792 829 O Ill OOOOOOOOIOOO OOOOOOOOt^OO Tti^cC Ot^Tt-ot^CSO-^O TiH~co a ^fe ^X} CO a o -> y o !>> - W SS =3H X2 c3 T) CUfV fe ^, P. o LT oT fl cqfi O a gm ^rt fe o la I '. a MISSOURI RIVER ABOVE KANSAS CITY. 211 CO C o- CD CD CM c oc 1 n "^ m ^ O CO CO t^ C31 t^ Ol ^ig-S CO ■* COCO CM CM ^ o o (U 1 SS.a O ^ o T)( rt t^ ■* -* iS-ci C o c ^ >§" _o o ^ lO oo t> t^ -^ o6 (M(M CO C^(M t>^0 ^ OO 3vo T-Hr-l rt.-l(>)(Mrt CI CM o "^ii 1-^ I^ lO So o CM Is . 0^^ C^ ^ OD OiCO CO OiC^ COCO 00 CO JLh -u^ 00 00 i-t aicvi CO T— o 00 1^ co c» 3 So rH .— 1 .— I r— ( ^p.^. ' 1 QJ^ lO StaO r^ CM •H CO W^W oi a o ^ cj ^o lo ocq ^c^i i-H t^ do 00051000 CD rH t^Or-CO 6AS3 lO O CD CTiOO to CD Ol t^ CJi CO lO CO CO CO coco 1-H lO CM -^ CO T-1 Tfl 3 ft3"-* Sodi and tassi (Na4 Ol ^ . ■ CO TJ1 T-H CO 00 88 Sf^ ■ o oi -li " CO r^ 1— 1^— ' ■^ o t^ t^ OS OCM TT "O in = o CM C^l irH COCM CD r-( CM s^ «3 ; ■« •3 °« " O =.'S5 ■s A >> tH « o e' Pi "? C3 o c2 |3 o ca ^-_,Oc3MQ^^Hoca •3 O .S c , • "3 2 cJ •- ^ 5 l-i .2 ^CB.a ^02 2 <1 S v 1 11 '3 1 O !> ■ (D ^y' CD e li CD " -s s HH o " S +^ o 'r^ rt dS'g'e 03 Source t-H ^'3 J_ tH ^ t Wd .^ .M ^~^ r-l • «S.™s:.2 .„s tH 1- ?; «j:3 'h M ^ rj 'S 'tH M 1- _ tH -1^ ^^ 3 D-^ 353 o 3,^ 5+^ 3 3,i!; O 3 t^3 o3 do>> .a .2^.2^ .g^-^^-a-s^ .ao.s-S3S.ab 1 sag S ^ S^ 1^ S § CM i-H CMOO i-H QOt^ OOCM O 00 o O OO O CO OO O 2 Ol OlOl Ol OlOl OlOl Oi S lO 00 lOO CM COCD COCM CD CD a •"* .-H CO .-1 T-H CM !-( CM P o ■t^ >t>l >i wc^ I-^o t> 1 II S II IS 1 3 3 ^ d ,-- CM CO ^lO CD t^OO OlO rt ) (Mm ,Q (uO ^t^O .2 M n "- OTt-iO(MO(NOO "3,0 »0 »0 (N iC CO i-O 00 >0 lO lO iC I coc^<^lc^^c^ac^coco(^^(^^col^■^c^'-^l-^'-H^-H,-^^-H(^^^^^l^lc O pq o , ooooooooooooooooooooooo S DM 02 olz; OOOQCOi— IC0OO^w01(NCJiioC0CD00"^OCDOQ0lOO00 llg (N(M C^ i-H i-H Oii-H CM OOt^OCOt^Cft-^COCiOOOSiOOOOiOlMO'rr 1— ICMCNWCMCMCMCNCM'— ICOCNCMIM (MCM(MCCi-<'CNici>-i>-o6t^ot^ COCOCO(Mr-COi— lOi-^O-t^r^-tMOtMi— iTtH-rt^OOiOCMi— T->>>> t>> S S >>>>>> bo s^.■S, o +i +i > > i>-ooosaii--(-^iob-ooo:>»oOGCo- i-H CN CM rH CM r-l rH (M ,-H (M i— I CO i— I (M --< (MrH K^ 1 > d 6 H o G> a> HX2 O Q 218 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 108. — Turbidity of daily samples from Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, F.. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. 190G. 1907. Nov. Doc. Jan. l?eb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 1 ... 110 120 75 100 ISO 105 100 85 65 30 50 110 115 30 32 16 45 36 16 20 15 68 IS 95 20 212 31 34 "iio" 22 23 36 26 8 ""is' 32 34 70 65 65 60 60 105 120 95 42 43 100 90 30 30 105 105 200 90 '"ioo" -70 40 GO 100 "ios" 150 100 300 ""295" 210 305 ISO 135 220 1'.5 150 36 "32' 32 50 53 2,640 2,160 2,650 666 60 80 95 """75" 65 50 60 15 120 120 110 8,460 4.. 530 3,372 3,480 100 " iss" 85 90 130 '"ioo" 95 70 18 65 80 2 3 120 4 242 220 220 170 160 3'! 2j 30 23 ISO 145 23 ""i70" 130 75 "iso" 95 120 155 "iso" 75 60 50 5 125 125 60 120 170 ""385" 412 210 300 235 220 215 485 ""460" 532 485 418 320 412 500 32 30 26 '""27" 27 45 7 8 30 45 70 6 80 7 """45' 40 S5 70 32 18 60 680 270 ""is5" 180 45 8 80 9 16 13 27 27 25 30 248 65 43 18 15 730 1,000 700 425 "i^o" 135 55 27 28 27 34 ■75 65 120 130 135 135 ISO 160 110 ""65" 42 50 """32" 36 42 42 65 32 10 IS 11 . . 12 """55" 3S 42 40 24 43 33 32 18 55 27 27 33 30 22 130 125 125 60 95 120 24 2,000 4, "000" 700 300 40 1.866 3,900 370 ""ioo" 150 613 613 13 14 50 50 70 15 80 10 45 17 18 IS 32 19 45 20 24 21 "126' 125 50 45 80 110 50 80 80 70 65 30 80 90 60 80 70 18 23 24 24 25 .. 45 26 40 27 135 135 45 28 210 50 80 20 30 30 34 18 29 - 15 30 ... 31 103 69 103 81 1.32 127 254 44 663 1,059 68 135 45 Note.— Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson tm'bidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Ilarvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Ileald and Adelbert Morrison. In its course from Salina to Junction Smoky Hill River cuts across the central or Gypsum City gypsum area/ the most important part of which lies south of Smoky Hill River, north of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, and west of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The largest of the tributaries of the Smoky Hill that drain this central gypsum area are Gypsum, Holland, and Turkey creeks from the south and Abilene and Chapman creeks from the north. On Gypsum Creek the gypsum rock is exposed at various places along the east bank between Gypsum City and Solomon. Analysis 8, Table 103, and assay 12, Table 102 (pp. 206, 204), are tests of the water of Gypsum Creek, and clearly indicate the influence of the gypsum on the water, for it is high in calcium and sulphates. No test was made of the water of Holland Creek. The water of Abilene Creek is shown by assay 22, Table 102, to be high in sulphates, probably derived from "the gypsum-earth deposit at Manchester, which lies within the creek basin. 1 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 5, pp. 35-37, and pp. 58 to 65. KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. 219 The water of Turkey Creek is shown by assay 23, Table 102 (p. 204), and analysis 13, Table 103 (p. 206), to be the most heavily mineralized surface water tested in this investigation. The only other surface water of a comparable degree of mineralization is that of V/hitewater River (assays 40 to 42, Table 145, and analyses 22 and 23, Table 146), which also drains an area of gypsum deposits. Vfithin the catchment area of Turkey Creek there are gypsum-earth deposits near Rhodes, Banner City, and Dillon, and near Dillon gypsum rock also outcrops. The water of Chapman Creek (assay 24, Table 102, p. 204) carries a heavy load of sulphates, which is probably in part derived from the gypsum-earth deposit at Longford. Lyons Creek, the water of which enters the Smoky Hill a little above Junction, though much lower in sulphates (assay 26, Table 102) than are the waters of Gypsum, Holland, Abilene, Turkey, and Chapman creeks, carries an excessive amount of sulphates. These possibly may in. part be traced to the gypsum-earth deposit east of Hope on the west branch of Lyons Creek. Erasmus Haworth (by letter) says that in some places in Dickinson County the gypsum is exposed immediately at the surface, with hardly enough soil covering to hold water in contact with it an hour after the rain, and that the same is true in Barber County, a little farther west. So the high sulphate content of the streams that drain the areas of gypsum deposits in these counties is not surprising. SALINE E.IVER.1 DESCRIPTION. The drainage basin of Saline River is wholly in Kansas and is 3,311 square miles in area. The Saline rises in the southwestern part of Thomas County and flows nearly due east into Smoky Hill River. The upper course of the Saline is dry during almost the entire year, for it has not sunk its channel deep enough into the Tertiary deposits to be fed by their groundwaters. Farther east, .however, it cuts deeper and deeper into the Tertiary until north of Grainfield the presence of bogs and ponds shows that the valley has been eroded down to sheet water. Northeast of Buffalo Park Saline River has cut down to the Cretaceous floor on which the Tertiary rests, and in this it flows for the remainder of its course — a perennial stream, deriving its chief supply from springs in the Tertiary deposits and the Dakota sandstone. The valley of Saline River in the western part of the State is extremely narrow, but eastward in Ellis County it widens gradually to a mile or more, and still farther down it is 2 to 4 miles in width. At the head of the river the blufl^ lines are inconspicuous, but not far below the source the stream channel is sunk to a depth of 20 to 40 feet, the depth continuing to increase gradually eastward until the ' Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 2, pp. 39-40. 220 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. river reaches the Cretaceous formations in Elhs and Russell counties, where the bluffs are in many places 100 feet or more high. In the vicinity of Salina, some distance back from the river, hills of the Dakota sandstone rise nearly 200 feet above the level of the water in the river. The name Saline is well merited by the river, for chemical analysis shows that it is one of the saltiest streams in the United States. The salt is acquired from salt springs, some of which occur in the very bed of the stream or in the beds of its tributaries, such as Salt Creek north of Bussell. The salt of these springs and creeks is derived from the saliferous shales of the Dakota, which occur near the top of that formation. They rest on a thin bed of lignite and are 15 to 30 feet thick; overlying them is a bed of gypsiferous shales 10 to 20 feet thick, and on top of all is a layer of sandstone 8 to 12 inches thick. This sandstone, lithologically as well as paleontologically, marks the separation of the Benton from the Dakota. The discharge of Saline River at Beverly and Salina is shown in the following tables: Table 109. — Mean monthly discharge of Saline River at Beverly, Kans., for the period April, 1895, to June, 1897. [Drainage area, 2,730 square miles.] Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean, January February , March April May June July - August September October November December The period a Maximum estimated " 108 243 67 693 3,000 a 16, 000 a 10, 000 493 92 a 0, 130 a 16, 000 50.0 62.0 47.4 126 166 ,020 430 104 48.0 144 54.0 47.6 192 KANSAS EIVER SYSTEM. 221 Table 110. — Mean monthly discharge of Saline River near Salina, Kans.,for 1897 to 1903. [Drainage area, 3,311 square miles.] Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean. 240 260 1,340 3,680 7,580 7,900 3,370 3,410 3,920 3,920 424 690 40 34 24 24 18 37 22 7 6 16 15 28 83.0 February 83.5 March 163 222 May 524 June 878 July 288 August 323 September 227 October 221 November 112 December 102 The period 7,900 6 269 QUALITY OF WATER. The United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampling station on Saline River at Sylvan Grove from November 27, 1906, to November 30, 1907. The collector was Edward Buehring. A record of the analyses of composite samples of the waters col- lected at this sampling station is presented in Table 111. The analyses show a very heavily mineralized sodic saline water. The chlorides and sulphates are very high, in marked accordance with the fact that the river receives large contributions of water from the saliferous and gypsiferous shales of the Dakota. The chlorides and sulphates in all but six of the analyses fluctuate in the same direction; indeed, the ratio of chlorides to sulphates is fairly constant. On the assumption that rise and fall of turbidity denote rise and fall in river stage, it appears from Table 111 that the total dissolved solids follow fluctuations in the stage of the river somewhat closely. This is natural, because rain, melting snows, and surface waters in general, are less highly mineralized than the spring waters that feed the Saline, and therefore dilute the river water when they reach the river in considerable volume. Analysis 7, Table 103, is a test of Saline River at its mouth. The record of turbidity of the daily samples from Saline River, Table 112, shows that it is not a very turbid stream. During the six months from December, 1906, to May, 1907, the samples only once had a turbidity of greater than 100, and for more than half of this period the turbidity was less than 50. Through November, 1907, the turbidity was always less than 100 and for more than half of the time was less than 50. During the entire time the Saline was sampled over 43 per cent of the readings were less than 50, and only about 24 per cent of the time were they greater than 100. The longest period of high turbidit}/ extended from June 26 to September 5, in which time 222 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. the turbidity was less than 100 on only one day. The highest tur- bidity, 10,080, was recorded on May 26, and the lowest, 5, on Febru- ary 5. The increase in turbidity was at times very great and sudden, as from 145 on July 15 to 4,080 on July 16, and from 160 on June 10 to 1,530 on June 11. The coefficient of fineness. Table 111, indicates that the suspended matter is somewhat coarser than that of Smoky Hill River. Assays 9 and 11, Table 102, are tests of tributaries that are affected by salt springs, and assays 8 and 10, Table 102, show how the river is influenced by one of these salty tributaries. Paradise Creek, in Russell County, is said to have salt springs that discharge into it. Table 111. — Analyses of loater from Saline River, at Sylvan Grove, Kans. [Drainage area 2,300 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made by F. W. Bushong in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. t>j 1 T3 6 6 M s §1 d Q ^8 d d 3 •§ g§ w ?" _j .s ■w m B 2 m'a From— To- S s p. m 1 o O a S ■3 3 1 1 a C3 P( "3 CO 1 a S '3 1906. 1906. Nov. 27 Dec. 6 65 46 0.71 27 aO.9 114 47 738 0.0 370 497 0.4 982 2,623 Dec. 7 Dec. 16 33 28 .85 1.2 147 56 852 .0 382 540 .4 1,108 2,910 Dec. 17 Dee. 26 41 25 ;61 "55 1.0 152 58 865 .0 407 566 .7 1,170 3,086 1907. Dec. 27 Jan. 5 45 66 1.46 28 1.0 137 46 681 .0 327 480 .4 980 2,688 1907. Jan. 6 Jan. 15 27 44 1.63 23 1.2 148 56 807 .0 334 541 1.4 1,086 2,832 Jan. 16 Jan. 25 27 31 1.15 44 1.2 151 52 ' 777 .0 '427 521 .9 1,004 2,784 Jan. 26 Feb. 4 28 31 1.10 49 .6 148 51 714 .0 320 554 .4 954 2,648 Feb. 5 Feb. 15 49 56 1.14 20 .14 144 52 776 .0 406 530 .2 1,041 2,716 Feb. 16 Feb. 25 46 45 .98 93 .30 145 41 726 .0 367 462 .4 934 2,566 Feb. 26 Mar. 7 37 30 .81 86 .62 159 55 866 .0 374 520 .4 1,131 3,031 Mar. 8 Mar. 17 32 30 .94 23 .25 115 54 774 fcS.l 311 475 .2 960 2,503 Mar. 18 Mar. 27 49 56 1.14 18 .8 145 59 822 .0 336 549 .6 1,118 2,884 Mar. 28 Apr. 7 70 54 .77 14 .8 144 62 934 .0 330 427 .4 1,263 3,200 Apr. 8 Apr. 17 51 47 .92 13 3.2 151 63 971 .0 337 607 .4 1,339 3,357 Apr. 18 Apr. 27 44 41 .93 10 1.6 142 68 1,021 ' .0 345 551 .7 1,380 3,408 Apr. 28 May 9 41 38 .93 12 1.5 134 62 949 .0 340 582 .9 1,280 3,176 May 10 May 20 50 46 .92 .14 .50 138 60 1,005 .0 320 621 1.0 1,348 3,370 May 21 May 31 43 42 .98 15 1.2 136 67 1,150 .0 322 670 .6 1,580 3,835 June 3 June 12 218 147 .67 15 .3.0 120 53 862 .0 277 498 .9 1,148 2,880 June 13 June 22 75 67 .89 17 1.4 116 44 689 .0 282 447 1.1 928 2,423 June 23 July 5 1,130 1,330 1.18 35 4.0 97 32 295 .0 208 273 4.5 368 1,210 July 6 July 15 590 511 .87 27 1.2 110 24 392 .0 252 302 1.7 504 1,485 July 16 July 25 860 754 .88 28 1.2 114 26 238 .0 238 245 1.5 276 1,043 July 26 Aug. 4 240 187 .78 27 1.8 120 42 444 69.0 225 350 .7 592 1,712 Aug. 5 Aug. 14 158 150 .95 27 1.8 124 45 591 .0 263 401 1.0 796 2,106 Aug. 16 Aug. 26 916 460 .50 32 3.4 84 22 182 .0 222 153 2.7 224 790 Aug. 27 Sept. 5 140 141 1.00 31 .12 106 37 425 66:0 252 296 1.3 564 1,571 Sept. 6 Sept. 17 72 71 .99 27 .05 125 60 905 .0 . 305 457 1.1 1,023 2,587 Sept. 18 Sept. 28 78 66 .85 15 .12 142 79 1,022 .0 305 578 3.8 1,448 3,488 Sept. 29 Oct. 10 668 646 .97 19 .12 124 43 555 63.0 290 366 3.0 741 1,998 Oct. 12 Oct. 22 46 55 1.20 17 .10 148 74 991 .0 355 562 .6 1,340 3,366 Oct. 23 Nov. 2 55 43 .78 18 .18 167 61 973 .0 355 554 .7 1,300 3,382 Nov. 3 Nov. 13 43 25 .58 27 .40 149 40 932 .0 380 554 .3 1,268 3,191 Nov. 14 Nov. an 29 41 23 .56 23 .10 109 64 914 .0 390 544 .6 1,216 3,010 Me 180 160 .93 28 1.1 132 52 760 .0 323 479 1.0 1,012 2,908 of anhy- Per cent drous r esidue 1.1 .1 5.0 2.0 29.0 6.0 18.2 .1 38.5 oAl, 2, b Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. KANSAS EIVER SYSTEM. 223 Table 112. — Turbidity of daily samples from Saline River at Sylvan Grove, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas. E. H. S. Bailey, director.) Day. 1906. 1907. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 1 33 56 50 95 140 32 26 32 25 24 18 65 75 24 20 20 28 20 20 15 25 28 50 45 90 85 75 30 60 50 47 34 68 42 26 36 24 18 35 24 25 18 •20 36 32 35 30 20 34 16 10 15 60 27 24 30 36 28 28 27 36 34 22 22 27 18 5 15 ""'"5' 18 32 15 30 210 90 70 45 95 95 34 38 42 32 22 40 12 42 50 20 28 34 36 38 32 30 60 43 16 34 36 50 34 13 20 36 40 45 50 50 32 43 36 50 65 55 65 65 100 70 85 95 62 60 65 40 46 65 47 75 55 24 65 65 26 53 16 50 40 58 42 55 55 34 36 65 34 20 60 180 180 120 70 160 160 125 125 135 140 130 140 115 350 "220" 190 1,000 1,800 966 800 650 440 370 260 322 300 240 225 *i5o" 145 "'i25' 145 110 100 """so" 70 55 50 80 70 85 75 55 65 110 90 70 60 24 65 65 80 80 120 90 70 80 4,000 1,800 425 340 225 135 130 ""'56" 95 "'eo' ""'36' 70 70 45 40 45 65 40 50 70 60 55 60 32 32 36 45 70 60 2 632 418 350 200 200 110 190 130 190 140 145 145 4,080 580 500 3,678 1,666 800 765 340 304 265 160 140 340 460 240 406 210 210 32 3 67 20 35 ""34' 48 24 40 55 33 65 60 34 55 58 65 ""ss' 35 45 65 60 60 36 55 45 80 55 37 160 1,530 120 75 90 80 65 120 65 65 70 58 60 70 58 50 4 50 5. 40 8 36 7. 8 24 9 24 10 15 11 70 12 50 13 70 14 80 15 ; 24 16 32 17 . 45 18 45 19 45 20 40 21. 22 30 23 24 24 50 25 40 26 65 32 43 22 28 34 10,080 4,590 1.800 933 32 27. . . 45 77 48 73 70 28 30 29 32 30.. 65 28 31 Mean 61 45 30 42 41 53 45 787 600 347 83 292 42 Note. — Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by 'comparison with silira standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. SOLOMON RIVER.i DESCRIPTION. Solomon River is formed by the junction of two forks. The North Fork rises in the southwestern part of Thomas County and flows northeastward to Kirwin, where it turns and flows southeast- ward to its union with the South Fork, south of Cawker, The South Fork heads in the southeastern part of Sherman County, and takes a slight northeasterly course to the point of junction. The headwaters of North and South Forks are not 10 miles apart but their courses are so divergent that the upland between the two in Norton, Graham, Phillips, and Rooks counties is nearly 20 miles wide and in the vicinity of Stockton and Marvin is 300 feet above the two val- leys. Both streams rise in a region of Tertiary deposits and com- plete their course in the Cretaceous. The upper courses of these forks are dry during the greater part of the year because they lie in a region of deficient rainfall and because they have not cut deep enough into the Tertiary deposits to tap the underground water of i Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, Vol. 2, pp. 40-41. 224 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. those deposits. As they pass eastward their channels gradually become deeper and their valleys broader. At Stockton the valley of South Fork is about a mile wide and at Marvin, directly north, the valley of North Fork has the same width. From the junction of its forks at Cawker to its mouth at Solomon the Solomon flows in a valley which averages 2 miles in width, but in places measures 3 miles. The river flows in Cretaceous deposits to a point a little south of Minneapolis, where it enters the Permian, in which it continues till it joins Smoky Hill River. It should be noted that two of the affluents of Solomon River — Salt Creek and Plum Creek — carry salt water. Plum Creek, which is the less important of the two, carries the drainage of a small salt marsh into the river at a point below Beloit. Salt Creek is a rather large stream, though in its upper reaches it is often dry. In Lincoln County it receives the drainage of two salt marshes, one of which is on Rattlesnake Creek and the other at the junction of Prosser and Battle creeks. AU of these salt marshes are fed by water which is mineralized by the saliferous shales of the Dakota sandstone. The drainage area of Solomon River is 6,882 square miles. The discharge of the river as measured at Beloit and Niles is shown in the following tables: Table 113. — Mean monthly discharge of Solomon River near Beloit, Kans.,for period July 1, 1895, to June 30, 1897, inclusive. [Drainage area, 5,540 square miles.] Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean January February March April May June July August September October November December The period 1,160 3,055 1,160 18, 500 4,700 8,740 21,800 24,000 960 6,760 1,120 930 24,000 72 104 108 92 14 7 7 7 109 148 161 1,160 290 1,110 1,720 992 143 165 245 103 529 KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. 225 Table 114. — Mean monthly discharge of Solomon River at Niles, Kans., for period beginning May 1, 1897, ending November 30, 1903. [Drainage area, 6,820 square miles.] Month. January February March April May June July August September October November December The period Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean 410 830 5,002 4,627 9,946 10, 602 7,040 7,091 7,040 7,780 855 490 10, 602 160 169 437 320 944 1,380 841 750 453 451 213 150 522 QUALITY OF WATER. Although the Solomon and the Saline lie side by side, in basins having essentially the same rainfall, topography, and surface geology, the waters of the Solomon are not highly charged with salt. The explanation seems to be that the waters from the saliferous shales of the Dakota find ready access to the bed of Saline River, whereas to the bed of Solomon River they have made their way in but a few places. The United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampling station at Beloit from December 1, 1906 to November, 1907, samples being collected by A. T. Rodgers. The analyses of composite samples. Table 115, show that at this place Solomon River carries much better water than either the Smoky Hill or the Saline. This is because at Beloit the Solomon has received too little ground water from the Dakota sandstone to become heavily mineralized. Still, the temporary hardness of the river is high and the permanent hardness very great, though the sulphates are con- siderably lower than in the Smoky Hill and Saline. The chlorides in the Solomon at Beloit, though high, are a great deal less than in the two other rivers at the places where the daily sampling stations were maintained, and the fairly constant ratio between sulphates and chlorides that exists in the Saline does not appear in the analyses of the Solomon. The chlorides in the river at Beloit are in part derived from salt springs on Carr and Hardscrabble creeks and from the seepage of the Waconda Springs, all of which are in Mitchell County. These salt springs originate in the saliferous and gypsiferous shales of the Dakota sandstone, and other springs having the same origin probably occur in the river valley above Beloit. 77836°— wsp 273—11 15 226 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. The total dissolved solids rise and fall with the gage heights less regularly than they do in Saline River, because the water of the Solomon is less heavily mineralized, being more like the surface water that reaches it in time of moderate rainfall. Thus only the heavy rains effect a marked dilution of the matter held in solution by the water of the river. The Solomon is one of the clearest of the Kansas streams, its turbidity (Table 116) being generally low. During December, January, February, and November, 1906, the turbidity did not measure above 50, and from December to June 27 it was never above 100, nor did it rise above 100 in September. Over 66 per cent of all the samples had a turbidity of less than 50 and only about 13 per cent had a turbidity of 100 or more. The longest period of marked turbidity extended from June 27 to August 6, inclusive. The only other period of continued high turbidity extended from September 30 to October 13, inclusive. The highest observed turbidity was 40,458 on June 27, and the lowest was 2 on January 16. Turbidity of less than 10 was recorded eighteen times. There are great jumps in the turbidity, as from 35 on June 26 to 40,458 on June 27, and from 140 on July 24, to 3,900 on July 25. The coefficient of fineness (Table 115) is less for Solomon River than for either the Smoky Hill or Saline. Still the suspended matter is fairly coarse and settles out rapidly. Assay 19, Table 102, shows the water of Pipe Creek at MiimeapoKs to be soft. Analysis 10, Table 103, is not greatly unlike the analyses of the composite samples at Beloit of the dates October 3-16 and October 18-28. Assay 20, Table 102, is a test of Salt Creek west of Minneapolis, and shows, as might be expected from the name, high chlorides. The creek receives the salt from salt springs in Mitchell County, the salt marsh at the junction of Battle and Prosser creeks, and probably from other salt springs. The influence of the water of this creek on Solomon River is shown by assay 21, Table 102, and analysis 11, Table 103, which indicate that Solomon River is much more salty below the mouth of Salt Creek than at Beloit and Minne- apolis above, being in fact so heavily mineralized at Solomon that it is comparable with the water of Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg. This change in the quality of the water of the Solomon is due to the fact that below Minneapolis the river has a considerable drainage area, in which the general character of the water is determined by water originating in the gypsiferous and saliferous shales of the Dakota and by a considerable drainage that enters the river from an area within which the occurrence of gypsum may be expected. KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. 227 Table 115. — Analyses of water from Solomon River at Beloit, Kans. [Drainage area, 5,540 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in tlie chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, R. H. S. Bailey, director.] Uk 1 . 4^ i 60 Date. 1 d C3 ■V T3 Si >. a si .2 O ?" o o O d 5, 0) II >x!^ ■'3 s 'o P^ H S H H 03--' "§ -2 .g From — To— 1 ft o 03 3 a O •s 1 C3 O 1 O •3 •| o a 3 o a &H m O CO M o ;^ m O W m iS o &^ "^ 1906. 1906. Dec. 1 Dec. 13 25 14 0.56 35 1.0 112 16 107 0.0 337 118 0.4 56 534 Dec. 14 Dec. 24 1907. 18 14 .78 19 .9 109 20 95 .0 366 118 2.7 80 615 — Dec. 25 Jan. 3 13 10 .77 32 1.0 107 15 82 o8.4 325 116 4.6 72 585 1907. Jan. 4 Jan. 13 20 14 .70 37 1.2 116 20 70 .0 319 118 4.8 58 525 0.8 Jan. 15 Jan. 24 Feb. 3 9 7 15 7.4 1.66 1.06 48 51 1.6 .8 109 91 15 12 98 94 134 148 4.4 3.0 "n" 655 602 .6 Jan. 25 " a" 2." 4 "208 .6 Feb. 4 Feb. 24 19 9 .47 39 .20 94 13 74 .0 303 71 3.9 57 544 .9 Feb. 25 Mar. 6 17 8.4 .49 95 .20 94 18 95 .0 317 112 4.8 62 625 .7 Mar. 7 Mar. 16 22 19 .86 28 .18 95 15 72 .0 306 110 3.0 50 509 1.6 Mar. 17 Mar. 26 50 12 .24 31 4.0 89 8.2 76 .0 300 103 1.0 54 514 .9 Mar. 27 Apr. 6 47 29 .62 29 .6 91 10 85 a5.3 302 110 .4 66 544 1.1 Apr. 7 Apr. 17 52 42 .81 28 1.6 95 15 83 al.Q 330 113 .6 46 552 .6 Apr. 27 May 6 32 19 .59 24 2.4 98 19 83 .0 327 110 1.0 64 526 1.2 May 7 May 16 41 26 .63 28 .9 98 9.3 76 .0 305 108 1.5 63 527 1.5 May 17 May 27 36 24 .67 32 1.1 94 3 106 al4.0 295 118 1.5 98 606 1.2 May 28 June 6 46 26 .56 30 .8 99 19 104 .0 333 117 1.8 88 617 1.5 June 7 June 16 67 55 .82 31 2.0 82 15 72 .0 267 102 2.7 49 476 1.4 June 17 June 26 50 43 .86 39 2.0 86 20 83 .0 295 101 3.5 60 508 1.5 June 27 July 8 7,767 4,526 .58 34 5.0 73 17 53 .0 218 92 12.0 36 428 4.0 July 9 July 18 156 102 .65 51 3.0 91 20 61 .0 272 99 2.8 32 460 1.4 July 19 July 28 750 579 .77 36 6.0 66 12 42 .0 165 76 5.5 22 330 2.3 July 29 Aug. 7 195 146 .75 28 4.0 80 25 67 .0 254 83 7.5 50 429 Aug. 8 Aug. 17 32 26 .81 39 .50 102 22 97 .0 340 115 2.7 78 573 Aug. 18 Aug. 29 90 66 .73 29 1.4 77 14 60 .0 240 69 4.0 40 380 Aug. 30 Sept. 11 49 33 .67 34 .10 78 16 74 O12.0 237 77 3.2 54 437 Sept. 12 Sept. 21 43 34 .79 36 .03 84 19 106 .0 305 97 2.3 96 570 Sept. 22 Oct. 2 34 78 2.30 22 .14 50 21 138 .0 135 131 1.2 130 506 Oct. 3 Oct. 16 188 131 .70 23 .12 66 13 66 .0 200 74 4.0 54 373 Oct. 18 Oct. 28 35 24 .68 37 .14 96 18 111 .0 320 115 1.2 104 613 Oct. 29 Nov. 7 34 17 .50 31 .14 109 22 114 .0 360 125 1.2 106 664 Nov. 8 Nov. 18 40 13 .32 35 .10 112 22 109 .0 372 133 .9 101 656 Nov. 19 Dee. 5 an of anhy- 33 18 .54 34 .10 87 21 114 .0 367 132 .3 90 594 Me 313 194 .75 35 1.4 92 16 86 .0 294 108 3.0 67 534 Per cent drous r esidue 6.3 .4 16.6 3.0 15.6 26.0 19.5 .5 12.1 a Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note.— Analyses from December 1, 1906, to February 3, 1907, and from March 17 to November 18, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from February 4 to March 16 and from November 19 to December 5, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. 228 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 116. — Turbidity of daily samples from Solomon River at Beloit, Kans. [Readings made in ttie chemical laboratories of tlie University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 25 32 28 10 15 14 . 14 19 20 18 24 30 24 30 15 22 4 14 '""5' 2 8 8 5 12 16 12 10 5 4 5 6 5 7 13 10 7 10 5 6 7 ■■""s" 18 18 27 32 32 22 12 16 16 20 13 9 12 14 14 22 24 16 30 14 30 24 20 '""22' 16 55 45 47 50 48 20 95 45 47 ■43 38 38 70 15 48 47 48 26 36 "'62' 47 47 48 "'43' 52 56 55 75 55 38 32 16 55 35 45 23 35 55 48 20 34 55 15 15 33 43 13 55 36 36 38 22 34 32 48 70 42 48 42 42 "'is' 13 13 20 34 46 42 65 65 30 55 60 40 45 38 45 48 60 34 20 85 65 65 65 65 95 80 70 55 85 40 48 60 55 27 42 40 70 35 40,458 34,776 220 550 440 220 425 400 ""'85' 95 115 120 120 110 120 65 48 95 320 450 295 315 175 155 170 140 3,900 406 1,300 650 265 440 365 150 125 220 110 80 110 70 27 65 27 43 20 14 50 36 16 22 65 65 45 130 160 110 95 90 75 70 80 60 35 55 Broken. 50 35 60 75 80 22 70 36 32 65 60 50 45 24 65 45 36 32 24 50 45 45 40 50 36 45 50 50 165 90 475 613 "296' 175 230 120 120 120 80 70 60 "'46' 30 36 30 60 36 36 24 32 24 36 30 .16 30 45 36 24 30 36 50 45 45 45 15 36 32 40 36 32 50 45 40 24 24 18 30 36 40 . 30 45 36 36 45 45 2 ... 30 3 32 4 32 5 18 6 7 . 22 24 8 9 10 11 12 13 32 20 32 12 15 24 24 8 14 15... 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 i7 10 12 13 14 12 10 11 12 10 23 24 25 ;6 27 28 29 30 31 ■Mean. . . 18 13 16 33 43 38 2,581 407 75 51 112 36 Note. — Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Bur- lingame and Harvey G. EUedge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. The results of tests of the waters of this river and its tributaries at points other than the sampling stations are presented in assays 13 to 21, Table 102 (p. 204), and analyses 9 to 11, Table 103 (p. 206). The water of Elm Creek, analysis 9, Table 103, is hard but treatable, and the water of Deer Creek, assay 13, Table 102, is like that of Elm Creek. Both of these waters are low in chlorides. The water of Beaver Creek, assay 14, Table 102, is much harder than that of Elm and Deer creeks. The water of South Fork of Solomon River at Morland is soft (assay 16, Table 102), but at Stockton (assay 17, Table 102) the sulphates have increased. Assay 18, Table 102, indi- cates that the water of the South Fork at Cawker does not differ greatly from that of the South Fork at Stockton, and that it is con- siderably harder than the water of the North Fork just above the confluence of the two forks at Cawker. REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN. DESCRIPTION. Republican River is of the plains, its headwaters being gathered far from the Rocky Mountains in the table-lands of northeastern Colorado. KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. 229 The South Fork, which is here regarded as the continuation of the main stream, rises in Lincoln County, Colo., and flows northeastward to Benkelman, in Dundy County, Nebr., where it is joined by the North Fork, a stream that heads in Yuma County, Colo., and flows eastward. From Benkelman the main Republican holds an easterly course across the southern counties of Nebraska to Superior, south of which it passes into Jewell County, Kans. From the Kansas- Nebraska State line to Junction, where it unites with the Smoky Hill to form Kansas River, the Republican meanders southeastward, traversing 150 miles in covering an air-line distance of 90 miles. Republican River has been estimated to be 100 miles long in Colo- rado, 200 miles in Nebraska, and somewhat less than 200 miles in Kansas. Its drainage comprises an aggregate of 25,840 square miles, of which 7,920 are in Colorado, 10,410 in Nebraska, and 7,500 in Kansas. The channels of the several branches of the Republican in Colorado lie for the most part within the porous Tertiary deposits, but from the southern part of Yuma County northeastward the South Fork and the Arikaree, the principal tributary of the North Fork, have cut down to the Cretaceous beds. The valley of the South Fork of the Republican at St. Francis, Kans., is known as the St. Francis Basin. During the summer of 1908 Charles S. Slichter and H. C. Wolff, of the United States Recla- mation Service, made for the United States Geological Survey a care- ful study of the basin to determine to what extent irrigation farming might be developed from the underflow of the South Fork. Some of the salient conclusions arrived at are quoted here from Mr. Wolff's report on the experiments.^ They are: 1. The source of the underflow is the precipitation in the drainage basin of the river. 2. The water-bearing gravel in the valley averages about 15 feet in thickness. 3. The water plane at St. Francis, Kans., slopes down the valley at the rate of 10.7 feet per mile. 4. The underflow of South Fork of Republican River moves at an average rate of 17 feet per day. 5. The rate of movement is, in general, much faster near the center of the valley than near its edges. 6. Better wells for irrigation can, in general, be sunk near the center of the valley than near its edges. 7. There is no danger that the underground water in the valley will be exhausted by pumping. 8. The water-bearing gravel contains enough large material to permit the use of a well strainer having openings as large as 1 inch long by three-sixteenths of an inch wide. 9. Except perhaps in a few localities along the northwestern side of the valley the quantity of dissolved salts in the ground water is not large enough to be injurious to plant life. I Water-supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 268, 1911, p. 119. 230 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Throughout Nebraska the drainage area of Repubhcan River is gently roUing or level, and most of the western part, except the immediate stream valley, is given over to cattle raising. The soil of the valley is very fertile and large quantities of alfalfa, hay, and grains are grown. At some points in the western part of the area the entire flow of the stream is diverted for irrigation.^ The chief tributaries received by the Republican in Nebraska are, from the north. Frenchman River, Red Willow and Medicine creeks, and from the south, Sappa and Prairie Dog creeks. The northern tributaries he mostly within Nebraska, the southern within Kansas. Frenchman Creek has its source in springs from the Tertiary and in its upper course has cut deep steep-walled canyons, but farther down, where the slopes are gentler, it has a wider valley which is eroded to the Pierre clay. Near its mouth the stream is shallow and from 75 to 100 feet wide. It flows over a sandy bed in which there are small sandbars and islands. Red Willow and Medicine creeks rise in canyons near Platte River in Lincoln County, Nebr., and carry their small volume of water to Republican River through deep narrow valleys in a nearly level up- land. Sappa Creek rises in Sherman County, Kans., flows northeastward, and ]oins Republican River near Orleans, Nebr. Its principal tribu- tary, Beaver Creek, drains a considerable area. Both Sappa and Beaver creeks lie for the most part in the Tertiary deposits, but as the rocks of that system are thin in northwestern Kansas, they have cut their channels almost to its base in their upper reaches and quite to the Cretaceous farther down, so that they draw upon the under- ground water from the Tertiary. The streams alternat ly flow and disappear beneath their beds in part of their course through Kansas, but in Nebraska their flow is constant. Prairie Dog Creek rises in the eastern part of Sherman County and flows a northeasterly direction through Thomas County, the north- west corner of Sheridan County, the southeast corner of Decatur County, diagonally across Norton Coim.ty, and the northeast corner of Phillips County, entering Republican River south of Republican Junc- tion, in Harlan County, Nebr. The principal tributaries of Republican River wholly within Kansas are White Rock and Buffalo creeks, both of which enter from the west and throughout their courses flow through the Cre- taceous. Buffalo Creek receives the drainage of the large Jamestown salt marsh and thereby increases the salinity of Republican River. The Kansas tributaries of the river from the east are unimportant, save only Salt Creek, which comes in at Lawrenceburg, and which carries the drainage of Tuthill salt marsh. 1 Stevens, J. C, Surface waters of Nebraska: Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 230, 1909, pp. 176-177. KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. 231 The Republican flows over an alluvium of its own deposition, and its valley bottom lies from 200 to 400 feet below the bordering table-lands and loess of the plains. The stream is for the most part shallow and relatively wide, its sandy bed lying between low sandy banks except at places where the river cuts into bordering terraces, where the banks are higher and precipitous. Throughout its course in Nebraska the stream flows in Cretaceous deposits and is supplied by spring-fed tributaries. In the western counties, where rainfall is small and direct run-off rapid, the river bed is often dry, as for example, in midsummer, immediately above the mouths of Buffalo, Rock, and Frenchman creeks, but these streams revive the flow of the river below their mouths. Such alternating dryness and flow extend as far east as Superior during droughts, but only once in 12 years has the river ceased to flow at Red Cloud and Superior. There is excellent evidence that under Phelps and Kearney counties, Nebr., an underflow from Platte River sets toward Repub- lican Valley. Platte River in these counties has an abundant sup- ply of water in the basal beds of the alluvium near the stream. The seepage of the water from Platte Valley into that of the Repub- lican is rendered possible because Platte River Valley has a con- siderably greater altitude than Republican River Valley and because between the two rivers the great sheet of materials lying between the loess and the top of the impervious Pierre shale is pervious. In Kansas the Republican Valley averages 2 miles wide and is bordered on each side by bluffs 100 to 150 feet high. The channel is in the'Cretaceous rocks to Clay County, where the river enters the Permian, in which it continues to its mouth. The discharge of Republican River at Junction is shown in the following table: Table 117. — Mean monthly discharge of Republican River at Junction, Kans., for period July 1, 1895, to October 31, 1905, inclusive. [Drainage area, 25,800 square miles.] Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean January February March April May June July August September October November December The period 1,985 6,230 13,500 12, 300 47,520 44, 280 37,500 25,000 10,500 5,150 1,480 2,443 325 280 504 375 325 290 75 20 20 35 63 173 713 1,010 1,500 1,250 2,830 3,180 3,000 1,490 704 515 469 554 47,520 232 QUALITY OF THE WATEK SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. QUALITY OF WATER. REPUBLICAN RIVER AT JUNCTION. The United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampling station on Republican River at Junction from November 26, 1906, to July 27, 1907. J. H. Rathert was collector. A record of the analyses of the composite samples obtained at this station appears in Table 118. The water may be classed as a calcic alkaline water of consider- able temporary and permanent hardness. The chlorides fluctuate a good deal, but are never very high. A comparison of the mean of Table 118 with the means of Tables 111, 115, and 130 shows that the Republican carries almost exactly the same amount of bicarbonates as Solomon River, less than Saline River, and more than Big Blue River. It is evident, too, that the sulphates and chlorides of the Republican are far less than those of the Saline, about half as great as those of the Solomon, and about one-third greater than those of the Big Blue. This is what would be expected from a knowledge of the streams, for the Saline receives the largest contribution of saline and gypsiferous waters from the Dakota, the Solomon next, the Republican next, and Big Blue River the least. The result of a test of the water of the Republican River above Junction is given in analysis 19, Table 103. The figures do not differ greatly from' those for the composite samples of January 17-26 and January 27-February 5, Table 117, though the chlorides are considerably higher than in any analysis given in that table. The turbidity of the daily samples from Republican River at Junction is recorded in Table 119. The river was very turbid all the time it was under observation, especially during June, when there were but 7 samples that had a turbidity of less than 1,000. During July, too, the river was remarkably turbid, but the record for the month is very much broken. There were 237 turbidity readings, a little more than 6 per cent of which were less than 50, nearly 84 per cent were over 100, and a trifle over 13 per cent were over 1,000. 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Table 126. — Daily turbidity measurements of Kansas River at Lawrence, Kans., and daily gage heights at Lecompton, Kans. [James L. Murray and D. F. McFarland, observers.] Date. Tur- bidity. Gage heights. Date. Tur- bidity. Gage heights. Date. Tur- bidity. Gage heights. 1903. 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 2,000 2,000 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,000 800 800 600 500 400 350 300 250 250 200 180 160 160 150 150 140 130 7.85 7.65 6.80 6.25 5.95 5.55 7.05 8.15 8.90 8.90 9.45 9.65 10.00 9.85 8.95 8.70 8.20 7.50 7.40 7.20 6.95 6.65 6.60 6.35 6.05 5.95 5.90 5.85 5.75 5.70 5.60 5.60 1903. Apr. 6 110 100 100 100 100 95 95 95 95 90 85 80 75 70 70 70 65 65 60 60 50 55 5.50 5.45 5.40 5.10 4.80 4.80 4.70 4.70 4.70 4.65 4.60 4.60 4.55 4.50 4.50 4.50 4.45 4.40 4.40 4.30 4.30 4.30 4.00 12.90 4.80 4.55 4.25 4.20 1904. 130 140 120 110 130 115 108 125 130 135 250 350 350 300 500 400 250 350 300 350 800 750 475 500 500 475 350 4.15 Apr. 6 Aug. 6 4.10 Mar. 6 . . . Apr. 7 Aug. 7.. . . 4.05 Mar. 7 Apr. 8 Aug. 8 4.00 Mar. 8 Apr. 9 Aug. 9 4.00 Mar. 9 Apr. 10 Aug. 10 3.90 Mar. 10 Apr. 11 Aug. 11 3.85 Mar. 11 Apr. 12 Aug. 12 . 3.80 Mar. 12 Apr. 13 Aug. 13 3.80 Mar. 13 Apr. 14 Aug. 14 3.80 Mar. 14 Apr. 15 Aug. 15 .. 3.80 Mar. 15 Apr. 16 Aug. 16 3.70 Mar. 16 Apr. 17 Aug. 17 3.70 Mar. 17 Apr. 18 Aug. 18 . 3.70 Mar. 18 Apr. 19 Aug, 19 3.65 Mar. 19 Apr. 20 Aug. 20 3.60 Mar. 20 Apr. 21 Aug. 21 . 3.60 Mar. 21 Apr. 22 Aug. 22 3.55 Mar. 22 Apr. 23 Aug. 23 3.50 Mar. 23. . . Apr. 24 Aug. 24 . . 3.45 Mar. 24 Apr. 25 Aug. 25 3.40 Mar. 25 Apr. 26 Aug. 26 3.40 Mar 26 Mean May 1 Aug. 27 - 3 40 Mar. 27 86 Aug. 28 3.35 3 30 Mar. 29 2,000 2,000 Aug. 30 3.30 Mar. 30 May 23 Aug. 31 3.25 Mar 31 Mean 1904. Aug. 1 Mean Sept 1 2,000 312 Mean 804 180 275 550 180 350 400 3.20 3.20 Apr. 1 120 120 110 110 Sept. 2 Apr. 2 Aug. 2 Mean. Apr. 3 Aug. 3 Apr. 4 Aug. 4 KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. 247 Table 127. — Turbidity of daily samples of Kansas River at Holliday, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 . ... 38 36 32 50 40 70 52 90 75 70 65 90 75 80 40 18 14 14 14 13 18 12 20 . 40 1,200 1,400 1,732 1, 332 520 500 350 " "ii5' 120 135 135 105 105 68 90 75 75 65" 70 65 78 85 85 75 75 65 75 65 70 75 70 75 75 100 80 105 105 120 120 120 105 135 180 85 180 180 125 115 115 110 130 105 100 125 130 112 50 36 60 60 36 40 40 45 50 40 45 50 50 50 40 40 50 24 24 40 50 45 36 36 24 30 45 24 45 30 24 2 24 3 24 4 24 5 18 6 ' 24 7 30 8 . .. 9 392 1,200 2,472 2,550 "2,' 466' 2,499 2,100 2,250 2,250 2,100 1,450 1,000 675 350 210 215 75 80 60 40 45 60 10 11 12 13 14 473 500 473 450 450 440 460 '""lis' 315 308 412 500 532 933 5,355 5,355 5,355 5,598 5,598 440 500 500 532 5,355 15 16 17 18 » 19 412 370 412 412 440 406 440 28 20 38 15 17 20 21 22 . 