daily samples from Nonewaug River were tested by A. A. Chambers for chlorine and carbonate.

A report on ground water in the Meriden area was practically completed by G. A. Waring, who had made the field survey of the area in the spring of 1915. Analyses of 25 samples of water were made by Mr. Dinsmore.

The ground-water survey in the Southington-Granby area, including the vicinity of Plainville and covering 18 towns, which was begun in the fall of 1914, was continued this year by H. S. Palmer, and on June 30, 1916, the report on this area prepared by Mr. Palmer was nearly completed. Analyses of 102 samples of water were made by Messrs. Dinsmore and Chambers.

All the work in Connecticut is done in cooperation with the State Geological and Natural History Survey under the supervision of H. E. Gregory.

Florida.-On account of the pressure of other work little progress was made in the investigation of the quality of ground waters in Florida begun in a previous year by R. B. Dole.

Examination of daily samples of sea water from Fowey Rocks Light, a study conducted in cooperation with the Bureau of Fisheries and T. W. Vaughan, of the geologic branch, for investigating certain phases of submarine deposition of limestone, was discontinued, and the results of the year's series of determinations of salinity were tabulated and discussed. The analyses were.made by R. B. Dole, A. A. Chambers, C. D. Parker, and E. C. Bain.

Georgia.--A special investigation of the artesian waters which furnish the municipal supply for the city of Savannah, Ga., was made in the fall of 1915 by R. B. Dole, with special reference to sanitary problems. A manuscript report based on this investigation was transmitted to the city officials.

Mississippi.-A general investigation of the ground waters in Mississippi, begun in a previous year, was continued in cooperation with the section of Coastal Plain investigations of the geologic branch. (See p. 426.) The analytical work was supervised by Mr. Dole.

Montana.-A comprehensive investigation of the ground waters in Montana was begun in August, 1915, and a general survey of about 5,700 square miles of the Yellowstone River basin was made by A. J. Ellis, who is to continue the work in the ensuing year. This investigation is carried on in cooperation with State organizations. The chemical analyses are made by Carl Gottschalck at the laboratory of the State Board of Health and the Montana State College, under the supervision of W. M. Cobleigh, director of the laboratory. Records of wells were collected throughout the State by A. W.

Mahon, State engineer of Montana, in cooperation with W. A. Lamb, district engineer of the United States Geological Survey.

An investigation of the artesian water in the Little Bitterroot Valley, with special reference to its use for irrigation, was made in August, 1915, by O. E. Meinzer. Through cooperation with the State Board of Health and the Montana State College 10 samples of water from the valley were analyzed by Mr. Gottschalck. A report on the results of the investigation was completed by Mr. Meinzer and will be published as Water-Supply Paper 400-B.

Water-level measurements begun in 1912 in a well near Butte, in the Silverbow Valley, were continued during the year.

Nebraska. In response to a request from the local irrigation association a brief special investigation of the ground-water supplies available for irrigation in the Lodgepole Valley, in Nebraska and Wyoming, was made in September, 1915, by O. E. Meinzer, and a report on the valley was partly prepared.

Nevada. A preliminary report on ground water in the Big Smoky Valley, Nev., by O. E. Meinzer, was published as Water-Supply Paper 375-D. In the spring of 1915 additional discharge measurements of streams flowing into this valley were made by A. B. Purton, of the division of surface waters, chiefly for the purpose of ascertaining more definitely the amount of percolation into the underground reservoir. The water-level measurements begun in 1913 were continued during the year. The final report on the geology and water resources of Big Smoky, Clayton, and Alkali Spring valleys, by O. E. Meinzer, was sent to the printer and will be published as Water-Supply Paper 423.

An investigation of the ground-water conditions on the TruckeeCarson irrigation project, to determine the cause of the rise of the water levels in Big Soda and Little Soda lakes, was made for the Department of Justice by C. H. Lee and W. O. Clark. At the end of the fiscal year the report on this investigation was nearly completed.

New Mexico.-A report on ground water in the Animas, Playas, Hachita, and San Luis basins, in Grant County, N. Mex., was completed by A. T. Schwennesen. This report is based on field work done in 1913. Analyses of water samples and of the water-soluble contents of soil samples from these basins were made by R. F. Hare through cooperation with the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station.

The Navajo country, which was investigated by H. E. Gregory, and the San Simon Valley, which was investigated by A. T. Schwennesen, lie partly in New Mexico but more largely in Arizona. The ground-water surveys in these areas are described on pages 498-499.

Ohio. In response to a request from the citizens of Canton, Ohio, a brief special investigation of the ground-water supplies available for municipal use in that city was made in March, 1916, by G. A. Waring. The results of this investigation were transmitted in manuscript to the Canton Chamber of Commerce.

South Dakota.-A report on the artesian water in the vicinity of the Black Hills, S. Dak., was prepared by N. H. Darton and is to be published as a water-supply paper. This report is a revision of earlier reports on the area by Mr. Darton and includes many new data.

