Would Continue
Alaskan Water
Resource Studies
Legislation which would au
thorize continuing investigations
of the water and related natural
resources of Alaska and intro
duced in the House this week by
Delegate E. L. Bartlett, was of
particular interest to S. Geo
logical Survey personnel who
have been working on these in
vestigations out of the local head
quarters for the past two year's.
The bill would give the Secre
tary of the Interior authority to
make such investigations for “en
couraging and promoting the de
velopment of Alaska” followed
by appropriate recommendations
from time to time to the Presi
dent and the Congress. Any spe
m cific project recommended by the
Secretary would have to be au
thorized by the Congress followed
by appropriations for the con
struction of the project.
Water is a strategic and limit
ing factor in the development and
economy of Alaska. The availa
bility of useful water supplies in
the Territory is particularly sig
nificant because supplies over
large areas are practically immo
bilized during the long winter
►season; and in other areas water
supplies, though abundant, are
unfit for many uses because of
the dissolved or suspended sedi
ment, organic or mineral matter
in the water.
Effective and economical de
velopment and utilization of the
available sources of water require
adequate knowledge and under
standing of the occurenqe and dis
tribution of water, the expecta
tion of replenishment, the natural
factors that effect stream flow,
the problems associated with sed
imentation, and problems intro
duced by permanently frozen
ground. The Geological Survey is
charged with the responsibility
for the collection, assembly, and
analysis of the significance of
such data.
The Survey’s water resources
program in Alaska, still in the
process of development, includes
investigations of the quantity,
availability, and utilization of
surface and ground waters and
the chemical quality of each.
Study of the sediment content of
streams, though highly desirable,
heretofore Jias not been feasible
HEAR
A. V. Richey, B.A., B.D., M.R.E.
Pastor
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
(Meeting in Carpenters' Hall)
Sunday, 11 a.m.—Why Pray?
7 p.m.—What Baptists Believe!
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
i with the limited funds available;
; but currently, sediment sampling
on a limited or periodic basis is
being undertaken at the stations
on Susitna River at Gold Creek
I and Eklutna Lake in a coopera
tive program with the Bureau of
Reclamation
Knowledge of the availability,
1 quality and fluctuations of water
i is essential to sound and stable
agricultural, industrial, mining
power, and water development.
These water facts are more than
just useful tools in the hands of
design engineers; they are pre
requisites for the design, develop
ment and operation of municipal,
| industrial, and military installa
; tions and other developments, in
: eluding highways, airfields, dams,
; water intakes, and power plants.
The results of investigations
already made provide a firm ba
sis for development of broader
1 programs which, it is hoped, can
! be extended to provide needed
water information in regions
where water supply problems
have become urgent or new' prob
lems have appeared. The present
surface water (stream gaging),
sediment, chemical quality and
ground-water investigations are
to be extended to other parts of
Alaska as rapidly as available
funds will permit.
Early investigations were made
in various parts of Alaska in the
years 1906-14. These early inves
tigations were reconnaissance sur
veys and no continuous records
were collected. Further studies
were made in the summers of
1947 and 1948.
A systematic program was set
up in 1949 and the Alaska Dis
trict was established with the dis- J
trict office in Juneau. The Pal
mer area office was established
in April, 1949, covering south cen
tral and Interior Alaska. The Pal
mer office is nowr operating 37
regular gaging stations, for which
continuous records are being ob
tained. Miscellaneous stream-flow
measurements are made at vari
ous sites as requested by inter
ested parties. Additional regular
stream gaging stations may be
established on streams where
data is needed for a particular
purpose. These stations will be
established on a cooperative ba
sis with other agencies.
The chemical quality of surface
and ground waters will continue
to be studied with reference to
utilization of these sources of wa
ter for domestic, agricultural, in
dustrial, and military purposes.
This program will be broadened
as the need warrants.
TO WINTER OUTSIDE
William Edlund of Wasilla left
by plane this week for Stanwood,
Washington, where he plans to
dispose of his property before re
turning to the Valley in the early
spring.
V
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