23 25 26 45 27 28 32 60 40 30 29 60 55 45 3,650 30 31 Mean 53 132 324 2,297 86 115 2,850 636 41 22 Note.— March average: 26 to 30, 1,680; March 31 to April 4, 1 ,800. June average: 1 to 6, 765; 8 to 16, 3,060; 20 to 28,1,920; June 30 to July 9, 2,500. July average : 10 to 19, 3,190; 20 to 29, 2,840; July 30 to August 8, 1 ,800. August average: 9 to 18, 765; 19 to 28, 400; August 29 to September 7, 80. September average: 8 to 17, 70; 18 to 27, 55; September 29 to October 8, 833. December average: 8 to 17, 16; 18 to 27, 18. Turbidities over 50 were determined by a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by com.- parison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. EUedge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. The coefficient of fineness (Table 125) of the composite samples varies a good deal. Most of the' time it is fairly high, indicating that the suspended matter is rather coarse; but in some of the samples the coefficient of fineness is low, showing that the suspended matter is fine. To summarize: Analyses of the composite samples of the Kansas show that the composition of the water is constantly changing, but that the calcium, bicarbonates, and sulphates are almost always high; hence the temporary and permanent hardness of the water ie marked. The river is usually very turbid, though from October 19, 1907, to February 24, 1908, the turbidity of the composite samples was never greater than 60 and was usually considerably less. As a • gage was maintained on the Kansas at Topeka by the United States "Weather Bureau during the entire period that samples were col- lected at Holliday, and as discharge measurements have been made by the United States Geological Survey at Lecompton, it has been possible to calculate the approximate mean discharge of the Kansas 248 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. at Holliday for the period during which the samples were collected and so to figure out the amount of denudation accomplished by the river. It appears that during the two years it carried in suspension an average of 35,100 tons and in solution an average of 7,000 tons per 24 hours. The variation in the composition of Kansas E-iver water at Topeka at different times is shown by analyses 25-36, Table 103, page 207; among these, analysis 35, Table 103, seems to be a test of an abnormal sample. In the other samples the sulphates are high, the chlorides fluctuate a good deal, and the other constituents do in a less degree. The quality of water of the Kansas at Argentine at different times is shown by analyses 50 to 56, Table 103, and that of Kansas River at Armourdale and Kansas City, Kans., by analyses 57 and 58, Table 103. MINOR TRIBUTARIES. Between Junction and Manhattan the principal tributary received by the Kansas is Clarks Creek, but no test was made of its water. A little above Manhattan Wild Cat Creek enters. The State Agri- cultural College discharges its unpurified sewage into the creek, which carries it some distance before emptying it into Republican River. Formerly, the outlet of the sewerage system at its present location discharged directly into Republican River, but the river shifted its channel by cutting off an oxbow bend, and imposed the work of carrying the sewage on the small creek.' A test of a sample taken above the outlet of the sewer of the institution (assay 31, Table 102) shows the water to have decided temporary and permanent hardness. The water of Vermilion River, assay 37, Table 102, is soft. The quality of the water of Mill Creek is shown by 2 analyses and 1 assay. Analysis 23, Table 103, made in 1902, indicates considerable perma- nent and high temporary hardness, but analysis 24, Table 103, indi- cates much greater permanent hardness and less carbonates than shown in the preceding analyses and agrees very well with assay 41, Table 102. The water of Big Soldier Creek (assay 42, Table 102) has high tem- porary and low permanent hardness. Shonganunga Creek, assay 43, Table 102, has low temporary and high permanent hardness. The water of the lake at Lakeview (assay 48, Table 102) appears to be very soft, but its composition is probably changeable. South Fork of Sweezy Creek (assay 46, Table 102) carries soft water, while the water of Sweezy Creek itself (assay 47, Table 102) has considerable permanent hardness. Martin Creek and Mud Creek (assays 49 and 50, Table 102) are very much ahke, having water of low permanent and high temporary hardness. KANSAS EIVER SYSTEM. 249 Tests of the waters of Wakarusa Creek and its tributaries are recorded in analyses 45 and 46, Table 103, and assays 51, 52, 53, and 54, Table 102. The tests indicate that the temporary hardness of these waters is always high and that the permanent hardness varies, sometimes being great enough to be troublesome and at others fall- ing to a point where it is not so. The results of tests of Big Stranger Creek and its tributary, Nine Mile Creek at Linwood, are given in assays 55, 56, and 57, Table 102, and analysis 47, Table 103, which indicate that the waters of both streams are soft. Cedar Creek (assay 58, Table 102) carries water having low tem- porary and high permanent hardness. The water in the railroad pond on Mill Creek at Olathe is shown by assay 59, Table 102, and analysis 48, Table 103, to have very low temporary hardness; the permanent hardness, however, is at times rather high. A test of the water of Mill Creek at its mouth (assay 60, Table 102) indicates that the temporary hardness is low and the permanent high. BIG BLITE RIVER.i DESCRIPTION. Big Blue River rises in the northeastern part of Hamilton County, Nebr., near Platte River, and flows northeastward to Ulysses, Nebr., where it turns and flows southward to its junction with Kansas River at Manhattan. Its drainage area, including all tributaries, is 9,490 square miles, of which 7,040 square miles are in Nebraska and 2,450 square miles are in Kansas. At Seward, Nebr., the Big Blue receives from the west. Northwest Branch; at a point south of Camden, Nebr., Beaver Creek enters; and at Dewitt, Nebr., Turkey Creek comes in. Above Beatrice, Nebr., the channels of Big Blue River and its branches lie in Cretaceous rocks; at Beatrice the river enters the Permian, and at Blue Rapids, Kans., the main channel cuts into the Pennsylvanian, in which it continues to its mouth. Little Blue River, the principal tributary of the Big Blue, heads in the unconsolidated sand and gravels of the Tertiary and flows southeastward. At Belvedere, in Kearney County, Nebr., it enters the Cretaceous, in which it continues, except for a short distance in the Tertiary from Fairbury to Endicott, Nebr., to a point a little south of the Kansas-Nebraska State line in Washington County, Kans., where it crosses into the Permian, in which it flows to its junction with Big Blue River, a short distance above Blue Rapids. The drainage area of Little Blue River in Nebraska is about 13,000 square miles, and the flow of the stream is constant, even in periods 1 Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 216, 1907, p. 36; Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 5, p. 35. 250 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. of dry weather. Much of the water is derived from springs issuing from the Tertiary and from the Dakota sandstone. In tlie wide valley of Platte River nearly all of the coarser mate- rials, especially the basal beds of the alluvium and the coarser por- tions of the alluvium near the stream, are filled with water, which is obtainable by shallow wells. Although in dry weather Platte River shows very little water at the surface, just below the dry sand and shingle in its bed there is a sheet of water which extends widely under the alluvial flat on either side. These permeable alluvial materials and more or less underlying coarse material contain a large supply of water. As the valley of Platte River is somewhat higher than the adjoining valleys of the branches of Blue, Republican, and Loup rivers, the waters that lie in its bottom flow out laterally through the coarse material underlying the loess and issue as springs or under- ground seepage in these deeper depressions. In the vicinity of Grand Island the evidence is very clear that the Platte waters pass under the loess-covered divide and emerge in the deep valleys of the headwaters of branches of Big Blue River, which are considerably lower in altitude than the bottom of the Platte Valley. The under- flow from Platte River passes southeastward under Adams County through sands and gravels which present everywhere relatively uniform relations. The waters are more or less free to escape into the valley of Little Blue River, which quite deeply trenches the plains region in the southern portion of this county.^ In freshets the Little Blue River shifts its channel in sandy bottom lands and has done considerable damage by cutting across valuable farm lands. The best water power in Kansas is developed at Blue Rapids, where Big Blue River passes over a fall. It is estimated that at low water 1,500 horsepower is generated. The valleys of the Big and Little Blue Rivers in Kansas are dis- sected in a plateau of about 1,300 feet in elevation, which is so in- dented by the drainage as to present a rugged topography. The valley of the Big Blue is one-half to 1 mile in breadth, and 100 feet deep, while that of the Little Blue, though of about the same depth, varies in breadth. The discharge of Big Blue River, estimated from records kept by the United States Geological Survey, is shown in the following table: 1 Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 12, 1898, pp. 24-25. KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. 251 Table 128. — Mean monthly discharge of Big Blue River at Manhattan, Kans.,for period from April 14, 1895, to October 31, 1905, inclusive; omitting March and April, 1896, arid January and February, 1904- [Drainage area, 9,490 square miles.] Month. January February Marcli April May June July August September October November December The period Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean 2,710 11,640 10, 830 32,256 68,770 66, 170 43,-430 34,710 29,990 20, 006 5,860 3,136 68,770 475 408 408 460 210 69 69 124 210 325 744 1,124 1,560 2,000 4,120 4,460 4, 050 2,520 1,720 1,170 908 778 2,100 QUALITY OP WATER. The United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampling station on Big Blue River at Manhattan from December 19, 1906, to December 19, 1907. Ed. MarkshefFel was collector. A record of the analyses of composite samples of water collected at this station is presented in Table 129. These analyses indicate that Big Blue River carries a calcic alkaline water of moderately high temporary hardness and low permanent hardness. The chlorides are low and vary considerably in amount. The analysis of water from Big Blue River, recorded as No. 21, Table 103, is similar to that of the composite sample of January 18 to 27, Table 129. Increase in turbidity is generally a sign of a rise in the river; as a rule the total dissolved solids rise when the river falls. The table, however, shows exceptions to this rule, some of which are doubtless due to the fact that an increase in turbidity may indicate a local disturbance of the stream instead of a higher stage. Daily turbidity determinations. Table 130, show the Big Blue to be more turbid than the Smoky Hill, the Saline, or the Solomon. In the Big Blue a period of low turbidity extended from December 19, 1906, to February 9, 1907, after which the river was decidedly turbid up to March 27, then the turbidity remained low until May 28, when a period of high turbidity set in, which continued until October 20, except for a period of low turbidity from September 19 to 29. Thereafter, except on November 6, November 30, and December 9, the turbidity of the river was low. Of the 352 turbidity readings made, 41 per cent were less than 50, over 47 per cent 100, or greater than 100, and over 11 per cent 1,000 or greater. The records indicate some sudden jumps in turbidity, as from 58 on May 27 to 732 on May 252 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. 28, and from 600 on July 15 to 11,000 on July 16. The lowest tur- bidity, 5, was recorded on January 16 and February 5; the highest, 11,000, occurred on July 16. The coefficient of fineness. Table 129 varies considerably but is usually high, except in the three last composites in the table. Thus the coefficient shows that the matter carried in suspension by the stream is usually coarse but that oc- casionally it is fine enough to give trouble in slow sand filters. Table 129. — Analyses of water from Big Blue River, at Manhattan, Kans. [Drainage area, 9,490 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. fe ^ § . From — To- '2 S .2 fi CD 0) a 3 1 1 si o3 a 1 3 3 m O o 2 1— I "3 "" OS fO 3 g 3 1906. 1906. Dec. 19 Dec. 28 1907. 24 18 0.75 11 1.0 87 17 49 all 320 60 0.2 33 422 Dec. 29 Jan. 7 16 16 1.00 26 .c 72 13 41 a 3. 5 316 55 1.0 28 373 1907. Jan. 8 Jan. 17 16 12 .75 26 .8 82 9.1 44 08.6 313 54 2.6 7.2 386 Jan. 18 Jan. 27 43 38 .88 54 .6 77 15 43 04.8 310 61 1.9 19 398 Jan. 28 Feb. 6 17 18 1.06 59 • 1.4 87 19 49 a22 324 58 2 23 458 Feb. 7 Feb. 16 373 298 .80 36 .22 71 20 79 .0 228 138 2 31 471 Feb. 17 Feb. 26 392 369 .94 43 .8 44 4.6 29 .0 169 34 4 8.8 262 Feb. 27 Mar. 8 293 261 .89 45 .70 62 13 38 .0 227 43 3 16 453 Mar. 9 Mar. 18 718 584 .81 36 .6 54 15 39 .0 204 39 4.8 8.4 283 Mar. 19 Mar. 28 176 163 .93 6 68 4.9 43 .0 274 40 1.5 19 348 Mar. 29 Apr. 8 46 49 1.06 '22" .9 83 15 40 7.4 318 53 .2 21 389 Apr. 9 Apr. 18 39 31 .79 31 2.6 86 20 44 nlO 340 41 .9 26 399 Apr. 19 Apr. 30 22 22 1.00 18 1.6 86 17 45 .0 337 55 1.2 29 395 May 1 May 10 19 17 .89 25 3.5 86 3.9 47 aS'.O 312 50 .9 26 391 May 11 May 20 28 37 1.32 25 .50 86 12 45 aS.O 320 55 .8 27 398 May 21 May 30 495 658 1.33 26 5.5 71 10 48 .0 280 50 1.7 23 348 May 31 June 9 1,136 917 .81 21 4 40 14 27 .0 153 27 5 10 158 June 10 June 19 4,180 2,783 .67 79 6 31 9.1 29 .0 115 20 1 7 285 June 20 June 29 740 625 .84 37 3.5 52 10 41 .0 188 29 4 17 254 June 30 July 9 666 495 .74 40 4 49 20 39 .0 210 31 7 15 495 July 10 July 19 1,455 1,522 1.04 19 .7 46 13 43 .0 175 27 5.5 18 256 July 20 July 29 2, 156 1,671 .77 50 40 33 17 30 .0 120 18 6 5 227 July 30 Aug. 8 620 472 .76 3.'; 2 55 18 30 .0 210 35 3 19 282 Aug. 9 Aug. 18 - 900 890 .99 30 5 63 11 34 .0 185 29 3 10 380 Aug. 19 Sept. 1 158 118 .75 31 .8 68 10 44 .0 240 36 2.5 23 304 Sept. 2 Sept. 12 160 139 .87 32 .10 63 16 46 08.0 228 26 2.2 25 321 Sept. 13 Sept. 22 100 148 1.48 39 .03 80 16 48 .0 280 41 1.3 28 354 Oct. 1 Oct. 13 1,582 1,042 .66 35 .8 44 10 34 .0 165 32 3.3 15 234 Oct. 14 Oct. 23 140 106 .76 35 .40 60 13 47 .0 228 34 2 23 305 Oct. 24 Nov. 3 57 45 .79 40 .24 83 21 68 .0 270 41 1 31 354 Nov. 4 Nov. 13 47 39 .83 36 .20 68 15 47 .0 296 43 .6 30 361 Nov. 14 Nov. 23 25 15 .60 32 .20 78 18 47 .0 300 46 .5 29 372 Nov. 24 Dec. 3 24 10 .42 33 .18 75 21 64 .0 305 46 .5 29 376 Dec. 4 Dee. 20 an of anhy- 29 18 .62 24 .10 73 18 61 .0 305 46 .2 28 360 Me 497 401 .87 34 3 67 14 44 .0 258 44 2.3 21 348 Per cent drous r esidue 9.5 1.2 18.8 3.9 12.3 35.5 12.3 .6 5.9 a Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note. — Analyses from December 19, 1906, to February 6, 1907, and from March 19 to December 3, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from Februai'y 7 to March 18 and from December 4 to December 20, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. 253 Table 130. — Turbidity of daily samples from Big Blue River at Manhattan, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Ang. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 14 27 19 11 11 20 17 24 16 24 9 15 20 16 16 5 10 10 12 20 36 110 50 60 55 45 27 30 20 14 18 16 16 16 16 5 14 10 8 8 440 440 600 650 732 430 412 613 485 500 564 500 332 308 272 180 180 160 140 125 115 115 120 430 ' 732 632 562 425 933 933 933 933 765 765 510 500 485 412 265 200 150 150 210 115 105 95 60 60 40 42 105 46 26 26 27 40 46 36 58 40 32 32 38 50 45 27 28 20 16 ""26' 20 38 28 22 17 18 22 16 13 33 20 22 14 14 14 22 22 18 18 90 22 24 12 12 24 30 20 26 27 16 20 18 30 55 58 732 2,000 2,000 2,196 2,196 1,600 1,530 933 650 600 400 485 765 8,415 4,840 8,415 3,652 3,900 3,300 3,120 2,220 2, 100 1,866 1,000 833 933 1,000 562 933 532 500 550 532 966 244 1,530 '"""446" """4O6" 420 406 400 385 600 11,000 4,530 3,300 3,000 3,000 3,000 2,195 2,000 1,900 1,666 1,932 1,600 2,400 1,866 1,530 1,300 580 900 666 340 210 280 190 200 317 800 900 2,780 1,000 732 933 562 632 355 317 230 ""'iso" """iio" 95 110 72 90 110 105 100 95 95 125 145 160 170 215 230 165 200 150 105 90 100 120 125 100 190 90 85 75 70 65 60 70 80 75 70 65 80 80 510 4,120 2," 725" 1,950 1,175 950 600 700 580 485 260 240 190 120 120 100 120 80 90 75 75 50 50 80 50 32 40 45 60 45 45 36 36 120 24 24 45 80 36 40 30 40 18 24 24 24 16 32 15 16 36 32 32 36 18 18 18 241 24 2 18 3 24 4 24 5 18 6 18 7 8 24 9 160 10 16 11 24 12 24 13 18 14 15 18 16 32 17 16 18 10 19 20 20 20 22 20 22 19 40 20 31 15 16 14 15 20 21 22 23 16 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 . . 31 Mean 21 25 287 396 34 246 1,970 2,117 495 117 526 42 28 Note.— Average, June 30 to July 9, 666. Turbidities over 50 were determined by a Jackson turbidimeter .and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. Elledge. A few were made by Helen Heald and Adel- bert Morrison. The water of Big Blue River above the mouth of the Little Blue, assay 33, Table 102 (p. 205), is rather soft, though the permanent hardness, as indicated by the sulphate content, approaches the point where it becomes troublesome. The first tributary of Big Blue River in Kansas, of which a test was made, is Spring Creek at Marysville. This stream lies wholly within the Permian, but assay 32, Table 102, shows its water to be soft. Tests of the water of Mill Creek at Washington are given in assay 34, Table 102, and analysis 20, Table 103 (pr206), which show low temporary and marked permanent hardness. Little Blue River carries soft water at both Hanover and at Blue Rapids (assays 35 and 36, Table 102), but at the lower point the per- manent hardness is considerably greater than at the upper. The results of tests of Black Vermilion River and its tributary, Vermilion Creek, are given in assays 37 and 38, Table 102. The creek and river appear to be very similar in composition, though the bicarbonates in the creek water are higher than in the river. The water of Fancy 254 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Creek (assay 39, Table 102), also shows similarity in composition to that of Vermilion Creek and Black Vermilion River, although Fancy Creek and its tributaries, through practically their entire courses, flow in the Permian rocks, and might be expected to be heavily mineral- ized from the shales of that formation, whereas Black Vermilion River and its tributaries lie wholly within the Pennsylvanian series. The streams flowing in the eastern part of the Permian area of Kansas, however, are not so heavily mineralized as those in the northern, middle, and southern area, where gypsum deposits outcrop or are very near the surface. It is worthy of note that though both Fancy Creek and Black Vermilion River flow close to the large gypsum deposits of the Blue Rapids gypsum area, neither stream derives any considerable drainage from the gypsum deposits. Although Big Blue River and its chief tributary. Little Blue River, flow in the Cretaceous through a considerable portion of their courses in Nebraska, they appear not to receive the overflow of salt springs and marshes originating in the Dakota, as the Saline, Solomon, and Republican Rivers do in Kansas. It is stated/ however, that along Little Blue Valley and at places near Rose Water Creek near Thayer County, Nebr., the water obtained from wells in the Dakota sandstone is somewhat salty, and that at Gladstone in Jefferson County, and at a number of points between Powell and Steele, wells in the Dakota obtain saline water; it is stated also ^ that there is a general seepage into Big Sandy Creek and Little Blue River from the Dakota sandstone and Pleistocene sands in the northwestern part of the county. DELAWARE RIVER. 3 DESCRIPTION. Delaware River, known to the pioneers as Grasshopper River, is formed in the Kickapoo Indian Reservation at the southwestern part of Brown County, Kans., by the confluence of Cedar and Craig creeks and flows southward to Perry, where it discharges into Kansas River. The river, which is 80 miles long, has cut its channel deep into the Pennsylvanian, forming remarkably precipitous bluffs, but it has not yet reached base level for, at several places in its course are falls caused by resistant limestone strata. Its total drainage area is 1,200 square miles. . QUALITY OP WATER. The United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampling station on Delaware River at Perry, Kans., from January 4, 1907, to June 30, 1907, and at Valley Falls, Kans., from June 12, 1907, 1 Condra, G. E., Geology and water resources of the Republican River valley and adjacent areas, Nebraska: Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 216, 1907, pp. 56-^7. 2 Loc. cit. » Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 1, p. 206. KANSAS RIVER SYSTEM. ' 255 to January 4, 1908. Samples were collected at Perry by C. G. Hart, and at Valley Falls by George Harmon. A record of the analyses of composites of the samples collected from this river is presented in Table 131, and the results of tests at Valley Falls and Perry also appear in analyses 40-42, Table 103. The analyses of the composites (Table 131) show that the bicarbonates predominate over the sulphates and fluctuate much more than the latter do. At times the water has high temporary hardness and at other times low; the permanent hardness is usually low, but is some- times great enough to be troublesome. Occasionally, when the river is in flood and is very turbid, both the temporary and permanent hardness are low. The chlorides are low and like the other con- stituents fluctuate. So far as can be judged from turbidity readings the total dissolved solids as a rule rise and fall with the stage of the river. Measurements of the daily turbidity of Delaware River are recorded in Table 132, but the record is far from complete. Two hundred and forty turbidity readings were made, nearly 23 per cent of which were less than 50 and over 42 per cent were 100 or greater. The lowest observed turbidity, 2, was recorded on January 17, and the highest, 4,998, on March 18. The record shows several sudden rises in turbidity, as from 12 on January 18 to 4,000 on January 19, and from 60 on March 10 to 4,200 on March 11. The coefficient of fine- ness of the composite samples (Table 131) varies widely, being very high for some of the samples and low for others. 256 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 151. -Analyses of water from Delaware River at Perry, Kans., and Valley Falls, Kans.O' [Drainage area at Perry, 1,200 (estimated) square miles; at Valley Falls, 951 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in ttie chemical laboratories of University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. 1 § . tC "3 a? ^ ^ > t>> o .2 ^ C "S" 03 6 3 03 °4 03 C- w CD C 3 .|o5 From— To- 1 B m O o 03 o m c a 1— 1 ■3 1 o3 m ft 3 03 u 3 C3 1907. 1907. Jan. 4 Jan. 13 6 6.8 0.13 13 0.6 99 22 35 0.0 392 62 0.6 21 408 Jan. 14 Jan. 23 1,140 1,186 1.04 34 4.0 57 5.8 32 .0 242 43 - 6.0 11 280 Jan. 24 Feb. 2 268 225 .84 43 4.8 58 6.0 29 .0 227 36 3.3 6.0 288 Feb. 3 Feb. 12 390 914 2.34 33 4.0 62 8.4 32 .0 256 22 .2 12 500 Feb. 13 Feb. 22 570 350 .61 29 .6 48 8.4 27 .0 168 33 6.6 6.0 240 Feb. 23 Mar. 4 498 -64 .73 40 .24 74 14 38 .0 261 39 4.2 6.9 7.6 329 Mar. 5 Mar. 14 1,338 968 .72 26 .50 60 11 41 .0 227 41 4.9 309 Mar. 15 Mar. 24 1,044 679 .65 17 1.8 76 17 30 .0 280 41 3.6 8.8 306 Mar. 25 Apr. 5 410 715 1.74 14 3.5 89 17 27 .0 371 43 3.3 8.4 368 Apr. 6 Apr. 16 111 151 1.36 11 2.8 85 29 .0 380 50 3.5 14 376 Apr. 17 Apr. 29 60 69 1.15 4.6 1.0 83 "26"" 33 .0 356 48 1.8 14 368 Apr. 30 May 11 47 50 1.06 7.6 3.6 77 16 30 .0 350 46 1.6 14 325 May 12 May 22 78 82 1.05 11 1.2 74 15 35 .0 365 49 2.1 13 334 May 24 June 7 90 99 1.10 10 1.2 93 24 35 .0 357 48 2.5 48 375 June 23 June 28 6,125 1,950 3,419 1,031 .67 .0 140 7.5 6 June 12 June 22 .53 '34'" "g.'o' "54"' "is"' ""so"" .0 195 "35'" 10 10 "27i June 22 July 12 3,400 2,354 .69 69 40 42 20 28 .0 157 24 7.5 6 272 July 13 July 23 560 611 1.09 22 1.5 83 19 37 6 5.0 278 37 6.0 11 334 July 24 Aug. 4 425 365 .86 25 6.0 68 22 33 .0 270 27 4.5 12 286 Aug. 5 Aug. 15 317 200 .63 20 1.5 73 17 31 .0 255 34 3.0 10 282 Aug. 17 Aug. 27 317 225 .71 17 .09 68 18 33 .0 257 29 3.0 13 283 Aug. 28 Sept. 6 200 167 .84 24 .44 82 19 32 .0 232 25 3.0 13 298 Sept. 7 Sept. 17 317 254 .80 20 .12 50 15 30 .0 195 31 3.3 9.3 253 Sept. 18 Sept. 28 115 118 1.03 21 .06 44 17 37 6 7.0 170 46 .3 11 198 Oct. 13 Oct. 23 63 48 .76 13 .30 73 19 22 69.0 250 68 1.7 17 337 Oct. 24 Nov. 22 42 44 1.05 16 .14 84 19 43 .0 330 52 1.2 20 377 Nov. 23 Nov. an 29 23 13 .57 13 .16 67 20 39 .0 315 62 .8 18 322 Me 700 545 .95 23 3.4 70 16 33 .0 270 41 3.6 13 320 of anliy- Per cent ^ drous r esidue. 6.8 1.4 20.8 4.7 9.8 39.4 12.2 1.1 3.8 o Valley Falls, Kans., from June 12 to November 29, 1907. 6 Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note. — Analyses from January 4 to February 12 and from March 15 to October 23, 1907, by F. W. Bush- ong; from February 13 to March 14 and from October 24 to November 29, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. OSAGE EIVER BASIN. 257 Table 132. — Turbidity of daily samples frovi Delaware River at Perry, Kans.,fro7n Jan- uary 4 to May 31, 1907, and at Valley Falls, Kans.,from June 1 to November 29, 1907. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. II. S. Bailey, director.] Day. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 1 55 27 105 160 110 18 20 308 80 90 1,560 1,750 933 1,160 933 765 550 245 406 365 293 36 45 70 65 21 35 3S 613 700 1,530 1, 866 920 600 650 160 210 60 4,200 4,200 473 1,866 1,932 1,866 500 4,998 520 190 170 105 80 80 90 '"'ioo' 210 2,910 220 115 75 75 350 550 48 27 85 75 '"'76' 65 65 . 58 65 50 55 45 '"43" 70 32 ""'45' 70 65 40 40 125 100 9 3 260 80 75 70 4 . ... 7 3 3 3 12 15 3 3 2 6 5 8 20 2 12 4,000 3,600 1,860 1,335 550 332 277 232 473 65 1,100 50 65 70 120 140 60 5 305 275 1,530 180 200 70 90 50 65 200 200 6 . ... 7 8 9 24 65 62 95 55 55 60 55 115 60 125 80 10 11 12 47 26 24 4,590 450 13 14 IT) 80 80 60 16 17 230 155 180 95 95 70 45 45 55 2,600 150 105 100 600 562 "56' 165 90 120 110 255 100 120 100 80 80 60 60 50 50 70 45 70 SO 00 50 60 45 24 12 IS 19 20 21 . . 160 100 85 60 60 28 38 27 70 36 115 295 2,100 '""12 45 40 22 82 3.200 6,600 7,000 5,000 765 765 3,480 4,000 3,200 36 23 32 24 140 '"m 30 40 65 30 85 82 110 120 100 eo 60 80 45 ■'S 16 26 .. 24 27 18 28 15 29 15 30 31 50 Mean 502 366 1,098 99 71 2,308 465 317 130 50 27 Note.— Averages, June 12 to 17, 95; June 12 to 22, 1,950; July 24 to August 4, 425; September 7 to 17, 317. Turbidities over SO were determined by a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were deter- mined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. At Muscotah (analysis 38, Table 103, p. 207) Delaware Kiver is high in both sulphates and carbonates. Little Delaware River at Horton carries water having marked permanent and low temporary hardness (assay 44, Table 102, p. 205). Tests of the water of Elk Creek (analysis 39, Table 103, and assay 45, Table 102) indicate a large amount of carbonates and the analysis shows also high sulphates, although the assay does not. Osage River Basin. DESCRIPTION. Osage River, called locally in Kansas Marais des Cygnes River, rises in the prairies of eastern Kansas about 30 miles southwest of Topeka and flows southeastward to its junction with the Missouri at Osage, Mo. The entire length of the stream measured along the general trend of the valley, the minor bends being neglected, is about 280 miles, but its actual length is probably at least 500 miles, and the total area of the basin is about 15,300 square miles, ^ of which about 4,300 are in Kansas. 1 Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 172, 1906, p. 264. 77836°— wsp 273—11 17 258 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. The stream lias no mountain tributaries but depends for its water supply entirely on precipitation within its basin, which ranges from 35 to 40 inches each year. The stream normally has a gentle current, flowing in a fairly deep channel that changes little from year to year. High water resulting from heavy rainfall is frequent and extensive floods occasionally occur. The river falls from an elevation of about 1,225 feet above sea level at its source to 755 feet near Ottawa, Kans., in a distance of 50 miles, but for 25 miles above and below Ottawa the fall is not more than 1^ feet to the mile. The principal tributary of the Osage in Kansas is Pottawatomie Creek, which joins the main stream from the south just below Osa- watomie. Marmaton River, which with its tributaries drains all of Bourbon County, Kans., unites with the Osage after it has passed into Missouri. The channels of the Osage and its tributaries in Kansas lie wholly within the limestones, sandstones, and shales of the Pennsylvanian. The limestones are hard and resist erosion, thus protecting the underl3dng shales, which are soft and easily disintegrated. The streams have cut through the limestones deep into the shales. The bluffs are steep, and their height along the river is determined b}^ the westward dip of the limestone beds, which outcrop in succes- sion from east to west. These beds are highest at their eastern ends, which are sharply elevated above the surrounding country, and the bluffs diminish westward at a rate equal to the dip until one bed passes beneath the high eastern end of another, when the bluffs suddenly increase in height, to become low again as they follow the dip of the new system to the west. Thus at Lacygne and Boicourt the bluffs are nearly 200 feet high; while at Osawatomie they are scarcely 100 feet high; at Ottawa the bluffs are little more than 50 feet high, but a few miles to the west, where the Oread limestone outcrops, the bluffs rise to a height of 200 feet. The valley of Osage River varies from 2 to 4 miles in width and the stream meanders widely within it. The tributaries have cut their channels to a depth equal to that of the Osage itself. The position of Osage River was perhaps determined by the huge syncline in the limestones in the eastern part of the State, for at Boicourt the river has cut through the trough of this fold and it seems reasonable to suppose that this feature formed a natural valley in which the river developed. A feature of the valley of Osage River is the circular mounds, which stand out entirely isolated in the broad valley. They owe their existence to protective caps of limstones. The topography of the valley of Pottawatomie Creek is pecuHar in that from Lane to Osawatomie the valley seems to rise to the east. This peculiarity is explained by the fact that all of this part of the OSAGE RIVER BASIN. ' 259 valley is covered by the lola limestone, so that the higher "Garnett" limestone, on the surface of which the creek rises, was worn through before the Tola hmestone was reached. When that resistant forma- tion was encountered vertical corrosion was retarded and lateral erosion became the dominant process, so that the widening of the valley was far advanced before the lola limestone was cut through. Hence it has come about that the valley proper between Lane and Ottawa lies above the lola limestone and is 4 or 5 miles wide. The creek has now cut through the lola limestone and begun a second widening, which has already reached a mile or more in the vicinity of Osawatomie. QUALITY OF WATER. OSAGE RIVER. Through the courtesy of C. R. Gray, of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, the United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampling station on Osage River at Boicourt for a period of one year. Samples were collected by J. W. L. Gray. The results of the analyses of the composites of these samples are presented in Table 133. Other tests of the Osage and its tributaries are recorded in Tables 136 and 137. A cursory inspection of Tables 136 and 137 shows that every stream in the Osage basin in Kansas carries carbonate or bicarbonate waters, except a pond on Salt Creek at Osage (analysis 5, Table 137), a stream from old mines, Scranton (assay 25, Table 136), and Cox Creek, Arcadia (assay 82, Table 136), which carry sulphate waters. Although the bicarbonates numerically are higher than the sulphates in the waters of Salt Creek, Osage (assay 13, Table 136), and Buck Creek, Fort Scott (assay 70, Table 136), these waters should be regarded as sulphate waters, for the chemical ratio ^ of sulphates to bicarbonates is greater than that of bicarbonates to sulphates. Closer scrutiny of Table 136 shows that Osage River above Peoria and its tributaries above Ottawa, including Kenoma Creek (assay 36, Table 136), are high in sulphates, although the main stream and its tributaries below the points mentioned and eastward to the State line are low in sulphates. Erasmus Haworth points out (by letter) that in that part of the Osage basin that lies above Ottawa many of the streams have not yet reached base level, and are therefore cutting down their channels. This means that they are constantly coming in contact with new shales. As the shales contain comparatively large quantities of pyrite, salt, and gypsum, these tributaries of the Osage contribute large quantities of sulphates to the main stream. To the east and southeast the river and its tributaries have cut to base level and have built up 1 See classification of waters, pp. 20-21. 260 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. their flood j^lains, so that their water channels are no longer in imme- diate contact with the shales. As the rains are generally as heavy eastward as near the source of the river, the aggregate quantity of water in the streams is much greater and the sulphate solutions are correspondingly diluted. These facts, Haworth states, accord with the observation he has made, that in the area under discussion wells sunk through soil and clay, or alluvium, produce good water, but those that reach the shale are rich in iron and sulphates, because such wells bring the oxygen of the air in contact with the pyrite and oxidize it. The reasons enumerated by Haworth as sufficient to account for the sulphates in the tributary streams at the head of Osage River are supplemented by the fact that many of the streams are con- taminated by coal-mine drainage. In general, Tables 136 and 137 show that above Ottawa the water of Osage River and its tributaries has moderate temporary and great permanent hardness; below Ottawa it has moderate temporary and low permanent hardness^ except tributaries at Fort Scott and eastward to the Kansas-Missouri State line which have high per- manent hardness. As a rule the streams of the Osage River Basin are low in chlorides. The analyses of the composites of the Osage at Boicourt (Table 133) show a calcic alkaline water which at times contains sufficient calcium, magnesium, and sulphates to give it high permanent hard- ness. The temporary hardness of the water, according to the analyses in Table 133, is never very high and is^sometimes low. The chlorides are also low, and the total dissolved solids in few of the samples rise to 300 parts per million. Two good series of daily turbidity readings on the water of the Osage are available. The results of the first series are recorded in Table 134; the observations were made with a United States Geolog- ical Survey turbidity rod at Ottawa from August, 1904, to July, 1905. In this table, too, are recorded observations made with the rod at Lacygne during the month of June, 1904. The highest turbidity recorded during the period from August, 1904, to July, 1905, was 3,000 on March 25, and several times during July, 1905; the lowest turbidity, 17, was recorded on September 29, 1904. From September 6, 1904, to February 22, 1905, the turbidity was always less than 100, and during most of the time was less than 50. During the month of May and from June 19 to July 13, 1905, the river was turbid most of the time. All of the turbidities recorded at Lacygne are high, especially the reading of 5,700 on June 21. The turbidity readings recorded in Table 135 were made on the daily samples at Boicourt, and cover the period from December, 1906, to November, 1907. Three hundred and forty-six readings were made, of which about 16 OSAGE RIVEE BASIN. 261 per cent were less than 50, nearly 47 per cent 100 or more, and a little over 10 per cent were over 1,000. In the 1906-7 period the river was generally more turbid than it was from August, 1904, to July, 1905. The highest turbidity in Table 135 is 3,792, on June 9 and 10, 1907; the lowest turbidity occurred on February 5. From December 6, 1906, to January 16, 1907, all the readings, with the exception of one, are less than 100; as also from April 8 to 29, 1907, and, with the exception of two readings, from September 7 to November 20, 1907. From April 30 to July 12, 1907, and from July 29, to September 5, 1907, the turbidity readings were high. The coefficient of fineness, Table 133, varies considerably, but much of the time it is rather low, showing that the suspended matter is in a somewhat finely divided condition. Table 133. — Analyses of water from Osage River, at Boicourt, Kans. [Drainage area, 2,700 square miles. Q u an titles in parts per million. Analyses made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. -2 i 1^ >> 03 0) o o O d o 0) o3 ^8 d 2- 1 5 > '^2 T3 (B Cl M ^ ca H) — '"o From— To— a ia C3. o o 1 ™ is o 03 CD 1 03 " S &H 8 o i3 2 ■cS a 02 pq "3 S 3 O O 1906. 1906. Nov. 29 Dee. 8 220 169 0.77 22.0 a2.4 68 6.0 41 0.0 232 43 3.7 10 293 Dec. 9 Dee. 18 70 51 .73 3.0 58 8.7 34 .0 202 46 3.6 9.0 269 Dec. 19 Dec. 28 1907. 44 27 .61 ig'" 1.6 70 18 29 .0 236 51 4.0 8.8 276 Dec. 30 Jan. 8 83 57 .69 19 1.4 75 4.8 33 .0 260 43 4.8 12 295 1907. Jan. 9 Jan. 18 64 64 .84 21 .30 41 1.9 25 &12 241 35 4.4 10 293 Jan. 19. Jan. 28 1,016 808 .80 39 4.0 43 7.2 22 .0 138 37 8.0 3.9 220 Jan. 29 Feb. 7 55 51 .93 45 1.8 87 6.8 27 611 278 40 5.7 8.3 352 Feb. 8 Feb. 17 247 176 .71 27 .24 77 12 36 .0 249 49 3.6 6.9 310 Feb. 19 Feb. 28 67 41 .61 42 .30 105 5.6 31 .0 248 46 6.2 8.4 327 Mar. 1 Mar. 11 1,007 686 .68 29 .50 69 8.7 26 .0 204 50 4.0 6.9 298 Mar. 12 Mar. 21 810 613 .76 19 3.4 OS 2.6 20 .0 192 44 4.8 4.1 259 Mar. 22 Mar. 31 516 378 .73 20 5 70 3.1 24 6 3.1 260 43 2.2 8.2 298 Apr. 1 Apr. 10 297 212 .71 12 1.5 73 3.7 20 .0 240 39 2.3 7.6 275 Apr. 11 Apr. 21 45 45 1.00 7.2 1.0 84 2.0 22 .0 275 44 1.2 11 292 Apr. 22 May 2 286 291 1.02 9.0 2.0 74 11 26 .0 247 39 1.7 12 277 May 3 May 13 473 410 .87 19 5 65 2.0 23 .0 195 40 6.0 6.0 249 May 14 May 23 700 692 .99 17 1.2 73 11 20 .0 232 42 6.5 6.0 277 May 24 June 4 100 109 1.09 21 .8 90 3.6 18 .0 273 42 4.0 9.0 303 June 5 June 14 1,850 1,479 .80 20 6 57 9.9 22 .0 185 33 6.0 7.0 239 June 15 June 24 1,140 846 .74 23 5 57 19 28 .0 187 31 7.0 4.0 232 June 25 July 10 1,200 1,094 .91 3.5 48 13 21 .0 170 31 6.0 5.0 180 July 11 July 21 84 82 .98 32'" 2 78 16 35 610 238 33 3.5 12.0 310 July 22 Aug. 1 139 231 1.66 23 2 64 8.8 23 6 9.0 125 32 .6 4.0 228 Aug. 2 Aug. 11 210 135 .64 58 12 32 12 25 617 152 21 3.8 5 234 Aug. 12 Aug. 21 282 223 .79 36 3.6 65 15 39 .0 188 24 3.2 11 245 Aug. 22 Sept. 3 284 205 .72 23 .7 47 11 19 .0 145 20 3.0 5 186 Sept. 4 Sept. 17 80 73 .91 45 .22 49 11 27 .0 190 19 1.9 8 237 Sept. 18 Sept. 29 75 52 .69 19 .20 65 12 27 .0 198 22 .6 10 215 Sept. 30 Oct. 14 80 51 ,64 15 .16 58 12 26 6 5.0 205 25 .3 13 233 Oct. 15 Oct. 24 55 31 .56 15 .14 72 35 34 .0 245 27 .5 22 279 Oct. 25 Nov. 4 42 34 .81 17 .15 70 14 22 .0 248 32 1.2 26 293 Nov. 5 Nov. 17 36 18 .50 12 .36 74 11 42 .0 280 34 .9 43 333 Nov. 18 Nov. 30 85 59 .69 13 .12 83 13 43 .0 250 32 .8 26 290 Mean . 356 287 .80 24 2.2 67 12 28 .0 222 36 3.5 10 270 Per cen t of anhy- drous residue . . 8.2 1.1 22.9 4.1 9.6 37.2 12.3 1.2 3.4 aAl=1.8. 6 Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note.— Analyses from November 29, 1906, to February 7, 1907, and from March 12 to November 17, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from February 8 to March 11 and from November 18 to 30, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. 262 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. O ^ c ^, O ^ 'o O K ^ *s:ttt2i9q 9St3 o •A)Tpiqjnx •s^mSiaq aSBO •iC^ipiqjnx •s^qSiaq aS-eo •ii^ipiqjnx •s^qSpqeS'GO •A^^ipiqjnx •s^qSiaq bSb-o •iS^ipTqjnx •s^qSpqaSBO- •it:^TpTqinx •s:).qSi9q aS-Bf) •A^ipiqjtix ■s^-qSiaq q2'bo •X^ipiqjnx •s^q§i9q aS^o •it:^ipiqjnx •s:).q2T9q 9Sbo •^^^Tpiqjnx *sq.qST9q aS^o '^^Tpiqjnx •s^qSiaq a2B0 •it^ipiqjnx •s^q^iaq aS-Gf) •A^jipiqinx i-H -^ Tfi in CO 05 CO OJ-C^ C^i«CSWC^rHrHi-Hr-H.-HrHT4r-HT-Hi-Hr-5rMt-^O:C0C^iC^ OOOOOOOOOOOOOOtCOu^iOiOOOOOiOOOOOOOO iOOOOOOOOOCnOiOOOOt-'-0»OiOiOiO-^-^'^iOiOiOOC:>0<00 TP 00 O O O O lO lO lO OJ C<> tH rH »0 O O O 00 COCOi-Hi-Hi-H rHCCCOCO lO lO iOC-OOOOt^^OiOOOCiOC^'— iO500^00t-'00ir:i 00 CO -l>-b-ir^t:^i>-T icN.4(NCNC^-t--t^t>-<; <>i-0»OCOCOCOCOCOC^COiOC:>TT.'.0-^C0C0OOOC3OOOOO "D CO IQ O lO lO COCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOOOCOCOCOCOi-tC^ClOOlCOOO HdTjiiOOTfCOtN lOOiOOOOOOiOOOOiOOutiiOOOiOOOOOOOOOOiOO CO'^COCOCOCO'^COCOCslCOCOCMCO'^'^COCOCO'^fMCSi-H.— (Or^I>-t^ tP'<*<-]CSCSC^IC^00»000»OOiOiOOOOOiOOOOOOiOcDOOOOOOiOOO C0CO'^COCOCOCO'^COC0COCOC0C0C^COC0(MCSIC0COC0(NCOCNCOCO'«T^-^C0CC CO rHlCqC^NCSlC4C^OCIC0000»OTt*OCqiCOTpTt*OOOiOOOOiOiO(MiOO-^000000 (M^CCCOCO-<£>O:0OOc0i:0Oc0i0i0i0'^-^C0CC"^'^C0C0C0C00:i'^ 00 000>OiOxCO»OiOOCOOO'*-^'<**"^"^00(NOOOCiOOCTJOI>C t>-000>J:3C005'^'^"<3'»OCOCO(NCM.t-cOOcOOif:>iCuD»OiOiLOiOi-HiOiOiOiO'-<^i-iOO»OOi05C^iOiCiO-^ ^^^r-^^-^l-H1-^r^^-H^Hl-^l-^l-H(^^T-^l--^r-^THcoc^c^ic^O OOOiCOiOiOiOOOOOOOOOiOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (M .— tT— to:)Ci050^0t--t--l>.OOi^''^OasCsl00t^O00IcoC^C^*t^"^CqCooo .I>C<)a3CD'^t^O0OOt--C (N (N C^ r-Ti-T i-T r-T ^ 00 -^ 00 00 ■^ "* T-iCq tN (M T-H ■ ooooo ■ o o oooo ■ 1-1 1-tC^ oo 1— iC^CO'^iJ^Ot^XOsOi— IC^C0'^i0c0t^00ClOT-i(MC0'^iOcDt--0Q0iOi— I iH r-i tH rH r1 T-H rH rH 1-1 1-1 CM CS (N CS Cq CS Cq C^ C<1 CS CO CO OSAGE EIVER BASIN. 263 Table 135. — Turbidity of daily samples from Osage River, at Boicourt, Kans. [ Readings made in the clieinical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E . H. S . Bailey, director.] Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 1 2 60 63 440 490 345 235 155 130 90 105 65 70 60 70 80 60 53 45 45 40 55 55 40 42 45 42 40 38 75 75 75 85 50 40 36 278 70 65 30 28 27 26 27 18 190 150 2,700 1,860 1,230 976 976 812 510 532 385 180 135 105 110 60 60 48 14 18 5 15 13 16 18 45 "556" 532 512 370 290 125 125 150 110 70 65 50 32 30 20 22 30 18 900 1,866 1,530 800 562 520 412 "2,' 436' 1,872 1,992 1,400 966 580 450 340 230 160 110 110 80 70 60 48 48 45 60 2,700 1,866 1,200 700 325 190 85 130 120 90 65 65 65 65 50 42 52 52 36 "26' 32 32 23 52 28 40 34 27 ""75" 1,000 966 613 473 317 245 385 1,226 1,000 """425" 260 200 200 3,192 1,866 632 275 210 200 180 125 180 150 115 110 96" 80 80 110 80 70 110 175 80 68 68 200 3,000 3,792 3,792 2,760 2,295 650 1,866 2,799 2,310 1,866 613 400 304 580 866 613 1,084 2,200 2,220 1,300 933 800 1,530 2,000 3,500 1,464 1,666 650 406 295 170 100 120 120 115 85 68 75 '"'95' 95 65 65 65 65 65 85 50 50 65 70 125 295 520 406 390 315 255 160 160 130 100 110 80 75 75 55 95 135 613 473 270 200 833 765 650 435 " '266' 180 165 175 165 160 "ioo' 125 115 100 ""90" 80 70 70 65 80 ""85" 75 70 65 80 85 70 '""so" 70 70 70 75 80 70 90 90 50 130 90 ""ioo" 40 3 36 4 . . . . 40 5 50 6. 50 7 ... 8 90 70 '"'55' 55 70 70 55 70 70 60 60 60 40 45 36 50 50 45 50 50 45 24 40 60 9 60 10 36 11 45 12 13 14 24 18 15 16 17. . . 18 15 18 18 24 19 18 20 16 21 22 . . 240 120 23 24 25 26 120 100 70 32 27 28 29 90 100 100 30... . 