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Show closely with water supply and sanitation needs on the lower" main stem, consistent with requirements for primary treatment of sewage. Conservation storage emhances recreational and allied interests. Improved water quality and less turbidity through storage will enhance fish lif e in the reservoir and in the regulated stream below. Conclusions Because of the vast area of the Missouri Basin, the limited quantities of water in parts of the basin, the complexity of the development program, the growth possibilities of the economy, and established water rights, careful attention will have to be paid to possible competition in water use. (1) Tlie increased consumptive use of water by the land treatment program must be recognized. Measures installed on the land should be designed to minimize consumptive use and still attain their objectives. Further studies are needed to resolve conflicts fcetween consumptive use of water in land management programs, and planned or potential use of water in downstream areas. For instance, fewer, bu-t larger and deeper stock water ponds may be desirable in place of the presently planned ponds. (2) Tie potentialities for irrigation in down- stream aireas must be considered in planning pro- grams for* the lower basin. (3) Water requirements for proper sanitation must be considered in planning and operating fa- cilities. (4) Potential industrial requirements should be forecast insofar as practicable, and allowance made for them in planning. (5) A comprehensive water use program, pro- jected to include all stages culminating in full de- velopment of the basin, should be designed as a part of tlie total multiple-purpose basin program. It should be designed to result in the optimum use of water and land resources, subject to valid rights. 4. Principles with Respect to the Use and Conservation of Ground Water The Problem How can the greatest use be made of the ground water resources in the Missouri Basin, and how can they be conserved? The Situation Ground water is a basic and essential element in the economy of the Missouri Basin. Some 1,300 cities, towns, and villages of 250 or more inhabi- tants have public water supplies. Of these, 1,100 use ground water, as do most farms and ranches. Many industrial plants prefer and use ground water. This is because the physical and chemical properties of ground water from any Qne source are fairly constant. It holds practically the same tem- perature the year around. Ground water is free of sediment, and relatively free of contamination and pollution. Where an adequate supply is available, it is usually cheaper than surface water. Also, it can often be obtained right at the site where needed. Ample ground water of high quality is not avail- able everywhere in the basin. In many places it is unobtainable. By and large, however, far greater supplies are stored in the ground than are present at any given time on the surface in streams or lakes. Only a systematic study is needed to determine the potential. A recent reconnaissance of the upper three-fifths of the basin revealed that the water supplies of 297 municipalities, with a total population of about 395,000, are inadequate as to either quantity or quality, or both. Many of these are ground water supplies. Some improvement incidental to rec- lamation projects can be obtained for nearly half these communities. An estimate of number and population of the places affected, and those which could be benefited from proposed Bureau of Rec- lamation works is given in the figures on the follow- ing page.9 The aquifers of the basin already have been, and in many areas will be, greatly affected by such activ- ities as land management, irrigation, drainage, flood control and navigation, large industrial plants, and similar human works. Irrigation has often re- sulted in gradually filling the soil until it overflows, giving rise to water-logging or alkali, either of which ruins the land for crops. In some cases main high- ways and secondary roads have foundered, necessi- tating costly relocation or drainage. Reservoirs may raise the ground water level enough to bring it into contact with beds of salt, gypsum, or other soluble materials. The great artesian basin of the Dakotas has been severely overdrawn by wasteful flow. Its replenish- ' The feasibility of supplying water from Bureau works was determined on the basis of a combination of geo- graphical location and size of municipality in relation to the proposed works. 911610-51- -15 203 |
