Field Measurement of the Rate of Movement of Underground Waters

The following paper describes the method and apparatus used in measuring the velocity of underground waters and gives the results of field work done with the apparatus in various parts of the United State's, under authority of the hydrographic branch of the United States Geological Survey. The method used in making the measurements was devised by the writer after preliminary tests along the Arkansas River in western Kansas during the summer of 1911. This preliminary work indicated that it was practicable to measur'j the rate of flow of ground waters by the u~e of very simple apparatus. Several determinations of the rate of movmnent of the underflow of the Arkansas were made during that summer. These measnrem~nts, it is believed, constituted the first direct determinations of the rate of flow of ground water that had been made in this country. This pr'jliminary work was done in the neighborhood of Dodge, Kans., and at one or two points near Garden, Kans. The photographs reproduced in Pl. I show the locations of the first successful stations, which were established near Garden, I{ans. A brief description of the electrical method of measuring the velocities of underground waters resulting from this preliminary investigation was printed in the Engineering News of February 20, 1902, and in paper No. 67 of the Water-Supply and Irrigation series of the United States Geological Survey. Since then, as the result of work carried on in the field and in the laboratory, the apparatus has been gradually improved, and its present form is described in these pages.
The paper will also include some determinations of the manner and rate of flow of water into tubular wells, and descriptions of method and simple apparatus designed to aecurately estimate the capacity of such wells.