35 82 70 31 Mean 106 382 125 742 168 482 1,311 416 278 81 61 60 Note. — Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by coniparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Bur- lingame and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. Table 136. — Assays of water of Osage River and of its tributaries in Kansas. [Parts per million.] No. Date. 1905. 1 June 16 2 ...do 3 ...do 4 Jime 17 5 June 16 6 ...do 7 June 19 8 ...do 9 June 20 1907. 10 Aug. 22 11 June 19 12 ...do 1905. 13 June 14 14 June 20 15 ...do 16 June 13 ...do. Stream and place. Elm Creek, north of Reading a 142 Mile Creek, northwest of Reading a . Duck Creek, northwest of Reading a ... Osage River, at Reading a Cherry Creek, 4 miles east of Reading b Cole Creek, southwest of Arvonia a Osage River, at Melvern Long Creek, east of Melvern a Osage River, at Quenemo a Rock Creek, at Waverly Rock Creek, at Melvern a Tugua Creek, southwest of Quenemo a Salt Creek, at Osage City , Salt Creek, north of Quenemo o Osage River below Salt Creek, east of Lomax a Dragoon Creek above confluence with Soldier Creek Soldier Creek above confluence with Dragoon Creek Iron (Fe). Car- Bicar- Sul- bonate bonate phate (CO3). (HCO3) (SOj). 0.5 23 191 67 1.0 0.0 282 85 1.5 .0 170 106 Trace. .0 216 132 . 10.0 263 116 .0 .0 299 215 3.0 Trace. 202 72 1.2 .0 251 71 1.2 .0 252 48 .0 .0 174 Trace. 1.0 .0 292 46 .5 Trace. 294 53 .0 11 232 191 .0 .0 299 44 .0 .0 299 37 .0 .0 293 76 .0 Trace. 261 101 Chlo- rine (CI). a By Edwaxd Baxtow. 6 In pools; not running. By Edward Bartow. 264 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 136. — Assays of ivater of Osage River and of its tributaries in Kansas — Continued. Date. 1905. June 13 ...do ...do ...do ...do ...do ...do July 30 June 20 ...do June 17 June 16 ...do ...do June 17 ...do June 15 June 17 June 22 ...do ...do ...do ...do ...do June 23 ...do ...do June 22 1907. Apr. 23 1905. June 22 ...do ...do June 23 ...do ...do ...do ...do ...do 1907. Apr. 22 1905. June 22 ...do ...do ...do June 25 Stream and place. Dragoon Creek, above confluence with Switzler Creek Hoover Creek, above Switzler Creek, at Bm'- lingame Switzler Creek, above Burlingame and above Hoover Creek Switzler Creek, above Dragoon Creek Dragoon Creek, one-fourth mile below Switzler Creek School Creek •. Popcorn Creek Stream from old mines at Scrantono Dragoon Creek, east of Lomax 6 .- , Osage River, below Dragoon Creek 6 Wilson Creek, west of Ottawa Muddy Creek, west of Ottawa Appanoose Creek, west of Ottawa Eight Mile Creek, west of Ottawa Middle Creek, east of Ottawa Ottawa Creek, above Peoria Osage River, at Ottawa, above sewer outlets and below gas house Osage River, at highway bridge between Imes and Peoria Kenoma Creek, 8.5 miles west and 2 miles north of Garnett b North Pottawatomie Creek, 8 miles west and 2 miles north of Garnett 6 lantha Creek, 1 mile west and 4 miles north of Glenloch b Sac Creek, 3 miles west and 3 miles south of Richmond & Cedar Creek, west of Garnett & '. Pottawatomie Creek, 2 miles west and 5 miles north of Garnett b South Fork Pottawatomie Creek, above Gree- ley b North Pottawatomie Creek, 2.5 miles west of Greeley, above South Pork b Pottawatomie Creek, one-half mile west and 1 J- miles north of Greeley b Pottawatomie Creek, at Osawatomie, three- fourths mile from mouth Pottawatomie Creek, at Osawatomie, at bridge near Missouri Paciiie Ry. roundhouse c Plum Creek, one-half mile from mouth d Osage River, at waterworks intake, Osawato- mie Osage River, south of Paola, above BuH Creek, Big Bull Creek, above Little Bull Creek, north of Paola , Little Bull Creek, 6 J miles north of Paola Big Bull Creek, above Ten Mile Creek, north of Paola Ten Mile Creek, 4 miles north of Paola Walnut Creek, IJ miles northwest of Paola Bull Creek, at Bridge Street bridge, south of Paola e Iron (Fe). .do. South Wea Creek, above North Wea Creek, northeast of Paola North Wea Creek, above South Wea Creek, northeast of Paola Wea Creek, three-fom'ths mile above mouth, southeast of Paola Bull Creek, one-fourth mile above mouth, south of Paola Osage River, at St. Louis & San Francisco Ry. bridge, northwest of Lacygne Trace. .0 .0 .0 Trace. Trace. .0 1.2 .5 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .5 Trace. Trace. .0 Trace. .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3) .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 12.0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Ji .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 279 271 266 302 302 338 256 279 232 251 267 256 228 232 251 228 154 174 ISO 110 199 173 201 213 202 206 254 251 105 130 88 256 171 225 235 190 234 217 247 238 184 160 Sul- phate (SOO- 94 136 54 82 116 215 108 52 46 127 40 41 68 Trace. Trace. 67 71 Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. a By Edward Bartow. b By Edward Bartow. cRainiiightof22d. SO4 above 626. d Stagnant. « Creek streaked with oil. OSAGE RIVER BASIN. 265 Table 136. — Assays of water of Osage River and of its tributaries in Kansas — Continued. No. Date. 1905. 62 June 25 63 ...do 64 ...do 65 ...do 6(i June 26 ()7 June 25 68 June 26 (i9 ...do 70 ...do 71 ...do..... 72 June 27 73 ...do..... 74 ...do 75 ...do 76 ...do 77 ...do 78 ...do 79 ...do SO ...do 81 ...do 82 ...do 83 ...do 84 ...do 85 ...do 86 July 1 Stream and place. Hushpuckney Creek, below Middle Creek, 2i miles north and 3 miles west of Lacygne a . . Elm Creek, one-half mile north and 4J miles west of Lacygne b Osage River, at bridge at Lacygne b Middle Creek, 1 \ miles east of Lacygne b Lake, at Boicom't b Sugar Creek, 6 miles east of Lacygne & .". Osage River, below Sugar Creek b Little Sugar Creek, southwest of Boicourtb . . . Big Sugar Creek, southwest of Boicourt b Mine Creek, southeast of Pleasanton b Marmaton River, one-fom'th mile above Paw- nee Creek, southwest of Fort Scott Pawnee Creek, above Yellow Paint Creek, south of Marmaton Yellow Paint Creek, above Pawnee Creek, south of Marmaton Pawnee Creek, below Yellow Paint Creek, south of Marmaton Marmaton River, at waterworks intake, Fort Scott Mill Creek, near mouth, Fort Scott Buck Creek, at Missouri Pacific Rv. track. Fort Scott ' Marmaton River, below Buck Creek, Fort Scott Rock Creek, at mouth. Fort Scott West Fork of Dry Wood Creek, southwest of Garland b Cox Creek, at St. Louis &. San Francisco pump- ing station, Arcadia b Buck Run, 1| miles west and 1 mile south of Garland b Clever Creek, 2 miles west of Fulton c Little Osage River, northeast of Fulton c Fish Creek, 4 mile south of Fulton Iron (Fe). .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .5 .5 .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 Trace. Car- bonate (CO3). 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Trace. Trace. .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 Trace. 11 12 283 251 256 283 149 271 239 266 189 271 243 232 232 235 177 216 282 335 171 101 239 46 S3 66 Sul- phate (SO,). Trace. Trace. 36 Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. 62 287 ip 61 140 97 Trace. Trace. Trace. Chlo- rine (CI). 12 4.6 30 10 4.6 10 30 12 7 7 6 10 6 6 20 12 63 132 4 4 6 6 6 6 a At Achey Ford. By Edward Bartow. b By Edward Bartow. Note.— Trace in the sulphate column means less than 35 parts per million. c In flood. 266 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. IC CO Ci -^ 1 CO Cd oc T— r^ CC CO ■'t saI-s CO c cq CO ^ ira 10 .r GO ^ T^ 1^ CO to -^ CO CO cs COCO COCO T-H C-J O) ^H't- T— .2 c- -f ^ ,, ^1 o> Ca COO- CC t- lO l» C-1 CO -t^ T-H i-H fcTlS f,^ o , t> l ^ 06 t^O^CO CC co'co .^■rO o ^co-- T-H T-H COt-H 0- O "-^ (U ' coa> oiio^ toMt^ t~ (N o ■" "^R« (U e ^^ 02^-* Oi C<) O CO Ol >rt. CO OCr^Ot^CO i-< CO 1 '^ .-H lO CO T-H CO CO l-HT-H T-H T-H T-H T-H i 00 CO »o CO coos "^ 00 IIS rt s »o t^c^ ^2§ CO00O5 C-lcO 05 lOt-^iOt-^OO t-^CO g«._ ION C-»0 CO t^T-H OOCO CO "O QC OJ 00 1 O'--' o . - cc ^ > -, >. p^ a3 c« S3^l PC -i - rt "3 o a c a C ft ■Sc ft CC p s <^ c3e b c " -gfL, " c c PL, P cr . o o c ■S =* 2: .0 1^ c .0000c 3 1 §2 >>'T2'Z3'V « 05 ^.-o T3 'O -a S -C-C s >-,-0 ■« -d TS -c o-n \ K C rt rt & ^ rt M §5 M§^ i -< ^ a. ! IS n ^ ° CO c C ' tH o h c« ' i 9- > > (H D 3^ « rj < c a c 1 I a c3 H p og P c ba "ca o ^^ C3 a -1 > . m 'S i^is^si ^ o| ^. il 1 > ■ ll M ist« a p cu^T-H c3 03~- (D — oT i-" tT t- ' 51 a Is a s 3 M'o C^ 222 s 3 M M m'3 hJ3 bo bj S c cS.SPh >!0 , -&W Cj +^ ■• ,2— '■'- ■3 t- Oi i § ogg og IF p^ oq3 wo o ;ph mccO fi ft OOC 0^ Ah AhIIh FPfq CO COM cr cq CO CO coco c^i 01 COC^l c o o m c 00 000 o- c:;C5 o< en 01 COOJ 0= cr. CT>OJ ■2 u- O) lOiO ^ « JO t^ i>- to ^co 03 Ol T-H •"t CO rH « p" > > ci ^. >> > > >.>> o IS c3 C3 ;z; •^ ^ ft ;z;^ 1^ :^ss d THCq CO-*"; cot^oo 03 T-HCOCO Tt 'o "3 (D « % X) tH o +j ^ m O S o u h-l "3 o o m C3 5 3 m 2 o o 1907. 1907. Feb. 1 Feb. 10 15 9 0.60 16 3.2 84 3.3 21 0.0 257 38 6.0 10 277 Feb. 11 Feb. 20 7 8 ■- 1.14 16 .24 89 7.6 21 .0 283 41 3.5 4.0 297 Feb. 21 Mar. 2 8 5 .62 70 .10 -91 5.5 30 a 8.0 256 45 2.3 4.2 366 Mar. 3 Mar. 12 11 5.4 .49 48 .36 88 7.5 29 a 6. 7 246 44 .7 4.1 344 Mar. 13 Mar. 22 7 4 .57 4 1.0 85 8.3 17 .0 250 43 .2 4.1 268 Mar. 23 Apr. 1 9 3.4 .38 1.5 .6 83 1.6 23 .0 229 43 .1 4.6 280 Apr. 2 Apr. 11 15 9 .60 8.0 1.5 77 9.3 18 .0 240 46 .6 2.3 268 Apr. 12 Apr. 21 12 6.4 .53 5.4 1.2 96 1.3 16 .0 287 47 .4 6.0 294 Apr. 22 May 1 12 4.4 .37 2.6 1.4 94 1.3 20 .0 280 45 .7 7.5 291 May 2 May 11 58 57 .98 8.4 5.0 67 2.9 20 .0 181 38 5.5 3.5 224 May 12 May 21 54 58 1.07 15 3.5 67 6.9 14 .0 205 33 4.5 4.0 238 May 23 June 3 14 4 .28 10 1.5 86 3.7 25 .0 285 36 3.2 5.5 274 June 4 June 13 23 16 .70 13 1.0 89 8.5 21 .0 280 34 1.9 6.0 270 June 14 June 25 80 53 .66 18 2.0 65 23 36 .0 172 34 7.2 2.0 296 June 26 July 5 44 37 .84 18 5 59 8.6 18 .0 178 24 4.0 2.5 205 July 6 July 15 22 17 .77 12 3 73 19 23 .0 235 27 2.6 2.0 226 July 16 July 29 20 11 .55 14 1.5 68 12 19 ol4 240 28 1.8 5.5 196 July 30 Aug, 9 22 15 .68 9.0 1.0 80 11 23 .0 280 28 1.0 4.0 257 Aug. 10 Aug. 26 15 12 .8 79 11 37 .0 260 26 .7 5.0 251 Aug. 27 Sept. 6 13 2.0 ""i5" 9.0 .11 84 11 19 a 3.0 260 21 .7 4.0 242 Sept. 8 Sept. 19 12 8.6 .72 10 .04 79 9.7 18 .0 258 20 .9 5.4 247 Sept. 20 Oct. 5 17 3.6 -21 10 .04 83 14 28 .0 290 34 .0 5.5 289 Oct. 7 Oct. 20 17 6.0 ,35 5.2 .02 83 12 20 .0 270 25 1.5 6.5 257 Oct. 21 Oct. 31 10 4 .40 14 .10 89 11 20 .0 285 24 .6 7.0 279 Nov. 1 Nov. 10 14 6.4 ,46 11 .13 86 9.8 21 .0 278 29 1.0 7.0 273 Nov. 11 Nov. 20 11 4 .36 11 .14 88 10 15 .0 265 21 .5 7.0 266 Nov. 21 Dec. 3 12 3.4 ,28 9.0 .12 79 10 24 .0 255 24 .5 6.5 265 Dee. 4 Dec. 15 13 3.0 .23 11 .06 94 9.2 26 .0 275 21 .5 7.0 258 Dec. 17 Dec. 26 1908. 14 6.6 ,47 9.0 .14 76 8.7 25 .0 250 32 .6 6.0 259 Dec. 17 Jan. 7 36 18 .50 18 .40 78 7.8 23 .0 213 37 3.0 5.5 236 1908. Jan. 8 Jan. 17 42 34 .81 18 .6 74 6.8 25 .0 218 51 2.0 4.5 252 Jan. 18 Jan. 27 45 13 .29 14 .25 89 7.8 20 .0 220 48 2.0 5.0 264 Jan. 28 Feb. 9 12 7.6 .63 11 ,40 82 8.0 30 .0 250 52 2.1 5.9 289 Feb. 10 Feb. 19 32 35 1.10 14 .18 81 7.5 24 .0 245 48 1.7 6.0 277 Mean 22 14 .55 14 1.1 81 8.7 23 .0 251 35 1.9 5.2 267 Per cent of anhy- drous r esidue 4.8 .5 27.5 3.0 7.8 42.1 11.9 .6 1.8 a, Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note. — Analyses from February 11 to March 12, 1907, and from December 4, 1907, to February 19,1908, by Archie J. Weith; from March 13 to December 3, 1907, by F. W. Bushong. ARKANSAS EIVER. 269 Table 139. — Turbidity of daily samples from Marmaton River at Fort Scott, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. 1907. Jan., Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1908. 1 10 4 20 12 18 20 20 Iff 14 14 9 9 8 3 10 5 5 3 5 5 5 3 6 6 5 11 16 7 14 6 10 9 12 8 10 10 6 14 15 15 8 7 14 7 5 3 5 7 5 8 8 9 9 9 14 8 10 13 13 9 11 16 10 18 18 18 13 15 13 13 17 13 13 14 9 13 14 10 9 3 9 13 8 3 5 10 8 9 9 • 28 45 50 45 36 38 36 90 100 80 60 24 32 60 36 70 125 75 55 34 32 '"is" 12 5 8 15 16 5 12 13 14 16 18 24 10 15 10 9 16 14 50 65 295 210 85 55 50 "34" '""is" 15 25 22 65 18 26 65 47 30 34 62 55 60 40 34 24 15 22 25 12 24 9 15 12 15 9 18 15 7 14 24 25 13 13 26 IS 12 10 8 5 16 10 8 """i2" '"""s" 16 ""'i2" 45 32 """ie" 10 12 """is" 10 10 8 12 12 16 12 S 5 5 8 16 10 10 IS 8 18 15 10 16 15 S 10 15 16 10 8 10 S 10 12 10 16 """io" s 24 16 18 5 S 10 12 15 10 12 15 8 12 8 15 16 16 "is" """5" 12 15 12 30 15 8 15 16 8 12 24 24 36 50 2 3 45 4 50 5 . ... 45 6 32 7 40 8 22 22 14 14 15 18 18 15 """is' 10 S 16 15 10 8 18 12 18 12 10 10 16 40 9 40 10 60 11 45 12 ... 45 13 50 14 60 15 40 16 18 17 36 18 19 . . 20 21 22 23 15 10 """26" 30 16 12 30 16 15 24 25 26 22 27 26 45 32 31 12 15 16 16 """is" 27 28 29 30 31 10 , Mean 10 9 11 43 46 26 17 14 13 12 14 43 Note. — Averages: January 18 to 27, 45; Tanuary 28 to February 9, 12. Turlsidities over 50 were deter- mined with a Jackson turbidimeter, and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. ARKANSAS RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN Arkansas River. DESCRIPTION. Arkansas River is formed near Leadville, Colo., by the union of three small streams — East, Lake, and Tennessee forks — that derive their waters from the melting of the almost perpetual snow which mantles the high peaks of the Saguache, Sangre de Cristo, and Culebra Ranges. From the junction of the forks the river flows a little east of south for about 75 miles, then turns to the east and cuts through a canyon whose perpendicular walls attain elevations of over 2,000 feet above the water's edge, emerging finally on the plains near Canon City ; from Canon City to the Colorado-Kansas State line its general course is eastward for about 200 miles. Entering Kansas a short distance west of Coolidge, the river runs for 140 miles by general course a little south of east, passing across Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, and Gray counties to a point east of Ford, in Ford County, where it turns and flows northeastward across 270 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Edwards and Pawnee counties to Barton County. There it swings in a broad curve, known as the Great Bend, to the east and southeast, traversing Rice, Reno, Harvey, Sedgwick, Sumner, and Cowley counties. Southeast of Davidson, in Cowley County, it passes into Kay County, Okla., beyond which it continues its southeasterly course to its junction with the Mississippi in northern Arkansas. The entire length of the stream from source to mouth, measured along the gen- eral course, is about 1,100 miles. Its drainage area comprises approxi- mately 188,000 square miles, of which 44,500 square miles are above Arkansas City, Kans. For about 120 miles from its source the river is a typical mountain torrent, descending in this distance from an elevation of 10,100 feet to about 5,300 feet above sea level. Its waters are clear and its bed is rocky. As it enters the plains region its gradient diminishes, its breadth increases, it becomes unable at ordinary stages to carry the load of detritus collected in the more rapid portion above, and this detritus is gradually deposited, forming low, sandy banks and bars, which block the course and cause the stream to shift its bed. At high stage this material is again caught up. The banks are eaten away, and very considerable changes of channel result from a single flood. The lower course of the river is bordered by wide alluvial bottom lands, and the valley gradually merges with the valley of the Missis- sippi. From Coolidge to the eastern edge of Ford County, Kans., the flood plain of the Arkansas averages 3 miles in width, and is limited on the north by a somewhat abrupt bluff line, which is prominent throughout the whole district, except for a few miles in the vicinity of Garden. From Coolidge southeastward to Hartland the north bluff IS composed of the Benton group ; below Hartland it is made up of Tertiary deposits. The '^ mortar beds" are well developed through the greater part of this distance and, as they offer strong resistance to erosion, produce unusually abrupt bluffs. From the eastern part of Ford County to the vicinity of Larned bluff" lines are scarcely noticeable on the north side of the river. From Larned to beyond Great Bend the Dakota sandstone and the Benton group, which overlies it, form considerable bluffs some dis- tance back from the river. As the river bears to the east and finally to the southeast near Great Bend, the width of the valley between the river and the Cretaceous bluffs greatly increases. For some distance below Great Bend to the vicinity of Wichita, and even through the remainder of the State, there is but little demarcation of the flood plain, the whole area being one great expanse of level country on both sides of the river. On the south side of the river from Coolidge to Great Bend condi- tions differ greatly from those on the north, for a row of sand hills limits the valley throughout the entire distance, the elevation of the ARKANSAS EIVEE. 271 sand hills and the plains beyond averaging as great as that of the uplands on the north of the river. Thus the sand hills are usually a Uttle higher than the plains south of them. The width of the sand hills is variable; in places they are not more than 3 or 4 miles wide; elsewhere they stretch away southward 15 or 20 miles. Such an unusual southern extension of the hills occurs in the southern part of Finney and southwestern part of Haskell counties, where the sand hills reach almost to Cimarron River. Again, in the eastern part of Haskell County, there is another long southward extension, reaching from 10 to 12 miles south of the river. Beyond the eastern limit of Ford County the sand hills become less prominent, but they are nevertheless very noticeable all the way from near Bucklin to almost opposite Great Bend, where they gradually disappear. From Great Bend to Wichita and thence to Arkansas City the v/hole area on the right bank of the river is covered with an exceed- ingly sandy silt which here and there is blown into a series of sand dunes, approaching in character the sand hills to the west, but not equaling them in size. This fine.sand between Wichita and Arkansas City appears to have been derived from the weathering of Dakota sandstone. The Arkansas River valley was formerly much deeper than it now is. The filling-in process has been in operation sufficiently long to raise the channel of the stream to the level of its flood plain and doubt- less Aas raised very appreciably the general level of the flood plain. There is ample evidence that at one time the river valley was from 50 to 100 feet deeper than it now is. Within the last fifteen years very noticeable filling-in has occurred. Eight to twelve years ago, when the several bridges that cross the river at different places were constructed, it was possible for a man sitting erect on horseback to ride under most of them, but the sands have since accumulated to such a depth that few of the bridges are more than 3 to 6 feet above the top of the sands. The accumulation of the sand is not due to the presence of the bridge, for the sand under the bridge is at the same level as that above and below it. Throughout the greater part of the course of the river in western Kansas the recent filling-in process has been going on, particularly on the south side of the river. From the Kansas-Colorado State line to Arkansas City marks of many old channels are seen in the valley, and it is apparent that the stream has shifted from bluff to bluff along its channel many times and that in doing so it has gradually built up its flood plain. One of the most noteworthy features of Arkansas River is the great and unusual bend it makes in passing from eastern Ford County far to the north to Great Bend and back again far to the south. This is probably accounted for by the fact that at the eastern edge of Ford County the river encountered the easily-eroded Dakota 272 QUAMTY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. sandstone and attacked it with great vigor, following it as far north as Great Bend, where the Flint Hills compelled the river to turn southward. It is likely that before it reached the Dakota sandstone at the eastern edge of Ford County, the river passed eastward from Ford County across the north of Kiowa, Pratt, and Kingman coun- ties and out of the State not far from the point where it now does. To-day, in summer, Arkansas River through much of its course in the western part of the State dwindles to an insignificant stream or disappears entirely in the gravels which have accumulated in its bed, in which an abundant supply of water is at all times to be found .^ The water in the bed of the Arkansas in Kansas was believed by the pioneers to come from Colorado, but this theory has been abandoned, one of the principal reasons being that the bedrock of the river comes near the surface at the Colorado-Kansas State line and precludes Colorado as a source of underground water. The underflow has its origin in the rainfall on the sand hills south of the river and on the bottom lands and bluffs north of the river. Careful investigations of the underflow in Arkansas Valley in western Kansas were con- ducted by Charles S. Slichter in the surnmer of 1904.^ The principal conclusions reached by Slichter were: 1. The underflow of Arkansas River moves at an average rate of 8 feet in 24 hours in the general direction of the valley. 2. The water plane slopes to the east at a rate of 7.5 feet per mile, and toward the river at a rate of 2 to 3 feet per mile. 3. The moving ground water extends for several miles north from the river valley. No north or south limit was found. 4. The rate of movement was very uniform. 5. The sand hills constitute an essential part of the catchment area. 6. The influence of the floods upon the ground- water level does not extend one-half mile north or south of the channel. 7. A heavy rain contributes more to the underflow than is contributed by a flood in the river. 8. On the sandy bottom lands 60 per cent of an ordinary rain reaches the water plane as a permanent contribution. 9. No indication of a decrease in the underflow has been noted in the last five years. The city wells showed the same specific capacity in 1904 that it has in 1899 . The maximum velocity of the underflow detected during this inves- tigation was 22.9 feet at Sherlock at a depth of 28 feet. A noticeable feature of Arkansas River between Lakin and the eastern edge of Ford County is that it receives not a single tributary. The sand hills absorb all of the rainfall and deliver 60 per cent of it to the underflow, the rest disappearing as evaporation. Were the sands along the river finer and more compact it is quite probable that 1 The foregoing description of Arkansas River is largely abstracted from Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 173, 1906, pp. 19-20, and from Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 2, pp. 17, 24r-31. 2 V/ater-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 153, 1906. ARKANSAS EIVER. 273 the river would receive tributaries at frequent intervals in its course from Lakin to Dodge. Named in order downstream, the principal tributaries of Arkansas River that have all or a part of their basins in Kansas are: Bear Creek. White Woman Creek. Pawnee Creek. Walnut Creek. Rattlesnake Creek. Cow Creek. Little Arkansas River. Ninnescah River. The discharge of the Arkansas at Coolidge, Syracuse, Dodge, Hutchinson, and Arkansas City is shown in Tables 140-144, inclusive. Table 140. — Mean monthly discharge of Arkansas River at Coolidge, Kans.,for period May 7 to October 31, 1903. [Drainage area, 24,600 square miles.] Slate Creek. Walnut River. Grouse Creek. Salt Fork of Arkansas River. Cimarron River. Verdigris River. Neosho River. Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean May June July August ^ September October The period 319 28,720 1,320 1,470 2 21 28,720 57 6,608 211 122 Trace. 4 Table 141. — Mean monthly discharge of Arkansas River at Syracuse, Kans., for years 1903 and 1905, respectively, omitting December, 1905. [Drainage area, 25,000 square miles.] Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean January February March April May June July August September October November December The period 77836°— wsp 273—11 18 500 1,660 1,545 24,800 16, 300 28, 300 4,900 14, 500 1,480 130 295 28 28,300 3 124 95 551 40 375 10 1,930 20 2,210 20 4,340 28 515 20 972 8 206 8 39.1 8 83.5 S 17.0 947 274 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. Table 142. — Mean monthly discharge of Arkansas River, at Dodge, Kans., for period January 1 to December 31, 1904, March 1 to October 31, 1905. Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. January February March April May , June July August September October November December The period 28 40 1,335 16, 300 14, 430 8,775 1,070 3,948 550 14,800 395 450 16, 300 8 12.1 14 29.4 4 230 3 1,560 4 3,170 70 2,870 2 178 2 572 2 60 1 998 270 320 270 393 866 Table 143. — Mean monthly discharge of Arkansas River, at Hutchinson, Kans., for period May, 1895, to October, 1905. [Drainage area, 34,000 square miles.] Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean January February March April May June July August September October ..." November December The period 2,420 2,384 9,670 10, 035 11,645 19, 600 8,040 1,203 7,730 630 645 19, 600 40 265 73 382 51 409 38 672 32 1,300 25 2,030 4 1,030 692 4 173 268 11 134 32 145 Table 144. — Mean monthly discharge of Arkansas River, at Arkansas City, Kans., for period October, 1902, to July, 1906, except January, February, November, andDecember, 1905; January to April, 1906. Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean. January February March April May June July August September October November December The period 445 1,140 3,120 3,270 11,300 24, 100 40,300 6,160 4,720 5,540 4,560 860 40. 300 37 248 70 367 272 1,190 238 923 285 2,650 90 4,590 180 3,800 75 1,360 75 800 70 654 125 762 33 401 AEKANSAS EIVER, 275 QUALITY OF WATER. TESTS OF ARKANSAS RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES IN COLORADO. The water of Arkansas River at Canon City, Colo., is shown by assays 1 and 2, Table 145, to have moderate temporary hardness and to carry high sulphates. In these two assays the bicarbonates exceed the sulphates. The water at Pueblo is shown by assay 3, Table* 145, and analyses 1 and 2, Table 146, to have low temporary and marked permanent hardness. The water of Purgatory River at Trinidad, Colo., is shown by assays 4 to 14, Table 145, to be high in sulphates, low in chlorides, and to have moderate temporary hardness. At Ordway, Colo, (analysis 3, Table 146), Arkansas River carries water of high permanent hardness. The water here would be laxa- tive because the magnesium and sodium are high and the sulphates predominate in marked degree over the carbonates. MAIN RIVER IN KANSAS. The United States Geological Survey maintamed three daily sam- pling stations on Arkansas River in Kansas, and a number of tests of the quality of the water on the main stream and its tributaries at points to the east of the Colorado-Kansas State hne were made. The changes in the character of the water, shown by the many analyses and assays, are most interesting. At Deerfield samples were collected and forwarded by the United States Reclamation Service from November 19, 1906, to November 16, 1907; at Great Bend samples were collected by M. L. Roseborough and S. M. Smith from Novem- ber 26, 1906, to December, 1907; at Arkansas City samples were collected by A. L. Newman from December 7, 1906, to December 10, 1907. A record of analyses of composite samples of water of Arkansas River at Deerfield is presented in Table 147. These samples cover a period of one year, but the record is incomplete. A glance at this table discloses two salient facts; first, that the water of the river at Deerfield is highly mineralized; second, that except in the analysis of sample February 10 to 19, the sulphates are much higher than the bicarbonates. It appears, further, that the river carries a variable quantity of chlorides, for in some of the analyses the chlorides are 39 parts per million and in others they rise to more than 100 parts. The water should be classed as sodic calcic saline. The table shows also that the water of the river at Deerfield is laxative, for it contains high magnesium, sodium, and sulphates. The water is of moderate temporary hardness. 276 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. A very incomplete record of the turbidities of the daily samples collected at Deerfield is given in Table 148. The turbidity of the river varies enormously. On May 16 and 17, 1907, it was 3; on June 12, 1907, it was 24,000. Such readings are merely numerical statements of well-known facts, for although much of the time the river consists of mere threads of water trickling across its sandy bed, when the floods carry off the snows melting at its headwaters it be- comes a swirling, muddy torrent. The coefficient of fineness, Table 147, is high most of the time, indicating that the matter in suspen- sion is coarse; and the rapidity with which the river drops from very high to low turbidities points to the same conclusion. For some periods, however, as August 13-24, 1907, and November 19-Decem- ber 2, 1907, the coefficient of fineness is low. Tests of the water of Arkansas River at Dodge (assay 15, Table 145, and analysis 4, Table 146) show that here, as at Deerfield, the sulphates predominate over the bicarbonates and carbonates. The water is laxative, and has high permanent and moderate tem- porary hardness. The analyses of composite samples collected at Great Bend are recorded in Table 149. The analyses cover a period of one year. The water of Arkansas River at Great Bend is heavily minerahzed, though somewhat less than it is at Deerfield. In fact, all of the mineral constituents except the chlorides are lower. Sulphates are present in large quantities and predominate over the bicarbonates, and therefore, as the magnesium and sodium are high, the water is laxative. The temporary hardness is not marked and the perma- nent hardness is great. The chlorides are somewhat high for a river water, averaging 27 parts per million more than at Deerfield. The increase in chlorides is usually caused by the flowing salt well near the mouth of Pawnee Creek at Larned. The water of the river is unsuitable for industrial use, but satisfactory for irrigation. The daily turbidity, as indicated by the samples at Great Bend, Table 150, is subject to great fluctuations. For long periods it is less than 100 and during November, 1907, never rose above 50. In June, July, and August the river was very turbid indeed. The great- est turbidity, 86,400, was noted on July 31, 1907, and the lowest, 3, on February 8 and April 25, 1907. The observed turbidities accord with the known character of the stream. Tests of Arkansas River water at Alden are recorded in assays 21 and 25, Table 145. Assay 21 shows the result of a test of the river water above the mouth of Rattlesnake Creek, and assay 22 of the river below it. On the same day a sample was collected from Rattlesnake Creek near its mouth, but, unfortunately, the sample was lost. At the West Alden Bridge the chief contribution of salt that Arkansas River has received in its course from Colorado is supplied by the ARKANSAS EIVER. 277 flowing salt well at Larned, and the chlorides in the water at the bridge at the tmie the test was made were only 107. Between the West Alden Bridge and Alden Bridge Rattlesnake Creek enters, bearing water that is contaminated by salt from the Big Salt Marsh and the Little Salt Marsh of Stafford County, and at Alden Bridge the salt content of the river had increased to 1,056 parts per million. Through the courtesy of Dr. Marion Trueheart observations at Alden were repeated on November 8, 1908, with the result shown in assays 22, 24, and 26, Table 145. The streams were at higher stage than .when the 1907 samples were collected; but the chlorides at the West Alden Bridge were only 80 parts per million. Near its mouth Rat- tlesnake Creek carried 933 parts per million, and the river at Alden Bridge contained 169 parts per million. Thus the influence of Rat- tlesnake Creek on the river is very marked. A test of Rattlesnake Creek at St. John, above the salt marshes, is recorded in assay 23, Table 145. Here the water of the creek is soft and is low in chlorides. The effect of the water of Rattlesnake Creek on the water of Arkansas River at Sterling (analysis 9, Table 146), is manifest in the high chlorides. A test of the water of Arkansas River at Wichita, recorded in analy- sis 13, Table 146, indicates that at the time the sample was taken the water of the river at Wichita was very much less highly miner- alized than was the water of the river at Great Bend (Table 149) at any time during the period of the collection of samples there. A record of the analyses of composite samples of Arkansas River water at Arkansas City, taken from the Land & Power Co.'s canal at Arkansas City, appears in Table 151. The head of this canal is above the mouth of Walnut River and also above a low dam, which diverts water of the Arkansas — sometimes practically all of it — down the canal into Walnut River 3 miles above its mouth. Samples were collected from the canal because the water it carried was believed to be representative of that in the river and because it was possible, through the courtesy of the Land & Power Co., to obtain a collector on the canal. The collection of the daily samples was somewhat interrupted, but covers a period of one year. The table shows that the water of Arkansas River at Arkansas City is very different from that at either Great Bend or Deerfield. It is still heavily mineralized, though the total dissolved solids run lower than in the composite samples at Great Bend (Table 149), which average less than those of the composite samples at Deerfield (Table 147). The sulphates in the samples at Deerfield and Great Bend are higher than the bicarbonates ; but at Arkansas City, if these con- stituents be considered in terms of their chemical equivalents, it will be found that the bicarbonates predominated over the sulphates in 278 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. the analyses from January 12 to February 7, from January 18 to July 27, and from September 16 to November 14, while the sulphates were in excess of the bicarbonates in the analyses of December 7 to January 8, February 8 to 17, December 1 to 10, and in the analyses made in the period from July 28 to September 15. It should be noted that at Deerfield the sulphates are very high, at Great Bend they are much lower, and at Arkansas City they are lower still. But perhaps the most marked change in the water of the river is the variation in the chlorides and sodium as the stream progresses through the State, and in the changed ratio of the sodium to the chlorine at Deerfield, Great Bend, and Arkansas City. At Deerfield the sodium is high and the chlorides low, the ratio of sodium to chlorine being about 3 to 1; at Great Bend the sodium is less, and the chlorides more than at Deerfield, so that the ratio of sodium to chlorine is about 1.7 to 1. The reduction in the sodium is probably accomplished by waters relatively low in sodium that join the river between the two cities, while the increase in chlorides is brought about by the flowing salt well at Larned. At Arkansas City the river water is much higher in sodium that at Great Bend and somewhat higher than at Deerfield. The chlorides at Arkansas City are much higher than at either of the two other places, and the ratio of sodium to chlorine is 1 to 1.2. The increase in sodium and chlorides is accomplished by drainage from salt marshes on Rattlesnake Creek and by contamination resulting from the operations in the large salt works at Hutchinson. The daily turbidity record of Arkansas River at Arkansas City (Table 152) is very much broken. The highest reading, 4,124, was recorded on August 20, and the lowest, 8, on April 20, 1907. Table 145. — Assays of water of Arkansas River and its tributaries in Colorado and Kansas west of R. 7 E. [Parts per million.] No. Date. Stream and place. Iron (Fe). Car- bonate (COs). Bicar- bonate (HCOs). Sul- phate (SOO. Chlo- rine (CI). Remarks. 1 9 1904. Aug. 3 Sept. 3 Sept. 2 1905. Oct. 3 Oct. 5 Oct. 6 Oct. 7 Arkansas River at Canon City, Colo. do 0.5 ...: 110 98 101 273 207 308 246 66 84 168 116 124 90 103 18 10 10 6 11 14 9 By R. 1. Meeker. Do. S Arkansas River at Pu- eblo, Colo. Purgatory River at Trin- idad, Colo. ... .do Do. 4 1 .0 1.0 Tr. 1.0 0.0 13.0 .0 .0 Turbidity 300, by R. I. Meeker and W. A. Lamb. Turbidity 1,111, by R. r. .. ..do I. Meeker and W. A. Lamb Turbidity 285, by R.I. 7 do„. ....... ........ Meeker and W. A. Lamb Turbidity 650, by R. I. Meeker and W. A. Lamb. ARKANSAS EIVBR. 279 Table 145. — Assays of water of Arkansas River and its tributaries in Colorado and Kansas ivest of R. 7 E. — Continued. Iron (Fe). Car- Bicar- Sul- Chlo- No. Date. Stream and place. bonate bonate phate rine Remarks. (CO3). {HCO3) (SO4). (CI) _„ 1905. 8 Oct. 8 Purgatory River at Trini- dad, Colo. Tr. 0.0 234 96 9 Turbidity 480, by R. L Meeker and W. A. Lamb. 9 Oct. 9 do Tr. .0 210 104 9 Turbidity 750, by R. I. Meeker and W. A. Lamb. 10 Oct, 10 do Tr. .0 272 98 It Turbidity 650, by R.L Meeker and W. A. Lamb. 11 Oct. 11 do .0 .0 260 101 9 Turbidity 800, by R. I. Meeker and W. A. Lamb. 12 Oct. 12 do Tr. .0 260 77 9 Turbidity950, by R.I. Meeker and W, A. Lamb. 13 Oct. 13 do Tr. .0 246 96 9 Turbidity 1,500, by R. I. Meeker and W. A. Lamb. 14 Oct. 14 do Tr. .0 246 97 9 Turbidity 900, by R. I. Meeker and W. A. Lamb. 1907. 15 Nov. 20 Arkansas River at Dodge, .0 .0 254 492 52 16 Dec. 6 Buckner Creek at Jetmore. Tr. .0 236 62 24 17 Dec. 2 Pawnee Creek above Ideal Steam Landing, Lamed. .0 11.0 279 62 36 Above Frizell's flowing salt well. 18 ...do..... Pawnee Creek at Main Street, Larned. Sunset Lake, Ness .0 11.0 275 61 72 Below Frizell's flowing salt well. 19 Dec. 10 .0 .0 258 88 20 A widening of North Branch of Walnut Creek. 20 Dec. 8 Walnut Creek on Park Street and north of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry., Great Bend. Tr. .0 329 115 90 21 Dec. 28 1908. Arkansas River at west bridge, Alden. .0 12.0 207 383 170 Above Salt Creek, col- lected by Dr. Marion Trueheart. 22 Nov. 8 1907. do .0 .0 246 626 80 Do. 23 Dec. 3 1908. Rattlesnake Creek IJ miles west of St. John. .0 12.0 197 aTr. 26 24 Nov, 8 1907. Rattlesnake Creek 1 mile above mouth at Alden. Tr. 12.0 262 139 933 Collected by Dr. Maf- ion Trueheart. 25 Dec. 28 Arkansas River at bridge, Alden. .0 12.0 269 157 1.056 Below Salt Creek. 1908. 26 Nov. 8 1906. do .0 .0 242 626 169 Below Salt Creek, col- lected by Dr. Marion Trueheart. 27 Nov, 18 Cow Creek at first bridge west of Main Street, Hutchinson. .0 Tr. 147 88 121 28 Nov. 16 West Emma Creek west of Newton. .0 12.0 260 oTr. 14 29 ...do..... East Emma Creek west of Newton. .0 .0 328 Tr. 14 30 ...do Sand Creek, Newton .0 .0 334 344 30 31 ...do 1907. Little Arkansas River at Halstead. .0 Tr. 307 aTr. 32 Jan. 19 Little Arkansas River at Murdock Ave., Wichita. .0 .0 113 40 25 In high stage. 33 ...do.... Chisholm Creek at Doug- lass Street, Wichita. .0 .0 65 146 15 In flood. 34 Nov. 7 South Fork Ninnescah River at Main Street, Pratt. Tr. .0 174 a Tr. 30 35 Dec. 31 Ninnescah River at Main Street Bridge, King- man. .0 12.0 200 oTr. 289 a Less than 35 parts per million. 280 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 145. — Assays of water of Arkansas River and its tributaries in Colorado and Kansas west of R. 7 E. — Continued. Iron (Fe). Car- Bicar- Sul Ohio No. Date. Stream and place. bonate bonate phate rine Remarks (CO3). (ILCO3) (SO.1) (CI) 1907. 36 May 16 Ninnescah River at Atch- ison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. bridge, Belle Plaine. .0 6.0 230 61 171 37 Jan. 15 Slate Creek 1 mile west and 3J miles nortli of Geuda' Springs. .0 Tr. 323 406 265 38 May 12 East Brancli Walnut River at Eldorado. .0 .0 232 oTr. 10 39 ...do West Branch Walnut River at Eldorado. .0 .0 216 aTr. 10 40 May 13 Whitewater River 500 vards above mouth of West Branch of White- water River at- To- wanda. .0 .0 254 173 20 41 ...do West Whitewater River at Towanda. .0 .0 328 626 24 42 May 11 Whitewater River at Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. bridge, Augusta. .0 .0 227 222 14 43 ...do Walnut River at Augusta .0 .0 219 aTr 14 44 Jan. 17 Dutch Creek at Winfield. Tr. .0 122 aTr. 15 In flood. Local name, Timber Creek. 45 Jan. 12 Silver Creek 9 miles east of Arkansas City. .0 .0 345 oTr. 10 46 ...do 1908. Grouse Creek 7 miles east of Arkansas City. Salt Fork of A rhansas River. .0 .0 288 aTr. 10 47 Jan. 4 Big Mule Creek at Wil- more. Tr. .0 226 aTr. IS 48 ...do Medicine Lodge River above Elm Creek at Medicine Lodge. Tr. 12.0 218 382 67 49 ...do Elm Creek above Medi- cine Lodge River at Medicine Lodge. Tr. 12.0 220 aTr. 26 50 Jan. 7 Fall Creek at Mahi Street Bridge, Caldwell. .0 12.0 352 146 C7 51 ...do Bluff Creek at water- works, Caldwell. Tributaries of Cimarron River. Tr. 12.0 288 168 72 52 Jan. 2 Bear Creek east of Ash- land. .0 .0 142 327 30 53 Jan. 3 Bluu' Creek west of Pro- tec. ian. .0 12.0 245 229 30 54 ...do Kiowa Creek east of Pro- tection. .0 12.0 200 oTr. 15 A branch of Cavalry Creek. 55 ...do Cavalry Creek east of Pro- tection. .0 .0 231 aTr. 15 a Less thaji 35 parts per million. AEKANSAS RIVEE. 281 •spiios IB^OX t^co »o -J3 O •OOM ■ cocot^ CO 00 - '. l:^ ;s :S^ 2 ) CO CO »0 -^ CO •oiu'gSjo ,-H t~- 'f CT> '^ Oi cO CO •do) 8 n 1 .1 o 1 q T-HC.(^^!©cs^(^^<:OiOlOcDOiOoo■^oo^- OO-^ iOtH CO CO O 00 00 tH C^ CD Tt^ lO lO -etf O (M i— I O (N r-l CO I> O CO CD CO CT) lO i— I CO (N CO CS OQ0C--CT'C^CO-< >i-I^CD^(M OOCOCO •" 05 "^ 02 00"^ Cq CO t-^ (M O r-H CO rH CO O (M ,— ( O 03 00 »0 CD C^ CO 03 a: QO CO T-H cq O CO (Mi-1 1-H CSt-H !-( T-< C^ .-H .-I CS T-H •(3+15N) umiss'Eq.od ppB pmipog t^ >0 (N OOCO ^ (M CO t^ T-t C^COOSCWCO JCOt^Td^OlOt^OOOt^OOlT-HCOOOOOCJiOiOCOOiCOCMOsajcDt^ l-^THCncDt^OXMOJlO- (M CO CO (M T-i r-H ■(Sh) iiinis9u§Bi^[ .—100'^ tMOO f-aiOiOcOi— iLOtNt^iOt-COOOOSiOCOCOOOiOOCD.O o - .«'-'8'C ogo - P! ft o o Ph ?3 H ft o o la o o o o o bf o.g o ■ o o o o o o o : ■'-'pOmpHo 'i^p : ; '-y ■« 'mp • • ■ • ■ • ft;< P gf go ■g S 9og ^3 c3 1 or 500 ~ o 1. 9 05 .cj .53 3 .E;M o.a^'Sui-s p'p'S 3 C3 O 'd— c3 JH P PhW +^ 4^ C3 03 tH fH ^^^; 03 M ^.9 tl ^^ p p p p 00 , -^ p PT3 MM O p P cS Op; 2"S O c3 •si ■3.9"^ S 'SSS o3;dH PI PX2 03 g tf § p^ O 3 O 3 3 '03 ! c3 c3 .o\ 3 o O O O C , , Ht3'rtXt'3 03-^ 5o -i^ S o9 co^ 0000 Oicq t^ooi— I 01 05 as o o o o 00 00 00 01 Oi a: CT) 1-H.-I (NCO '*O00"5 00 t> f^ pQ-iJ d b ^ 00 (D o CJ ra CO IM-*IMI^00^Cq(M(MIM00O T-H T-HCd (M(M(N(Ni-H 2;<;oH;>5s^o;SoKfe^ OC33000COO OiOOO^cr^O^OiC^C^ ocor^cDOC. 00 Ca O T-H cq CO -* 10 CD C~ 00 OCi O T-H 09 CO ^ 10 CO !>. 00 03 O ^ CJ CO ■* lO T-lrHrHTHT-HT-HrHtHT-HT-HCqiMCJCqNIMC^CJCqNCOCOCOCOCOCO 282 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. § O ^ •spnos ib;ox CO CO lO "oiubSjo Y>nis '9ii:^'Ei0A CO (M •do) auijoiqo ^ lO 00 ":) o I-H T-H T-t •(2+T3N) xnntssB^od O O Cq -^ lO r-H CD puBumipog (M i-H '^ Tt< CO <0 t^ •(2h) 05 ninisanS'BH CO -rf t>^ CO 00 lO ^ .-Ir-I ,-1,-lCqCO •(^0) i^ .-1 CO »o 00 i-H a> lo Tj< lo lo "O r~ t^ nin 10 I'BQ -*"* •(a^) uoji ^c^2 •(5ois)^3ms (M 00C<>i-l ■ >> >> tf 0) (i( 'o C3 c3 i =3 -S M -d >. =« g o3 "3 • c8 a ri^ M CO s a M Ph 03 $ .^^ 'm £ o ;3 I'S Ph jo :« tH (N i-< -o Date. >> a xi tin o . O "So 3 03 . OM O O 03 it O en O 15 o 1 "o S2 -o a> a ra ^ 03 a> _,g From — To— S 1 o o Q 03 fe- ci 2 1— 1 o 1 II 02 a o o 03 a, 3 1 03 O 1906. 1906. Nov. 26 Dec. 5 210 166 0.79 2.3 aO.8 99 24 124 0.0 208 377 2.-8 52 793 Dec. 6 Dec. 15 58 35 .60 1.2 139 16 158 .0 245 5.57 .9 69 1,135 Dec. 16 Dec. 27 1907. 28 18 .64 24'" .6 163 40 132 66.7 281 508 2.7 98 1,S30 Dec. 28 Jan. 7 1,330 957 .72 27 1.2 177 49 173 .0 295 612 4.6 90 1,336 1907. Jan. 8 Jan. 20 494 357 .72 27 4.0 173 45 174 3.6 266 651 2.5 92 1.355 Jan . 21 Jan. 31 163 129 .79 50 2.0 153 56 199 .0 187 719 1.1 93 1,385 Feb. 1 Feb. 13 770 1,050 1.36 21 .40 157 42 157 .0 266 535 .6 78 1,131 Feb. 14 Feb. 24 3,730 2,323 .62 76 .30 192 54 227 .0 264 859 2.3 77 1,654 Feb. 25 Mar. 4 499 315 .63 83 .30 187 45 49 &2.8 259 696 1.6 85 1,495 Mar. 8 Mar. 17 340 220 .65 56 .52 327 48 195 .0 243 652 .7 88 1,304 Mar. 19 Mar. 28 51 62 1.22 18 .8 148 43 191 .0 228 608 .2 104 1,264 Mar. 29 Apr. 8 19 26 1.37 22 .9 148 34 191 .0 219 565 .2 121 1,230 Apr. 9 Apr. 18 15 12 .80 18 3.3 149 36 196 8.0 230 536 .7 128 1,218 Apr. 19 May 1 Apr. 30 15 14 .93 12 1.0 132 41 181 .0 230 506 1.1 134 1,179 May 11 44 47 1.07 17 2.5 162 7.2 190 .0 225 624 .6 106 1,265 May 12 May 21 20 19 .95 20 .6 155 33 191 .0 210 574 .6 121 1,239 May 22 June 8 IS 11 .73 16 1.2 147 41 186 .0 218 518 .6 133 1,168 June 10 June 19 19,200 10,283 .54 49 3.2 164 50 211 .0 245 671 7.0 125 1,400 June 21 June 30 2,736 1,932 .71 26 2 113 36 135 .0 178 407 3.5 76 902 July 1 July 10 9,480 5,686 .60 30 1.5 137 47 192 .0 235 522 3.5 127 1,169 July 11 July 20 14, 5.30 4,250 .29 31 4 96 32 117 .0 178 347 6.0 49 756 July 21 July 31 14, 160 . 11,766 .83 26 3 117 46 152 .0 225 464 .9 87 972 Aug.- 1 Aug. 11 1§, 720 15,770 .84 29 2.0 145 40 120 .0 192 487 7.5 32 960 Aug. 12 Aug. 22 20,000 6,177 .31 32 1.8 147 41 138 .0 193 490 4.5 40 968 Aug. 23 Sept. 3 315 295 .94 31 .20 142 46 158 65.0 205 511 1.5 84 1,079 Sept. 4 Sept. 16 40 30 .75 29 .05 135 44 171 .0 210 502 .7 122 1,109 Sept. 17 Sept. 28 16 5.2 .32 30 .08 124 44 171 .0 230 461 .5 125 1,033 Sept. 30 Oct. 9 168 129 .77 12 .06 115 34 180 .0 200 391 .5 108 913 Oct. 10 Oct, 20 38 16 .42 21 .12 135 44 179 .0 223 437 .5 140 1,061 Oct. 21 Oct. 31 26 9 .35 20 .11 142 43 137 .0 217 450 .6 130 1,069 Nov. 1 Nov. 10 22 1 .04 20 .26 145 42 168 .0 238 476 .5 124 1,107 Nov. 11 Nov. 21 28 6.0 .21 17 .20 153 42 170 .0 255 474 .6 128 1,120 Nov. 22 Dec. 7 38 3 .08 20 .11 105 43 195 .0 242 502 .6 114 1,128 Mean 3,252 1,882 .68 28 1.2 149 40 167 .0 230 536 1.9 99 1,158 Per cent of anhy- drous r( 'sidue .... 2.5 .1 13.1 3.5 14.7 10.0 47.2 .2 8.7 a AI=0.34. 6 Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note.— Analyses from November 26, 1906, to November 21, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from November 22 to December 7, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. 286 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. Table 150. — Turbidity of daily samples of Arkansas River at Great Bend, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. 1906. * 1907. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 . 205 12 15 6 6 12 11 12 10 5 400 31 45 36 15 6 8 3,340 2,700 170 270 400 443 SO 8 8 8 550 635 1,732 1,763 115 36 43 120 10 10 150 485 416 242 25 15 11 26 14 17 13 20 20 13 14 9 25 13 15 15 15 12 16 15 18 19 ■"■3" 9 10 10 16 28 35 9 40 "42' 38 55 55 52 55 55 40 34 13 15 18 20 12 18 12 13 14 20 10 18 ""15" "'io' 18 5 14 14 20 2' 13 14' 27" 9 28 7 2,000 72,000 67, 176 31,000 9,900 9,900 732 370 430 140 110 60 36 38 10,880 82,000 72,000 33,588 20,222 8,415 1,200 833 1,200 2,220 24,000 38,800 105 70 65 65 SO 55 80 510 32 90 36 40 165 400 250 95 85 70 80 36 12 15 12 45 24 12 30 15 16 10 8 50 18 18 40 32 16 18 15 15 15 30 24 30 30 50 40 40 9 24 3 . . 24 4 60 5 45 6 44 5 3 '"""iio' 360 "'■7,' 666" 7,500 7,730 4,080 3,000 5,400 370 933 650 600 370 332 350 242 238 200 240 160 '"i26' 100 60 22 48 35 34 36 18 38 36 16 32 7.. . 36 8 9 45 32 40 30 16 15 10 . .. 11 12 13 . . 14 15 16 12 12 15 18 18 30 32 36 18 45 50 36 70 18 17 18 19 20, 12 80 5 20 80 515 465 32 248 "2," 666' 1,600 1,134 1,100 21 9,163 4,392 4,392 1,200 1,000 933 3,120 1,000 800 1,360 22 23 650 40 160 61 24 5 5 125 13 1,300 1,900 "2;666" 25 26 10 270 15 1,300 5 36 40 60 85 110 36 833 666 290 27 28 29 650 15,840 33,600 86,400 260 245 150 110 '"76" 40 40 30 30 30 31 30 Mean. 320 225 517 1,956 234 11 27 8,130 14,303 10, 594 50 76 29 37 Note.— Averages- Julv 19 to 20, 2,800; July 21 to 22, 1,840; August 1 to 11, 18,720; August 12 to 22, 20,000; August 23 to September 3, 315; Septeniber 17 to 28, 16. Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica stand- ards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. ARKANSAS EIVER. 287 Table 151.- — Analyses of water from Arkansas River at Arkansas City,0' Kans. [Drainage area, 44,500 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. M a 3 2 >s a S a a o O "5^ o M S s a 03 d o o w 03 6 CD 2; o "o > From— To- - s d m b a % 03 ;z; a^ d d o £3 « d '3 1 to 1 d d .3 o ft 1 o 3 D H 03 o O S 2 l-H '3 Q S o m 03 O s 3 02 g 3 o o 1906. 1907 Dec. 7 Jan. ' 8 1,700 1,179 0.69 24 0.8 108 32 267 0.0 295 300 3.6 278 1,132 1907. Tan. 12 Jan. 21 872 709 .81 41 3.0 92 7.2 193 .0 276 201 3.5 221 882 Jan. 22 Feb. 7 415 343 .83 40 .20 74 21 162 612 238 135 3.0 180 707 Feb. 8 Feb. 17 1,480 763 .52 84 .52 120 28 217 .0 310 270 2.3 229 1,309 Feb. 18 Mar. 10 480 339 .71 54 .6 109 26 274 .0 310 57 1.2 330 1.177 Mar. 15 Mar. 24 132 167 1.26 31 2.8 109 26 253 6 5.5 288 196 1.2 317 1,060 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 14 •9 .64 14 1.2 103 14 252 .0 282 179 .7 330 1,024 Apr. 19 Apr. 27 18 48 2.67 17 1.8 85 24 241 .0 261 169 1.0 328 1,011 Apr. 28 May 7 70 158 2.26 15 3.0 88 19 216 .0 265 147 2.0 264 857 May 10 May 19 180 202 1.12 34 2.5 88 13 233 .0 252 165 1.8 292 938 May 25 June 3 30 93 3.10 19 .7 86 25 236 .0 254 162 1.1 312 960 June 6 June 15 42 105 2.50 35 2 83 29 250 .0 240 159 1.5 292 987 June 28 July 7 885 722 .82 42 6 76 21 241 .0 235 126 2.5 280 862 July 8 July 17 112 162 1.45 43 1.5 86 24 262 612 230 152 1.0 328 995 July 18 July 27 3,000 2,224 .74 39 12 64 19 .0 223 100 2.8 192 662 July 28 Aug. 6 27,500 19,555 .71 36 1.5 123 40 "'"i84 .0 275 363 415 1.9 164 1,028 Aug. 7 Aug. 16 18,360 12, 182 .60 22 1.0 128 34 166 .0 200 6.0 125 976 Aug. 17 Aug. 26 3,320 2,432 .73 24 .18 103 30 170 .0 200 270 2.8 170 837 Aug. 27 Sept. 5 250 250 1.00 32 .07 97 30 254 .0 210 230 1.1 314 1,067 Sept. 6 Sept. 15 95 147 1.55 41 .05 90 30 279 .0 230 210 .5 364 1,105 Sept. 16 Sept. 25 80 116 1.45 24 .05 93 28 237 .0 263 167 2.3 310 956 Sept. 26 Oct. 5 562 726 1.29 16 .10 86 21 219 .0 172 115 1.5 306 813 Oct. 6 Oct. 15 238 180 .76 31 .20 92 21 270 .0 2.50 146 1.8 349 994 Oct. 16 Oct. 25 130 139 1.07 18 .12 97 23 305 .0 225 157 .6 440 1,141 Oct. 26 Nov. 4 65 64 .98 24 .30 96 18 396 .0 275 152 .5 430 1,155 Nov. 5 Nov. 14 68 53 .78 21 .24 97 20 273 .0 280 148 .8 386 1,078 Dec. 1 Dec. an 10 39 37 .95 17 1.6 93 27 270 .0 255 313 .8 368 1,029 Me 2,227 1,596 1.19 31 1.6 95 24 243 .0 253 193 1.8 292 990 of anhy- Per cent drous r esidue. 3.1 .2 .4 2.4 24.1 12.4 19.2 .2 29.0 a The sampling station was located on the canal of the Land & Power Co., the head of which is above the mouth of Walnut River, b Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average Note.— Analyses from December 7, 1906, to January 21, 1907, and from March 15 to December 10, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from January 22 to March 10, 1907, by Archie J. Weith.. 288 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 152. — Turbidity of daily samples from Arkansas River at Arkansas City, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H S. BaUey, Director.] Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. ,Tan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 . 200 190 190 260 242 265 240 240 240 240 20 22 22 140 140 295 40 50 60 80 60 70 60 70 50 70 60 60 65 70 70 80 85 45 2 SO 3 1,370 1,370 1,330 '""28" 36 36 45 42 40 155 5,350 2,800 2,910 370 2,700 360 3,000 32 4 40 5 36 c 50 50 20 36 24 16 55 75 50 45 220 235 230 245 225 235 240 240 250 255 125 130 150 140 150 130 130 120 100 120 65 80 60 80 50 50 40 7 ... 1,940 1,700 1,870 1,740 1,700 1,268 1,370 1,330 '"ses" 414 443 488 400 313 222 1,920 2,295 1,660 1,030 1,000 732 520 490 140 140 36 8 13 10 .10 "'96' 90 60 60 650 800 32 36 25 25 20 200 200 80 115 100 80 80 70 100 90 40 9 32 10 . 40 11 12 ""285" 240 110 125 90 105 105 110 65 80 14 14 15 17 14 19 10 10 8 9 15 14 27 25 20 32 14 12 13 13 14 15 16 "i'soo' 3,320 3,750 4, 124 3,500 80 60 120 "im 80 65 55 60 80 17 18 19 20 21 22 2,950 3,170 3,000 3.170 3,320 23 1,200 662 613 600 320 24 25 15 15 18 16 18 24 18 26.. . 27 28 29 30 • 31 Mean 1,703 888 1,276 181 15 110 44 294 3,380 78 150 68 39 Note.— Averages: June 28 to July 7, 885; July 18 to July 27,3.000; Julv 28 to August 6,27,500; August 7 to August 16, 18,360; August 27 to September 5, 250; September 6 to 15, 95; September 26 to October 5, 562. Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson tmbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings werts made by Carrie M. Burlin- game and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. Bear Creek. Bear Creek/ which rises in southeastern Colorado, enters Kansas a httle south of the middle of the western boundary of Stanton and about 30 miles south of Arkansas River. The creek flows north- eastward across Stanton County and enters Grant County about 4 miles from the northwest corner of that county. In the western part of Stanton County it is a constantly flowing stream of clear water, but it soon smks and through most of its course is dry, except in times of flood, which usually occur about twice a year. The channel is very deep and rather narrow, and when in flood the stream is absolutely impassable. High water usually lasts about three days. The creek flows about 15 miles across the northwestern corner of Grant County into Kearny County, terminating in what is loiown as "Simk Well," in the southeastern edge of the sand hills, but floods extend the course of the river about 5 miles farther into the sand hills of Kearny County to a point within a short distance of 1 William Easton Hutchinson, by letter. PAWNEE CREEK. 289 Arkansas River. The banks of Bear Creek are higher than the sur- rounding country. So marked is this pecuharity that in some places the stream looks like an artificially constructed irrigation ditch. A slight, elongated depression extending through the sand hills in fine with Clear Lake, southeast of Hartland, makes it possible to believe that on some occasions in the past the waters of the creek have extended quite to the river. It has been a popular belief that Clear Lake indicated an outlet of a subsurface flow of the waters of Bear Creek. Careful investigations, however, have proved that such is not the case, but that if the waters of Bear Creek reach the river at all they must join the eastward underflow soon after reaching the sand hills. ^ White Woman Creek.^ A stream similar in every respect to Bear Creek on the south of the river is White Woman Creek on the north. This creek rises in Chey- enne County, Colo., a few miles west of the Kansas-Colorado State line and flows eastward for about 75 miles. In places its channel is eroded to a depth of nearly 100 feet below the uplands, and a flood plain nearly a mile wide has been produced. Southeast of Scott City the valley of the stream becomes lost in the Modoc Basin. Like Bear Creek, the stream is dry throughout a greater portion of the year, but in times of flood it pours out its waters abundantly into Modoc Basin. East of Garden is a depression, locally called Shallow Valley, which it is popularly believed extends northeastward and connects with White Woman Creek at the Modoc Basin. It is not known that levels have been run in this valley from Garden to Scott, but to one following this channel it appears to the eye like the old val- ley of White Woman Creek. Waters from this valley, however, do not reach Arkansas River in a direct underground flow, but join the eastward-moving underflow of the river. Pawnee Creek.^ DESCRIPTION. Pawnee Creek rises in the northern part of Gray County and flows northeastward and then eastward to its junction with Arkansas River at Larned. Its drainage basin lies north and northeast of Dodge and south of Walnut Creek and comprises the southern part of Ness County, the eastern part of Finney County, all of Hodgeman County, the northern part of Ford County, and all of Pawnee County except that portion which drains directly into Arkansas River. 1 Water-Supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 153, 1906, pp. 18-21. 2 The description of White Woman Creek Is taken from Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 2, pp. 33, 34. 3 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 2, pp. 32-33. 77836°— wsp 273—11 19 290 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. It is a small stream, but has an unusually large number of tribu- taries which drain an area of 50 or 60 townships to the north of Dodge. Its upper branches rise in the Tertiary deposits, but soon cut their channels through it to the Benton group. Tapping the ground- water of the Tertiary they have a constant flow throughout the year. A marked peculiarity of Pawnee Creek is that its upper branches on the south reach to within a mile or two of Arkansas River. Sawlog Creek, Buckner Creek, and Pawnee Fork, the chief tributaries, have worn channels 50 to 100 feet deep and have valleys varying from half a mile to 1 mile in width. The country occupied by Pawnee Creek in Pawnee and Edwards counties is a broad^ almost level, sandy plain, with a gentle incli- nation to the east. QUALITY OF WATER. Tests of the waters of Pawnee Creek and its tributaries are recorded in assays 16, 17, and 18, Table 145, and analyses 5 and 6, Table 146. The three assays show waters of moderate temporary hardness and high sulphates. The fact that the chlorides are higher in assay 18 than in assay 17 is evidence that the salt well at Larned contaminates Pawnee Creek. Analysis 5 shows a soft water and analysis 6 a slightly laxative water of moderate temporary and low permanent hardness. Walnut Creek.i DESCRIPTION. Walnut Creek rises in Lane County, near Dighton, and ilows east- ward, through Ness and Rush counties, entering Arkansas River about 4 miles below Great Bend. Its drainage basin is about 25 miles wide, and comprises the major parts of Lane, Ness, and Rush counties, as well as the southeastern corner of Barton County. The stream rises in the Tertiary deposits, but in Ness County it reaches the Niobrara formation, into which it and its tributaries have cut deep channels. In Rush County it passes over the Benton group and finally reaches the Dakota sandstone in Barton County. The width of the valley of Walnut Creek is surprisingly great, nearly equahng that of Kansas River itself. The bluff Unes are exceedingly variable and depend upon the character of the material in which the valley is cut. At the east end of the valley, in the Dakota sandstone area, the bluff lines are relatively gentle. In fact, the valleys of Walnut Creek and Arkansas River coalesce several miles above Great Bend, so that throughout at least 10 miles of its course the creek has no bluff lines, but simply flows in its little channel through the general vaUey to its confluence I Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 2, pp. 34r-35. cow CREEK. 291 with the river. In Rush and Ness counties, where the Benton is exposed, the valley is limited by bluffs that in many places reach a height of 75 to 100 feet. Where tke several tributaries of Walnut Creek have cut their channels into Niobrara chalk, the valleys are narrow and bluff lines very abrupt. The valley of Walnut Creek is largely filled with fluviatile mate- rial, from which the principal water supply of the region is derived. QUALITY OF WATER. Tests of the water of Walnut Creek and its tributaries are recorded in assays 19 and 20, Table 145, and analyses 7 and 8, Table 146. Assay 19 and analysis 7 are tests of a small pond on the North Fork of Walnut Creek, and together indicate a water tliat is slightly laxa- tive, and has moderate temporary and slight permanent hardness. Assay 20 and analysis 8 are tests of samples of Walnut Creek taken at the same time and spot. Together they show a laxative water of marked temporary hardness. Rattlesnake Creek. DESCRIPTION. Rattlesnake Creek rises in the southeastern part of Ford County near Bucklin and flows a general northeasterly course to Alden in Rice County, where it enters Arkansas River. The stream drains the northern part of Kiowa County, a small part of Edwards and Pratt counties, and practically all of Stafford County. Rattlesnake Creek has a fairly constant flow and throughout its course has eroded its channel in the Tertiary deposits. In the northeast corner of Stafford County the creek flows by a salt marsh which, although it does not discharge directly into the creek, makes it very salt. In fact, locall}^ , from the salt marsh to its mouth R.attlesnake Creek is known as Salt Creek. QUALITY OF WATER. A test of the water of Rattlesnake Creek far above the salt marshes of Stafford County (assay 23, Table 145, p. 279), shows a soft water; a test of the water below these salt marshes (assay 24, Table 145) indicates clearly by the high chlorides how the drainage from these marshes has changed the character of the water. Cow Creek. DESCRIPTION. Cow Creek rises in the eastern part of Barton County and follows a general southeasterly course to its junction with Arkansas River at Hutchinson. The stream is a small one and drains most of Rice Countv. 292 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. QUALITY OF WATER. Tests of the water of Cow Creek at Hutchmson recorded in assay 27, Table 145, and analysis 10, Table 146, p. 281, show a water of moderate temporary and marked permanent hardness. Little Arkansas River. DESCRIPTION. Little Arkansas River rises in the northern part of Rice County and flows southeastward to its junction with the Arkansas near Wichita. Its drainage basin comprises the southern part of McPherson County, the eastern part of Rice County, the southeastern corner of Reno County, all except the eastern part of Harvey County, and a portion of the northern part of Sedgwick County. In this area are the Eguus beds which are described on pages 34-35. QUALITY OF WATER. Tests of the water of Little Arkansas River and of some of its tributaries are recorded by analysis 12, Table 146, and assays 28 to 32, Table 145. The analysis shows that toward its head the river carries a calcic alkaline water of high temporary and low permanent hardness. The waters of West Emma and East Emma creeks are shown by assays 28 and 29 to have considerable temporary and httle permanent hardness. West Emma Creek having the softer water. In contrast to the waters of these two creeks is that of Sand Creek (assay 30, Table 145), which has very great permanent hardness. The sulphates in Sand Creek are higher than the bicarbonates, which are not, however, low, and the chlorides are higher than in the waters of the Emma creeks. This striking difference in the quality of the water of Sand Creek and the two Emma creeks is explained by the fact that Sand Creek flows in that part of the Permian area which contains the gyp- sum beds, whereas West Emma and East Emma creeks flow in the Eguus beds and thus escape heavy mineraUzation. At Halstead (assay 31, Table 145) Little Arkansas River carries water of decided temporary and little permanent hardness. A test of Little Arkansas River in high stage at Wichita is recorded in assay 32, which shows abnormally low carbonates, indicating in this case the presence of considerable rain water. Ninnescah River. DESCRIPTION. Ninnescah River rises in the western part of Pratt County and flows in a general southeasterly direction to its union with Arkansas River north of Oxford in Sumner County. The principal tributary SLATE CREEK. 293 of Ninnescah River is North Fork, which rises in the southeast corner of Stafford County, flows in a general southeasterly course, and joins the main stream in Sedgwick County southeast of Cheney. The Ninnescah drains the southeastern part of Stafford County, the southern part of Reno County, the northeastern part of Pratt County, the northern part of Kingman County, the western part of Sedgwick County, and the northeastern part of Sumner County. In Stafford, Reno, Pratt, and the northwestern part of Kingman counties the course of the river and its tributaries lies in the Ter- tiary deposits, but elsewhere its channel is in the Permian. QUALITY OF WATER. Tests of the water of Ninnescah River at Pratt (assay 34, Table 145, and analysis 14, Table 146), indicate a soft water, as would be expected from the position of the channel in the Tertiary deposits, but the analysis shows somewhat higher sulphates and chlorides than are shown by the assay. At Kingman (assay 35, Table 145) the water of the Ninnescah continues soft, but the chlorides are much higher than at Pratt. They are believed to be derived from aban- doned salt works near the city. Tests of the water near the mouth of the river at Belle Plaine (assay 36, Table 145, and analyses 15 and 16, Table 146), indicate greater temporary and permanent hardness than are indicated by tests at Kingman and Pratt. The higher sul- phates in all probability are derived from the Permian shales. The chlorides appear to be somewhat less than at Kingman, possibly because the water is diluted by that of the North Fork. No tests were made of the water of North Fork of Ninnescah River. Slate Creek. DESCRIPTION. Slate Creek is a small stream that rises in the northwestern corner of Sumner County and flows a general southeasterly course diagonally across the county, emptying into Arkansas River southwest of Tannehill and about 2 miles north of Geuda Springs. The course of the creek lies wholly within that part of the Permian in which the gypsiferous shales lie near the surface. QUALITY OF WATER. That the water of Slate Creek has become highly mineralized with calcium, magnesium, sodium, carbonates, and sulphates derived from the Permian shales is shown by analyses 17, 18, and 19, Table 146 (p. 281), which represent the composition of the creek water at Welling- ton. The water here is not particularly high in chlorides. A test of a sample taken north of Geuda Springs (assay 37, Table 145), indicates much higher chlorides and higher sulphates than are indicated by any 294 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. of the tests of the water of this creek at WeUington. The chlorides are derived from salt springs in Valverdi Township that are tributary to the creek. Walnut River. DESCRIPTION. Walnut River drains an area about 2,020 square miles in extent, comprising the eastern edges of Harvey and Sedgwick counties and all but the eastern edges of Butler and Cowley counties. The river is formed in Eldorado, Butler County, by the union of its east and west branches and flows southward to its junction with Arkansas River at Arkansas City, From source to mouth, a distance of about 75 miles in a straight line, the river falls from an elevation of about 1,410 feet to 1,030 feet above sea level. The basin consists of gently rolling pasture or cultivated land and adjoins the drainage basin of the Cottonwood on the north, the Verdigris on the east, and the main Arkansas on the west. A little southwest of Augusta, Walnut River is joined from the west by Whitewater River, which rises in the northeastern part of Harvey County. At Towanda the Whitewater receives West Whitewater River, which is formed north of Whitewater by the confluence of East Branch and West Branch of West Whitewater River, two streams that rise in Walton Township in the northeastern part of Harvey County. The eastern tributaries, heading in the Flint Hills, are more important than those from the west except Whitewater River. The river and the western tributaries of the Walnut head in the divide separating Walnut River from Little Arkansas and Arkansas rivers. The estimated monthly discharge of Walnut River at Arkansas City is given in the following table : Table 153. -Monthly discharge of Walnut River at Arkansas City, Kans., for period October, 1902, to November, 1903. Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean. January February March April..... May June July August September October November December The period 385 2,140 6,990 2,140 17,300 11,500 485 385 7,590 2,760 12,800 510 17,300 105 122 460 180 240 485 105 90 60 45 75 90 233 323 1,260 523 5,080 1,830 261 232 534 234 880 265 971 WALNUT RIVER. 295 QUALITY OF WATER. The United States Geological Survey maintained, a daily sampling station on Walnut River at Winfield from December 2, 1906, to No- vember 26, 1907. Samples were collected by the Winfield Roller Mill & Elevator Co., and the completeness of the record of analyses of the composite samples, Table 154, testifies to the fidelity with which the sampling was done. The analyses show that the waters are heavily mineralized, as might be expected from the fact that the course of the river lies entirely within the Permian deposits. The total dissolved solids are high, but they vary a good deal. The water belongs to the calcic alkaline class and has high perma- nent and moderate temporary hardness. The sulphates are high in all the samples, but only the composite sample of November 6-16 indicates that they are present in sufficient quantity to make treat- ment difficult. The observed variation in the amount of sulphates is to be ac- counted for by changes in relative amount of water from Whitewater River, carried by the Walnut, the Whitewater supplying most of the sulphates. The bicarbonates also are shown to vary in amount. A recoraf of the turbidity of the daily samples of Walnut River appears in Table 155. Of the 328 readings made, a little more than 65 per cent was less than 50 and somewhat over 10 per cent was 100 or more. Long periods of low turbidity occurred from Decem- ber 6, 1906, to January 16, 1907, from January 26 to March 2, 1907, from March 4 to May 4, 1907, and from July 2 to November 26, 1907. The lowest turbidity, 5, was recorded on February 11, and the high- est, 2,925, on January 19. The coefficient of fineness. Table 154, varies from 0.43 to 2.20. The fact that in six of the composite sam- ples the coefficient of fineness is less than 0.65, indicates that for considerable periods the matter in suspension in the river water was so fine that it would pass through slow sand filters unless coagulant was applied to the water. Tests of the water of Walnut River at Arkansas City (analyses 27 to 31, Table 146) show about the same amplitude of variation as is shown at Winfield. The calcium and sulphates are high and the carbonates moderate in amount. Tests of samples of Walnut River taken at Winfield at widely separated intervals recorded in analyses 23, 24, and 25, Table 146, indicate considerable variation in the composition of the river water. 296 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 154. — Analyses of water from Walnut River at Winfield, Kans. [Drainage area 1,870 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. sA s o O 3 03 . [-1 a _2 "3 03 -2R 03 -°8 d d 5, 3 X! in > From— To- ~ '2 S ■a g ft 02 .2 PI o CD o O 03 1 6 "3 1 03 li 02 o SB o n C3 02 i .1 2 .3 U O o o 1906. 190e Dec. 2 Dec. 'll 165 125 0.76 22 1.4 76 10 29 222 52 4.2 12 286 Dec. 12 Dec. 21 20 16 .80 21 .8 92 16 31 .0 323 55 3.0 12 368 Dec. 22 Dec. 31 12 6 50 26 .4 101 22 33 .0 360 68 3.7 15 388 1907. 1907. Jan. 1 Jan. 10 11 9 .82 19 .7 107 18 24 .0 372 70 4.2 18 544 Jan. 11 Jan. 20 613 423 .69 39 4.0 58 7.9 33 a 9. 6 230 47 7.0 14 316 Jan. 21 Jan. Feb. 30 11 270 11 249 12 .92 1.09 Jan. 31 "2i'"' '".h" ""'98' "r'.Q "28" '"."6" "366" '"68" '"6."2" 'n" '387 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 8 10 1.25 72 .24 121 21 46 .0 410 89 4.8 17 547 Feb. 23 Mar. 4 54 51 .94 57 .18 82 17 33 .0 330 86 4.4 16 415 Mar. 5 Mar. 14 49 42 .86 27 .40 86 15 33 .0 256 71 2.5 8.4 367 Mar. 15 Mar. 24 44 31 .70 15 2.4 92 19 25 a 8. 2 276 73 3.3 9.6 367 Mar. 26 Apr. 4 61 38 .62 16 1.2 98 13 30 .0 323 77 4.9 7.3 406 Apr. 5 Apr. 15 40 25 .62 14 1.0 105 15 30 .0 374 96 .7 13 437 Apr. 16 Apr. 26 47 22 .47 7.2 .8 101 18 27 - .0 317 106 1.5 15 530 Apr. 27 May 7 297 302 1.02 13 3.0 88 8.2 33 .0 275 86 4.2 IS 371 May 8 May 18 201 182 .90 21 3.0 78 3.7 23 .0 247 59 4.5 9 306 May 19 May 30 63 49 .78 20 1.2 99 14 31 .0 345 73 6.0 14 400 June 1 June 10 58 42 .72 17 1.2 111 23 31 .0 367 97 6.7 15 452 June 11 June 22 130 141 1.08 20 1.4 77 19 33 .0 295 87 5.3 16 375 June 23 July 5 142 99 .70 29 3.0 68 19 28 .0 235 60 6.5 10 316 July 7 July 17 56 45 .80 30 1.2 76 16 36 .0 282 50 7.5 11 331 July 18 July 29 28 22 .78 28 2.0 74 21 34 a 5.0 277 73 4.5 14 344 July 30 Aug. 8 20 44 2.20 20 1.0 77 28 33 .0 216 93 2.8 15 357 Aug. 9 Aug. 22 29 53 1.83 19 3.2 97 24 43 .0 270 73 2.7 12 361 Aug. 24 Sept. 2 42 31 .74 19 .18 80 20 31 .0 243 91 4.0 17 340 Sept. 3 Sept. 15 20 20 1.00 22 .06 97 25 35 .0 240 144 2.5 18 445 Sept. 16 Sept. 28 25 37 1.48 13 .14 7S 29 38 178 137 Tr. 20 382 Sept. 29 Oct. 10 28 28 1.00 16 .04 87 23 35 .0 260 115 2.0 17 408 Oct. 14 Oct. 23 18 25 1.39 8.6 .10 77 20 34 .0 225 114 Tr. 16 364 Oct. 24 Nov. 5 26 14 .54 21 .16 106 26 33 .0 ^288 141 1.8 21 478 Nov. 6 Nov. 16 28 12 .43 16 .20 112 23 38 .0 300 175 1.8 29 539 Nov. 17 Nov. an 26 24 .0 315 2.2 23 Me 82 71 .92 23 1.2 90 18 32 .0 292 87 3.7 15 398 of anhy- Per cent drous r esidue. 5.4 2.8 21.2 4.3 7.5 33.9 20.5 .9 3.5 a Abnormal, computed as HCOs in the average. Note. — Analyses from December 2, 1906, to February 11, 1907, and from March 15, to November 26, 1907, by F. W.'Bushong; from February 22, to March 14, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. WALNUT RIVER. 297 Table 155. — Turbidity of daily samples from Walnut River at Winfield, Kans. \^Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 1 8 7 9 15 10 15 14 5 12 12 14 13 33 28 42 45 390 237 2,925 2,400 1,950 950 460 140 100 45 12 16 14 12 16 12 20 8 7 6 9 10 10 10 10 9 6 7 8 9 9 9 13 ■"■'s' 20 12 11 12 15 13 15 24 220 200 65 60 85 40 40 32 32 42 50 45 38 36 40 36 45 50 50 47 48 48 ""32" 45 40 90 48 95 80 70 65 42 42 45 47 47 43 34 55 43 900 800 966 562 62 62 53 50 43 43 58 70 70 65 55 '"68" 50 '"'65' 65 43 60 60 65 765 170 160 120 75 62 48 48 "eo" 70 70 70 75 48 35 "'46' 60 32 30 43 45 22 27 20 13 8 18 18 12 27 40 45 25 '"is" "'24' 14 '"24" 200 190 "'56' 55 20 18 18 24 '"26" 16 12 24 26 30 24 24 12 15 40 24 12 16 18 15 32 36 30 30 18 30 18 40 45 24 18 24 15 32 15 ■ 40 36 15 '"15" '"is" 12 18 IS 16 15 32 18 45 18 45 45 12 2 3 4 550 310 183 135 95 65 55 50 45 50 50 16 25 25 18 18 15 10 15 10 10 24 14 10 11 10 8 10 9 11 16 12 18 6 18 6 30 7 8 16 9 24 10 46 27 32 37 38 42 45 62 45 55 55 "'57' 44 42 30 35 24 55 190 120 65 75 532 265 75 65 65 65 68 60 55 "'42' 46 100 70 65 30 11 32 12 50 13 32 14 . .. 36 15 15 16 18 17 15 18 24 19 . 24 20 45 21 22 23 24 32 56 65 65 50 45 50 32 20 25 16 26 . . .. 160 "'460" 20 16 22 22 26 16 18 27 28 29 30 52 62 120 30 24 31... . . . .. Mean 62 321 10 58 47 203 118 46 46 23 25 24 Note. — Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter, and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlin- game and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. Tests of samples taken from the east and west branches of the Walnut (assays 38 and 39, Table 145, and analysis 20, Table 146) show that the waters of these two streams are of moderate hardness, that the bicarbonates predominate over the sulphates, which are low, and that the chlorides are low. At Augusta (assay 43, Table 145) the water of the Walnut is of about the same quality as that of the two branches at Eldorado. A sample of water from Whitewater River about the mouth of West Branch of Whitewater River at Towanda shows high sulphates, moderate bicarbonates, and low chlorides. The high sulphates are derived from the gypsum deposit, 7^ miles southwest of Burns on Davis Creek,^ a stream that joins the Whitewater near Potwin and that cuts through the gypsum at a place where the bed is about 9 feet thick. Tests of the West Whitewater at Whitewater (analyses 21 and 22, Table 146) show that the water of the creek at this point is very high in calcium, magnesium, and sulphates; in fact, this creek at "White- water furnished the hardest surface water that was encountered 1 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 5, p. 67. 298 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. during the whole examination of the quahty of waters in the State, except only the water of Turkey Creek in Dickinson County. The calcium and sulphates are derived from gypsum deposits. Below Wliitewater West Whitewater River receives a run, known as Gypsum Creek, that heads northwest of Annely and flows through the city. At Annely gypsum of good quality occurs in the wells at a depth of 30 feet, and the rock outcrops on the creek just south of the city. Still farther down West Whitewater River receives another Gypsum Creek, which heads near McLain and flows southeastward, passing somewhat northeast of Furley, where there was a plaster mill which used gypsum rock found near by. At Towanda, above Whitewater River, the water of West W^hitewater River (assay 41, Table 145), is very high in sulphates, but at the time the sample was taken it was not as high in sulphates as when the analyses were made at Wliitewater. A test of the water of Whitewater River at Augusta (assay 42, Table 145), shows the water to be very hard. It appears from all the assays and analyses that above Augusta the water of Walnut River is of very fair quality for boiler use, but that at Augusta it becomes impregnated with sulphates, calcium, and magnesium brought in by Whitewater River, whose water should be shunned for boiler use. The water of West Whitewater River is even more highly mineralized with calcium and sulphates than is that of Whitewater River itself. A test of Dutch, or, as it is locally known, Timber Creek, at Win- field is recorded in assay 44, Table 145. The creek was in flood at the time the sample was collected for assay and the bicarbonates are therefore perhaps somewhat lower than they would be when the creek is in normal stage. The tributaries that enter Walnut River from the east appear to carry somewhat softer water than those from the west, because the eastern tributaries do not drain areas including gypsum deposits. Grouse Creek. Grouse Creek rises in the southeast corner of Butler County and flows diagonally across Cowley County, emptying into Arkansas River at the Kansas-Oklahoma State line southeast of Arkansas City. Tests of the waters of Grouse Creek and its principal tributaries, recorded in assays 45 and 46, Table 145 (p. 280), and analyses 33 and 34, Table 146 (p. 281), indicate low permanent hardness and temporary hardness not so excessive but that it can be removed by chemical treatment if its removal is found advisable. QUALITY OF THE WATER StJl»PLiES OF KANSAS. 299 Salt Fork of Arkansas River.' DESCRIPTION. Salt Fork of Arkansas River is formed by the junction of Nes- gatunga and Big Mule creeks in the southwestern part of Barber County near Aetna. The stream soon passes into Oklahoma, flows across the northern edge of the great salt plains, from which it acquires the saline character that suggested its name, and then continues to its junction with Arkansas River in Noble and Kay counties, Okla. The principal tributaries of Salt Fork in Kansas, in addition to Nes- gatunga and Big Mule creeks, are Medicine Lodge and Chikaskia rivers. NESGATUNGA AND BIG MULE CREEKS. DESCRIPTION. Nesgatunga and Big Mule creeks drain the southern part of the Medicine Lodge gypsum area, and, together with the other tributaries of Salt Creek west of Medicine Lodge River, carry the run-off from gypsum-bearing strata. The divide between Medicine Lodge River and these tributaries of Salt Fork of Arkansas River is broad in Comanche County and rapidly narrows to the southeast in Barber County. The area drained by all these creeks consists of soft red shales covered by a heavy gypsum layer, which is soft but much firmer than the friable shales below. All conditions have been favorable for rapid erosion, and the streams have cut deep valleys separated by narrow divides which are carved into towers and buttes of red clays and shales supported by interlacing selenite layers. Many of the buttes rise 200 feet above the canyon and are capped by a bed of massive white gypsum, producing an impression like that made by the ''badlands" of the Northwest. Rain and frost have widened the upper portions of the stream val- leys, giving them the characteristic V foxm. The hills are somewhat circular in outline and their lower portions are hidden under a mass of fan-shaped talus. The erosion is at first checked by the gypsum caps, but when these are cut through goes forward rapidly. In this area many streams with steep slopes are dry much of the year, for the water runs very rapidly into the rivers or disappears in the soft sandy beds of the streams. Some of these streams bear such appropriate names as Sand Creek, Dry Creek, etc. After heavy rains, they become raging torrents of tumultuous sand and silt laden waters, that are impossible to ford, and are active agents of erosion. The whole region presents most rugged topography and a scenery very different from that which characterizes the State as a whole. 1 Much of the description of Salt Fork of Arkansas River is taken from Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 5, pp. 37-39, p. 357. 300 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. QUALITY OF WATER. The water of Big Mule Creek at Wilmore, according to assay 47, Table 145, is of moderate temporary and little permanent hardness, which might be predicted from the fact that the course of the stream from its head to Wilmore is entirely within the Tertiary deposits. About 6 miles southeast of Wilmore, Big Mule Creek cuts down to the Permian and flows therein to its junction with Nesgatunga Creek, so that in the lower part of its course the water is probably highly mineralized. MEDICINE LODGE BIVER. DESCRIPTION. Medicine Lodge River rises in the southern part of Kiowa County, and takes a general southeasterly course, passing across Barber County and thence into Alfalfa County, Okla., where it joins the Salt Fork of the Arkansas. The river and the small streams that enter it at and somewhat below Belvidere rise in an area of Tertiary deposits, but it soon passes across the rocks of the Comanche series and enters an area of Permian deposits, in which it continues throughout the rest of its course in Kansas. The main stream, its northern tributaries as far down as Sun City, and its southern tributaries as far south as Medicine Lodge, drain the northern part of the southern or Medicine Lodge gypsum area. South of Medicine Lodge Elm Creek enters the riverfrom the north. Through much of its course Elm Creek flows in Tertiary deposits, but it enters the Comanche series south of Sawyer, in Barber County, and within a short distance cuts down to the Permian deposits, in which it con- tinues to its mouth. It is normally a clear stream of bright water, which drains an area free from gypsum, a most fortunate circumstance for Medicine Lodge, which, though situated in the gypsum area, is able to get from Elm Creek a supply of soft water. The creeks south of the river, Bear, Dog, Little Bear, Bitter, Cedar, and Walnut, flow northward in parallel courses, the uniformity of direction being a striking feature. SALT FORK OF ARKANSAS RIVER. 301 The discharge of Medicine Lodge River at Kiowa is given in the following table: Table 156. — Monthly discharge of Medicine Lodge River at Kiowa, Kans..,for period May 6, 1895, to October 31, 1896. [Drainage area, 1,300 square miles.] Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean January February March April May June July August September October November December The period 55 55 171 187 11,860 24, 600 427 110 130 154 156 24, 600 46.0 42.0 33.0 40.0 26.0 639 977 18.0 12.0 25.0 49.0 26.0 161 QUALITY OF WATER. The United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampling station on Medicine Lodge River at Kiowa from January 22, 1906, to September 14, 1907. R. L. Vandusen and Lou Bedwell were the collectors. Results of the analyses of composite samples taken at this point are recorded in Table 157. The tests show that the river water is very heavily mineralized and that the sulphates predom- inate over the bicarbonates. The amount of sulphates present in the river water and the ratio of sulphates to bicarbonates fluctuate continually. Probably two causes operate to produce the changes. In times of heavy rain, the water of the river is in all likelihood fresh- ened and the ratio of sulphates to bicarbonates altered. Likewise, when the percentage of Elm Creek water in the river rises the ratio of sulphates to carbonates is decreased and vice versa. The analyses show high sodium, high chlorides, and more iron than is found in many Kansas streams. Assays 48 and 49, Table 145, indicate that the chlorides come from Medicine Lodge River rather than Elm Creek. Because of its great permanent hardness and tendency to corrode, the water of the river is unsuitable for boiler use. A record of the turbidity of the daily samples at Kiowa appears in Table 158. Of the 204 readings made, over 49 per cent were less than 50 and nearly 37 per cent 100 or more. There were long periods of high and long periods of low turbidity. Thus from January 23 to February 28 and from June 30 to August 7, the turbidity was high, whereas from March 29 to April 30, from June 2 to 29, and from August 18 to 28 it was low. The highest turbidity, 966, was re- corded on July 25 and lowest, 3, on April 22. 302 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. A test of the water of Medicine Lodge River at Medicine Lodge (assay 48, Table 145) shows very high sulphates and moderately high bicarbonates, so that it has very high permanent and moder- ately high temporary hardness. The high sulphates are to be expected, as the river flows through the heart of the Medicine Lodge gypsum area. Elm Creek, which enters the river at Medicine Lodge, has nowhere in its course eroded through gypsum deposits nor has it become highly minerahzed in its rather short passage in the Permian de- posits. On the contrary, it carries a very soft water, as ia shown by assay 49, Table 145, and analysis 35, Table 146. Table 157. — Analyses of water from Medicine Lodge River, at Kiowa, Kans. Drainage area, 940 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made by F. W. Bushong in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. fe ^ . 0) >> 1 a T3 a 2 6 i a 3 4-i ^— V ft d o 03 -8" d CQ 3 > 1" From— To— '5 S 3 a a 3 .2 '^ o PI 1 3 "S 1 -§•5 02 .a a m 1 a 1 o SI s o Eh 1907. 1907. Jan. 21 Feb. 1 152 164 1.08 39 1.8 218 47 90 0.0 280 512 3.5 84 1,266 Feb. 2 Feb. 12 162 171 1.06 26 .20 192 37 105 .0 288 495 .6 92 1,081 Feb. 13 Feb. 23 134 116 .86 87 .40 177 36 94 .0 266 443 .7 69 1,048 Feb. 24 Mar. 26 115 182 1.58 24 2.0 164 36 89 .0 230 428 1.2 74 953 Mar. 27 Apr. 5 49 70 1.43 18 .6 152 44 104 .0 203 457 .3 100 1,014 Apr. 6 Apr. 15 41 79 1.93 27 3.0 148 30 86 .0 222 376 .6 75 880 Apr. 16 Apr. 26 24 35 1.46 20 1.8 151 40 115 .0 309 343 28.0 98 1,072 Apr. 27 May 7 75 91 1.21 22 1.2 158 35 85 .0 265 401 1.9 73 907 May 8 May 17 54 59 1.09 13 .8 193 59 134 .0 ?22 633 1.6 141 1,346 May 18 May 26 41 62 1.51 22 1.2 167 37 122 .0 187 522 1.6 116 1,146 May 28 June 6 46 51 1.11 18 .6 202 47 132 .0 243 602 1.5 127 1,371 June 7 June 16 20 33 1.65 5.4 .7 218 76 168 .0 268 730 1.5 178 1,654 June 17 June 26 20 23 1.15 15 1.2 218 109 212 .0 212 867 1.7 206 1.825 June 27 July 6 140 117 .84 28 4.0 99 45 93 .0 167 330 2.1 82 '773 July 7 July 17 130 103 .79 31 1.5 122 32 57 .0 238 252 2.4 43 645 July 18 July 27 766 543 .71 35 8.0 126 19 61 .0 215 248 6.0 42 638 July 28 Aug. 9 296 214 .72 30 2.2 98 19 46 .0 150 215 3.0 30 506 Aug. 10 Aug. 19 67 83 1.24 32 .8 152 43 103 .0 213 423 3.5 94 958 Aug. 20 Aug. 30 40 29 .72 27 .50 168 62 133 .0 225 510 6.0 132 1,176 Aug. 31 Sept. 11 62 58 .94 16 .09 132 34 92 .0 185 316 3.5 111 815 Sept. 12 Sept. 14 an of anhy- 36 .0 170 .4 91 Me 118 114 1.15 27 1.6 163 44 106 .0 226 455 3.4 98 1,054 Per cent drous r esidue. . . . 2.7 .2 16.1 4.4 10.5 11.0 45.1 .3 9.7 SALT FORK OF ARKANSAS RIVER. 303 Table 158. — Turbidity of daily samples from Medicine Lodge River at Kiowa, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. 1 130 180 50 70 115 60 130 200 48 45 47 28 45 42 45 46 30 75 40 30 35 20 50 52 28 28 34 38 4 3 io' 18 10 22 22 22 14 190 200 180 180 200 190 190 180 200 125 140 120 115 100 75 55' 40 650 866 765 650 650 933 966 900 900 833 275 295 295 '296" 270 " "295" 290 50 65 68 60 140 90 80 65 65 50 26 26 20 22 22 34 14 27 24 20 15 105 120 120 125 2 170 120 110 85 120 65 120 115 100 32 32 34 36 24 34 15 22 20 15 36 40 85 45 36 38 75 75 40 45 180 32 24 22 24 10 15 20 12 11 12 22 14 38 36 17 17 17 14 22 17 18 22 20 24 18 18 20 26 190 110 3 100 4 70 5 40 6 36 7 32 8 36 9 30 10 338 250 230 190 180 24 11 20 12 40 13 35 14 32 15 16 160 190 170 115 140 100 90 105 95 105 180 360 160 50' 45 11 60 40 90 70 30 40 46 17 18 19 20 21 22. 23 342 120 180 130 24 26 27 28 180 160 200 75 29 30 31 Mean 173 157 48 32 65 26 382 88 52 Note. — Turbidities of over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. CHIKASKIA RIVER. DESCRIPTION. Chikaskia River and its tributaries drain the southeastern part of Pratt County, the northeastern corner of Barber County, the southern part of Eangman County, the southwestern corner of Sumner County, and all of Harper County except the western part. In Barber, Pratt, and Kingman counties the river flows in the Tertiary deposits, but through the rest and greater part of its course the stream is within the Permian deposits. QUALITY OF WATER. Through the courtesy of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. daily samples of water were collected for the United States Geo- logical Survey from Chikaskia River at Argonia from November 30, 1906, to July 5, 1907. A record of the analyses of the composite samples appears in Table 159. The table shows a calcic alkaline water that is not highly mineral- ized, is low in chlorides, and that has low temporary and permanent hardness. 304 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. The turbidity of the daily samples is recorded in Table 160. Of the 201 readings, 89 per cent were less than 50, and somewhat more than 6 per cent were 100 or greater. The lowest turbidity, 3, was recorded on February 20 and the highest, 2,660, on January 19. The coefficient of fineness (Table 159) is high, indicating that the matter in suspension is coarse. The composition of the water of Bluff Creek which enters Chikaskia Kiver southeast of Caldwell, is shown by analyses 40, 41, and 42, Table 146, and assay 51, Table 145. The tests indicate that the creek water varies in quality but that it has considerable temporary and marked permanent hardness. The water of Fall Creek, a tribu- tary of Bluff Creek (assay 50, Table 145), appears to be similar to that of Bluff Creek, though it has somewhat more temporary hardness. Table 159. — Analyses of water from Chikaskia River at Argonia, Kans. [Drainage area, 520 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in the chemical labor- atories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. 1 S k > S a 0) a" 3 ^1 6 03 5 -o 1 From— To- - '2 1 .S ^ .0 1 03 03 , ft 5 2 a; '3 '" "3 3 H 3 s 2 h- 1 "3 1 " « S 3 1906. 190C • Nov. 30 Dee. 'lO 60 39 0.65 31 0.30 51 11 36 0.0 278 26 0.2 14 299 Dec. 11 Dec. 1907 23 12 13 1.08 21 .9 71 14 40 05.0 304 37 .8 19 325 Dec. 24 Jan. '3 12 16 1.33 29 .40 69 15 43 a 4. 8^ 302 . 35 .9 19 315 1907. Jan. 4 Jan. 13 13 17 1.31 25 .8 68 22 39 .0 300 34 4.0 20 307 Jan. 14 Jan. 24 417 261 .62 43 2.0 56 6.2 46 09.6 260 25 3.3 11 310 Jan. 25 Feb. 5 35 36 1.03 46 1.6 72 6.5 41 015 284 45 1.9 15 354 Feb. 7 Feb. 16 30 43 1.43 35 .18 71 16 35 06 262 41 .4 13 350 Feb. 18 Feb. 27 17 13 .76 48 .20 74 16 47 ai 280 62 1.2 15 383 Feb. 28 Mar. 10 25 29 1.16 32 .32 65 16 43 04.8 275 34 1.2 15 323 Mar. 11 Mar. 21 14 15 1.07 17 .25 64 12 27 .0 281 38 .5 14 306 Mar. 22 Mar. 31 16 15 .94 19 1.8 60 10 39 08.9 262 29 .3 13 297 Apr. 1 Apr. 10 15 11 .73 20 1.0 68 4.3 36 06.2 263 40 .2 12 305 Apr. 11 Apr. 21 12 10 .83 14 .8 63 3.0 33 04.0 264 34 .4 15 282 Apr. 22 May 1 14 10 .71 16 2.0 64 15 36 .0 252 32 .5 13 281 May 2 May 12 31 34 1.10 26 3.2 63 1.7 39 .0 275 27 .8 15 291 May 13 May 22 17 18 1.06 24 1.0 63 9 38 .0 275 35 .9 23 298 May 24 June 2 19 23 1.21 22 .40 62 15 38 .0 260 30 .3 15 279 June 3 June 13 30 38 1.27 18 .6 61 13 40 07.0 245 30 .8 14 282 June 14 June 24 60 63 1.05 30 3.0 54 18 40 a9.6 223 31 1.0 13 272 June 25 July an 5 220 169 .77 44 6.0 51 15 34 .0 235 24 1.9 12 285 Me 53 44 1.00 28 1.3 64 12 38 .0 278 34 1.1 15 307 of anhy- Per cent drous r esidue. 8.5 .6 19.3 3.6 11.5 41.4 10.3 .3 4.5 a Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note.— Analyses from November 30, 1906, to Febniary 5, 1907, and from March 22 to July 5, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from February 7 to March 21, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. CIMARRON" RIVER. 305 Table No. 160. — Turbidity of daily samples from Chikaskia River at Argonia, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. Dec, 1906. Jan. 1907. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. Jime. July. ■ 1 120 70 45 27 18 18 16 11 27" 14 7 7 8 11 6 10 6 13 45 20 24 18 16 18 16 2,660 1,000 225 120 76" 40 40 36 36 30 42 24 34 43 is' 10 is" 7 45 48 40 32 35 24 30 25 26" 16 3 5 20 24 15 12 26 23 40 35 35 24 24" 16 16 20 13 22 15 20 15 12 12 24" 10 12 12 12 10 18 18 18 22 18 18 13 14 12 14 20 14 12 14 13 15 14 15 15 13 io" 13 13 12 13 9 11 13 11 13 10 5 9 15 18 3 9 32 24 9 20 34 34 75 35" 24 24 28 30 26 18 10 15 5 15 20 15 27 20 30 30 22 14 27 30 26 100 2 80 3 60 4 78 5 80 6 7 8 9 32 40 38 38 35 43 27 6 22 28 28 24 36 320 10 12 12 12 12 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 10 17 18 15 12 10 8 19 20 21 23 13 12 8 10 6 7 10 19 6 15 15 18 14 14 5 15 30 70 110 425 765 260 130 110 25 27 29 31 Mean 20 158 25 18 13 25 99 80 ' Note. — Turbidities of over 50 were determined with a Jackson tiu-bidimeter, and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. The results of tests of the water of a small pond tributary to Chi- kaskia River are given in analyses 36 and 37, Table 146. The water has high permanent and low temporary hardness. Tests of the river at Argonia are recorded in analyses 38 and 39, Table 146. Cimarron River. DESCRIPTION. Cimarron River rises among the volcanic peaks in the Raton Mountains in Colfax County, N. Mex., at an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, flows eastward to the eastern part of Cimarron County, Okla., where it turns to the northeast, passing across the southeastern corner of Baca County, Colo., and entering Kansas in the southwestern part of Morton County; at Ulysses, in Grant County, it turns sharply to the southeast, crossing Seward County and the southwestern corner of Meade County, and entering Oklahoma again a few miles beyond Miles, Kans., for about 25 miles it flows eastward across northern Beaver County, into Woodward County, Okla., 77836°— wsp 273—11 20 306 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. then bends northeastward again, passing into Clark County, Kans., near the eastern edge of which it again turns abruptly to the south- east, passing for the third time into Oklahoma, across which it con- tinues its southeastward course to its junction with the Arkansas at Keystone, Osage Nation, Okla. The extreme width of the basin is not more than 50 miles, its length is about 450 miles, and its area comprises 5,200 square miles. As the river enters Oklahoma for the first time it flows nearly due east for more than 30 miles in a canyon cut in the sandstone plateau. Its valley averages 3 miles in width and the rugged hills, which dis- appear near the place where the river flows from Oklahoma into Colorado, are 300 to 400 feet high. From the sandstone issue springs which feed intermittent creeks. The channel in this part of its course is not more than 20 feet wide and is in many places confined by mud banks. From the canyon the river emerges onto the plain of Tertiary deposits, across which it flows in a broad shallow valley carved in the level upland. The banks become low, the channel widens, and the water wanders about over the sandy bed. At irregular intervals the river sinks into the sand and flows beneath the surface for a number of miles. For instance, from the old post office of Metcalf, Okla., to Point of Rocks, Kans., a distance of 25 miles, the channel of the Cimarron is often dry, but at Point of Rocks, Kans., the water comes to the surface at Wagon Bed Springs, a famous camp on the old Santa Fe trail, and the channel is usually full from that point on for a number of miles. It gradually sinks again before reaching Oklahoma a second time, so that above the mouth of Crooked Creek the channel is often dry. In Kansas the bluffs on either side of the river are rounded rather than abrupt, but rise to a height of 100 to 150 feet. The valley itself averages not more than a mile in width tln'oughout Morton, Stevens, and Grant counties. Farther east it widens so that in south- western Meade County it is nearly 2 miles wide and the bluffs become more abrupt, owing to the "mortar beds" which lie near the surface throughout the greater part of Seward County. At Arkalon and a few miles above and below the city, the bluffs are particularly abrupt and the valley is entirely cut down to the broad, flat Tertiary plains. Perhaps no river valley in Kansas is more nearly a channel cut downward with almost vertical walls into a broad, flat plain. The mortar beds protect the surface from assuming the customary rounded forms of erosion. Up to this point, where the river enters Oklahoma for the third time, its water has been sweet, but in northern Wood- ward County, Okla., it flows tlirough the Salt Plains and becomes so salty that stock will scarcely drink the water. In Kansas, from Arkalon southward, Cimarron River usually has water in it throughout the greater part of the year. The stream is OIMAKRON RIVER. 307 subject to a June rise, which is caused by the melting of snows in the mountains at its head. Crooked, Sand, Bear, and Bluff Creeks, the principal tributaries of Cimarron Kiver in Kansas, drain Clark County, the eastern part of Meade County, and the western part of Comanche County, and enter the main stream from the north. These streams rise in the Tertiary deposits and flow across a narrow strip of the Lower Cre- taceous or Comanche series, and then complete their course in the Permian. In Meade and Clark counties the streams have relatively high velocity, and have cut channels from one-quarter to one-half a mile in width, covered to a depth of 10 to 20 feet with residual sands derived from the Tertiary. These streams present marked contrast to the streams that head in the Niobrara formation and the lime- stones and shales of the Benton group, and that have but little residual material in their beds, because the character of these rocks is such that the erosive processes consume almost everything worn loose. Crooked Creek carries the drainage from the Meade artesian val- ley. From its head to Crooked L ranch, south of Meade, the bed of the stream is dry through much of the year, but below this point large springs insure a good flow. William Easton Hutchinson states that Cimarron River is a con- stantly running stream throughout the entire width of Morton County, where it has a valley on one side or the other of the channel from one-half mile to three miles in width, on which an abundant crop of natural hay is raised. In Stevens County there is running water in Cimarron River at all seasons of the year. The approach to the stream in this county is greater than most streams of its size and is not cut through a level country, for breaks and hills extend a considerable distance from the stream in many places. In Grant County the river flows constantly and has a fine fertile valley on each side of the channel, that is sometimes covered by floods. When the overflow is at all regular large quantities of natural hay are pro- duced in the valley. In the southeastern corner of Grant County Cimarron River is joined by its North Fork, a stream which rises in Colorado, a short distance west of the Colorado-Kansas State line. Having its source in the plains, it is not affected by melting snows as is the Cimarron. In Morton County, the North Fork seldom carries any water, except in times of flood, which occur about twice a year. In the western part of Morton County, North Fork passes along on the level prairie with a steep bank and deep, narrow channel, but in the north-central part runs through a considerable draw. In Grant County North Fork receives drainage from a large rather shallow east and west draw in the northern part of Stanton County. This draw can hardly 308 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. be called a stream, but it is connected in an indefinite way with the Fork. In Grant County North Fork is dry through perhaps one- half of its course most of the year, except in flood times. Through the greater part of the rest of its course, it carries running water, which here and there sinks beneath its bed to reappear again some miles farther on. It has long been known that considerable quantities of ground water exist in the valley of the Cimarron east of the Colorado- Kansas State line, and the possibility of utilizing this water in rather extensive irrigation works has been seriously considered. Under date of August 11, 1908, C. S. Shchter, of the United States Reclamation Service, made a report on the Cimarron project, Okla- homa, from which the following statements have been abstracted by Herman Stabler: Preliminary investigations were begun in 1906 and were continued in 1907. The valley in Beaver and Woodward counties in Okla- homa and near Englewood in Kansas was found to be the only valley along the Cimarron between Englewood and the Colorado- Kansas State line of sufficient size to warrant operations by the Reclamation Service. This valley contains 14,600 acres of irrigable land on the the south side of the river in Oklahoma and 5,000 or 6,000 acres on the north side, mostly in Kansas. About half the area on the south side and 1,000 acres on the north side are now irrigated by means of works of unsatisfactory construction. Irriga- tion has been practiced in the valley for over 20 years and has been found profitable. Much water sinks into the sand east of the narrows in sec. 32, T. 6 N., R. 28 E., Cimarron meridian. At least 40 second-feet sink in dry years, principally between the head of Hallock ditch and the mouth of Horse Creek. Borings disclose a subsurface material of irregular, complex deposits of sand and gravel. Five test wells show that in many places fine clay layers in the aquifers prevent a yield of pumped water sufficient for irrigation. Extensive tests would be required to locate the areas where wells would be successful. The water of Cimarron River contains from 780 to 1,800 parts per million of dissolved solids, chiefly common salt. Long years of actual use have proved that under the conditions existing in the valley this water is not harmful to vegetation. Sixteen partial analyses indi- cate that the ground water of the valley is similar in quality to that of the river and show that in some places the ground water contains more and in others less dissolved solids than the water of the river. The water of three of the wells carried more than 4,000 parts per million of dissolved solids. A single test of the water of Horse Creek gave 420 parts per million of dissolved solids. CIMARRON RIVER. 309 The report contains three recommendations — (1) that the existing irrigation works be improved and extended so that the natural flow of the river may be utihzed more fully and with greater certainty; (2) that the river be gaged to determine the water supply; and (3) that plans for developing the ground water of the valley be suspended until operations of the residents shall have more fully established the areas where successful wells are possible. QUALITY OF WATER. With the help of Col. C. D. Perry, of Claremont ranch, a daily sampling station was established by the United States Geological Survey on Cimarron River in Oklahoma, a little south of Englewood, Kans. Samples were collected by George Berends from November 30, 1906, to November 30, 1907. The funds available for the present investigation were exhausted before tlie water resources of Stanton, Grant, Morton, and Stevens counties were investigated. These counties are very lightly popu- lated. There are no large cities on Cimarron River and its tribu- taries in Kansas, above Liberal, in the southern part of Seward County. The record of the analyses of the composite samples appears in Table 161. The table shows that the water of the river is at all times very heavily mineralized, and that the degree of mineralization varies a good deal from time to time. The table shows that, if the constituents be considered in the terms of their chemical equivalents,^ the sodium predominates to a marked degree over the calcium, which predominates over the magnesium. The chlorides predominate decidedly over the bicarbonates which, except in the analysis of June 11 to 20 and July 1 to 12, predominate over the sulphates. Considerable iron appears in some of the samples. The water of Cimarron River is unsuitable for use in steam boilers, in which it would be likely to cause foaming and corrosion; for irri- gation the water has long been used with satisfactory results. If drunk, the waters would prove laxative to those unaccustomed to it. The record of the turbidity of the daily samples from Cimarron River, Table 162, is far from continuous. Of the 263 readings, over 20 per cent were less than 50, and over 63 per cent 100 or more. During the time observations were made, there occurred no period so long as ten days, during which the turbidity was less than 50. Most of the time the turbidity was considerably above 50, and from September 17 to November 30, the lowest turbidity reported was 90 and the next lowest 210. The lowest turbidity, 3, was noted on February 14, and the highest, 15,300, on September 17. 1 See classification of waters, pp. 20-21. 310 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. The coefficient of fineness, Table 161, is generally high, but on July 1 to 12 it was 0.67, on October 23 to November 1, it was 0.66, November 4 to 13, it was 0.68, November 21 to 30, it was 0.68, and on July 13 to 22 it was only 0.44. Table 161. — Analyses of water from Cimarron River at Engleivood, Kans. [Drainage area, 6,800 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. 1 ^ ^ . "3 0) •d 1 t^ a -a O 9' a It It O 03 ft a m O 5, 6 '■3v From— To— ■3 S u a CD p. .2 a $ o t l-H |3 1 is 1 o 03 C- P3 1 S O o 1906. 1906. Nov. 30 Dec. 9 268 228 0.85 38 1.4 89 30 320 ol4 297 150 1.1 500 1,338 Dec. 11 Dec. 20 90 75 .83 33 .6 88 30 289 al3 327 135 1.4 368 1.080 Dec. 21 Dec. 30 1907. 78 69 .88 41 1.2 80 28 123 al4 296 118 .9 307 928 Dec. 31 Jan. 9 83 78 .94 58 2.4 67 30 292 a4.8 309 137 3.5 382 1,120 1907. Jan. 14 Jan. 23 93 94 1.01 57 2.2 83 33 319 o6.2 320 149 .8 453 1,230 Jan. 24 Feb. 4 85 135 1.59 35 ■ .24 105 46 510 .0 428 187 2.3 744 1,827 Feb. 5 Feb. 14 40 98 2.45 42 .24 98 36 305 .0 422 122 1.6 388 1,380 Feb. 15 Feb. 24 142 318 2.24 45 .40 86 29 266 o2.6 357 125 1.8 320 1,031 Feb. 25 Mar. 6 95 120 1.26 52 .28 87 31 331 a5.^ 308 165 .7 448 1,246 Mar. 7 Mar. 16 293 321 1.10 38 .20 72 26 212 .0 334 128 .8 256 858 Mar. 17 Mar. 27 40 47 1.18 26 1.5 77 22 183 O5.0 351 124 .2 185 783 Mar. 28 Apr. 6 111 118 1.06 32 1.4 87 32 327 .0 351 160 .3 435 1,217 Apr. 7 Apr. 17 131 138 1.05 29 2.5 90 28 441 .0 295 179 1.6 640 1,766 Apr. 18 Apr. 30 99 96 .97 26 2.0 90 39 451 .0 285 178 .3 651 1,560 May 1 May 10 247 257 1.04 30 2.0 87 32 403 .0 292 179 1.9 560 1,423 May 11 May 31 103 190 1.84 28 1.5 84 35 446 .0 275 181 1-.4 632 1,545 June 11 June 20 250 297 1.19 40 1.2 81 43 520 a5.0 238 196 1.6 744 1,723 June 21 June 30 462 460 .99 41 5 75 37 378 O7.0 257 1.55 .7 526 1,333 July 1 July 12 1,170 788 .67 48 3.5 84 38 383 olO 225 383 1.3 528 1,392 July 13 July 22 1,390 606 .44 43 3 73 31 369 ol2 220 158 .5 528 1,308 July 23 Aug. 1 785 684 .87 29 1.5 79 35 332 .0 263 149 7.0 472 1,208 Aug. 2 Aug. 12 3,680 2,661 .72 40 3 75 28 235 .0 270 115 4.7 314 942 Aug. 13 Aug. 24 1,350 940 .70 40 1.5 90 38 359 .0 315 151 3.0 500 1,317 Aug. 25 Sept. 9 240 235 .98 34 .09 84 40 438 .0 280 182 1.4 622 1,537 Sept. 10 Sept. 20 9,700 6,743 .70 24 .20 91 46 411 .0 285 189 1.1 668 1,425 Sept. 21 Oct. 8 1,920 1,426 .74 39 .36 85 40 424 O7.0 255 177 2.7 618 1,498 Oct. 13 Oct. 22 316 220 .70 28 .30 94 38 389 .0 290 160 1.0 550 1,389 Oct. 23 Nov. 1 470 308 .66 39 .25 89 33 379 .0 289 155 1.3 520 1,373 Nov. 4 Nov. 13 283 193 .68 37 .30 95 38 400 o3.0 295 147 1.5 582 1,452 Nov. 21 Nov. 30 328 222 .68 33 .16 90 37 440 ,0 292 171 2.5 616 1,503 Mean 811 606 1.03 38 1.4 85 34 356 .0 308 157 1.7 498 1,324 Per cent of anhy- drous r esidue 2.9 .1 6.4 2.6 26.9 11.5 11.9 .1 37.6 a Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note. — Analyses from November 30, 1906, to January 23, 1907, and from March 17, to November 13, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from January 24, to March 16, and from November 21, to 30, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. CIMAEBON EIVER. 311 Table 162. — Turbidity of daily samples from Cimarron River at Englewood, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 1.. 350 380 355 330 268 155 90 100 120 50 60 70 65 55 70 140 130 175 200 70 170 18 50 45 100 60 120 5 5 5 5 3 732 45 125 110 24 42 34 200 50 60 90 120 130 130 140 105 40 90 12 95 390 385 1,866 9 160 6 5 10 10 85 8 8 8 8 62 105 18 155 175 110 140 140 200 100 140 40 390 115 140 160 75 85 95 100 75 75 85 140 160 732 325 140 317 160 170 170 160 220 370 125 150 180 85 ""65" 65 85 60 210 1,800 1,650 3,100 2,500 1,900 1,200 600 650 332 2 3 4 290 5 285 6 260 7 270 8 210 9 80" 75 75 60 75 70 80 580 1,000 415 200 45 34 125 115 115 680 613 1,932 765 295 150 210 406 310 10 310 11 190 80 90 95 95 85 105 90 78 83 85 135 105 145 95 55 37 58 12 75 19 ""ieo" 70 40 70 100 130 110 65 120 60 27 8 5 "'55' 210 85 350 12 . . 280 13 220 250 230 385 350 350 270 14 15 16 17 15,300 ' '4,' 806" ""2," 466" 2,200 2,050 1,700 1,800 1,750 18... "'"220" 140 190 160 150 150 125 125 2,800 295 866 200 5,598 223 270 425 317 765 900 732 19.. . 20 90 500 473 412 270 600 "833' 485 390 550 360 21 355 22 110 115 """65" 340 23 355 24 360 25 150 7 22 8 13 12 160 110 105 100 65 75 160 290 26 340 27 370 28.... 295 29 3,100 3,320 285 30 285 31 Mean 132 85 98 133 123 194 357 710 434 3,842 806 322 Note.— May averages: May 22 to 31, 95. July averages: July 1 to 8, 1,740; July 12 to 18, 1,100. August averages: August 2 to 12, 3,680: August 13 to 24, 1,3.50; August 25 to September 9, 240. September aver- ages: September 10 to 20, 9,700. Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter, and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. EUedge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. A test of the water of Bear Creek east of Ashland (assay 52, Table 145, p. 280), indicates that the water has high permanent and low temporary hardness. The water of Bluff Creek (assay 53, Table 145) appears to be of a similar character. The courses of these two streams for the most part lie in the Permian, so their waters would naturally dissolve sulphates from the rocks of this series. Cavalry Creek and its tributary, Kiowa Creek, assays 55, 54, Table 145, at the point they were sampled derive most of their water from the Tertiary deposits; consequently the waters of these two streams have low permanent hardness, and the temporary hardness is also low. The fact that the chlorides are lower in the waters oi Kiowa and Cavalry creeks than in those of Bluff and Bear creeks is significant, for the waters of the Tertiary are normally low in chlorides, whereas those of the Permian are apt to carry them in considerable quantity. Analyses of Cimarron River above and below the salt plains, and also analyses of several Oklahoma tributaries of the river are given in Water-Supply Paper 148, pages 150 and 151. 312 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Verdigris River. DESCRIPTION. Verdigris River drains an area 180 miles long and 72 miles in greatest widtli and comprising 8;610 square miles. The Flint Hills, in the northern part of its boundary, have an elevation of about 1,600 feet. The northern boundary varies in height from 1,200 to 1,400 feet; the eastern boundary falls from about 1,400 to 650 feet and the western boundary from 1,600 to 650 feet, decreasing from the north toward the south. The upper part of the area is com- paratively rough, the general fall toward the river being about 25 feet to the mile. This portion of the basin is used for grazing pur- poses; the rest of the drainage area contains some of the best farm- ing land in the Mississippi Valley. I In some places the general surface is broken by mounds rising 100 to 250 feet above the general level; such is Table Mound, 6 miles northwest of Independence, and the mounds near Fredonia and Cherrydale, Kans., and near Sequoia, Okla. I The river rises in the southeastern part of Chase County, Kans., and takes a general southeasterly course to a point a httle below Coffeyville, where it passes into Oklahoma and discharges into Arkansas River a httle above the mouth of Neosho River, in the northeastern part of Muskogee County. It is 290 miles long and falls from an elevation of 1,400 feet at its source to 700 feet at a point about 11 miles north of the Kansas and Oklahoma hne, a distance of 141 miles. From this point to the mouth (148 miles) it falls about 100 feet. Throughout its length the river occupies a well-defined channel, with banks from 10 to 40 feet in height. The width at ordinary stage of water at the State hne is 140 feet and at the mouth 250 feet. It is essentially a surface run-off stream; its water is muddy, its flood-flow large, summer flow small, and its surface fluctuations are large and rapid. Although it flows in a comparatively deep and weU-defined channel, its banks are subject to overflow during floods, on account of the sluggish flow due to small fall and crooked channel. The bed and banks are composed *of firm material that changes very little from year to year. Floods are common on Verdigris River. Rarely a year passes without a flood that causes overflow of some of the bottom lands along the river. There were five floods on this river from April 26 to July 10, 1904, that reached a stage of more than 27 feet above low water at Independence, and two of these reached a stage of more than 41 feet above low water. The estimated monthly discharge of Verdigris River at Liberty, Kans., from 1896 to 1903 is shown in the following table: VEBDIGRIS RIVER. 313 Table 163. — Mean monthly discharge of Verdigris River at Liberty, Kans., for period beginning January 1, 1896, and ending November SO, 1903. [Drainage area, 3,070 square miles.] Month. Discharge in second-feet. Maximum. Minimum. Mean, January February March April May June July August September October November December The period 1,616 21,020 17, 800 26, 100 41,450 23,018 28.876 7,285 37, 000 35, 075 25, 430 10,942 9 39 52 140 90 40 3 2 2 5 2 2 412 875 1,450 1,080 4,070 2,710 1,420 471 1,620 760 1,000 955 41, 450 2.00 1,450 The headwaters of the Verdigris, as well as those of its principal tributaries, Fall River, Elk River, and Caney River, are in the FHnt Hills. In Kansas, the entire Verdigris basin ^ lies witliin the Pennsyl- vanian series. The river has cut its channel through the "Gar- nett," lola, and ''Independence" Umestones, and has reached base level almost to its source. The elevation of the ''Independence" hmestone is but httle above the base level of the river at Inde- pendence, so that the river valley practically reached to the surface of the "Independence" hmestone, producing conditions similar to those that exist in Pottawatomie Valley, between Lane and Osa- watomie (see p. 258). The lola Hmestone protects the bluffs on both sides of the river from Benedict almost to Neosho, while below this it caps the bluffs on the west almost to Independence. The height of the bluffs throughout the distance gradually increases to the south, being about 75 feet at Benedict and nearly 200 feet near Neodesha. Below Neodesha the eastern bluff gently recedes from the river, while the western bluff, though it has receded about 6 miles from the river, is almost precipitous. QUALITY OF WATER. The United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampling station on Verdigris River at Coffey ville from December 11, 1906, to December 11, 1907. D. M. Blair was collector. A record of the analyses of composite samples is presented in Table 164. This table shows a calcic alkahne water that is not highly minerahzed and has moderate temporary and low permanent hardness. The magnesium and chlorides are low and in all the samples a httle iron is present. 1 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 1, pp. 212-213. 314 QUALITY OP THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. The turbidity of the daily samples is recorded in Table 165. Of the 305 readings, nearly 50 per cent were below 50; nearly 36 per cent 100 or more, and somewhat more than 7 per cent were 1,000, or greater. The turbidity was low throughout February and from October 7 to November 22, except on November 4, when it was 90. The turbidity was high from January 9 to 29, from March 3 to 19, and from April 28 to June 2. The lowest turbidity, 4, occurred on December 28, 1906, and the liighest, 10,200, on April 1, 1907. Except in the samples of December 11 to 20, 1906, June 17 to 26 and Novem- ber 1 to 10, 1907, the coefficient of fineness. Table 164, was high, indicating that the sohds carried in suspension by the river are coarse. At Madison, analysis 1, Table 166, the water of Verdigris River has liigh temporary and permanent hardness, but farther down- stream, analyses 2 and 3, Table 166, both the permanent and tem- porary hardness are low; at Guilford, however, analysis 4, Table 166, both rise again. Tests of Verdigris River water at Independence (analyses 14, 15, and 16, Table 166) indicate that it is soft. A test of Onion Creek, which enters Verdigris River south of Coffey ville, is recorded in assay 10, Table 167. As the creek was in flood when the sample was taken, the assay probably does not show the normal character of the water. Table 164. — Analyses of water from Verdigris River at Coffeyville, Kans. [Drainage area 3,250 square miles. Quantities in parts per million . Analyses made in th e chemical laboratories of the U niversity of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. i3 s an 1=! ID a o . .gel o O 03 .2 "3* a |3 "3 1 II d o i .§ 03 d i d 5 .1 o > From— To- - "3 3 02 5 03 o i-t I— I "3 1 o "" m o3 O pq 3 02 S g o 1906. 1906. Dec. 11 Dec. 20 40 11 0.28 17 2.0 78 12 31 0.0 287 32 2.7 22 329 1907. Dec. 21 Jan. 2 7 6.4 .91 23 .40 95 10.5 31 .0 367 40 3.5 32 384 1907. Jan. 3 Jan. 12 107 77 .72 24 1.4 71 4.3 33 9.6 290 44 4.2 38 364 Jan. 13 Jan. 22 874 688 .79 34 1.0 46 1.3 32 .0 164 25 7.9 10 224 Jan. 23 Feb. 1 327 230 .70 22 3.0 79 4.1 29 o9.6 284 33 5.8 15 321 Feb. 2 Feb. 11 18 34 1.89 23 .10 62 16 37 .0 359 41 2.5 23 291 Feb. 12 Feb. 21 13 15 1.15 76 .10 106 16 41 .0 370 46 4.1 23 481 Feb. 22 Mar. 3 65 64 .98 67 .20 88 16 44- .0 294 39 3.0 24 444 Mar. 4 Mar. 13 380 345 .91 33 .36 73 12 35 .0 248 40 3.2 14 324 Mar. 14 Mar. 23 211 175 .83 16 5.0 79 11 33 a 3.1 265 30 3.0 13 317 Mar. 24 Apr. 1 1,877 2,190 1.17 13 2.0 80 7.2 31 .0 288 30 4.0 19 323 Apr. 2 Apr. 14 188 142 .76 16 4.0 69 2.0 25 .0 237 30 2.9 18 278 Apr. 15 Apr. 26 103 100 .97 16 1.8 78 11 ■ 31 .0 315 35 2.8 28 326 Apr. 28 May 7 1,805 2,346 1.30 13 3.0 64 1.2 28 .0 210 36 5.0 25 266 May 8 May 19 1,307 2,296 1.76 18 3.0 70 5.5 28 .0 222 40 6.5 14 282 May 20 May 31 203 403 1.98 17 1.2 81 16 27 .0 318 39 3.8 22 325 June 1 June 16 900 1,010 1.12 22 9 67 11 18 .0 252 24 3.5 20 398 June 17 June 26 2,700 1,397 .52 21 1.4 68 12 27 .0 220 27 7 16 259 July 8 July 17 165 269 1.63 30 1.5 65 16 44 a 7.0 273 33 A 19 3Q4 a Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. VERDIGRIS RIVER. 315 Table 164. — Analyses of water from Verdigris River at Coffeyville, Kans. — Cont'd. i> W c T) Date. 5 ^ *^ 01 >> a ° co- ns O 1? O a 3 03^ O o 6 O 5 > From— To- - ft •S PI o 03 .a a s 'S 1 3 a S.3 a o IB (-1 •c o -O M en S o O m t-i s a O " m 03 o m 3 m "A H 1907. July 18 .luly 29 68 86 1.48 27 1.5 68 13 34 0.0 290 33 3.0 19 246 July 30 Aug. 10 60 78 1.30 29 1.3 72 14 34 .0 268 31 2.0 21 267 Aug. 11 Aug. 23 95 102 1.07 18 .7 73 18 37 273 32 .5 28 309 Aug. 24 Sept. 5 266 236 .89 20 .05 57 14 37 .0 210 21 3.5 18 233 Sept. 6 Sept. \n 50 54 1.08 20 .03 57 13 34 .0 210 16 3.1 20 235 Sept. 16 Sept. 25 42 44 1.05 23 .12 62 16 33 .0 208 23 .9 25 250 Sept. 26 Oct. 9 35 47 1.34 16 .12 66 14 33 .0 210 20 1.2 36 262 Oct. 10 Oct. 20 23 27 1.18 23 • 13 67 14 36 .0 242 27 .6 35 293 Oct. 21 Oct. 31 14 10 .71 19 .14 65 16 38 .0 238 22 .8 40 291 Nov. 1 Nov. 10 22 14 .64 17 .20 63 12 32 .0 215 21 1.1 31 255 Nov. 11 Nov. 20 22 17 .77 15 .30 51 12 33 .0 200 19 .9 21 226 Nov. 21 Dec. 10 ly- 56 55 .98 17 .20 83 11 34 .0 213 24 1.0 24 253 Mean 388 405 1.06 24 1.4 71 11 33 .0 261 31 3.2 23 302 Per cent of anl drous residue 7.4 .6 21.8 3.4 10.1 39.2 9.5 1.0 7.0 Note.— Analyses from December 11, 1906, to February 1, 1907, and from March 14 to November 20, 1907, by F. W, Bushong; from February 2 to March 13 and from November 21 to December 10, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. Table 1Q5.— Turbidity of daily samples from Verdigris River at Coffeyville, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H, S. Bailey, director.] Day. Dec., 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 7 7 5 15 11 13 10 9 330 340 190 150 240 243 75 270 1,200 886 425 1,732 1,866 1,800 1,264 632 520 290 200 100 120 65 45 36 36 20 20 20 50 8 6 6 7 3 8 15 11 7 18 18 10 36 5 5 10 18 10 10 12 12 11 15 21 632 765 666 662 418 200 170 150 125 140 600 632 412 317 200 180 105 76 75 65 45 28 18 18 40 800 40 150 5,598 10,200 650 426 350 ""'ieo' 75 105 55 105 55 14 80 26 85 65 55 36 55' 385 150 """iis" 65 1,992 2,472 1,500 473 1,770 1,410 4,850 1,732 400 966 56 210 16 27 7 15 30 40 25 100 150 146 140 24 50 80 ""76' 10 15 12 90 16 12 12 10 16 24 24 24 70 18 16 12 15 12 18 15 16 32 18 200 165 70 180 2 18 3 120 4 5 55 368 45 6 40 7 24 15 36 18 36 8 33 3,372 90 120 86 666 302 56 24 60 36 115 15 16 28 66 150 10 120 14 14 16 47 50 48 16 13 13 130 130 22 60 18 90 312 280 520 1,200 235 135 ""i45" 120 9 10 50 11. 50 50 45 40 32 14 10 9 12 10 8 10 6 5 10 12 610 562 "5,' 460' 2,640 332 326 200 210 130 300 300 160 308 200 6,380 "456' 90 100 "io" 15 60 80 45 12 90 15 60 36 36 10 10 8 60 24 16 15 12 30 18 24 12 15 15 16 12 15 12 10 12 12 10 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ... 24 25 20 65 62 27 5 4 5 9 7 28 220 966 2,400 210 24 29 60 36 30 30 60 160 24 31 Mean. . . 17 421 15 424 675 1,095 896 100 148 56 24 35 70 Note. — Averages: June 17 to 26, 2,700; September 6 to 15, 50. Turbidities of over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of ,50 or less were determined by comparison with sUica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M, Burlingame and Harvey G. EUedge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. 316 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. •spnos ib;ox CO ■ .(N CO CO 'M .(N CD Oi(M (M ■oiweS -10 pnu eni'BiOA (N • "-H a> t-f 0 t^ Oi CO -^ (M CO -^ 05 r-H i-H t-l 1-1 i-f .-I tH M(M.-I tH (MO) M^ ■(«0N) a^BJ^IN •(►OS) a:>Bqc[ing 0(MOCO«D-*-* (N ■* t^ lO lO (M O CO CO "5 f- CO 00 O "-I "Ci-I •* t~CO^^•* -^CO M CO "-I ■* I-H ■* I-H CO * -^C<) I-H "^ CO t-H •(^OOH) 8:>enoqieoia; . . . .(N . . . . . . t^ . . . . . -cq ■ • o • ^ -^ 05 CD t^ Oi to '^ Oi £~^ !M r^ ^ t~- I-H cqOTtit^ ' or- OicDcor- • "O CO "^ r- i-H <£> Tf 00 ||S2?5gg •CO ''■(^00)81'enoqjeo -od puB uinipog CO 03 t-H -n^ ^4 CO CO H (N i-( I:^ t^ 00 CO O u^ 00 CO(N "3 »0 00 00 CO CO -^ CO CO lO ■-Hi-I T-lOO COrH ■(Spi) ranisauSBH Cl lO 00 -^ CO rH 05 »0 00 •(bo) umpiBO (8j[) UOJI • cq .-5 c4 00 JO Cn rH 't-H rH CO ' CO ■ lOt--5t< li-it-HrHCN O P o(g. o o P- 03 fH oJp-tH 03 +i Ph ..Ph 4^ ^ ^Ph C o'h > :p^ :°3 ^B §:5S mS^Sm:^S .<:^ Pq ^ .2 ^ ^ O o OT3 ^ 2 c" ^ O » 3 ^ ^ ^ ^ O) (D OJ Q> 9? +^ yj [yj yj ^ tH a> ID 'C 'E 'E "C t5 .£; .S 53 a> oi a> « o 03 ca^ o _— •a ^ lis ^ +J -M t> > fl f-^ P3f s^gi^ 25.£p.Sf»o 5 _ _'a'T3^T3 03 C3^ i5i O » 03 c3 Ph> Q >^^ ^.2 ' -4.3 .t^ HH .^j ^ >, .w +J 03 03 tfO »00 >.OPh (P o^^ a> a> Jrt ^ a) 03 03 iJ d 63 '-^ 03 08 oowoo 00 3 o 03 ^M So i . ^ ° 5^^ I-H cs CO "«i< 10 o r- CO oi o 1— I From— To— "'2 3 s M 3 .2 '-' % i3 "3 a 03 a 1^ 03 ^^ 1 ft •3 11 1 4J a 3 En M CQ A S CO pq CQ i? fH 1907. 1907. July 1 July 12 93 80 0.86 33 6 71 19 25 0.0 240 25 3.8 9 244 July 13 July 27 15 26 1.73 28 1.6 62 18 28 .0 300 30 3.0 15 269 July 28 Aug. 8 13 30 2.31 22 .7 64 22 28 .0 292 27 1.1 14 286 Aug. 9 Aug. 18 10 19 1.90 34 .30 59 17 27 .0 285 24 1.2 17 271 Aug. 20 Aug. 31 684 487 .71 16 .24 51 12 24 .0 180 18 2.0 10 195 Sept. 1 Sept. 11 85 84 .99 23 .22 48 8.8 24 .0 165 14 2.5 8.5 194 Sept. 12 Sept. 23 45 40 .89 17 .04 60 9.9 24 .0 182 15 .5 10 190 Sept. 24 Oct. 26 20 22 1.10 19 .12 64 11 25 .0 215 16 .9 12 424 Oct. 27 Nov. 8 16 14 .88 23 .08 61 17 29 .0 265 17 .8 17 253 Nov. 9 Dec. 13 11 10 .91 18 .12 74 17 32 .0 290 21 .6 25 304 Dec. 14 Dec. 24 95 76 .80 23 .30 75 14 33 .0 270 29 1.5 14 283 1908. 1908. Jan. 16 Jan. 28 50 43 .86 35 .16 81 15 34 .0 290 41 2.2 14 340 Jan. 29 Feb. 14 36 35 .97 33 .12 85 16 36 .0 312 41 2.0 14 357 Feb. 15 Feb. 17 Mar. 20 18 SO .0 .0 276 270 14 11 Mar. 10 "'32' ".'64' "26' ".'is' "'79' is'" '"33" '"62" "z.b '322 Mar. 21 Mar. 31 16 20 1.25 21 .12 73 16 40 .0 300 42 2.5 13 303 Apr. 5 Apr. 14 180 118 .66 28 .14 68 11 31 118.9 211 32 3.1 10 279 Apr. 15 Apr. 24 295 247 .84 39 .20 63 n 32 al6 177 34 3.7 13 282 Apr. 25 May 5 70 62 .88 28 .06 79 14 36 .0 200 34 1.0 10 344 May 5 May 14 50 79 1.58 41 .20 55 14 35 .0 228 34 .5 9.9 283 May 15 May 24 824 627 .76. 48 1.40 55 12 34 .0 241 27 2.8 7.6 282 May 25 June 106 an of anhy- 2,100 802 .38 31 .14 69 11 28 a8.8 69 26 .5 9.3 283 Me 217 141 1.04 28 .59 66 14 30 .0 242 29 1.9 13 285 Per cent drousr esidue 9.3 .3 21.9 4.6 10.0 39.4 9.6 .6 4.3 a. Abnormal, computed as HCO3 in the average. 6 About June 10; 13 samples. Note. — Analyses from July 1, 1907, to February 17, 1908, by F. W. Bushong; from March 10 to June 10, 1908, by Archie J. Weith. 320 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. •s^qSiaq sS-bq OOOU5>Ot^-*OW«OOtOi-lt^tO«OtO>0'CU5lOit5"5-*«(MiMOO>QOOO •X^ipiqjnx >00 000000000"3 000 COOOOOOCCC^tNT SOOCOOOOOOtOlOC^C^JOOOt^t^t^t^ SiO Q coco lO *o ":> lO lo c ■S5.qSi9i[ 92^Q Tticoooooooooooooo I0t0t0i0000000i05t^ir2i0l0t00t000»0i0c0 . - . . . oooooSSo rHi-(.-HT-Hi-Ht-((M(Ni-Hf-Hi-l.-l«llMi-IC00 010 00 00>OOOOOOOOOOOOOOQ"3 000 ^O00»ococococccoor^»o»o»o»o*0'^"^-«ioio •s^qSpq g§BJ[) •Xiipiqjnx oooo":>oioo»ooioiooooooooooc OGOOOOt^t^=COtO-*COCOC^(M(MC^IOC 300»0000»000000 raiOTOCOOt^»0'^'<*raOira CO »0 »0 -^ CO C*3 (N •s:jqgraq aSe^ !P!qjnx •s^qSraq qS'bq •ii^ipiqinx 000000000000000000l0»0l0t0t0l0t0»0t0t0l0i010l0»0l0l010u^ COCOC0C0C0C0(NO)O5(N(MN(MIM(NINOiO>0 0>0>OOOi«iOOO •000000000i0< 5OOU510OOOOO ■i^ipiqjnx OOOOOtO>0»OiOtOOOOOOiOtO»0000000000000 COCOCOCCCQC^(M(M(M(NOlOOO'^-^COCOCOCCCQCOOiOOOCO'*TrTt<-^TjH •s;qSiaq aS^o •iflTpiqinx ooto»o»oiooooooooooooupow:)OLOO»i:)Oto>oooOiO ai^co^c^oooooocioot^t^t^t^yS-^tNt^ioto-^coost^cooio-* co-^cococococccocococowcst^OOaiO^CNCO-*tCCOt^00020'-l(MeO'«tHlOCOI-*00050<-H i-Hi-li-li-li-li--ii-li-fCNO)(MCMOJO4M T3 Date. >> 1 o d 1 1 d o ID 03 ^8 d cc d 5, o > M From— To- - '3 13 a .2 ^ i 1 § fclO it c3 % c3 ft a o 4^ 3 B m o o 3 CO o O o m o « 3 02 iS 2 o o 1906. 1906. Dec. 5 Dec. 14 40 28 0.70 21 1.4 79 13 25 0.0 324 27 0.3 12 315 Dec. 15 Dec. 24 14 14 1.00 17 .30 86 13 35 .0 344 23 . 2 12 317 1907. Dec. 25 Jan. 4 14 8 .57 2S 1.4 88 12 22 all 326 31 4.0 10 332 1907. Jan. 5 Jan. 14 9.5 6.S .72 IS 1.6 67 U 32 .0 356 27 2.6 14 262 Jan. 15 Jan. 24 700 540 .77 43 3.6 62 4.8 29 .0 259 31 4.4 6.8 278 Jan. 25 Feb. 4 20 19 .95 39 1.2 82 8.5 33 oG. 7 304 36 5.3 6.3 346 Feb. 5 Feb. 14 273 198 ,72 21 .40 64 12 25 .0 245 36 5.9 6.1 284 Feb. 15 Feb. 24 65 47 .72 41 .24 70 8.4 19 .0 244 27 4.6 5.5 300 Feb. 25 Mar. 6 907 757 .83 57 .68 64 9.0 28 .0 226 25 4.9 4.5 319 Mar. 7 Mar. 16 870 725 .83 16 .20 04 11 38 .0 213 44 4.8 4.2 238 Mar. 17 Mar. 26 37 22 .59 19 1.2 99 16 24 .0 347 30 4.8 5.4 350 Mar. 27 Apr. 5 47 33- .70 6.0 .50 76 11 24 .0 287 33 1.4 4.8 283 Apr. 6 Apr. 15 52 39 .75 3.6 2.5 72 7.5 24 .0 290 34 1.5 8.2 270 Apr. 16 Apr. 26 31 17 .55 3.8 3.5 09 17 22 .0 289 35 2.3 9 285 Apr. 27 May 6 40 19 .48 7.6 1.4 78 20 26 .0 297 36 1.5 11 ■ 291 May 7 May 16 35 25 .71 16 1.2 75 22 .0 310 37 1.7 9 295 May 17 May 26 45 33 .73 16 1.4 74 "\h"' 28 .0 295 32 3.1 9 296 May 27 June 6 50 28 .56 20 1.2 84 14 25 .0 300 32 4.5 9 322 June 7 June 16 1,075 734 .68 32 10 55 12 22 .0 220 23 10 7 259 June 17 June 26 660 523 .79 24 5 56 15 23 o7. 230 24 8.0 6.5 266 June 27 July 7 610 410 ,07 29 6 46 13 28 .0 187 16 7.5 5.0 246 Julv 8 Julv 17 63 50 .79 30 2.5 74 14 27 .0 268 25 6.5 7.0 272 July 18 July 27 23 33 1 44 32 2 70 16 23 .0 263 24 3.8 7.0 287 July 28 Aug. 6 340 234 .68 42 10 49 13 24 .0 175 21 3.5 6.0 240 Aug. 7 Aug. 16 53 38 .72 19 1.0 56 9.2 23 .0 169 18 4.8 5.0 184 Aug. 17 Aug. 26 46 24 .52 24 ■ .7 49 12 26 o8. 212 19 2.0 4.0 228 Aug. 27 Sept. 6 40 24 .60 26 .14 61 14 23 .0 220 24 1.8 5.0 230 Sept. 7 Sept. 18 21 19 .90 24 .03 58 13 25 .0 220 24 1.0 7.2 235 a Abnormal; computed as IICO3 in the average. 328 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 172. — Analyses of water from Neosho River at Emporia, Kans. — Continued. .^ A, dj T3 Date. ^ a % ■a a o . O "a? M % §5. 1 4.3 SB CO 5, 5 2J > From— To— "13 1 •3 c3 •3 I I| 03 % 03 CO o O w 1 « 3 02 !? 1907. 1907. Sept. 20 Sept. 30 27 25 0.92 IS 0.08 58 15 25 0.0 225 21 0.4 5.7 222 Oct. 1 Oct. 11 74 66 .89 19 .40 50 14 21 .0 185 22 1.9 6.5 199 Oct. 12 Oct. 21 38 17 .45 11 .10 62 14 27 .0 250 26 1.8 6.5 232 Oct. 28 Nov. 6 48 3S .79 16 .24 51 14 18 .0 182 20 6.0 6.0 196 Nov. 7 Nov. 16 32 22 .69 18 .10 66 12 17 .0 193 21 1.8 8.5 198 Nov. 17 Nov. 25 ].5 1.6 .11 18 .14 54 14 2'? .0 i95 24 1.2 6.5 213 Nov. 26 Dec. 5 11 4 .36 17 :18 60 14 32 .0 210 28 1.3 8 5 241 Mean 184 138 .71 44 1.79 66 13 25 .0 255 34 3.5 7.2 267 Per cent of anhy- drous r 13.7 .8 20.6 4.1 7.8 39.1 10.6 1.1 2.2 Note. — Analyses from December 5, 1906, to February 4, 1907, and from March 17 to November 25, 1907, by F. W. Bustiong; from February 5 to March 16, 1907, and from November 20 to December 5, 1907, by Archie J. Welth. Table 173. — Daily turbidity measurements of Neosho River at Emporia, Kans., and daily gage heights at Neosho Rapids, Kans. [Alva J. Smith and F. A. Bacon, observers.] 1904. Turbidity, 1905. Day. August. September. October. Novem- ber. De- cem- ber. a 08 1-5 2 CIOOI^- t^ = 000000000000000000000000i000>000 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO'OC^.lOl (MOOOOQOCOt tOCCiOOCCiOCO- T-i(NC^(N Cq T ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo OOOiO»OOC:> COOOCJCOCOOOOOOO^O'^COCOfOC ■^CCCO(Mcior--';OiO(NCsit ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo c:joooc:>o CSOOOOOC»CX)coOCOiOiOiOiQiOTfirii>3iiocDC--I>-OOOOI>-CDiOiO'^"^CO OiOiOOOOOO»OOiOiOOO^iOOOOOOOOOOiOiOiOOO OOiT— iCiy^COCC^OSt ■(0iOtNO0iO0i<;0'^' .— iMGOcor-t^oof-io- JiOt^COiOOOCOfMiOO'^aiO'^COiO'^COCO oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo OOC>0000000000000(0<0000000000000 40iQCDooooooioioioiOiOi£Oir:)Ocococ:>c^iniioioc^c-iooc>c>i(>i(>ioi i-l(NC0"^i0Ot>000lO.-({NC0"^i0«3t^Q00SOT-lCSC0'*i0Or^00OiOT 332 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. Table 177. — Turbidity of daily samples from Neosho River at Oswego, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] . Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 3 3 65 137 60 42 36 42 30 245 110 140 38 27 25 14 28 20 24 9 27 27 60 80 70 120 100 130 120 105 60 50 43 36 17 22 22 34 24 180 1,124 1,530 1,866 1,360 1,000 1,000 732 732 1,000 933 500 420 265 105 75 48 85 90 105 966 473 385 350 473 365 562 632 350 "3i7' 220 " '833' 160 155 '"'46' 65 27 65 28 40 65 1,200 1,200 340 150 140 120 100 55 70 45 80 300 1,360 53 632 510 370 '"'85' 115 45 48 130 110 28 26 55 85 120 34 18 14 "is' 15 22 24 12 ""27" 18 40 45 50 40 16 15 10 10 15 16 36 30 90 120 30 "ie' 30 36 32 70 50 24 15 24 2 60 3 4 5 6 90 7 80 8 16 12 24 8 50 9 70 10 11 12 95 70 75 70 75 55 40 40 2 5 16 14 15 13 16 15 14 11 11 9 7 "556' 110 700 650 268 930 900 970 700 650 833 680 732 866 666 532 370 IS 18 16 30 20 18 "'\2 13 14 15 . "i,"932" 2,100 1,000 933 700 600 ""4i2" 190 385 120 ""lis" ""'iio' 110 305 55 36 48 27 38 23 27 62 26 36 38 16 17 10 24 15 16 45 30 36 40 36 36 100 200 190 24 10 185 18 19 20 . 50 18 15 21 22 34 36 36 50 24 23 ... 24 532 1,732 25 26 55 35 40 35 800 32 26 9 18 24 36 10 13 27 933 1,226 30 45 40 24 "36' 28. .. 29 30 "im 1,000 31... 24 Mean 32 443 63 744 180 466 380 160 18 29 20 59 70 Note. — Turbidities above 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Bur- lingame and Harvey G. EUedge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. . Table 178. — Assays of water from. Neosho River and its tributaries, exclusive of Spring River. [By Edward Bartow. Quantities in parts per million.l No. Date. Stream and place. Iron (Ee). Car- bonate (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3). Sulphate (SO4). Chlo- rine (CI). 1 1905. July 29 2 ...do.... 3 ...do.... 4 5 6 ...do.... ...do ...do 7 ...do 8 9 10 ...do July 28 ...do 11 -..do 12 ...do 13 14 ...do ...do 15 16 ...do ...do Neosho River above Slough Creek, 4 miles northwest of Council Grove Slough Creek, 4J miles north and 2 miles west of Council Grove East Branch Neosho River, 44 miles north- west of Council Grove .". Neosho River at dam, Council Grove Elm Creek, south of Council Grove Four Mile Creek, 2 miles east and 3 miles south of Council Grove Big John Creek, 4 miles southeast of Coun- cil Grove Rock Creek, 4 mile northwest of Dunlap . . Neosho River, IJ miles north of Emporia. . Cottonwood River above South Cotton- wood River, 3 miles west and 1 mile north of Marion South Cottonwood River, 3 miles west of Marion Cottonwood River, at bridge west of Atchi- son, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. depot, Marion Clear Creek, J mile north of Marion Lula Brook, 2 miles north and J mile west of Marion Spring Branch, 3 miles south of Marion Cottonwood River, 1 mile north of Florence. 0.0 2.0 Trace. 1.5 .0 .0 .0 Trace. 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 12.0 118 124 116 113 275 325 240 124 156 257 80 332 249 332 289 Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. 150 492 362 492 238 150 431 NEOSHO RIVER. 333 Table 178.- -Assays of water from Neosho River and its tributaries, exclusive of Spring River — Continued . 1905. July 27 July 28 ...do ...do ...do ...do ...do...'.. ...do..-.. July 26 July 25 ...do .-.do ...do. ...do. ...do. June 30 July 21 June HO July 20 ...do. June 30 July 21 July 24 ...do. .... ...do. July 23 July 21 ...do. ...do. July 22 July 21 ...do. July 22 ...do. ...do. July 19 ...do. .... July 16 July 3 July 15 July 10 July 15 July 19 ...do. .... ...do. ...do. ...do. July 17 ...do. ...do. ...do. ...do. ...do. Stream and place. Doyle Creek at Peabody Doyle Creek, south of Florence Cottonwood River, east of Elmdale Middle Creek at Elmdale Diamond Creek, IJ miles north of Elmdale. Buckeye Creek, J mile east of Cottonwood Falls South Fork of Cottonwood River, 4 miles east of Cottonwood Falls Cottonwood River below mill dam at Em- poria Neosho River at Burlington Wolf Creek, 2| miles east and 1| n;iles south of bridge at Burlington Long Creek, 4i miles north and .J mile west of Leroy Turkey Creek, 2 miles south and 4 miles west of Leroy ; Big Creek, 2 J miles west of Leroy Neosho River at Leroy Crooked Creek, 1 mile east of Leroy Deer Creek, northwest of lola Neosho River at waterworks, lola Ehn Creek, 2 miles south of Laharpe Elm Creek above outfall of lola sewer, and at dam of Tola Portland Cement Co. . . Elm Creek, ^ mile below lola sewer outfall. . Rock Creek at power plant of electric rail- way, lola Neosho River at dam at Humboldt Owl Creek, 7 miles east and 2 miles south of Yates Center South Owl Creek, 7 miles east and 4 miles south of Yates Center Cherry Creek, b 6 miles east of Yates Center. Owl Creek, 1| miles west of Humboldt Coal Creek, south of Humboldt Village Creek, 1 mile north of Chanute Lake north of Chanute Neosho River at waterworks, Chanute Turkey Creek, 3 miles south and 1 mile east of Chanute Big Creek, 3 miles north and IJ miles west of Shaw Neosho River at Shaw Elk Creek, 1 mile west of Shaw Canville Creek, 1 mile east of Shaw Neosho River at Erie Flat Rock Creek, h mile south and J mile east of Erie Neosho River at Oswego Lightning Creek, northwest of Girard c Lightning Creek, northeast of Oswego Tributary of Cherry Creek, 1 mile north of Scammon d Cherry Creek, 6 miles east of Oswego Labette Creek at waterworks. Parsons Labette Creek, 1 mile below sewers. Par- sons Little Labette Creek, south of Parsons Labette Creek below Little Labette Creek, Parsons Bachelor Creek, 3i miles south of Parsons . . Labette Creek, 2 ihiles west of Oswego Hackberry Creek, 3 miles south and Si- miles west of Oswego Deer Creek, 3 miles south and 5 miles west of Oswego Hackberry Creek below Deer Creek, west of Oswego Laljette Creek, 3 miles north of Chetopa. . . Neosho River at Chetopa Iron (Fe). 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .5 .0 .0 Trace. Trace. .5 .5 .0 4.0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 Trace. .0 1.0 4.0 2.0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .5 .0 .0 .0 .5 .0 288.0 .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .5 Trace. Car- bonate (CO3). 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 12.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Trace. .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Bicar- bonate (HCO3). 306 322 300 282 163 305 306 128 202 284 134 199 274 202 111 329 160 270 116 90 112 270 217 138 252 217 244 316 160 206 157 224 68 160 Acid. 15 112 151 132 152 123 155 165 130 165 133 243 Sulphate (SOi). (a) 431 138 Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. 160 53 Trace. Trace. Trace. 43 Trace. Trace. 31 Trace. 113 53 37 35 Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. 40 Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. Trace. (a) 157 Trace. 47 Trace. 41 36 37 Trace. 36 Trace. Chlo- rine (CI). a SO 4 greater than 626. 6 Local name, North Owl Creek. c By H. N. Parker. d Contains coal-mine drainage. Note. — Trace in sulphate column means less than 35 parts per million; trace in iron column means less than 0.5 parts per miUion, 334 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. ,_( irao -*• 00 ^^ ■.0 't l- CO -i^ cs-d COt-< O) CO c» CO t~I^ ■ra it 1-H r-l 3 a h- 05 r^ Tt< ^ fl-aS ,-l(N COOCJIO O) .-HO) CO £f§| o > CO CO 00 1-H fO •— ' CI — • 05 l>; OJ CS rt 10 CO t~ 00 t^ ocOT-(coco,-i ,^15 COOOOOO'^COiOC^ lOCOOOt-MOiOOIMCOCncOrt "BB gi§+ . tr-T-H en CT. Sodii and ' tassii (Na K) OO^COtr-COOiOO ^t^OOCOI>^(NTHTi<-:tHr-iCOOJCO tH COrtTt tr- (M IM '^ 'Ji T-1 ■-! CM ,-H .-H ,-1 ,-1 ^ r-H CO 00 !3: 10 CO CO rt ^ CS rH rf CO on 00 t~ CO OS 0> 00 CO .-1 ^ en 1< m or-cocooorocoococort t^ i-H TjOrSCO T-l,-!,-! rti-H ^ O^-' CO(M -* (N -* 00 CO IM 00 0: CO CN p^ o : coio l-H ,-1 CO 1-1 1-i r-i Oi M^^ ^ '* ?3-^ ^ ^o COCO.-I IM 00 Oi ^ ■^ -^ 00 00 10 -^ .-1 .> p^ ^ !>> • tf« « Ph rt : rr, c^ 0) > ■3 >> rt -1^ -d 1 =3 „ 53 ^1 fl -Sl-H « V ,S " « " < 4:!! ft cfi 03 1* C3 H ca!-- Ph Pi a P^4^ 'S 500... 0.0 "io'OS So-^MMooo yio.2ooooo5-::o2-:3 s Ma^ < Sm ^M >>K- CJ f^^ a cu >, ;, s a^ c -S Q 2 S "3 3 1 s 03 > c ^1 c t.-c-„-:z;p5,j tj)P CU CDjj+j,^ hi 02 iS =3 o"S-ti h-t'^ > ci:;:Cr;o3iSo3o3c3 cspq ~si -^ '^^C3 •^ is ■gp:;rtp^ Cs-TtTtTCC-i^ ^I'l-S^ ft a»a)a»ajaja;o3 ^t3 CB'g'ci'a >>>>>> . .-.fq — PH Q) aj l> ^ ^^> c c3 ^ q^c ■googrtSrtSSS'l osSsSoooooot- d fl-j: >> ." CO is • >>s Seoooooo^ 0) aJ &0 j3'-'o ■ 0^^^^ « cu 0) a^ oj § IZifl^^lpHMfi o- :pooo2;:2;z;z;?;:?Q oqoo-< (Moot^iMcq^c^cq (N CO 000 000300000- Oiaio:)C^a^<^Oiai 01 .— i I-H .— 1 1— ' -2 10 »o r-T T-H r^cjTco ^[>r I>^ (S d '^ ^ >-l __ CS rH rt C^ 1 p S 5?o 57570 OmOmmOIz;?; •c 8 2;m0 CO t^ 00 Oi •-( (N CO -^ »0 CO t^ 00 05 T-H 1 » "" "" "" "^ cs es 1 NEOSHO RIVER. 335 COTTONWOOD RIVER.^ DESCRIPTION. Cottonwood River rises northeast of Canton in the northeastern part of McPherson County and flows northeastward to a point a Httle beyond Moore, in the northwestern part of Marion County, where it turns and flows southeastward across Marion County; at Florence, it turns again and takes a general northeasterly course across Chase County into Lyon County, where at Wiggam it unites with Neosho River. The principal tributaries of Cottonwood River are Doyle Creek and South Fork of Cottonwood River, both of which enter from the south. From the source of the river to its mouth, the distance in a straight line is about 75 miles, and the river falls from an elevation of about 1,475 feet to 1,045 feet above sea level. The drainage area has an extreme width of about 40 miles and comprises 1,880 square miles. The land is hilly or gently rolling prairie, pasture, or cultivated land, The channel of the river is in Permian deposits across Marion County nearly to Clements in Chase County, where it enters the Pennsyl- vanian series, in which it continues to its confluence with the Neosho. QXTALITY OF WATER. The United States Geological Survey, with the help of Alva J. Smith, city engineer, maintained a daily sampling station on Cotton- wood River at Emporia from December 4, 1906, to December 3, 1907. John M. Hilton was collector. A record of the analyses of composites of the samples is presented in Table 180. The table shows that the water of the river is highly mineralized for a surface water, is high in calcium, magnesium, bicar- bonates, and sulphates, and is low in chlorides. The temporary hardness is usually and the permanent hardness is always high. Measurements of the turbidity of the Cottonwood made daily with a United States Geological Survey turbidity rod during ten months, from August, 1904, to July, 1905, are recorded in Table 181. During about 54 per cent of the time the turbidity was less than 50. A long period of low turbidity extended from August 26 to November 30, 1904. From February 1 to 22, 1905, the turbidity was less than 10. A period of high turbidity extended from May 10 to 19, 1905, and another from May 25 to June 9, 1905. The lowest turbidity, 7, was recorded many times in February, 1905, and the highest, 3,000, on several occasions during May, June, and July, 1905. The turbidity of the daily samples that were collected at Emporia from December 4, 1906, to December 3, 1907, is recorded in Table 182. Of the 333 readings, a little over 50 per cent were less than 50 and a ' Water-supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 147, 1905, p. 90. 336 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. trifle over 16 per cent were 100 or more. Periods of long-continued low turbidity were noted from December 4, 1906, to January 18, 1907, March 17 to June 22, 1907, July 3 to August 19, 1907, August 24 to October 1, 1907, and October 26 to December 3, 1907. The longest period of high turbidity extended from June 23 to July 3, 1907. The lowest turbidity, 5, was recorded on January 11, 1907, and the highest, 2,340, on June 26, 1907. The coefficient of fineness, Table 180, most of the time was high, but nine times it fell below 0.65. The record thus indicates that the matter carried in suspension by the river is coarse usually, but that part of the time it was fine enough to make the use of a coagulant advantageous in filtration works. Tests of the water of Cottonwood River above Emporia (assays 10 to 19, Table 178, and analyses 5 to 7, with analyses 9 to 11, Table 179), show waters very high in sulphates, presenting marked con- trast to water of the Neosho River above Emporia. In explanation of the difference it may be said that Cottonwood River and its tribu- taries above Cedar Point flow within that part of the Permian area that is known to contain gypsum deposits. Thus in Marion County gypsum outcrops on French Creek, South Cottonwood River, and on Doyle Creek in Risely, Liberty, and East Branch townships.^ It is said that there is a gypsiun deposit on Doyle Creek in Harvey County,^ and on Liberty Creek, 5 miles west of Peabody.^ The state- ments probably refer to the same deposit. Doubtless there are out- crops of gypsum on other tributaries of Cottonwood River above Cedar Point, and it is possible that springs, such as that in Central Park at Marion (p. 133), that are high in sulphates by reason of hav- ing come in contact with gypsiferous rocks, contribute sulphates to Cottonwood River. The waters of which assays 10 to 19 are tests have very great permanent hardness and most of them marked tem- porary hardness as well. The tributaries of the Cottonwood that through most of their courses flow in Pennsylvanian rocks (assays 20 to 23, Table 178), are low in sulphates and, with the exception of Buckeye Creek, carry a moderate amount of bicarbonates. They are therefore dis- similar to the tributaries of Cottonwood River above Cedar Point and are hke those of the Neosho above Emporia. Tests of the water of Cottonwood River at different places between Clements and Emporia (assay 24, Table 178, and analyses 12 to 14, Table 179), show that it has high permanent and moderate temporary hardness. 1 First Bienn. Kept. State Board Agr., p. 292; Fourth Bienn. Rept., p. 237. 2 Kansas, her story and statistics: Kansas State Board Agr., vol. 26, No. 101, p. 146. ' Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 5, p. 67. NEOSHO RIVER. 337 Table 180. — Analyses of water from Cottonwood River at Emporia, Kans. [Drainage area 1,880 (estimated) square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. i 3 § . >> "c3 a a S O O E 3 aw O o c3 d d o > o . ■o S fl m 1 ■3 ta ■-a o ■O'O From — To— 3 a 3 '3 e 0) o c3 a g 1 1- § o3 03 ,3 ft 3 .9 o 2 o e 02 O m *^ o 02 O pq M i? o H 1906. 1906. Dec. 4 Dec. 13 35 17 0.49 18 0.40 144 28 31 0.0 387 203 1.1 14 625 Dec. 14 Dec. 23 1907. 16 10 .62 13 .50 133 30 29 .0 395 199 1.8 15 602 Dec. 24 Jan. 4 8 4 .50 27 .8 123 31 27 .0 353 157 4.0 16 540 1907. Jan. 6 Jan. 17 17 18 1.06 36 1.0 100 28 32 .0 263 162 2.1 16 503 Jan. 18 Jan. 30 864 694 .80 40 2.4 70 6.1 28 a7.4 236 61 4.4 6.9 328 Feb. 1 Feb. 13 58 47 .81 55 • .12 104 21 28 370 93 2.1 7.6- 446 Feb. 14 Feb. 23 25 21 .84 34 .20 120 22 28 4.0 365 139 3.7 11 528 Feb. 24 Mar. 5 405 354 .87 31 .18 103 22 35 .0 296 101 4.0 8.4 441 Mar. 6 Mar. 15 044 485 .75 19 .18 75 15 21 .0 226 73 4.6 6.1 321 Mar. 16 Mar. 25 68 77 1.13 19 2.4 100 19 27 .0 327 65 1.1 6.8 386 Mar. 28 Apr. 6 50 38 .76 14 1.0 112 25 25 .0 364 111 3.8 7.2 462 Apr. 7 Apr. 16 45 44 .98 9.2 3.2 99 21 24 .0 298 128 1.1 11 457 Apr. 17 Apr. 26 37 23 .62 5.8 .8 102 29 28 .0 317 148 1.3 11 482 Apr. 27 May 6 92 147 1.60 12 1.8 98 15 28 .0 315 133 1.3 10 446 May 7 May 17 117 89 .76 13 1.4 93 5.5 22 .0 302 100 3.8 9 384 May 18 May 28 34 46 1.35 19 .8 93 11 28 .0 365 123 3.0 11 433 May 29 June 7 69 51 .74 14 1.0 100 27 27 .0 355 120 1.9 10 444 Jime 8 June 18 54 48 .89 12 .6 112 28 28 .0 345 133 10 12 285 June 19 June 28 930 755 .81 21 1.5 85 21 26 252 95 5.5 8 368 June 29 July S 120 103 .86 25 3 90 25 29 o9.5 278 93 6.5 9 391 July 9 July 20 63 50 .79 24 1.0 109 27 29 o7.0 320 111 4.5 9.5 421 July 22 July 31 43 33 .77 24 1.0 102 31 29 .0 337 122 2.5 11 448 Aug. 1 Aug. 11 30 26 .87 23 .8 119 30 37 .0 322 160 3.0 11 506 Aug. 12 Aug. 21 87 63 .72 23 .50 91 27 29 .0 310 122 2.0 10 411 Aug. 22 Sept. 2 100 55 .55 14 .16 87 23 23 .0 250 98 3.0 9.0 364 "Sept. 3 Sept. H 39 28 .72 18 .12 108 36 35 .0 318 178 2.4 10 508 Sept. 16 Sept. 27 43 45 1.04 17 1.4 96 36 33 .0 285 189 1.1 13 4iT Sept. 28 Oct. 8 64 170 2.66 20 .28 110 32 29 .0 260 190 2.7 11 504 Oct. 9 Oct. 18 86 53 62 18 .35 81 22 29 .0 222 95 3.2 15 352 Oct. 19 Oct. 28 66 22 .33 19 .13 94 26 26 .0 250 126 2.0 10 416 Oct. 30 Nov. 8 70 28 .40 20 .16 91 24 24 .0 256 106 2.3 12 389 Nov. 9 Nov. 20 Dec. 3 41 32 19 20 .26 .12 118 100 34 30 28 33 .0 .0 350 360 222 167 1.1 1.0 14 13 563 Nov. 21 """4."6' ".12 452 Mean ... . 135 114 .84 21 .90 102 24 28 .0 312 131 3.0 11 445 Per cent of anhy- drous r esidue . 4.4 .3 21.5 5.0 5.9 32.4 27.6 .6 2.3 a Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note. — Analyses from December 4, 1906, to January 30, 1907, and from March 16 to November 20, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from February 1 to March 15, 1907, and from November 21 to December 3, 1907, by Archie J. Weith. 77836°— wsp 273—11- -22 338 QUALITY OF THE WATEE SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table ISl.^Daily turbidity measurements of Cottonwood River at Emporia, Kans. [Alva J. Smith and J. B. Soden, observers.] Day. Turbidity, 1904. Turbidity, 1905. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. 1 85 90 90 65 50 45 45 45 40 40 35 35 30 24 24 28 26 30 30 40 40 40 300 400 160 80 45 30 30 30 45 35 35 30 30 30 24 30 30 28 30 30 35 26 30 35 30 30 30 30 30 26 30 45 35 28 28 35 45 35 40 35 45 45 35 35 35 40 40 35 35 35 35 40 50 60 60 50 40 35 40 35 25 25 16 16 14 14 12 12 14 14 13 12 12 12 12 14 14 12 12 12 12 14 14 15 16 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 12 12 12 12 7 7 7 7 9 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 ■ 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 80 150 '""266' 250 160 ' 130 100 80 75 60 60 60 55 55 50 40 30 30 30 30 40 40 120 200 200 180 150 180 180 180 180 180 2,000 500 250 250 150 100 100 95 95 90 85 85 65 55 55 55 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 60 75 60 50 40 40 35 45 40 40 40 50 60 70 70 1,500 1,500 800 800 600 400 150 140 120 110 95 75 65 65 60 300 300 300 3,000 3,000 600 500 500 250 3,000 3,000 1,500 600 , 350 130 110 95 80 70 65 60 60 65 350 3,000 3,000 300 80 300 200 180 140 120 100 90 80 60 60 2 3,000 3 3,000 3,000 4 5 3,000 400 6. . . . . 7 200 8 130 9 130 10 3,000 11 300 12 150 13 75 14. 70 15 65 10 60 17. . 55 18 50 19 45 20. 40 21 35 22 35 23 40 24 40 25 40 26 35 27 35 28 35 29 50 30 50 31 55 Mean . 67 32 33 13 37 168 94 482 598 557 NEOSHO RIVER. 339 Table 182. — Turbidity of daily samples from, Cottonwood River at Emporia, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] 1907. Day. Dec, 1906. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1. . 7 7 13 7 30 """20" 2,400 400 400 392 40 48 72 42 36 36 35 50 75 65 65 65 200 190 110 90 45 34 27 45 60 65 36 36 45 520 4^0 933 100 70 50 80 30 2 16 3 18 4 24 5 24 9 20 160 45 613 82 65 36 32 180 40 6 32 27 140 47 600 65 80 22 40 200 60 7 35 20 28 85 48 613 65 75 27 95 60 8 28 24 14 12 14 16 20 5 45 338 "'ieo' 42 460 1,226 1,400 48 46 46 SO 65 65 65 73 55 50 55 80 22 24 24 24 36 40 45 50 100 60 60 120 50 80 70 50 9 10 n - -- 75 65 12 20 19 160 1,000 55 58 55 65 22 45 90 45 13 30 50 1,264 45 65 55 45 30 40 90 60 14 24 24 65 510 40 60 46 48 32 90 36 15 24 18 20 24 27 295 100 40 55 60 55 60 36 65 85 32 28 """50" 75 100 24 16 10 17 18 15 19 12 15 22 60 85 32 38 55 34 60 ■""65" 45 40 40 36 90 50 24 18 18 19 12 3,320 24 95 32 55 65 42 36 50 32 20 15 17 68 24 65 43 50 65 70 60 40 21 8 10 12 1,230 2,000 1,150 22 20 16 55 75 45 37 50 25 ""65' 60 58 2,200 "'"44" 32 520 210 262 32 30 30 70 60 40 45 50 36 22 23 24 10 532 16 47 46 75 2,200 50 145 45 50 30 25 180 105 12 26 47 60 35 1,732 2,340 45 50 70 55 """56" 90 100 45 45 26 11 27 7 26 35 425 36 85 50 80 30 28 7 70 200 60 35 180 38 80 50 45 24 29 6 48 47 55 45 34 65 65 80 160 180 42 46 50 30 31 70 65 ""ioo" 90 18 30 30 42 31 7 Mean 17 368 5C 381 43 134 367 69 72 45 140 45 21 . Note. — Average May 18 to 28, 34. Turbidities above 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined by comparison with silica standards. Most of the readings were made by Carrie M. Burlingame and Harvey G. Elledge; a few were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. 340 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. SPRING RIVER. DESCRIPTION. Spring River rises in the southern part of La\\Tence County, Mo., and takes a general northwesterly course to the northwest corner of Jasper County, where, at Galesburg, it receives North Fork of Spring River, and turns sharply to the southwest, passes across the south- eastern corner of Kansas into Oklahoma, and joins the Neosho ^ northwest of Wyandotte in Ottawa County. It is believed that so much of North Fork of Spring River as is above Marshall was at one time part of Dogwood Creek and so discharged mto the Osage, but was captured by that part of North Fork below JSIarshall, which once was an independent stream, and by working north rapidly in the soft shale cut off the stream above Marshall from the Osage. Besides North Fork, the three principal tributaries of Spring River in Missouri are, in order from north to south, Center, Turkey, and Shoal Creeks. These streams flow down the northwestern slope of the Ozark dome and with the main stream itself and some minor tributaries drain the entire Joplin mining district.^ The three streams are perennial, carry water in abundance, and have a general northwesterly course. Their tributaries enter at nearly right angles, are very short — only a few being over 4 or 5 miles in length — and many of them are dry except after a rain, though some, being spring fed, have a constant flow, and some receive a constant volume of water that is pumped from the mines. The average fall of Spring River in the Galena-Joplin district is 3.6 feet to the mile, though locally it is considerably greater. The average fall of Center Creek is 6.3 feet and of Shoal Creek, 7 feet to the mile. The direction of the major drainage lines, except that part of Spring River which flows southwestward, has probably been deter- mined by the configuration of the general slope of the Ozark Uplift, though Shoal Creek occupies a structural depression that may have determined its position. The general southwesterly course of that part of Spring River lying in Kansas has doubtless been inherited from earlier conditions in which it was determined by the original slope of the Ozark dome, but its immediate position appears to have been fixed by the line of contact between the Cherokee shale and Boone formation. When a soft formation overlies a harder one, both dipping at a moderate angle, the general tendency of a stream flow- ing parallel to the strike of the rocks, unless checked in some way, is to follow constantly the contact between the iwo formations, work- ing down the slope as the edge of the softer rocks is gradually eroded. 1 Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 10, pp. 83-84. 2 The following description is abstracted from Joplin folio (No. 148), Geol. Atlas U. S., U. S. Geol. Survey, 1907, p. 2. NEOSHO RIVER. 341 This, as pointed out by Adams/ appears to have been the case with Spring River. It has followed the edge of the Cherokee shale to its present position, where comparatively recent and more active cutting has caused it to become intrenched in the harder Boone formation close to the line of contact. The dissection of the district is moderate. Important streams are not numerous, and those present are separated by broad, flat-topped divides. In the area underlain by the Boone formation these divides are cut by many small, shallow, and open valleys formed by the head- waters of tributary streams. In their lower courses these tributary valleys are deeper and less open, and they are here and there bordered by low cliffs of limestone and chert. Such tributary valleys lie along all the more important stream courses of the district. They are deep adjacent to the deeper main valleys and are an especially pronounced feature along Shoal Creek, where near their mouths they range in depth from 80 to about 150 feet. In the Cherokee shale the dissec- tion is much less than in the Boone and the valleys are on the whole much shallower, more open, and less numerous. Even the larger valleys in this formation, as those of Shawnee and Cow creeks, are open and very shallow. The largest stream valleys of the district are comparatively broad and flat, and here and there, as along Shoal Creek and the lower reaches of Spring River, are rudely terraced. While the valley bot- toms are generally covered with alluvium, those of Shoal Creek and some of the tributaries are locally floored with bare rock. At Baxter Springs, just before leaving the district, Spring River enters a nar- rower, deeper valley, which seems younger than the valley above that point. The valley slopes consisting of the Cherokee shale are very gentle, but those formed by the Boone formation are more abrupt. Cliffs are common in the Boone valleys, especially where the walls are being undercut by the stream meanders. Since the upland surface rises toward the south, while the general drainage of the district is to the southwest, the larger valleys are deeper in their southern parts. The valley of Shoal Creek is the deepest in the district. West of Grand Falls the bluff hills bordering this stream reach a maximum height of about 150 feet. The terraces of the district are of two varieties, the alluvial flats and the rock shelves; the former are confined to the river valley and the latter are found mainly along Shoal Creek. The best example of the alluvial terrace is on the east side of Spring River, extending southward from the village of Lowell for 3 miles. It has an eleva- tion of about 15 feet above the stream and a width of half a mile. 1 Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., vol. 16, 1899, p. 56. 342 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. The terrace front descends abruptly to the river bottom, while the surface rises very gently to the bordering hills. At the south end it loses its terrace character and becomes an alluvial slope similar to those on the south side of Shoal Creek. Another terrace lies on the same side of Spring River just northeast of Lowell. A third well- developed terrace, about 160 acres in extent, lies east of Spring River and south of Short Creek. In many places on each side of Spring River, from Baxter Springs to Waco, the upland plain slopes so gently toward the river that it is quite impossible to distinguish the limits of the present flood plain except by noting the height of the high water in the flooded stream. This is true in the vicinity of Varck, and likewise west and north of Smithfield. On the flat west and southwest of the old Boston Mills the terrace, or second bottom, lies at an elevation of 10 feet or so above the alluvial flood plain, and is limited on the north by another flat, or third bottom, 15 to 30 feet above it, corresponding to the lower country about and east of Eldon. No second bottom is distinguishable in the great bend south of Messer post office nor in the bend west and north of Smithfield, but the alluvial plain passes gradually into the upland. These con- ditions continue upstream to a point east of Waco, where a well- developed terrace is exhibited on each side of the river. The absence of the terraces in this interval is due to the fact tjiat they have been removed by erosion that has lowered the river to its present level. Along Shoal Creek in a number of places thecreek bottom is bor- dered by a terrace 20 to 40 feet or more in height, the front of which is a sheer wall of massive chert. These rock-shelf terraces are not true stream terraces, as they do not represent graded sections of the stream valley which have been abandoned by the deeper cutting of the stream ; moreover, they do not lie at any uniform elevation above the present grade of Shoal Creek. On the contrary, they are but gentle swells in the more resistant Grand Falls chert member of the Boone formation which have been etched into relief and cut through by the stream in the process of lowering its bed. At Grand Falls, the type locality, Shoal Creek is even now attacking one of the more resistant of these bosses of chert. Good examples of these rock shelves are found about Grand Falls and along the stream as far as Gregg's bridge, 2 miles below; also from Reding's Mill to a point below the mouth of Silver Creek. On the south side of Shoal Creek, about 2 miles southeast of Lowell, the land slopes gently from the creek bank to the foot of the hill a quarter of a mile south, rising 35 to 40 feet in that distance. Just at this point a valley about 300 yards long debouches from the south, forming a well-marked, little alluvial fan. This suggests that the NEOSHO RIVER. 343 slopes are aggradation plains built up of outwasli from, the hills by the coalescing of alluvial fans, and are thus alluvial slopes. This sugges- tion is borne out by the fact, shown by well sections, that the slope down to the level of the stream is made up of gravel and wash materials. A characteristic slope of this kind lies on the south side of Shoal Creek due south of Galena, and others occur on each side of the creek. By far the largest and best developed commences at Gregg's bridge, 2 miles west of Grand Falls, and stretches westward along the south side of Shoal Creek valley, a distance of 2 miles to a point within a mile of the State line. This alluvial slope is over half a mile in width. The edge adjacent to the hills is 55 to 60 feet higher than the banks of the creek. A little west of the middle of the slope a valley, perhaps a quarter of a mile in length, at the foot of which is a very plain alluvial fan, comes down from the southern hills. Various wells at the southern margin of this slope penetrate from 30 to 40 feet into it, the material without exception being rock frag- ments, gravel, sand, and clay — typical wash material. This shows that the valley throughout its width has been eroded to about the level of the present stream and has been refilled in part by inwash from the sides. Only the shorter side valleys exhibit alluvial fans, the reason being that the larger tributaries, having cut nearer to grade, experience no great change in slope on reaching the main val- ley, and, therefore, drop no great amount of material at that point. ^ From the west in Kansas ^ the principal tributaries received by Spring River in order, from north to south, are Cow, Shawnee, Brush, and Willow creeks, all but the last of which drain the coal-mining regions of the southeastern part of Crawford County and the eastern part of Cherokee County, and so are contaminated by the acid mine waters and by sewage from the larger cities. On the west side of Spring River in Kansas the drainage is to the southeast. In general, the streams make an angle of about 150° with those on the east side of the river. Throughout the area the surface slopes to the east and southeast, or down into the trough of Spring River. These streams that enter Spring River from the east rise on the uplands of Cherokee and Crawford counties, where the elevation is not over 900 feet, so that they are not unlike those that drain the mining region proper. Their fall is not quite so great, and as they flow on the soft beds of the Cherokee shale their valleys are usually wider, and their bluffs are neither so high nor so precipitous. Spring River itself has a crooked course in Kansas, which is accounted for by its having eroded its channel through the soft shales of the ''Coal Measures" down to the hard Mississippian rocks. So the flood plain of the river rests on the upper surface of the Mississippian, which 1 End of description taken from Joplin folio (No. 148), Geol. Atlas U. S. 2 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, pp. 46-49. 344 (Quality of the watee supplies of KAKgAS, is exposed in the bottom of the river at Lowell and other places. Now, in every place where the river makes a bold curve to the west it has glided westward on top of the Mississippian by cutting into the "Coal Measure" shales. The tendency of the river to shift its channel to the west is accentuated at those places where creeks from the east enter the main stream. Seemingly the increased current due to these creeks has incUned the river to cut into the soft shales of the "Coal Measures" on its eastern banks in preference to eroding the hard Mississippian rocks. Furthermore, some of the creeks from the west enter the river nearly opposite the creeks from the east, which by eroding the eastern bank have apparently coaxed the river from its straight course at the same time that the eastern creeks were pushing it westward. Judged by one year's turbidity readings. Spring River is subject to sudden floods of brief duration. The river has the reputation of being treacherous, and the principal tributaries are said to subside slowly after they reach high stages. The area of the drainage basin of Spring Hiver at Baxter Springs is 1,890 square miles. QUALITY OF WATER. The United States Geological Survey maintained a daily sampHng station on Spring River at Baxter Springs from December 1, 1906, to November 30, 1907. Paul E, Mason was collector. The results of the analyses of the composites of the samples are recorded in Table 183. The table shows that the water is not highly minerahzed. It should usually be classed as a calcic alkaUne water of low temporary and high permanent hardness. All the samples of December 1 to 10, January 11 to 20, April 27 to May 6, May 27 to June 6, June 19 to 30, October 22 to 23, November 1 to 10, November 11 to 20, and November 21 to 30 were calcic saUne in character. A record of the turbidity of the daily samples collected at Baxter Springs appears in Table 184. The series of readings shows Spring River to be one of the clearest rivers in the State. Over 78 per cent of the 344 readings were less than 50 and less than 1 per cent reached 100 or more. The lowest turbidity, 3, was recorded on Jan- uary 3, 1907, and the highest 933, on May 14, 1907. The coefficient of fineness. Table 183, is usually high, but twice it falls below 0.65; the matter carried in suspension by the river is, therefore, normally coarse. NEOSHO RIVER. 845 Table 183. — Analyses of water from Spring River at Baxter Springs, Kans. [Drainage area, 1,890 square miles. Quantities in parts per million. Analyses made in the chem.ical labora- tories of the University of Kansas, E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Date. ^ s O 0' d a ^ 6 02 d 5. 13 > . From — To— '2 s .2 '=' S I 1 cu § a" 03 a sa ta 4> 0) 13 S CD sg 03 i •3 .§ 3 -a 1 ■3 3 3 o 13 "3 1 -g-a 03 •'■• ■3 s ^ M O CC l-H o M a M S H 1906. 1906. Dec. 1 Dec. 10 20 15 0.75 6.4 0.40 81 5.3 32 0.0 157 130 3.5 11 319 Dee. 11 Dec. 20 11 11 1.00 8.0 .50 69 5.7 24 a2.4 171 80 2.9 7.6 268 Dec. 21 Dec. 31 10 n 1.10 8.0 .6 64 12 20 .0 170 88 3.9 7.2 282 1907. 1907. Jan. 1 Jan. 10 15 19 1.27 18 1.2 77 16 20 .0 149 132 4.6 12 330 Jan. 11 Jan. 20 187 217 1.16 13 2.0 48 4.8 32 .0 103 88 6.0 8.0 234 Jan. 21 Jan. 30 Feb. 9 72 16 76 24 1.06 1.50 Jan. 31 io"" i.o' "57" "'i.'5' "'"is" """.'6' "iso" '"54" "io"" '"4."9' "266 Fe'b. 10 Feb. 19 9 20 2.22 29 .10 66 8.1 19 .0 188 60 4.9 6.9 276 Feb. 20 Mar. 3 11 16 1.45 51 .24 65 5.2 29 .0 147 74 4.8 4.2 301 Mar. 4 Mar. 13 26 30 1.15 65 .30 63 3.5 30 .0 147 74 4.0 6.6 325 Mar. 14 Mar. 24 31 39 1.26 7 .8 55 9.7 22 .0 149 61 4.8 6.2 235 Mar. 25 Apr. 4 43 39 .91 7 .8 65 1.6 25 .0 154 77 4.6 5.8 260 Apr. 5 Apr. 15 19 17 .89 3.2 3.0 68 2.1 18 .0 157 72 4.5 7.5 250 Apr. 16 Apr. 26 18 8 .44 0.0 1.5 63 3.2 18 .0 156 72 5.0 6.5 246 Apr. 27 May 6 130 127 .98 7.6 4.0' 56 9.8 21 .0 97 89 6.0 7.0 229 May 7 May 16 274 293 1.07 17 7.5 38 4.6 17 .0 SO 43 7.5 7.0 164 May 17 May 26 88 134 1.52 29 1.6 49 2.0 18 .0 112 45 8.0 8.0 182 May 27 June 6 27 24 .89 6.2 .9 64 9.5 19 .0 142 70 7.5 8.0 241 June 7 June 18 63 63 1.00 5.6 .6 66 6.6 21 .0 133 86 7.2" 9.0 251 June 19 June 30 178 173 .97 12 1.5 52 7.7 20 .0 98 80 7 5.5 210 July 1 July 10 110 109 .99 16 1.5 50 15 17 .0 110 54 6 6.0 181 July 11 July 20 66 73 1.10 16 1.0 66 7.1 25 .0 138 61 6.5 6.0 215 July 21 Aug. 1 59 75 1.27 15 1.0 63 9.3 22 .0 145 62 6.0 6.5 196 Aug. 2, Aug. 11 23 32 1.39 6.8 1.0 74 12 18 .0 163 69 5 5 240 Aug. 12 Aug. 22 24 21 .88 6.4 2.0 87 14 31 .0 165 77 4.5 5.5 256 Aug. 23 Sept. 3 36 32 .89 9.0 .05 64 9.6 19 .0 140 71 4.5 6.0 232 Sept. 4 Sept. 15 26 17 .65 6.6 .05 72 7.9 18 .0 142 71 6.0 6.0 241 Sept. 16 Sept. 25 27 7 .26 9.4 .02 85 7.5 22 .0 160 83 5.0 6.3 269 Sept. 26 Oct. 9 32 27 .84 9.4 .08 63 11 21 .0 125 92 4.0 6.8 249 Oct. 10 Oct. 21 28 24 .86 6.0 .06 69 8.4 20 .0 132 90 5.0 6.5 250 Oct. 22 Oct. 31 15 16 1.07 12 .18 92 11 • 29 .0 140 116 5.0 7.0 303 Nov. 1 Nov. 10 21 16 .76 4.0 .10 70 12 21 .0 117 150 5.0 8.5 317 Nov. 11 Nov. 20 17 12 .70 8.4 .10 77 16 43 .0 145 160 3.2 20 377 Nov. 21 Nov. 30 in of anhy- 19 23 1.21 11 .14 68 11 22 .0 133 133 4.0 7.5 302 Me 52 54 1.04 13 1.1 66 8.2 23 .0 139 84 5.3 7.3 255 Per cent drous r esidue 4.7 .6 24.0 2.9 8.3 24.6 30.4 1.9 2.6 a Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. Note. — Analyses from December 1, 1906, to February 9, 1907; and from March 14 to November 30, 1907, by F. W. Bushong; from February 10 to March 13,1907, by Archie J. Weith. 346 QUALITY 0]? THE WATER SUPPLIES OF KANSAS. Table 184. — Turbidity of daily samples from Spring River at Baxter Springs, Kans. [Readings made in the chemical laboratories of the University of Kansas. E. H. S. Bailey, director.] Day. Dec, 1906. 1907. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 1 48 8 10 12 12 10 5 8 9 16 5 15 18 10 12 8 20 10 10 5 12 33 15 10 7 5 5 7 3 34 6 5 7 15 24 30 17 22 24 22 32 40 60 198 160 160 512 665 325 140 80 40 45 27 12 20 14 15 15 8 12 27 18 7 7 2 10 50 12 6 5 4 20 4 15 6 6 8 5 7 '"m '"'ie" 9 16 12 18 12 3 25 22 32 30 18 42 32 17 27 15 14 32 26 45 40 32 33- 40 33 ""io" 18 ""24' 165 40 35 27 35 20 34 32 20 '"27" 13 18 . 27 13 18 15 20 15 14 20 13 19 '"u 18 13 30 21 20 24 30 30 150 270 190 120 60 150 275 315 150 70 60 55 55 58 933 600 440 312 65 58 65 60 85 105 60 45- 33 34 24 17 22 26 30 27 26 16 325 53 53 '"'56" "ie" 18 18 53 55 22 16 85 '"22" 370 440 440 412 180 120 100 80 65 38 38 40 30 28 45 45 85 34 45 11 J 100 70 95 75 53 190 44 22 30 40 60 34 25 24 25 8 43 27 24 22 18 22 20 15 .14 36 55 """22" 14. 22 22 16 57 34 34 30 40 65 15 32 ""'24" 45 32 45 16 36 15 12 "32" 50 16 12 15 18 10 36 10 20 30 80 12 24 30 18 30 24 24 18 15 '"'36" 15 16 70 '"76" 50 45 50 24 36 """is' 12 30 """ie" 16 32 24 24 15 16 24 10 8 12 12 10 5 2 8 3 16 4 18 5 18 6 30 7 18 8 32 9 50 10 12 11 10 12 12 13 10 14 12 15 =-. 16 16 16 17 18 18 24 19 18 20 36 21 18 22 15 23 24 12 12 25 16 26 .... 18 27 18 28 45 29 22 45 ■18 130 200 '"'26' 50 16 30 7 4 18 31 12 89 12 31 26 160 98 79 29 26 26 19 Note. — Turbidities over 50 were determined with a Jackson turbidimeter and turbidities of 50 or less were determined Ijy comparison with silica standards. Most of the turbidity detemiinatione were made by Carrie M. Burlirigame and Harvey G. Elledge; afew were made by Helen Heald and Adelbert Morrison. Table 185. — Assays of ivater of Spring River and its tributaries in Kansas. [Parts per million.] No. Date. Stream and locality. Iron (Fe). Car- bonate radicle (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3) Sul- phate (SO^). Chlo- rine (CI). Remarks. 1905. 1 July 3 Cow Creek, above Girard sewer. 1.5 0.0 88 35 6 In high stage. 2 ...do Cow Creek, 1 mile below sewer, 1 mile east of Girard. . .0 108 164 23 Do. 3 July 5 Cow Creek, 2 miles west and 1 mile south of Pittsburg. Trace. .0 114 61 14 4 July 6 Middle Cow Creek, IJ miles west and 14 miles south of Pittsburg. Trace. .0 16 140 10 Above dam of Hull & Dillon Packing Co. 5 ...do Middle Cow Creek at Pitts- burg. .5 .0 13 130 19 100 yards below dam of Hull & Dillon Packing Co. G July 5 Cow Creek, below sewers 2 miles south of Pittsburg. .5 .0 72 113 13 V ...do Little Cow Creek, 2| miles east of Pittsburg. IG.O .0 Acid. 431 36 Contaminated by mine drainage. 8 July 10 Reservoir at St. Louis & San Francisco Ry. pumping sta- tion south of" Cherokee. 1.0 .c- 44 124 10 By Edward Bar- tow. 9 July 13 Spring River, above Turkey Creek at Empire. .0 .0 119 37 7 Do. 10 ...do Turkey Creek, near its mouth at Empire. .0 .0 130 383 12 Do. POLLUTION OF STREAMS BY WASTE FROM OIL EEPTNEPJES. 347 Table 185. — Assay of water of Spring River and ils tributaries in Kansas — Continued. No. Late. 1905. July 13 .do. ..do... ..do... ..do July 12 July 14 July 10 -.do ..do ..do Stream and locality. Spring River, at bridge 1 mile north and 1 mile west of Em- pire. Short Creek, west of Empire. . Spring River, west of Empire . . Shawnee Creek, 3 miles north - and 2 miles west of Empire. Short Creek, above Galena Shoal Creek, at waterworks, Galena. Brush Creek, at ford 1 mile south and 1 mile east of Co- lumbus. Brush Creek, 3 miles north of Baxter Springs. Willow Creek, 1 mile north of Baxter Springs. Spring Creek, below Baxter Springs. Spring River, below dam at Baxter Springs. Iron (Fe). 1.0 .0 .0 .0 1.2 Trace. Car- bonate radicle (CO3). Bicar- bonate (HCO3) 50 119 Sul- phate (SOj). 246 a Trace Chlo- rine (CI). Remarks. By Edward Bar- tow. SO4 greater than 626. By Edward Bartow. By Edward Bar- tow. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. a Less than 35 parts per million. ■The results of water assays of Spring River and its tributaries in Kansas are recorded in Table 185. Tests of the water of Cow Creek and its tributaries (assays 1 to 7, Table 185), show waters low in bicarbonates and all, except No. 1, indicate high sulphates. The test of Little Cow Creek east of Pittsburg (assay 7, Table 185) is interesting, for it shows the water to be so highly polluted by mine drainage that it is acid. The other assays that appear in Table 185 should be studied in connection with E. H. S. Bailey's discussion of the pollution of Spring River by mine drainage, pp. 351-354. POLLUTION OF STREAMS BY WASTE FROM OIL REFINERIES. In Kansas the pollution of some of the streams by the wastes from oil refineries is a serious matter. The polluting wastes are of two kinds — first, those arising from leakage of the crude oil, and, second, those caused by the discharge of chemicals used in purifying the distilled oil. The first comes from the escape of crude oil from pipe lines that carry it to the refineries, and from vats and barrels in which it is stored at the refineries. This sort of pollution is gen- erally accidental, for crude oil is valuable and refiners and pro- ducers do not intend that much of it shall escape. Still some streams are always streaked with oil from the leakage of pipe lines which cross them. It is said that the oil entangles clay particles that are held in suspension by the waters of the streams and then sinks, making the bottoms of those streams which are mach polluted 348 QUALITY OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OP KANSAS. by crude oil very foul. No attempt has been made to verify this statement. Polluting wastes of the second kind are made up of the acids and alkalies that are used in treating the burning-oil distillate in the agitators. S. P. Sadtler, in his "Industrial organic chemistry," (3d ed., p. 21), divides the products from the distillation of crude oil into three parts — (a) benzoin distillate, (6) burning-oil distillate, and (c) residuum. No important polluting wastes from (a) and (b) result, but in the purification of (b) sometimes all, and always a part, of the acid and alkali wastes are discharged in the streams. The process of purification of (b) is described by Sadtler,^ as follows: The burning-oil distillate must be freed from the empyreumatic products resulting from the distillation, which give it both color and disagreeable odor. To effect this it is subjected to a treatment with sulphuric acid, washing with water and a solution of caustic soda. This operation is conducted in tall cylindrical tanks of wrought iron, lined with sheet lead, which are called "agitators." The bottom is funnel shaped, terminating in a pipe furnished with a stopcock for drawing off the refuse acid and soda washings. The distillate to be treated must be cooled to at least 60° F., and before the main body of acid is added for the treatment any water present must be carefully withdrawn. This is done by starting the agitation of the oil by the air pump and introducing a small quantity of acid. This is allowed to settle, and with- drawn. The oil is now agitated, and about one-half of the charge of acid is introduced gradually from above. The agitation is now to be continued as long as action is indi- cated by rise of temperature, when the dark "sludge acid" is allowed to settle, and withdrawn. The remaining portion of acid is added, and a second thorough agitation takes place. The whole charge of acid needed for an average distillate is about one and one-half to two per cent, or about six pounds of acid to the barrel of oil. The acidj as drawn off, is dark blue or reddish brown in color, a'nd is charged with the sulphocompounds of the olefines, while free sulphur dioxide gas is present in abun- dance. The oil, after treatment, consists of the paraffin hydrocarbons almost freed from admixture with olefines. In color it has been changed from brownish yellow to a very light straw shade. The oil is now washed with water introduced through a perforated pipe running around the upper circumference of the tank. This water percolates through the body of the oil, removes the acid, and is allowed to escape in a constant stream from the bottom. When the wash water shows no appreciable acid taste or reaction, the washing is stopped, and about one per cent of a caustic soda solution of 12° Baume is introduced, and the oil is again agitated. When this is drawn off the oil is ready for the settling tanks. A washing with water after the soda treat- ment is sometimes followed, but it is not general. A washing with dilute ammonia is also sometimes used to remove the dissolved sulphocompounds. lOp. cit., p. 24. PRELIMINARY REPORT ON STREAM POLLUTION BY MINE WATERS IN SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS. By E. H. S. Bailey. INTRODUCTION. The region comprising southeastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri has become of great economic importance because of its lead and zinc mines, which yielded in 1909 about 9 per cent of the total lead output and almost 50 per cent of the total zinc output of the United States. Joplin and Webb City, Mo., are its mining cen- ters, but the mining area extends from Springfield and Aurora, Mo., to Miami, Okla., a distance of 90 miles. Important lead and zinc deposits were discovered in this area as long ago as 1850, but they were not extensively opened until 1870. Ore was first mined in Kansas in the vicinity of Galena, and a little later a company was formed to operate mines near Baxter Springs and Lowell. In 1876 ore was found along Shoal Creek, and in 1877 at least 10,000 people poured into the camp, which formed the nucleus of the cities of Empire and Galena. Since that time the whole Joplin region has developed rapidly, and it is now one of the most important producers of lead and zinc ores in the world. In 1909 the output of the mines of the Joplin district was valued at $13,959,769. The ores of the region here discussed (Cherokee County, Kans.) consist of lead sulphide (galena, PbS), zinc sulphide (blende, ZnS), with some zinc carbonate (smithsonite, ZnCOg) and zinc silicate (calamine, ZnSi04. II2O). These minerals occur very intimately asso- ciated with shale, chert, and limestone. The Kansas lead and zinc region is part of the Ozark area and lies 900 to 1,100 feet above sea level. It is drained southward into Spring River, whose waters reach the Arkansas by way of the Neosho and whose tributaries, beginning on the north, are Center, Turkey, Shawnee, Short, and Shoal creeks. Center Creek enters Spring River about 3 miles north of Galena, on the Kansas-Missouri line; Shoal Creek flows south of Galena and empties into Spring River at Lowell, about 4 miles west of Galena; Shawnee Creek enters Spring River about 3 miles northwest of Galena and drains an area in Kansas to 349 350 STREAM POLLUTION BY MINE WATERS. the north and west of this point. These streams not only carry the drainage of the lead and zinc mines to the east in Missouri, but they carry also the drainage and sewage of Galena, Joplin, Carthage, Webb City, and many mining camps. The drainage from the mines in the vicinity of Baxter Springs, situated below Lowell on Spring River within a mile of the Oklahoma line, is not here considered. With the growing industrial importance of the region the question of a satisfactory water supply for the people and the related question of the pollution of streams by mine drainage as well as by city sewage have acquired great economic interest. But little systematic study of the effect of the pollution of streams by industrial wastes has thus far been carried on in any section of the county, although it is con- ceded that such pollution may render the waters unfit for domestic or municipal supplies, may result in killing fish, and may lead to extensive litigation. In the mining industry the water supply is of particular inportance, for water is required not only for milling ores but as feed for boilers, and if not found in abundance near the mines it must be brought from a distance. In many localities surface water is collected for use at the mines. On the other hand, trouble may result from an excess of water, for in many mines water accumulates rapidly and its removal may occasion great expense. This mine water is due in part to the rain- fall on the surface, but it is in part also underground water which finds its way through the lower strata from the more elevated Ozark dome to the southeast.^ As this water is frequently used several times in the mills, every opportunity is afforded it to dissolve any sulphate of lead, zinc, and iron that may have formed in the process of oxidation of the sulphides. The particles of ore in the inimense piles of gravel and tailings in the vicinity of the mines oxidize rapidl}" on being exposed to the weather, so that this is a source of sulphates by no means to be neglected. In the case of iron sulphide this oxida- tion can be represented by the equation 2FeS2 + ^Oj + 2H2O = 2FeS04 + 2H2SO4. An acid sulphate water is the result of the oxidation. The iron would be mostly in the ferrous state until oxidized by contact with the air for some time. In the abandoned'workings, especially those that are well ventUated, the oxidation of zinc, lead, and iron minerals takes place rapidly, so that sometimes the mine water is very strongly impregnated with mineral salts; but notwithstanding these impurities the acid mine water is often the best that can be obtained for use in the mills. It is evident that the quality of the water finally discharged from the mine and mill is much influenced by the original character of the water used. If the original water supply runs through granite or 1 Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 18, p. 97. WATER FROM SPRING RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 351 sandstone rocks, the water will usually contain little dissolved mineral matter, but if it passes through beds of limestone or gypsum it will carry more or less of these minerals in solution and will be known as a "hard" water. WATERS ANALYZED. The samples of water analyzed were obtained in the vicinity of Galena and Empire, Kans. The locality where each sample was taken is indicated on the accompanying map (fig. 1, p. 352). When the samples were collected the streams were only slightly above the ordinary stage. Some of the waters examined came from Spring River and its tributaries, some were from the concentrated waste of the mills, and others from abandoned workings. WATER FROM SPRING RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. CHARACTER OF WATER. ■ The results of the analyses of samples taken from Spring River and its tributaries are shown in Table 186. Additional information in regard to the samples is giyen in the paragraphs following the table, which are numbered to correspond with the numbered columns. Table 186. — Analyses of loater of Sjjring River audits tributaries. [Samples collected by E. H. S. Bailey; quantities in parts per million.] 1 2 3 4 5 14.0 2.5 1.8 43.2 7.3 3.7 157.2 6 23.1 12.1 4.5 67.2 2.8 11.0 15.6 7 8.1 9.8 7.4 40.4 2.7 10.0 19.0 8 9 10 11 Si02 Fe Al 25.4 4.6 3.4 52.6 4.5 16.2 70.0 39.4 4.8 3.6 59.4 2.8 .3 79.3 4.0 29.3 12.5 9.4 162.9 "47 .'3" 307.8 24.2 621.9 62.7 34.3 206.8 21.3 732.0 1,624.8 8.0 .5 3.2 3.0 6.4 2.0 16.0 2.4 Ca Mg Zn 69.0 5.7 68.0 2.1 91.0 14.0 50.0 4.2 SO4 CO3 80.0 2.4 7.6 24.0 2.9 171.0 268.0 72.0 77.0 25.0 01. .. 136.4 49.0 •7.5 18.0 4.5 157. 250.0 5.5 31.0 4.5 165.0 256.0 4.2 Na NO3 ! " ' 2.8 HCO3 Total solids 279.6 270.8 859.2 3,833.0 228.6 198.8 179.2 178.0 1. Spring River above Badger; sample taken March 31, 1905, on right bank, just above a deep ford and immediately above the intake of the pump of the near-bj^ mills; river at about medium stage. The stream at this point is rapid. The mine water from the neighboring mines is said not to be as hard as that from some of the older mines. River water is used for the boilers and is said not to corrode them seriously. The sample represents the water as it enters Kansas, after the river has received most of the drainage of Carthage, Mo., and of many mining camps. 2. Center Creek; sample taken March 31, 1905, at a point about 200 feet below the Smithfield Ford, Mo.; current rapid and running over pebbles. At this stage the ford was passable for a buggy. Nearest mine drainage, 1^ miles above sampling point. This stream had received the drainage of Webb City and Carterville, Mo., as well as of a number of mines. 3. Turkey Creek; sample taken March 31, 1905, on the right bank, at the Niedler Ford of Spring River and Turkey Creek, about 50 feet below the Turkey Creek bridge, 352 STREAM POLLUTION BY MINE WATEES. WATER PROM SPRING RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 353 about 600 feet above the junction of the creek with Spring River, and only a few hundred feet west of the Kansas-Missouri line. Owing to back water from Spring River, the current was not rapid, but the sample was not contaminated with Spring River water. Turkey Creek carries most of the sewage of Joplin, Mo., as well as the drainage of a large number of mines and adjacent settlements. 4. Short Creek; sample taken April 1, 1905, about one-half mile above the mouth of the stream, not far from Chico Spring. Water tastes astringent. This water con- tains most of the drainage of Empire and Galena, Kans., and that from numerous mines and mills. 5. Spring River above the dam at Lowell; sample taken March 30, 1905, on the left bank of the stream. No opportunity for contamination from Shoal Creek. Not much mine drainage between this point and the mouth of Short Creek. Shawnee Creek, which drains an agricultural country, flows into Spring River from the west about 3 miles above this place. 6. Shoal Creek; sample taken March 30, 1905, above the bridge at the Galena water- works, directly south of the city of Galena. The river was somewhat above the ordi- nary stage and the water was slightly turbid. The water is of such character and contains so much dissolved "mineral" that it produces severe griping and has a ca- thartic action if used by those who are not accustomed to it. This is due no doubt to the salts of zinc that are in solution. This is the only sample taken from this branch of Spring River, which flows into the main stream at Lowell. 7. Spring River below the dam; sample taken March 30, 1905, on the left bank, near the bank, and probably contains a larger proportion of Shoal Creek water than of the main stream. Much of this water had already come over the wheels of the mill. 8. Spring River at Baxter Springs; average of ten samples taken daily between December 11 and 20, 1906. These samples were collected for the purpose of making a sanitary analysis in connection with the work of the United States Geological Survey and the State Water Survey. - 9. Spring River at Baxter Springs; samples collected for purpose stated in No. 8, April 5 to 15, 1907. 10. Spring River at Baxter Springs; samples collected as in Nos. 8 and 9, August 12 to 22, 1907. 11. City supply of Carthage, Mo.; this supply is from Spring River; sample taken March 7, 1904. ^ COMPARISON OF SULPHATES. Comparing the amount of the sulphate shown in the different anal- yses of the foregoing table, it is interesting to note that Spring River at Carthage (analysis 11), the farthest point upstream at which sam- ples were taken, contained 25 parts per million SO4. Above Badger (1) where it had received the drainage of Carthage and mines in this vicinity the SO4 was 70. The river water is then diluted with the waters of Center Creek (2), which drains Webb City, Carthage, Oronogo, and Carl Junction, and which caiTies sulphates to the amount of 79.3. This combined stream then receives the waters of Turkey Creek (3) , which comes in laden with the drainage of a large part of the city of Joplin and camps in the vicinity and which carries a still larger amount of sulphates — 307.8 parts. The next tributary is Short Creek (4), a small stream which carries the drainage of Empire and Galena, Kans., and of a large number of mines in the ' Underground water of Missouri: Bull. Missouri State Board of Health, 1904, p. 204. 77836°— wsp 273—11 23 354 STREAM POLLUTION BY MINE WATEES. vicinity. This is the most concentrated of the streams running into Spring River, and shows 1,624.8 parts per million of SO4. The next sample was taken from above the dam at Lowell (5) , after Spring River had been diluted by the waters of Shawnee Creek, which flows mainly tlu"ough an agricultural country in Cherokee County, Kans. This sample showed 157.2 parts of SO^. The water of Shoal Creek (6) , sample taken south of the city of Galena less than 5 miles above Lowell, shows the presence of 15.6 parts of SO^. Sample No. 7 was taken from the river near the left bank, below the dam at Lowell, and its composition evidently represents mostly Shoal Creek water, as it contains only 19 parts of SO4. At Baxter Springs, 5 miles farther down as the river runs, we find an average of 76 parts of SO4. It is important to observe that these samples were taken at widely different seasons of the year, and each sample was made up of col- lections for 10 days, so that the figures given must closely represent the average proportion of sulphates. The amount of sulphates present in the waters seems to be the best indication of the impurity caused by the drainage of the mines. The calcium varies within wide limits, but this may be due to the action of free sulphuric acid on limestone in the mine and in suspension in the streams. The calcium does not vary in the same proportion as the sulphates. Since the zinc seems to diminish in quantity, the question arises whether this diminution is due merely to dilution with waters of other streams or to precipitation by calcium and magnesium carbonates in solution in the water. As there still remains in the water at Lowell more SO4 than is found in the water in the upper part of the course of the stream, it would seem to indicate that much of the zinc had been precipitated, otherwise it would have increased proportionately with the sulphates. No data are at hand to show the amount of water flowing in Spring River or the difference between high and low water. When this information is available it will be interesting to calculate the total amount of zinc that is dissolved by these waters and carried away. In the larger streams the acid has been neutralized by the carbonates of calcium and magnesium, thus: ZnS04 + CaH2(C03)2[or MgH2(C03)2] = ZnC03 + CaS04 + H20 + C02. In this case the water usually gives an alkaline reaction, but this was not the case with the more concen- trated samples. This acidity was especially noticeable in Short Creek (4) and in the small streams which carried the drainage of the jnines and the wash water from the mills. Analyses of water of this class are given in Table 187. WATER FROM MINES AND CONCENTRATION MILLS. Having considered the streams which carry away the refuse of this zinc-lead mining district, it will be of interest to go back to the source WATEE FROM MINES AND CONCENTEATION MILLS. 355 of these peculiar waters. Originally most of these waters are either ground waters — what would be called well waters in other locali- ties — or they are surface and rain waters stored for use in the mechan- ical processes of preparing the ore for the smelters. They are often pumped over and over again, each time becoming more heavily loaded with mineral matter, especially the sulphates of iron and zinc. The following table of analyses shows the quality of these waters: Table 187. — Analyses of waters from viines and from concentration mills. 10 11a 12 13 14 15 b 16 17 18 19 20 Si02 Fe 26.4 399.3 302.3 291.3 19.2 1,071.3 3,459.2 27.6 1.8 1.4 204.3 37.0 1,266.0 307.8 20.3 5.2 15.4 497.1 24.3 1,400.2 2,521.1 20.2 6.4 8.6 452.0 51.9 1,238.2. 2,342.8 17.6 4.8 16.3 148.6 22.9 1,332.2 2, 708. 8 320.7 264.5 76.0 136.1 150.5 7.87, 1 3,322.8 1,020.0 855.8 288.5 237.9 223.7 734. 1 5, 542. 8 76.0 309.1 186.8 308.0 40.5 1,852.9 3,147.0 23.0 9.8 5.7 8,871.0 134.0 404.9 149.6 259.4 42.2 1,679.5 4,789.9 22.0 4.8 37.0 8, 576. 58.2 237. 3 107.7 280.6 22.4 857.5 3,028.2 38.0 4.7 59.4 200.8 Al ■ 140.0 Ca 293.0 Ms 22.4 Zn.. 677.9 SO4 CI 2,635.8 20.0 Mn 1 311.2 Pb 1 Totalsolid:. ,, 664. 1,884.0 4,853.2 4, 437. 5,144.0 6,323.0 10. 169. 5, 058. 4, 355. a Also contains 1.9 parts of lead. b Manganese, 46.6 parts. The samples were all obtained in the vicinity of Galena and were collected March 30, 31, and April 1, 1905. The following paragraphs give additional information. 10. Alabama Coon, New York Zinc Co.; water from one of the most important "pumps of the district; drainage water from 112-foot level at this time. The capacity of the pump is 500 gallons per minute. A steam vacuum pump and lift are used. This is the center of the mining district southwest of Galena. Here the workings and piles of tailings are so numerous as to leave little ground unoccupied. By the miners this water is considered bad. It corrodes iron pipes so rapidly that wood-lined pipes with brass fittings and valves have been used. 11. Water from the Murphy-Friel sludge mill. This water is allowed to settle and is siphoned off as soon as it is clear. It has been used at least seven times in various mills when drawn from the mine. Some of the material is washed six or seven times. The water contains but little iron sulphide. 12. Water from Dead Pond, 100-foot level, South Side Mining Co. 13. Sample taken from the 125-foot level, Short Creek Valley. 14. From 150-foot level, South Side Mining Co. 15. Sample of drainage from New York Zinc Co. mine near Riceville. 16. Water pumped from mine in Empire, 115-foot level. Samples 17-20 were obtained through the kindness of H. N. Parker, of the United States Geological 'Survey, December 15, 1905: 17. Sample from Columbia mine. 18. From Maggie Murphy mine, one of the best-known mines of the district. 19. Water from Alabama Coon mine, same as No. 10 but collected on a different date. 20. From the Jled Bird mine. As an illustration of the hypothetical combination possible in these waters, the analysis of the Red Bird mine water (20) may be cited. 356 STREAM POLLUTION BY MINE WATEES. Table 188. — Analysis of water from lied Bird mine. Grams per liter. Silica (SiOa) 0. 0594 Calcium sulphate (CaS04) 9954 Ferrous sulphate (FeSOJ ^ . 5448 Aluminum sulphate (Al2(S04)3) 8882 Magnesium sulphate (MgSO^) 1118 Zinc sulphate (ZnS04) 1- 6792 Sodium chloride (NaCl) 0330 4. 3118 In only a few of the samples was lead found. We should expect the lead to be precipitated in the presence of sulphate ions unless the water contained organic substances. One liter of water dissolves 0.041 gram of lead sulphate, but an acid sulphate water would prob- ably dissolve less, because the presence of free acid diminishes the solubility of lead sulphate. Mr. W. G. Waring, of Webb City, Mo., has kindly furnished the following list of determinations of zinc, iron, and sulphuric acid from his records: Table 189.- — Analyses of mine waters. [From records of W. G. Waring. Quantities in grams per liter.] Zinc. Iron. Ferrous iron. Ferric iron. H2SO4. Free. Com- bined. 0.003 .004 3.500 .414 .073 .390 .450 1.310 .415 .450 3.582 .411 .120 .125 3.217 .262 3.970 2.670 4.290 4.337 .172 .172 .135 .047 .260 .361 .897 3.000 .153 .012 2.690 2.807 1.548 1.905 .935 5.516 .209 .465 .075 .420 1. 055 4.867 0.195 Walker & Co. 's mine (Joplin) C. B. Dahlgren's mine 1 .140 Bates-Cotter mine, No. 2 (Galena) .123 .362 .202 .177 .035 .015 .355 .009 3.160 4.087 3.295 Gate City mine Maggie Murphy MnGann mine Drilled well, Monaco mine Continental Nesbitt . .. Duenweg, south end Same, precipitated with H2S : Duenweg, west end .170 .170 .115 .000 .009 Blue Goose Blue Goose, No. 1 Clover Dale, Midway Prairie Bell Victor Victor, second sample Jefi, No. 1 .050 None. Modoc mine Gum Spring Maggie Murphy .402 .322 .164 .210 .231 .274 .027 .163 .060 .482 .510 4.150 .167 .186 .157 .127 .137 1.550 Alabama Coon Columbia, New York Co Monte Cristo, New York Co Dwight, New York Co Maggie Murphv .027 10. 147 Coppinger & Fiske mine, Carterville 1.873 Alix mine 1. 645 Stevens mine, Joplin 1.680 S. T. Nesbitt, Tuckahoe 3.240 T. P. Steers .668 2.273 2.300 1 Partly oxidized. COAL-MINES WATERS. 357 In the discussion of these waters Mr. Waring says tliat the waters in ore-bearing rocks are usually devoid of zinc, iron, and calcium sul- phate, and are devoid of free sulphuric acid when the ore deposits are first opened. After the metallic sulphides, especially FeS2, have been exposed to the free air by pumping the water away from them and after they are again leached the waters become highly charged with these metallic sulphates. The best condition for solution seems to be, then, alternate drying and contact with water. In some places where extensive pyrite beds lie above the zinc ore, as in the Galena mines, it is a well-known fact that the water will be fairly free from mineral matter after ha\'ing been pumped down, if it is kept down; but wlien the water rises again in a mine, on account of stoppage of pumping, so that the water gets into the timbers, the water becomes excessively acid. These conditions are recognized by mine foremen as those which will present the best opportunity for the oxidation of the sulphides. At the Victor mine, contrary to the usual condi- tions, the water became low in iron and zinc after the pumps were stopped for some time, and the percentage increased again shortly after starting up. It is interesting, also, to note that when deep wells — those from 900 to 1,000 feet deep — are properly cased the water shows no trace of sulphates, but it shows about 2 milligrams of nitrogen as nitrates per liter. Some of the waters mentioned in Mr. Waring's report are from mines in the vicinity of Galena and others in the vicinity of Joplin, Mo. Occasionally waters are found, as, for instance, the last in the list, which contain quite large quantities of cadmium. COAL-MINE WATERS. It seems to be fairly well established that the Kansas ''Coal Meas- ures" rest on the " Subcarbonif erous " limestone. The Mississip- pian or "Subcarboniferous'' rocks, wliich underlie the coal measures, are found only in the southeastern corner of the State. The coal measures proper are nearly 3,000 feet thick and are composed of alternating beds of limestone, sandstones, and shales. The Cherokee shale is at the base of the coal measured and carries the largest bed of coal known in Kansas — the Weir-Pittsburg coal. This bed aver- ages about 40 inches in thickness and is from 60 to 100 feet below the surface. The mine waters examined came from this region. The coal-mining industry is of great importance in the State. Coal is mined especially in Cherokee, Crawford, Franklin, Leavenworth, Linn, and Osage counties. Over 7,00.0,000 tons were mined in the State in 1907. Analyses 21 to 25, Table 190, represent the composition of the coal-mine waters. 358 STREAM POLLUTION BY MINE WATERS. Table 190.- — Corn-position of coal-mine waters. [Parts per miUion.] 21 o 22 23 24 25 b Si02 - 56.1 305.6 385.8 489.9 492.4 6, 137. 9 74.8 11,985 195.7 1, 559. 542.0 667.3 723.3 11,873.9 51.4 127.0 11.3 279.8 137.1 2,618.3 25.0 51.3 10.3 246. 3 78.3 2,121.6 176.2 Fe - 2, 736. 114.8 Al Ca 458.1 Mk 509.4 SOi 12, 124. CI . 36.0 18,.080 4,561 3,740 19 729 a Samples taken April 4, 1905. b Sample taken December 13, 1906, by H. N. Parker, U. S. Geol. Survey. Contained considerable manganese. 21. From Clemens-Sclilanger Coal Co. mine No. 1, 1 mile north of Pittsburg; by Mr. Jones. Water is bandied by a steam pump with 2-inch suction and 1^-inch dis- charge, which runs 8 hours out of 24. 22. From mine 3^ miles northeast of Pittsburg; by Mr. Fitzpatrick. 23. Water from Pittsburg No. 8 shaft, Mount Carmel Coal Co.; by Mr. Osbom. 24. Sample from Pittsburg No. 5 shaft, Mount Carmel Coal Co., near Chicopee; by Mr. Osborn. 25. Sample from No. 8 shaft. Mount Carmel Coal Co.; sump had been pumped out once during morning. The analyses show these waters to have the usual composition of coal-mine waters. They contain large quantities of iron sulphate and sulphuric acid, produced by the oxidation of the pyrite wliich is mixed with the coal. The equation showing their action would be 2FeS2+702 + 2H2S04 = 2FeSO,+2H2SO,. The iron, which is at first in a ferrous state, is oxidized on standing in accordance with the reaction 4FeS04 + 0^ + 2H2SO,= 2Feo(S04)3 4- 2H2O; hydrolysis takes place, and the ferric hydrate is precipitated as a reddish-brown deposit. This latter change may be illustrated by the equation Fe^CSOJ + 6H2O = 2Fe(OH)3 +3H2SO4. This occurs to some extent in the mines, but especially in the streams that carry away the mine drainage. Often the iron is no more abundant than in the zinc mine waters, but the sulphates in these samples averaged higher than in the zinc waters. In one sample (No. 25) the solids amounted to as much as 1,152 grains per gallon. Water of this character, when it finds its way into neighbor- ing streams, is largely diluted, its iron is precipitated, its free acid is neutralized by contact with the lime contained in the water, and although calcium sulphate is thus formed, the quaUty of the product is much improved so that it may be used for some domestic purposes. The latter reaction would be expressed by the equation H2SO, +CaC03 = GaS0, -^H^O +C0,. EFFECT OF MINE WATERS ON FISH. In regard to the action of these waters on the animal life of the streams, M. C. Marsh ^ says: "The reaction of water which will sup- 1 Water-supply Paper U. S. Geol. Survey No. 192, 1907, p. 337. EFFECT OF MINE WATERS ON METALS. 359 port fish life must be slightly alkaline. When the water becomes even slightly acid, fish can not live in it, and in the experimenting with acid pollutions the alkalinity of the water used as a diluent of course affects the results." In this special case whenever the point of acidity has been reached there is no doubt that the water is poisonous, and probably a slightly acid water would produce fatal results after a longer time. As noticed above, there was in most cases enough calcium carbonate and alkali in the larger streams to maintain the alkalinity. EFFECT OF MINE WATERS ON METALS. J. W. Jones, ^ in discussing the action of mine waters on metals, calls attention to ihe examination made of the water from the Stanley mine, Idaho Springs. This was pumped by steam, allowing the exhaust to pass into the water of the sump. Under these conditions the wrought iron pipe lasted only about a week. By substituting air for steam the life of the pipe was somewhat lengthened. After making experiments to show the action of acids upon metals, an analysis was made of the dried precipitate deposited in the water on standing. This was found to be of the following composition: Composition of dried precipitate in water from Stanley mine. Ferric oxide 53. 57 Aluminic oxide 2. 87 Silica 10.85 Sulphurous anhydride ■ 11. 46 Water 21.14 99.89 This is evidently a hydrated basic sulphate of iron. The water filtered from the precipitate had the following composition: CoTnposition of water filtered from precipitate in water from Stanley mine. Parts per thousand. Silica 0.0438 Sodium chloride - 1340 Sodium sulphate ' 3117 Potassium sulphate 1555 Aluminum 0198 Zinc sulphate 1224 Manganous sulphate 4271 Magnesium sulphate 4675 Calcium sulphate. - 6363 Ferric sulphate 6064 Ferrous sulphate 0094 Copper sulphate 1947 1 Ferric sulphate in mining waters and its action on metals: Proc. Colorado Sci. Soc, vol. 6, 1897-1900, pp. 46-55. 360 STREAM POLLUTIOISr BY MINE WATERS. The corrosive action of the water is ascribed to the presence of copper sulphate, and its solvent power for copper to the ferric sulphate that is present. Free sulphuric acid was not found, although the water was distinctly acid. Experimsnts were tried on finely divided metals with a solution of ferric sulphate and it was found that copper, silver, antimony, and bismuth readily dissolved, while lead and gold were not acted upon. In some experiments with ferric chloride solu- tion on the metals, it was found that lead, copper, bismuth, antimony, and to some extent silver, were dissolved. The reactions involved are represented by the following equations: Cu + Fe^CSO J 3 = CuSO, + 2FeS0, Ag, + Fe(SO J3 = Ag.SO, + 2FeS0, Pb + FePe = PbCl, + 2FeCl2 2Bi + SFe^Cle = 2BiCl3 + GFeCl,^ The results of practical experiments on a large scale with iron pipe and lead-lined pipe showed these to be worthless. Wooden pipe lasted over a year. Copper pipe, containing a very small amount of zinc, in a short time gave way at the joints. Gutta-percha pipe was found to be too soft. Bronze had been in place for two years with good results, and it was predicted that aluminum bronze would last still better. In a discussion of this paper E. R, Kir by stated that wrought-iron pipe with wooden lining had been successfully used at Buel mine at Central City. Philip Argall quoted the analysis of water from Ballygahan mine, Wicklow, by G. A. Kinahan, as follows: Analysis of water from Ballygahan mine. Parts per thousand. Ferrous oxide 0. 8181 Ferric oxide 0430 Copper oxide 0932 Manganous oxide , . . . 0230 ZLqc oxide 0130 Sulphuric acid 6. 3426 7. 3319 Mr. Argall states the standard practice in the Wicklow mines is to line cast-iron pipes with one-half inch soft pine strips. The suc- tion pipes are of hard wood and the plungers and valves of bronze. Ernest Le Neve Foster stated that in the Saratoga mine, Russell Gulch, the best results had been obtained by the use of a Cornish pump with clack seats and clacks made of bronze, and all other parts, including the standpipe, made of cast iron. This installation, after 20 months, showed little corrosive action of the water. The ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 361 most complete analysis of the water from this mine at hand showed the following composition : Analysis of water from Saratoga mine. Grains per U. S. gallon. Calcium sulphate 1, 763 Magnesium sulphate 353 Sodium chloride i .59 Iron sulphate 1, 379 Free sulphuric acid 3. 20 Sand 696 Volatile organic matter 5. 49 An interesting point in this connection is that the action of mine water dripping on iron is much more severe than when the iron is immersed in it, so that a series of drops of water falling on a 12-pound T-rail will cut it in two in the course of three weeks. Cast iron seems to withstand corrosive action very much better than wrought iron. A low temperature of the mine water, and the use of com- pressed air rather than steam for power, tend to prevent the action of the corrosive mine water on the metallic parts. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. This contribution to our knowledge of mine waters is made with the hope that it may lead to further investigation in these lines. Some of the problems that need solution have been suggested. What is the best material for pipes and pumps? What is the effect upon the quality of water of mixing ordinary waters with polluted mine waters ? If such metals as lead and zinc are precipitated, in what stage of the flow of the water does this take place, and what class of waters do this most completely? Other questions that need investigation are: How can mine waters be utihzed ? Is it possible to recover zinc or any valuable metals from these waters ? What is the effect of mme waters, as far as purification is concerned, on the sewage of cities? Can a water be made fit for city supply after being once polluted with the mine drainage ? Is the use of water containing a small quantity of zinc sulphate detrimental to health, and if so, is there a practical method by which it may be removed? Some of these topics have already been taken up as part of the work of the United States Geological Survey in other portions of the country, but much remains to be done. For assistance, in making the analyses quoted, the writer is mdebted to Messrs. Frank Gephart, H. L. Johnson, W. F. Wheeler, and E. A. White. For many courtesies extended, thanks are also due to Mr. C. G. Waring, of Webb City, Mo., and to Manager T. J. Vest, of Galena, Kans. INDEX. A. Page. Abbyville, well water at, analysis of 165 Abilene, Abilene Creek at, water of, assay of. 204 city water at, analysis and assay of 78 Abilene Creek, water of, assay of 204 Acid mine water, effect of, on fish 358-359 Acid waters, character of 21 origin of ^1, 350 Acknowledgments to those aiding 12 Adams, G. I., report of 153 Albert, well water at, analysis of 56 Alden, well water at, assays of 279 Alkaline waters, character of 21 Allen County, well water in, character of 50-51 Alluvium, description of 38-39 Alma, Mill Creek at, water of, analyses and assays of 205, 207 well water at, assays of 195 Altitudes in Kansas, range of 22 Alton, well water at, analysis of 152 Aluminum, data on 17 Analyses, methods of 15, 20 results of. See tables. Anderson County, well water in, character of. 52 Anthony, Bluff Creek at, water of, analyses of. 282 well water at, analyses and assays of 107 Appanoose Creek, water of, assays of 264 Arcadia, Cox Creek at, water of, assays of 205 well water at, analyses and assays of 74 Areola, well water at, analysis of 86 Argentine, Kansas River at, water of, analy- ses of 207-208 well water at, analyses and assays of 201 Argonia, Chikaskia River at, water of, analy- ses of - 282. 304 Chikaskia River at, water of, turbidity of. 305 well water at, assays of 192 Arikaree Fork, water of, analysis of 206 Arikaree River, water of, analyses of 206 Arkalon, well water at, analysis of 183 Arkansas City, Arkansas River at, monthly discharge of 274 Arkansas River at, water of, analyses of. . 287 turbidity of 288 well water at, analyses and assays of 72 Arkansas River, description of 269-273 monthly discharge of 273-274 tributaries of 273, 278-282 water of, analyses of 281-282, 283, 285, 287 assays of 278-280 quality of 275-278 turbidity of 284, 286, 288 Arkansas River drainage basin, description of 269-349 Arlington, well water at, analysis of 165 Page. Armourdale, well water at, analyses of 201,208 Artesian water, occurrence of 39-40 of Meade area, description of 40-43 of Dickinson County, description of 43 from the Ozark dome, description of 43-45 Arvonia, Cole Creek near, water of, assay of. . 263 Ashland, well water at, assays of 67 Atchison County, well water in, character of. 52 Atchison, Missouri River at, water of, analyst of 211 well water at, analyses and assays of 52 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, as- sistance of 13, 53, 56, 61, 62, 67, 69, 71, 72, 74, 78, 81, 83, 86, 89,92-93, 94,97, 100, 104, 107, 109, 111, 117, 120, 125, 128, 133, 145, 150, 155-156, 169, 175, 178, 180, 181, 184, 189, 191, 201, 206-208, 211, 281,282, 334 Attica, well water at, analyses of 107 Atwood, well water at, assays of 163 Augusta, Walnut River at, water of, assays of. 280 well water at, analyses of 61 B. Bachelor Creek, water of, assay of 333 Bacillus coll, tests for 12 Badger, mine water from, analysis of 351 mine water from, sulphate content of 353 Bailey, E. H. S., on stream pollution 349-361 work of 12, 52, 56, 63, 74, 86, 95, 140, 142, 199, 200, 206-207, 268, 269, 283-288, 297, 302 Baldwin, well water at, assay of 81 Ballygahan mine, water from, analysis of 360 water from, effect of on metal 361 Barber County, well water in, character of... 53 Barber, M. A., work of 12 Barnard, well water at, analysis of 125 Barr, W. M., work of 210 Bartlesville, Okla., Verdigris River at, water of, analysis of 316 Bartlett, well water at, assays of 123 Barton County, well water in, character of. . 53-57 wells in, locations of 54 Bartow, Edward , work of 13, 51, 52, 59,62, 64, 65, 70, 74, 81, 103, 126, 128, 129, 133, 142, 145, 150, 200, 205, 263, 264-265, 346-347 Baxter Springs, mine water from, analyses of 351-353 mine water from, sulphate content of 354 Spring Creek at, water of, assay of 347 well water at, analysis and assays of 64 Bear Creek, description of 288-289 water of, assay of 280 Bear Creek Valley wells, water of, assays of. . 118 Beaver Creek, water of, assays of ' 204 363 364 INDEX, Page. Becker, C. L., work of 13 Bee Creek, water of, analysis of 316 Belle Plaine, Ninnescah River at, water of, analyses and assays of 281,282 well water at, analyses and assays of. . . 191-192 Belleville, pond at, water of, analysis of 206 well water at, assay of 167 Belmont, well water at, analysis of 120 Beloit, Solomon River at, monthly discharge of 224 Solomon River at, water of, analyses of. . 227 water of, turbidity of 228 well water at, assay of 140 Belpre, well water at, analysis of 83 Bendena, well water at, analysis of 80 Benedict, Verdigris River at, water of, analy- sis of 316 Benkelman, Arikaree River at, water of, an- alysis of 206 Benton group of rocks, description of 28 Berry, J. B., work of 13 Berryman, J. W., work of 13 Beverly, Saline River at, monthly discharge of 220 Bicarbonates, data on 19 Big Blue River, description of 249-250 monthly discharge of 251 tributaries of 249-250 water of, analyses of 206, 252 assays of 205 quality of 251 turbidity of 253 Big Blue "series," description of 24 Big Bull Creek, water of, assays of 264 Big Creek, Coffey County, water of, assay of. 333 Big Creek, Ellis County, water of, analyses of. 206 water of , assays of 204 Big John Creek, water of, assay of 332 Big Mule Creek, description of 299 water of, assay of 280 quality of 300 Big Soldier Creek, water of, assay of 205 water of, quality of 248 Big Stranger Creek, water of, analysis of ~ 207 water of, assay of 205 quality of 249 Big Sugar Creek, water of, assay of 265 Bird, W. A. S., work of 13 Bison, well water at, analysis of 175 Black Vermilion River, water of, assay of 205 Blakeman, well water at, analysis of 163 Blue Rapids, Big Blue River at, water of, assay of 205 well water at, analysis and assay of 135 Bluff Creek, water of, analyses of 282 water of, assay of 280 Boicourt, Osage River at, water of, analyses of . 261 Osage River at, water of, turbidity of 263 Sugar Creek near, water of, analyses of. . . 265 well water of, assays of 120 Bourbon County, well water in, character of. 58-59 Bradaock, well water at, analysis of 109 Breese, E,. A.M., work of 115,130 Brewster, well water at, anals'sis of 193 Brown County, well water in, character of. . . 59-60 Bro^ATiell, well water at, analysis of 148 Brush Creek, water of, assays of 347 Page. Buckeye Creek, water of, assay of 333 Bucklin, well water at, analyses of 92 Buckner Creek, water of, assay of 279 Buck Run, water of, assay of 265 Bull Creek, water of, analyses of 265 water of, assays of 264 Bunker Hill, well water at, assays of 177 Burdett, well water at, analysis of 155 Burlingame, Dragoon Creek at, water of, an- alysis of 266 HooverCreek near, waterof, assays of 264 well water at, analyses and assays of 150 Burlington, Neosho River at, water of, anal- ysis of 334 well water of, assays of 333 assays of 70 Burr Oak, well water at, analysis and assay of 115 Bushong, F. W., work of 12, 56, 72, 81, 86, 102, 142, 165, 178, 204, 206, 211, 217, 227, 235, 236, 241, 245, 252, 256, 261,268, 281 , 283-285, 287, 296, 302, 304,- 310, 319 Bushong, pond at, water of, analysis of 334 Bushton, well water at, analysis of 169 Butler County, well water in, character of. .. 60, 61 Calcium, data on 18 Caldwell, Bluff Creek at, water of, assay of — 280 well water at, analysis and assays of. . 191, 192 Calvert, T. E., work of 13 Cambridge, creek at, water of, analysis of 282 Caney, Caney Creek at, water of, analysis of. . 316 Caney Creek at, assays of 317 Caney Creek, water of, analyses of 316 water of, assays of 317 Caney River, description of 322 water of, analyses of 316 assays of 317 quality of 322 Canon City, Colo., Arkansas River at, water of, assays of 278 Canton, well water at, analysis of 130 Canville Creek, water of, assay of 333 Carbonates, data on 19 Carbon dioxide, data on 16 Carboniferous system, description of 23 Carthage, water of, city supply, analysis of. 351-353 Castle Hill Creek, water of, assay of 204 Cavalry Creek, water of, assay of 280 Cawker, Solomon River at, water of, assays of 204 well water at, assay of 140 Cedar Bluffs, Beaver Creek at, water of, as- saj's of 205 well water at, assay of 77 Cedar Creek, water of, assay of 205 water of, quality of 249 Cedarvale, Caney River at, water of, assay of 317 Cedar Creek at, water of, assays of 317 well water at, assays of 63 Cenozoic rocks, description of 30-39 Center Creek, water of, analysis of 351 water of, sulphate content of 353 Chanute, Neosho River at, water of, analysis of 334 Neosho River at, water of, assays of 333 Village Creek at, assay of 333 well water at, assay of 145 INDEX. 365 Page. Chapman, well water of, analysis and assays of 78 Chapman Creek, water of, assay of 204 Chautauqua County, well water in, character of r)2-63 Chautauqua Springs, well water at, analysis of 63 Chase County, well water in, character of 61-62 Chauvinet & Bro., analysis by 169 Chemical equivalents of radicles, table of 21 Cheney, well water at, analysis of 181 Cherokee, well water at, analyses and assays of 74 Cherokee County, well water in, character of. 63-65 Cherry Creek, water of, assays of 263, 333 Cherryvale, pond at, water of, analysis of 316 Chetopa, Labette Creek near, water of, assay of 333 Neosho River at, assay of 333 well water at, assay of 123 Cheyenne County, well water in, character of. 65-66 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, as- sistance of 13, 66, 69, 74, 149, 159, 163, 167, 197, 206 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, as- sistance of 13, 60, 67, 68, 69, 74, 78, 80, 92, 94, 107, 115, 122, 130, 133, 137, 142, 144, 149, 159, 161, 165, 166, 167, 171, 178, 181, 183, 184, 185, 186, 188, 191, 193, 195,201,207-208,281-282,334 Chico Spring, mine water from, analysis of. 351-353 mine water from, sulphate content of 353 Chikaskia River, description of 303 water of, analyses of 282, 304 quality of 303 turbidity of 305 Chisholm Creek, water of, assay of 279 Chism Creek , water of, analysis of 206 Chlorides, data on 19-20 Church, W. D., analyses by 155 Cimarron, well water of, analyses and assays of 100 Cimarron River, description of 305-311 tributaries of 307 valley, irrigation in 308 water of, analyses of 310 quaUty of 309 turbidity of 311 Cimarron " series, " description of 24 Citnarron Valley, irrigation project, account of 308 Cities, water supply of, consideration of 10 Clark County, well water in, character of 66-67 Clarks Creek, water of, quaUty of 248 Classification of waters 20-21 Clay Center, well water of, analysis and assay of 68 Clay County, well water in, character of 68 Clear Creek, water of, assay of 332 Clearwater, well water of, analyses of 181 Clements, well water of, analyses of 62, 334 Clever Creek , water of, assay of 265 Clifton, well water of, analysis and assay of. . 68 Cloud County, well water in, character of 68-70 Clyde, well water at, analyses and assays of. . 69 Coal Creek, water of, analyses of 334 water of, assay of 333 Coal-mine waters, analyses of 358 sulphate content of 358 Page. Cockins, W. W., jr., work of 13,13& Coffey County, well water in, character of 70 Cofleyville, assistance by 13 Verdigris River at, water of, analyses of. 314^315 water of, turbidity of 315- well water at, analysis of 141 Colby, well water at, analysis and assay of. . . 193 Coldwater, well water at, assays of 71 Cole Creek, water of, assay of 263 Collins, W. D. , work of 210 Collyer, well water at, analysis of 194 Columbus, Brush Creek at, water of, assay of. 347 well water at, analysis and assays of 64 Comanche County, well water in, character of. 70-71 Comanche series, description of 25 Concordia, well water at, analyses and assays of 69 Conway, well water at, analysis of 130 Conway Springs, city water at, assays of 192' CooUdge, Arkansas River at, monthly dis- charge of 273 well water at, analyses of 104 assays of 105- Cooperation, plan of 12 Coronado, well water at, analysis of 199 Coryville, well water at, analysis of 199 Cottonwood Falls, well water of, analysis and assays of 62 Cottonwood River, description of 33& water of, analyses of .• 334, 337 assays of 332-333 quality of 335-336 turbidity of 337-338 Council Grove: Big John Creek at, water of, assay of 332 Elm Creek at, water of, assay of 332 Four Mile Creek at, water of, assay of 332 Neoshi River at, water of, analyses of 334 assay of 332 Slough Creek at, water of, assay of 332 well water at, assays of 142 Cow Creek, Crawford County, water of, assay of 346 Cow Creek, Reno County, description of 291 water of, analysis of 281 assays of 279 quality of 292 Cowley County, well water in, character of. . 71-72 Cox Creek, water of, assay of 26& Crawford County, well water in, character of. . 73-75 Crenothrix, in water supphes, effect of 16, 17 Cretaceous system, character of 25-30 Crooked Creek, water of, assay of 33S Crumbine, S. J., work of 12 Cunningham, well water at, analysis of 120 Curry, J. E., work of 207 D. Dakota sandstone, character of 25-27 distribution of 25-27 water supplies of 27-28 Davies, H. E., work of 199 Dearborn Chemical Co., work of 74, 81, 86 Dearborn Laboratories Co., analyses by... 197,206' Dearing, Onion Creek at, water of, assay of. . 317 Deratur County, well water ao, character of. . 76 Deer Creek, AUen County, water of,- assay of. . 333 366 INDEX. Page. Peer Creek, Chautauqua County, water of, as- say of 317 Deer Creek, Phillips County, water of, assay of 204 Deerfleld, Arkansas River at, water of, analy- ses of 283 Arkansas River at, water of, turbidity of. 284 well water of, analysis and assay of 117 De Graff, Walnut Creek at, water of, analy- sis of 281 Pelaware River, description of 254 water of, analyses of 207, 256 quality of 254 turbidity of 257 Denver & Rio Grande R. R., work of. 281 De.xter, Grouse Creek at, water of, analysis of 281 Diamond Creek, water of, assay of 333 Dickinson County, artesian water of, charac- ter of 43 well water in, character of 77-79 Dighton, well water at, assays of 124 Disease, relation of, to water supply 9 Dissolved matter, data on 14-20 Dodge, Arkansas River at, monthly discharge of 274 Arkansas River at, water of, analysis of. . 281 water of, assay of , 279 Duck Creek near, water of, analyses of. . . 281 well water at, analyses and assays of 92-94 Dole, R. B., work of 210 Doniphan County, well waterin, character of . 80 Dorrance, well water at, analysis of 176 Douglas, well water at, analysis of 61 Douglas County, well water in, character of. 80-81 Do-\\Tis, well water at, analysis and assay of. . . 152 Doyle Creek, water of, analysis of 334 water of, assays of 333 Dragoon Creek, water of, analyses of 266 water of, assays of 263-264 Drainage, general features of, description of. . 202 Drift, description of 35-36 Dry Wood Creek, water of, assay of 205 Duck Creek, Chase County, water of, analysis of 316 Duck Creek, Ford County, water of, analyses of.. 281 Duck Creek, Lyon County, water of, assay of. 263 Dudley, E., on water of Morton County 144 Dunlap, Rock Creek at, water of, assay of 332 well water of, assay of 1 42 Durham, well water at, analyses of 133 Dutch Creek, water of, assay of 280 D wight, well water at, analyses of 142 E. East Emma Creek, water of, assaj's of . . 279 Edgerton, well water at, analyses of 266 Edwards County, well wa er a , character of. 82-83 EdwardsviUe, well water at, analysis of 201 Eight Mile Creek, water of, assay of 264 Eldorado, Walnut River at, water of, assay of. 280 well water at, analysis and assays of 61 Elevations in Kansas, range of 22 Elgin, Caney River at, water of analysis of. . 316 .pik, Caney River at, water of, analyses of. . . 316 Caney River at, water of, assays of 317 well water at, assays of 141 Elk County, well water in, character of 84 Elk Creek, Jackson County, water of, analy- ses of 207 water of, assays of 205 Elk Creek, Neosho County, water of, assay of. 333 Elk River, description of 321 water of, analyses of 316 assays of 317 quality of 321 EUinwood, well water at, analysis of 56 Ellis, Big Creek at, water of, analysis of 206 well water at, assays of 85 Ellis County, well water in, character of . . . . 84-85 Ellsworth, Smoky Hill River at, monthly discharge of 215 Smoky Hill River at, water of, analyses of 206 water of, assays of 204 well water at, analyses and assays of 86 Ellsworth County, well water in, character of. 85-86 Elm Creek, Allen County, water of, assays of 332-333 Elm Creek, Harper County, water of, analy- sis of 281 Elm Creek,. Lynn County, water of, analyses of 266 water of, assays of 263, 265 Elm Creek, Norton County, water of, analy- ses of 206 Elmdale, Diamond Creek near, water of, assay of 333 well water at, analysis and assays of 62 Emma Creek, water of, assays of 279 Empire, Short' Creek at, waterof, assay of 347 Spring River, assay of 347 Turkey Creek, assay of 346 well water at, analysis and assays of 64 Empire nlining district, stream water of, character of 349 Emporia, Neosho River at, water of, analy- ses of , 327-328, 332, 334 Neosho River at, water of, turbidity of. 328-329 well water at, analyses and assays of. . . 128 Englewood, Cimarron River at, water of, analyses of 310 Cimarron River at, water of, turbidity of. 311 well water at, analysis and assays of 67 Enterprise, well water at, analysis and assay of 78 Equus beds, description of 34-35 Erie, well water at, analysis and assays of 145 Eureka, Fall River at, water of, assays of 317 well water at, assay of 102 Eyer, B. P., work of 13 F. Failyers, G. H., work of 64,115,130 Fall Creek, water of, assay of 280 Fall River, description of 317 water of, analyses of 316, 319 assays of 317 quality of 318 turl:^dity of 320-321 Fall River, Fall River at, water of, turbidity of 320 Falls City, Nebr., Nemaha River at, water of, assay of 205 INDEX. 367 Page. Fancy Creek, water of, assay of 205 Fanning, Wolf Creek at, water of, assay of. . 205 Fay, well water at, analysis of 176 Finney County, well water in, character of. . 87-90 Fish, effect of mine water on 358 Fish Creek, water of, assay of 265 Flat Rock Creek, water of, assaj's of 333 Flint Hills, description of 22 Florence Cottonwood River at, water of, assay of 332 Doyle Creek at, water of, analyses and assays of 333, 334 Spring Creek, water of, analyses of 334 well water at, analyses and assays of ... . 133 riow of streams, direction of 22 Ford County, well water in, character of 91-94 Fort Hays limestone, description of 29 Fort Scott, assistance by 13 Marmaton River at, water of, analyses of. 268 water of, turbidity of 269 Mill Creek at, water of, assay of 265 Rock Creek near, water of, assay of 265 well water at, analyses of 58 assays of 59 Four Mile Creek, water of, assay of 332 Fowler, well water at, assays of 137-138 Frankfort, Vermillion Creek at, water of, assay of 205 well water at, assay of 135 Franklin, E.G., work of 63 Franklin County, well water in, character of. . 95 Fredonia, Fall River at, water of, analyses of 316 Fall River at, water of, assay of 317 well water at, analyses of 199 Frontenac, well water at, analyses and assays of 74 Fulton, Clever Creek at, water of, assay of. . . 265 Fish Creek at, water of, assay of 265 Little Osage River at, water of, assay of. . 265 well water near, assays of 59 G. Galena,, mine water from, analyses and sul- phate content of 351-353 Shoal Creek at, water of, assay of 347 Short Creek at, water of, assay of 347 spring water at, analysis of 74 Galena mining district, location of 349 Galva, well water at, analysis of 130 Garden, well water at, analyses of 89 well water at, assays of 90 Garland, Buck Run near, water of, assays of. . 265 well water at, assays of 59 Garnett, Cedar Creek at, water of, assay of. . . 264 city water at, analyses of 266 North Pottawatomie Creek, water of, assay of 264 well water at, assays of 52 Gaseous impurities of water, origin of 14 Gaylord, Beaver Creek at, water of, assay of 204 well water at, assay of 188 Geary County, well water in, character of 95-96 Genesee, pond at, water of, analysis of 281 Geology, outline of 23-49 Gephart, F., assistance of 361 Page. Geuda Springs, Slate Creek at, water of, assays of 280 Girard, Cow Creek at, water of, assays of 346 well water at, analyses and assays of 74 Glenloch, lanthp Creek near, water of, assay of 264 North Pottawatomie Creek near, water of, analysis of 266 Goddard, well water at, analysis of. 181 Goodland, well water at, analysis of 186 well water at, assays of 187 Gorham, well water at, analysis of 176 Gove, Castle Hill Creek at, water of, assay of. . 204 well water at, assay of 97 Gove County, well water in, character of 96-97 Graham County, well water in, character of. . 97-98 Grainfleld , well water at, assays of 97 Grant County, well water in, character of 98-99 Gray, C. R., work of 13,2,59 Gray County, well water in, character of 99-100 Great Bend, Arkansas River at, water of, analyses of 285 Arkansas River at, water of, turbidity of. 286 Walnut Creek at, water of, analysis of 281 assay of. ._ 279 well at, record of 54 weU water at, analysis of 56 assays of 57 Greeley, Pottawatomie Creek near, water of, assays of 264 well water at, assays of 52 Greeley County, well water in, character of. 101-102 Greenleaf, city water at, assays of 198 well water at, analysis of , 197 Greensburg, well water at, analyses and assays of 122 Greenwood County, well water in, character of - 102 Grinnell, well water at, analysis of 97 Ground water, direction of flow of 33 occurrence of 23-49 quality of 50-201 Grouse Creek, description of 298 water of, analysis of 281 assays of 280 Groveland, well water at, analysis of 130 Guilford, Verdigris River at, water of, analy- sis of 316 Gumbo, description of 36 Gypsum Creek, water of, analyses of 206 water of, assay of . 204 Gypsum deposits, descriptions of 49 H. Hackberry Creek, water of, assay of. . — 333 Haddam, well water at, analysis of 197 HafEey,C. J.,reportof 138 Hallowell, well water at, assay of 64 Halstead, Little Arkansas River at, water of, assay of 279 well water at, analysis and assays of 109 Hamilton County, well water in, character of 103-105 Hanover, well water at, assays of 198, 205 Hard water, mineral content of 15 Harding, Little Osaee River at, water of, analyses of. 266 Hardness, standard of 20 368 INDEX. Page. Hardpan, desfription of 36 Harlan, well water at, analysis of 188 Plarmon, George, work of 255 Harper, well water at, assays of 107 Harper County, well water in, character of. 106-107 Harriman, N. F., work of 13 Harris, well water at, assay of 52 Hart, C. G., work of 255 Harvey County, weU water in, character of. . 108 Harveyville, Dragoon Creek at, water of, analysis of 260 Haskell County, weU water in, character of. . 110 Havana, Bee Creek at, water of, analysis of. . 316 Haworth, Erasmus, work of 13, 32, 40, 157, 260 Hays, well water at, assays of -. 85 Health, relation of, to water supply 9 Healy, well water at, analysis of 124 Helwig, O. L., work of 13 Herington, I>une Creek at, water of, analyses of 206 Lime Creek at, water of, assays of 204 well water at, analyses of 78 assays of 79 Herndon, well water at, analysis of 163 Hiawatha, well water at, assays of 60 Hill, well water at, assays of 98 Hoad, W. C, work of 12 Hodgeman County, well water in, character of. 110 Hoisington, well water at, analysis of _. 56 well water at, assays of 56-57 HoUiday, Mill Creek at, water of , assay of 205 Kansas River at, water of, analyses of 207, 243-245 water of, turbidity of 247 Hoi ton. Elk Creek at, water of, analysis of. . . 207 Elk Creek at, water of, assays of 205 well water at, analyses and assays of 112 Holyrood, weU water at, analysis of 86 Hoover Creek, water of, assays of 264 Horace, well water at, assays of 102 Horton, creek at, water of, analysis of 207 Little Delaware River, water of, assay of. 205 well water at, analyses and assays of . . . . CO Howard, Elk River at, water of, assays of. . . 317 Rock Creek at, water of, analysis of 316 Hoxie, well water at, assays of ■ 185 Hull, E. S., work of 74 Humboldt, Coal Creek at, water of, analysis of. 334 Coal Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Owl Creek, water at, assay of 333 Hushpuckney Creek, water of, assay of 2G5 Hutchinson, Arkansas River at, monthly dis- charge of 274 Cow Creek at, water of, analyses of 281 assays of 279 well water at, analyses of 165 a^ssays of 166 Hutchinson, W. E., work of. . . . 13, 143, 189, 190,307 I. Impurities of water, classification of 14 Independence, Elk R iver at, water of, analysis of ,.. 316 Elk River at, water of, assay of 317 Verdigris River at, analysis of 310 weU water at, analysis of 141 Page. Tola, Elm Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Neosho River at, monthly discharge of.. 324 water of, analysis of 334 Rock Creek at, water of, assay of 333 well water at, analysis of '. 51 assays of 51 Iron, data on 17 J. Jackson County, well water in, character of.. 112 Jacobs, Lyons Creek at, water of, analysis of. 206 Jamestown, well water at, analysis of 69 Jefferson County, well water in, character of. 113 Jennings, well water at, analysis and assay of. 77 Jetmore, Buckner Creek at, water of, assay of. 279 well water at, analyses of : HI assay of 112 Jewell County, well water in, character oL. 113-115 Johnson, H. L., assistance of 361 Johnson County, well water in, character of.. 115 Johnston, well water at, analysis of 191 Jones, J. W. , on mine waters 359 Joplin district, location of 349 Junction, assistance by 13 Republican River at, monthly discharge of 231 water of, analyses of 233 quality of 232 turbidity of 234 well water at, analyses and assay of 96 K. Kanona, well water at, assay of 77 Kanorado, well water at, analysis of 186 Kansas City, Missouri River at, monthly dis- charge of 203 Missouri River at, water of, analysis of... 211 well water at, analyses of 201, 208, 209-210 Kansas City, Mo., Missouri River at, water of, analyses of 211 Kansas River, description of 238-240 monthly discharge of 240, 241 tributaries of 239, 248-24& water of, analyses of 207-208, 243-245 quality of 241-242 turbidity of 246-247 Kansas River drainage system, description of 212-257 Kansas Sanitary League, assistance of 13 Kansas State Board of Health, cooperation of 12 Kansas Water, Gas & Electric Association, assistance of 13 Kaw River. See Kansas River. Kearny County, well water in, character^.. of lii>-118 Kedzil, W. R., work of 51 Kendall, well water at, analyses of 104 Kennicott Water Softener Co., assistance of. . 13,. 56, 69, 78, 96, 112, 113, 120, 130, 133, 147, 165, 171,178,181,184,195,201,208,211, 281, 334 Kensington, well water at, analysis of 188 Kingman, Ninnescah River at, assay of 279 well water at, analysis and assays of 120 Kingman County, well water in, character of 119-120 INDEX. 369 Page. Kinsley, well water at, analyses and assays of 83 Kiowa, Medicine Lodge River at, monthly discharge of 301 Medicine Lodge River at, water of, analy- ses of 302 water of, turbidity of 303 well water at, analyses and assay of 53 Kiowa County, well water in, character of. 121-122 Kiowa Creek, water of, assay of 280 Kirwin, Deer Creek at, assay of 204 well water at, analysis and assays of 159 Knerr, E. B., work of 52,64 L. Labette County, well water in, character of. . 123 Labette Creek, water of, assays of 333 Lacrosse, well water at, analysis and assays of. 175 Lacygne, Elm Creek near, water of, assay of. 265 Hushpushney Creek near, water of, as- say of 265 Middle Creek, water of, assay of 265 Osage River, water of, assay of 264 Sugar Creek, water of, assay of 265 well water at, assays of 126 Ladder Creek, water of, assay of 204 La Harpe, Elm Creek at, water of, assay of. . . 333 well water near, assay of 51 Lakeview, lake at, water of, assay of 205 Martin Creek at, water of, assay of 205 well water at, assay of 81 Lakin, well water at, analyses of 117 well water at, assays of 118 Lamb, W. A., work of 278-279 Lane County, well water in, character of. . . 123-124 Lansing, Missouri River at, water of, analy- sis of 211 Lamed, Pawnee Creek at, water of, analyses of 281 Pawnee Creek at, water of, assays of 279 well water at, analyses of 155-156 assays of 156 Lawrence, Kansas River at, monthly dis- charge of 240 Kansas River at, water of, analyses of 207 water of, turbidity of 247 Wakarusa Creek at, water of, assay of. .. 205 Washington Creek at, water of,, assay of. 205 well water at, analyses of 81 assay of 81 Leavenworth, Missouri River at, water of, analyses of 211 Three Mile Creek, water of, assay of 205 well water at, analyses and assays of 125 Leavenworth County, well water in, character of 124-125 Leb' ion, well water at, analysis of 188 Lecompton, Kansas River at, gage heighus of. 246 Kansas River at, monthly discharge of. . 241 Lenora, Elm Creek at, water of, analysis of. . '206 Leoti, well water at, assays of 199 Leroy, Big Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Crooked Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Long Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Neosho River at, water of, analysis of... 334 Turkey Creek at, water of, assay of 333 well water at, assay of 70 77836°— wsp 273—11 24 Page. Liberal, well water at, analysis and assays of. . . 183 Liberty, Verdigris River at, monthly dis- charge of ■ 313 Lightning Creek, water of, assays of 333 Lime Creek, water of, analyses of 206 water of, assay of 204 Lincoln, well water at, assays of 125 Lincoln County, well water in, character of. . 125 Lindsborg, Smoky Hill River at, water of, analyses of 217 Smoky Hill River at, water of, turbid- ity of 218 Linn County, well water in, character of 126 Linwood, Big Stranger Creek at, water of, analyses of 207 water of, assays of 205 Little Arkansas River, description of 292 water of, analysis of 281 assays of 279 quality of 292 Little Blue River, water of, assays of 205 water of, quality of 253 Little Bull Creek, water of, assay of 264 Little Cow Creek, water of, assay of 346 water of, pollution of 347 Little Delaware River, water of, assay of 205 Little Labette Creek, water of, assays of 333 Little Osage River, water of, analysis of 266 water of, assay of 265 Little Sugar Creek, water of, assay of 265 Loess, description of •. 36-37 Logan, well water at, analysis of 159 Logan County, well water in, character of. . . 126-127 Lomax, Osage River near, water of, assay of. . 263 Salt Creek, water of, analysis of 266 Long Creek, Coffey County, water of, assay of. 333 Long Creek, Osage County, water of, assay of. 263 Long Island, Prairie Dog Creek at, water of, analyses of 236 Prairie Dog Creek at, water of, turbidity of 237 well water at, analysis of * Lowell, mine water from, analysis and sul- phate content of 351-353 well water at, assays of 64 Lower Cretaceous series, description of 25 Lucas, well water at, assay of 177 Wolf Creek at, water of, assay of 204 Lula Brook, water of, assay of 332 Lyon County, well water in, character of 128 Lyons, well water of, analyses and assays of. 169 Lyons Creek, water of, analyses of 206 water of, assay of 204 M. McCoUum, E., work of 74 McDaniel, J., work of 320 McDonald, well water at, analysis of 163 McFarland, Mill Creek at, water of, analysis of. 207 well water at, analysis of 195 McFarland, D. F., work of 95, 140 McPherson, well water at, analyses of 130 McPherson County, well water in, character of 128 -131 Maddox, C. S., work of 13 Madison, Verdigris River t, water of, analy- sis of 316 well water of, analysis of 102 370 INDEX, Page. Magnesium, data on 18 Manchester, pond at, water of, analyses of 206 Manhattan, assistance by 14 Big*Blue River at, monthly discharge of. 251 water of, analyses of 206, 252 turbidity of 253 well water of, analyses and assay of 171 Wild Cat Creek near, water of, assay of. . 205 Mankato, well water of, analysis and assay of. 115 Marais des Cygnes River. See Osage River. Marion, Clear Creek at, water of, assay of 332 Cottonwood River at, water of , assays of . 332, 334 Lula Brook at, water of, assay of 332 Spring Branch at, water of, assay of 1.32 water of, analyses and assays of 133 Marion County, well water in, character of. . 132-133 Marmaton, Pawnee Creek near, water of, as- says of 265 "S ellow Paint Creek near, water of, assay of 265 well water at, assays of 59 Marmaton River, water of, analyses of 268 water of, assays of 265 turbidity of 269 Marquette, well water at, analysis and assays of 130-131 Marsh, M. C, on mine waters 358 Marshall County, well water in, character of 134-135 Martin Creek, water of, assay of 205 water of, quality of 248 Marvin, F. O., work of 12 Marysville, Spring Creek near, water of, assay of 205 well water at, assay of 135 Mastin, Big Blue River at, water of, analysis of 208 Meade, well water at, analysis and assays of. 137-138 Meade artesian area, description of 40-43 Meade County, well water in, character of. . 136-138 Meade salt well, water of, assay of 138 Medicine Lodge, Elm Creek at, water of, analysis of 281 Medicine Lodge River at, water of, assay of 280 well water at, assay of 53 Medicine Lodge River, monthly discharge of ; 300-301 tributaries 300 water of, analyses of 302 assay of 280 quality of 301 turbidity of 303 Medina, well water at, analysis of 113 Meeker, R. I., work o'f 278-279 Melvern, Long Creek near water of, assay of. 263 Osage River at, assay of 263 well water at, assay of . . .'. 150 Mesozoic rocks, description of 25-30 Metals, effect of mine waters on 359 Miami County, well water at, character of. 138-139 Middle Cow Creek, water of, assay of 346 Middle Creek, Chase County, water of, assay of 333 Middle Creek, Franklin County, water of, assay of 264 Mill Creek, Bourbon County, water of, analy- ses of 206, 207 Page. Mill Creek, water of, assay of 205 quality of 249, 253 Mill Creek, Wabaunsee County, water of, assays of 265 Miller, Elm Creek at, water of, analysis of 266 Miller, M., work of 13 Miltonvale, well water at, analysis of 69 Milwaukee, well water at, assay of ; . 153 Mine Creek, water of, assays of 265 Mine waters, effect of, on fish 358 effect of, on metals 359 from concentration mills, analyses of... 354-356 Mineral analyses of waters, objects and re- sults of 1.5-16 Mining, use of water in, description of 350 Minneapolis, Salt Creek at, water of, analysis of 206 Salt Creek near, water of, assay of 204 Minneola, well water at, analysis of 67 Mississippian series, description of 23 Missouri Pacific Railway , assistance of. . 13, 56, 68, 69, 72, 102, 115, 120, 124, 130, 135, 141, 148, 152, 156, 159, 167, 169, 172, 175, 180, 188, 189, 191, 197, 199, 206-208, 211, 281, 334 Missouri River, at Kansas City, monthly dis- charge of 203 jv^ater of, analyses of 209-210 discharge of 209-210 dissolved matter of 209-210 run-off of 209-10 suspended matter of 209-210 Missouri River, water of, analyses of 211 water of, quality of 203-212 Missouri River drainage basin, above Kansas City, description of 202-212 Mitchell County, well water in, character of. 139-140 Moline, pond at, water of, analysis of 316 Montgomery County, well water in, char- acter of 140-141 Montrose, well water at, analysis of 115 Morris County, well water in, character of. . 141-142 Morton County, well water in, character of. . 143 Morland, well water at, assay of 98 Mound Creek, water of, assay of 317 Mound Ridge, well water at, analyses of 130 Mud Creek, water of, assay of.. 205 water of, quality of 248 Muddy Creek, water of, assays of 264 Mulvane, well water at, analysis of 191 well water at, assays of 192 Murphy, E. C, on Fall River floods 317-318 Muscotah, Delaware River at, water of, analy- sis of 207 N. Narka, well water at, analysis of = . . . 167 Natoma, well water at, assays of ". 152 Nemaha County, well water in, character of. . 144 Nemaha River, water of, assays of 205 Neodesha, Fall River at, water of, analyses of 316,319 Fall River at, water of , assay s of 317 turbidity of 321 Neosho County, well water in, character of. . 145 Neosho Falls, Neosho River at, water of, analysis of 334 INDEX. 371 Page. Neosho Rapids, Neosho River at, gage heights of 328 Neosho River at, water of, analysis of. . . 334 Neosho River, description of 322-324 gage heights of 328 monthly discharge of 324 tributaries of 323, 332-347 water of, analyses of 327-328, 330, 334 assays of 332-333 quality of 325 turbidity of 326, 328-329, 331-332 Nesgatunga Creek, description of 299 water of, quality of 299 Ness, Sunset Lake at, water of, assay of 279 Walnut Creek at, water of, analysis of. . . 281 well water at, assays of 148 Ness County, well water in, character of. . . 145-148 Newman, A. L., work of 13 Newton, Emma Creek, water of, assay of 279 Sand Creek, water of, assay of 279 well water at, analyses of 109 Nicholson, James D., work of 13 Nickerson, well water at, analysis of 166 Niedler Ford, mine water from, analysis and sulphate content of 351-353 Niles, Saline River at, monthly discharge of. . 225 Nine Mile Creek, water of, assay of 205 water of, quality of 249 Ninnescah River, description o" 292-293 water of, analyses of 281 assays of 279 quality of 293 Niobrara formation, description of 28 Norcatur, well water at, analysis of 77 .North Ottawa, Osage River at, water of, analysis of 266 North Pottawatomie Creek, water of, analysis of : 266 water of, assay of 264 North Topeka, Big Soldier Creek at, water of, assay of 205 Norton, well water at, analyses and assays of. 149 Norton County, well water in, character of. . 149 O. Oakley, well water at, analysis and assays of. 127 Oberlin, Sappa Creek at, water of, analyses of. 235 well water at, analysis and assays of 77 Oil refineries, pollution of streams by, manner of .- 347 pollution of streams by, remedy for 348 Olathe, pond at, water of, analyses of 207 well water at, assays of 116 Olcott, well water at, analysis of 166 Omio, well water at, analysis of 115 Onion Creek, water of, assay of 317 Ordway, Colo., reservoir (Arkansas River), water of, analysis 281 Organic matter, data on 20 Osage, Salt Creek at, water of, analysis oi 266 Salt Creek near, water of, assay of 263 well water at, assay of 150 Osage County, well water in, character of 150 River, water of, analyses of 261, 266 water of, assays of 263-265 quality of 259-261 Page. River basin, description of 257-259 Osawatomie, Osage River near, water of, assays of 2G4 Pottawatomie Creek near, water of, assays of 264 well water at, assays of 139 Osborne, well water at, assay of 152 Osborne County, well water in, character of 150-152 Oswego, assistance by 14 Deer Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Hackberry Creek at, water of, assay of. . 333 Labette Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Neosho River at, water of, analyses of . . 330 water of, turbidity of 331-332 well water at, assays of 123 Ottawa, Appanoose Creek at, water of, assay of 264 Eight Mile Creek at, water of, assay of. . . 264 Middle Creek, water of, assay of 264 Muddy Creek, water of, assay of 264 Osage River at, gage heights of 262 water of, analyses of 266 turbidity of .' 262 well water at, assays of 95 Ottawa County, well water in, character of. . 153 Owl Creek, water of, assays of 333 Oxidation of minerals, by water, method of. . 350 Ozark Dome, artesian water from, character of 43-45 P. Padonia, Walnut Creek at, water of, assay of. . 205 Paleozoic rocks, description of 23 Palmer, Chase, work of 210 Paola, Bull Creek at, water of, assays of 264 Osage River near, water of, assays of 264 Ten Mile Creek at, water of, assays of 264 Walnut Creek at, water of, assay of 264 Wea Creek at, water of, assays of 264 well water at, assays of 139 Parker, H. N., work of 13,355 Parsons, Bachelor Creek at, water of, assay of. 333 Labette Creek, water of, assay of 333 well water at, assay of 128 Pawnee County, well water in, character of. 153-156 .Pawnee Creek, description of 289-290 water of, analysis of 281 assays of 265, 279 quality of 290 Peabody, Doyle Creek at, water of, analyses of 334 Doyle Creek at, water of, assays of 333 Spring Creek, water of, analysis of 334 well water at, analyses and assays of 133 Peck, well water at, analysis of 181 Pendennis, well water at, analysis of 124 Pennsylvania n series, description of 24 Peoria, Ottawa Creek at, water of, assay of. . 264 Permian series (?), description of 24-25 Perry, Delaware River at, water of, analyses of 207,256 Delaware River at, water of, turbidity of. 257 Perry, C. D.,work of :.. 13 Peru, Caney Creek at, water of, ^ssay of 317 Peru Junction, Caney Creek at, water of, assay of 317 372 INDEX. Page. Petroleum, pollution of streams by, manner of 347-348 PMUipsburg, well water at, analysis and assays of 159 Phillips County, well water in, character of. 157-159 PierceviUe, well water at, analyses of 89 Pierre shale, description of 29-30 Pipe Creek, water of, assay of 204 Piqua, well water at, analysis of 200 Pittsburg, Middle Cow Creek at, water of, assay of 346 well water at, analysis of 74 assays of 75 Plains, well water at, assay of 138 PlainvUle, well water at, assay of 173 Pleasanton, Mine Creek near, water of, assays of 265 well water at, assays of 126 Pleistocene system, character of 34-38 Plum Creek, water of, assays of 264 Pollution of streams — by oil refinery waste, manner of 347-348 Sadtler on 348 by mine waters, outline of S49-361 map showing 352 Popcorn Creek, water of, assay of 264 Porter, F. B., work of 52,199 Potassium, data on 18 Pottawatomie County, well water at, char- acter of 160 Powers, W. A., work of 13 Prairie Dog Creek, description of 235 water of, analyses of 235 \ quality of 236 turbidity of 237 Prairie View, well water at, analysis of 159 Pratt, Ninnescah River at, water of, analyses of "281 Ninnescah River at, water of, assays of. . 279 well water in, analyses and assays of 161 Pratt Coimty, well water in, character of. . 160-161 Protection, Bluff Creek at, water of, assay of. . 280 Cavalry Creek at, water of, assay of 280 Kiowa Creek at, water of, assay of 280 well water at, analyses and assays of 71 Pieramodon beds, description of 29 Public water supplies, considerations affect- ing ■ 10 Pneblo, Colo., Arkansas River at, water of, analysis of 281 Arkansas River at, water of, assay of 278 Purgatory River, water of, assays of 278 water of, quality of 273 Q. Qnality of water, deposits affecting, classifi- cation of 45-50 Quaternary deposits, description of 34-39 Quenemo, Osage River at, water of, analysis of 266 Osage River near, water of, assay of 263 well water at, assays of 150 . R. Bago, pond at, water of, analyses of 282 well water at, analyses of 120 Eaadolph, Fancy Creek at, water of, assay of. 205 well water at, assay of 171 Page. Rattlesnake Creek, description of 291 water of, assays of 279 quality of 291 Rawlins County, well water at, character of. 162-163 Reading, Cherry Creek at, water of, assay of. . 263 Duck Creek, water of, assays of 263 Elm Creek, water of, assay of 263 Osage River, water of, analysis of 266 water of, assay of 263 well water at, assays of 128 Recent deposits, description of 38-39 ''Red Beds," description of 24-25 Red Bird mine, water from, analyses of 355-356 Reno County, well water at, character of. . 163-166 Republic, White Rock Creek at, water of, assay of 205 Republic County, well water in, character of. 167 Republican River, monthly discharge of 231 South Fork of, water of, analysis of 205 water of, analyses of 206, 233 assay of 205 quality of 232 turbidity of 234 Republican River basin, description of 228-231 Reserve, weU water at, assay of 60 Rice County, well water in, character of. . . 168-169 Rice, E. M., work of 140 Richfield, well at, record of 143 Richland, Wakarusa Creek at, water of, anal- yses of 207 Richmond, water near, assay of 264 Riley, well water at, analyses and assays of . . . 171 Riley County, well water in, character of. . 170-171 Rock Creek, Douglas County, water of, assay of 205 Rock Creek, Elk County, water of, analyses of. 316 Rock Creek, Osage County, water of, assays of 263, 265 Rodgers, A. T., work of 13, 225 Rooks County, well water in, character of. 172-173 Rossville, well water at, analysis of 184 Rush Center, well water at, analysis of 175 Rush County, well water in, character of. - 173-175 Russell, Saline River near, water of, assays of. 204 well water at, assays of 177 Russell County, well water in, character of. 175-177 Russell Springs, Smoky Hill River near, water of, assay of 204 well water at, assays of 127 S. Sabetha, well water at, analysis of 144 Sadtler, S. P., on stream pollution 348 Saflordville, well water at, analysis of 62 St. Francis, Repubhcan River at, water of, assay of 205 well water of, analysis and assays of 66 St. John, Rattlesnake Creek at, water of, assay of 279 well water at, analysis and assay of 189 St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad, assist- ance of 13, 74 St. Paul, well water at, assays of 145 St. Regis Club House, water supply of, assay of 57 Sahna, Saline River at, monthly discharge of. 221 well water at, analyses of 178 Saline County, well water in, character of. . 177-178 SaUne River, description of 219-220 monthly discharge of 220-221 INDEX. 373 Page. Saline River, water of, analyses of 206, 221 assays of 204 quality of 221-222 turbidity of 223 Saline waters, characteristics of 21 Salt Creek, water of, analyses of 266 water of, assays of 204, 263 Salt Fork of Arkansas River, description of. . 299 Salt marshes, descriptions of 46 effect of erosion on 47-48 locations of 45-49 source of salt of 47, 49 Samples, analysis of 11, 15 collection of 11 Sampling stations, location of 11 Sand Creek, water of, assay of 279 Sand hills, description of 39 Santa Fe, well water at, assays of 110 Sappa Creek, water of, analyses of 234-235 water of, quality of 234 Saratoga mine, water from, analysis of 361 water from, effect of, on metal 361 Sawyer, well water at, analyses of 161 Scammon, creek at, water of, assay of 333 well water at, assay of 64 Scandia, well water at, analysis and assay of. 167 School Creek, water of, assay of 264 Scott, Ladder Creek at, water of, assay of 204 well water of, analyses and assays of 180 Scott County, well water in, character of. . 179-180 Scranton, stream water near, assay of 264 Sedan, Caney Creek at, water of, analysis of. . 316 Deer Creek at, water of, assays of 317 Sedgwick, well water at, analysis of 109 Sedgwick Coimty , well water in , character of. 180-181 Selden, well water at, analysis of 185 Selkirk, well water at, analysis of 199 Seneca, Nemaha River at, water of, assays of. 205 well water at, assay of 144 Seward, well water at, analysis of 189 Seward County, well water in, character of. 182-183 Sharon, well water at, assay of 196 Sharon Springs, well water at, assay of 196 Shaw, Big Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Canville Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Elk Creek at, water of, assay of 333 Neosho River at, water of, assay of 333 well water at, assay of 145 Shawnee Coxmty , well water in , character of. 183-184 Shawnee Creek, water of, assay of 347 Sheridan County, well water in, character of. 185 Sherman County, well water in, character of. 185-187 Shoal Creek, description of 341-342 water of, analysis of 353 sulphate content of 354 Shonganunga Creek, water of, assay of 205 water of, quality of 248 Short Creek, water of, analysis of 353 water of, assays of 347 sulphate content of 353 Silica, data on 17 Silver Creek, water of, assay of 280 " Sink holes," origin of 11 Sippy, W. L., work of 245 Slate Creek, description of 293 water of, analyses of 281 assays of 280 quality of 293 Page. aiichter, C. S. , on Arkansas River 272 on Cimarron River 308 work of 229 Slough Creek, water of, assay of 332 Smith Center, well water at, analysis of 188 Smith County, well water in, character of 187 Smithfleld Ford, Mo., mine water from, anal- ysis of 351 Smoky Hill chalk, description of 29 Smoky Hill River at Lindsborg, water of, analyses of 217 at Lindsborg, water of, turbidity of 218 monthly discharge of 215 water of, analysis- of 206 assays of 204 well near, record of 193 Smoky Hill River basin, description of 212-215 waters of, quality of 215-219 Sodium, data on is Soft water, local standard of 15 Soldier Creek, water of, assay of 263 Solids, dissolved, data on 14-20 Solomon, Solomon River at, water of, analy- sis of 206 Solomon River at, water of, assays of 204 well water at, analysis of 78 assay of 79 Solomon River, description of 223-224 monthly discharge of 224-225 water of, analyses of 205, 227 assay of ; 204 quality of 225 turbidity of 228 Solvent action of water, character of 14-15 Somena, Smoky Hill River at, water of, analysis of 206 South Topeka, Kansas River at, water of, analyses of 207 South Winfield, Walnut River at, water of, analysis of 281 Spaulding, H. S., work of 210 SpearvUle, well water at, analyses of 94 Spring Branch, water of, assay of 332 Spring Creek, water of, analysis of 334 water of, assays of 205, 347 quality of 253 Spring River, description of 340-344 tributaries of 341, 343, 346-347 water of, analyses of 345, 351-352 quality of 344 sulphate content of 353-354 turbidity of 346 Stafford, O. F., work of 125 Stafford, well water at, analysis and assays of 189 Stafford County, well water in, character of 188-189 Stanley mine, water from, analyses of 358 water from, effect of, on metal 360 Stanton County, well water in, character of 189-190 Stearin, W. A., work of 12 Sterling, Arkansas River at, water of, analy- ses of 281 well water at, analyses and assays of 169 Stevens County, weU water in, character of. . 190 374 INDEX. Page. Stockton, well water at, analysis and assays of 173 Streams, direction of flow of 22 Strong, Frank, work of 12 Strong City, Cottonwood River at, water of, analyses of 334 well water at, analysis of 62 Sugar Creek, water of, analysis of 266 water of, assays of 265 Sulphates, data on 19 Sulphuric acid in mine water, effect of 358-361 examples of 353-354, 358 origin of 350 Sumner County, well water in, character of. 190-192 Sunset Lake, water of, assay of 279 Surface waters, lists of 202-347 Surface water supplies, considerations af- fecting 10 Swayne, Turkey Creek at, water of, analysis of 206 Sweezy, W. E., work of 13 Sweezy Creek, water of, assays of 205 Switzler Creek, water of, assays of 264 Sylvan Grove, Saline River at, water of, analyses of 222 Saline River at, water of, turbidity of 223 Sylvia, well water at, analysis of 166 Syracuse, Arkansas River at, monthly dis- charge of 273 Arkansas River at, water of, analyses of. 104-105 water of, assays of 105 T. Ten Mile Creek, water of, assays of 264 Tertiary deposits, descriptions of 30-34 distribution of 30-31 water supplies of 31-34 Thayer pond at, water of, analysis of 316 Thomas County, well water at, character of. 192-193 Thompson, H. M., work of.- 81 Three Mile Creek, water of, assay of 205 Topeka, Kansas River at, water of, analyses of 207 Shonganunga Creek at, water of, assay of 205 vrell water at, analyses of 184 Topography, outline of 21-23 Toronto, Verdigris River at, water of. analy- sis of 316 Towanda, Whitewater River at, water of, assays of 280 Trego County, well water in, character of 193-194 Tribune, well water at, analysis and assay of. 102 Trinidad, Colo., Purgatory River at, water of assays of 278-279 Truehart, M., work of 279 Troy, well water at, assays of 80 Tugua Creek, water of, assay of 263 Turkey Creek, Cherokee County, water of, analysis of 351 water of, assay of 346 sulphate content of 353 Turkey Creek, Coffey County, water of, assay of 333 Turkey Creek, Dickinson County, water of, analyses of 206,208 water of, assays of 204 Turon, well water at, analysis of 166 U. Page. Underground waters, charactenstics of '. 23-49 quality of 50-201 Union Pacific Railroad, assistance of 13, 78, 86, 96, 97, 126, 160, 176, 178, 184,193,196,201,206-207, 211 University of Kansas, cooperation of 12 Upper Cretaceous series, description of 25-30 V. Valley Falls, assistance by 14 DelawareRiverat, water of, analyses of. 207,256 water of, turbidity of 257 well water at, assays of 113 Van Winkle, W., work of 210 Verdigris River, description of 312 monthly discharge of 313 tributaries of 316-322 water of, analyses of. 314-316 assays of 317 quality of 313-314 turbidity of 315 Vermilion, well water at, analysis of 135 Vermilion Creek, water of, assay of 205 Vermilion River, water of, assay of 205 water of, quality of 248 Village Creek, water of, assay of 333 Volatile matter, data on 20 Volland, well water at, analysis of 195 W. Wabaunsee County, well water in, character of 194 AVaconda, well water at, analyses of 140 Wakarusa, Wakarusa Creek at, water of, analyses of 207 Wakarusa Creek, water of, assay of 205 water of, quality of 249 Wakarusa River, water of, analyses of 207 Wakeeny, well water at, analyses and assays of. 194 Walden, well water at, analysis of 107 Wallace County, well water in, character of. 195-196 Walnut Creek, Barton County, water of, as- say of 205 Walnut Creek, Brown County, water of, as- says of 264 Walnut Creek, Miami County, water of, analy- ses of 281 water of, assays of 279 Walnut River, description of 290, 294 monthly discharge of 294 tributaries of 294 water of, analyses of 281, 296 assays of 280 qualityof 284-285,295 turbidity of 297 Wamego, Vermilion River at, water of, assay of 205 well water at, analysis and assay of 160 Waring, well water at, analysis of 148 Waring, C. G. , assistance of 361 Waring, W. G. , work of 356 on mine waters 357 Washington, MUl Creek at, water of, analysis of 206 Mill Creek at, water of, assay of 205 well water at, analysis of 197 assay of 198 INDEX. 375 Page. Washington County, well water in, character of 196-198 Water supplies, of Cretaceous shales, charac- ter of 29-30 of Dakota sandstone, character of. 27-28 of Pleistocene rocks, character of. 37-38 of Recent deposits, character of 38-39 of Tertiary deposits, character of 31-34 pubUc, considerations affecting 10 Waverly, well water at, assay of 70 Wayne, well water at, analysis of ■ 167 Wea Creek, water of, assays of 264 Webb City mining district, description of 349 Weir, well water at, assays of 65 Weith, Archie, S., work of 12, 62, 117, 211, 217, 227, 236, 245, 252, 256, 261, 268, 281, 283, 285, 287, 296, 302, 304, 310, 319 WeULngton, Slate Creek at, water of, analyses of 281 well water at, analysis of 191 assay of 192 Wellsford, well water at, analyses of 122 Weskan, well water at, analysis of 196 West Emma Creek, water of, assay of 279 West Whitewater River, water of, analyses of. 281 water of, assays of 280 Wetnore, weU water at, analysis of 144 Wheeler, W. F., assistance of 361 White, E. A. , assistance of 361 White Rock Creek, water of, assay of 205 White Woman Creek, description of 289 Wichita, Arkansas River at, water of, analy- ses of 281 Cliisholm Creek at, water of, assay of 279 well water at, analyses and assays of 181 Page. Wichita County, water of, character of 198-199 Wickhorst, M. H., work of 13 Wild Cat Creek, water of, assay of 205 Willard, J. T., work of 64,115,176 Willard, well water at, analysis of 184 Williamsburg, well water at, analysis of 95 Willow Creek, water of, assay of 347 Wilmore, Big Mule Creek at, water of, assay of 280 well water at, analysis of 71 Wilson County, well water in, character of... 199 Wilson Creek, water of, assays of 264 Winfleld, Dutch Creek at, water of, assay of. . 280 Walnut River at, monthly discharge of. . 294 water of, analyses of 281, 296 turbidity of 297 well water at, analyses and assays of 72 Winona, Smoky Hill River at, water of, assay of 204 well water at, assay of 127 Wolf Creek, Cofley County, water of, assay of. 333 Wolf Creek, Russell County, water of, assay of 204 Wolff, H. C, on Repubhcan River basin 229 Woodson County, well water in, character of 199-200 Wreford, Lyons Creek at, water of, assay of. . 204 Wyandotte County, well water in, character of 200-201 Y. Yates Center, well water at, assays of 200 Yellow Paint Creek, water of, assays of 265 Young, C. C, work of 74 Yuma, Buffalo Creek at, water of, assay of... 205 o LBJL'{2 ■^ ^