Teras. The work in Texas was done in cooperation with the section of Coastal Plain investigations of the geologic branch.

A report on the ground-water supply of Lasalle and McMullen counties, by Alexander Deussen and R. B. Dole, was published as Water-Supply Paper 375-G.

Work was continued on the ground-water resources of the part of the Texas Coastal Plain not covered by Water-Supply Paper 335, and two papers on this area are being prepared.

Wisconsin.-A report on the ground and surface water supplies of Wisconsin, which was prepared in previous years in cooperation with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, by Samuel Weidman and A. R. Schultz, was published by the State as Bulletin 35 of the State Survey.

Wyoming.-A brief investigation of the ground waters available for irrigation in the Lodgepole Valley, which lies partly in Wyoming and partly in Nebraska, was made in September, 1915, by O. E. Meinzer, who is preparing a report on the area.

A special investigation for the purpose of assisting the city of Rawlins, Wyo., in developing ground water for a public supply was made by C. H. Wegemann, of the geologic branch, and a report in manuscript was transmitted to the city officials.

Cuba. An investigation of the vicinity of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was made by O. E. Meinzer in November and December, 1915, for the purpose of advising the Navy Department in regard to sinking test wells to develop a water supply for the United States naval station situated on this bay. A manuscript report with geologic map of the reservation was transmitted to the Bureau of Yards and Docks.

DIVISION OF WATER UTILIZATION.

The organization of the division of water utilization has been continued during the year as described in previous annual reports. E. C. La Rue and E. C. Murphy, hydraulic engineers, have done the greater part of the field work involved in the examination of waterpower withdrawals, rights of way, and Carey Act segregations. The

work of examining land for designation under the enlarged-homestead act has been done in part by Messrs. La Rue and Murphy and in part by W. B. Heroy, geologist, and W. N. White, assistant classifier, in the land-classification board, who were detailed to the work during a part of the field season. Mr. Murphy has completed field examinations of the possibilities of water-power and reservoir development in Arizona and New Mexico, in order that lands valuable for such purposes may be designated in accordance with the act of Congress admitting Arizona and New Mexico to statehood.

Part 3 of the report on the water powers of the Cascade Range, covering the Yakima River basin, by G. L. Parker and F. B. Storey, was published as Water-Supply Paper 369, and Mr. La Rue's report on Colorado River and its utilization (Water-Supply Paper 395) was in press at the end of the year. Other reports containing the results of the work of the division of water utilization are WaterSupply Papers 376, 377, 378, and 379. Titles and brief summaries of these publications are given on page 392.

LAND-CLASSIFICATION BOARD.

ORGANIZATION.

The plan of organization of the land-classification board has not changed during the present year, remaining essentially as indicated in the last annual report. Such changes as have taken place are minor and are closely related to changes in personnel due to resignations or transfers. M. W. Ball, in charge of the oil section of the mineral division and the General Land Office cooperation, resigned at the end of March for transfer to the Bureau of Mines. After this resignation A. R. Schultz, geologist, was placed in charge of the division of mineral classification and E. H. Finch was made vice chairman of the phosphate section. Mr. Schultz will continue as chairman of the metalliferous section and W. B. Emery, vice-chairman, will act, under the direction of Mr. Schultz, as chairman of the oil section. The organization at the close of the year in outline is as follows:

W. C. Mendenhall, chief.

Elsie Patterson, secretary.

Division of mineral classification: A. R. Schultz, in charge of division. Coal section, G. H. Ashley, chairman; E. R. Lloyd, vice chairman. Oil section, W. B. Emery, vice chairman. Phosphate section, E. H. Finch, vice chairman. Metalliferous section, A. R. Schultz, chairman.

Division of hydrographic classification: Section of utilization, Herman Stabler, chairman. Section of classification, W. B. Heroy, chairman.

H. E. Grosbach and H. D. Padgett resigned during the year from the division of hydrographic classification, and R. M. Davis and C. E. Nordeen were added to the staff. Howard Clark, topographic

engineer, was transferred to the land-classification board to assist the coal section as computer and draftsman.

The permanent force of the board at the close of the year included 6 geologists, 8 engineers, 18 clerks, 3 draftsmen, and 2 messengers, a total of 37 persons.

FUNDS.

Because of the reduction in the appropriation made for geologic work and the resulting necessity for curtailment of operations the allotments to the board for the year were reduced slightly below those of the preceding year. These allotments amounted for the year 1916 to $57,120 and were distributed among the general appropriations as follows:

As set forth elsewhere, 3,018,442 acres of lands were classified as to their coal character. Of this amount 2,217,579 acres were classified as noncoal land and 800,863 as coal land. Coal-land withdrawals during the year amounted to 637,274 acres, and coal-land restorations to 2,945,594 acres. The area withdrawn for classification as to coal at the close of the year was 45,935,954 acres.

The general activity in the oil industry during the year has been reflected in a measure in the classification of lands as to oil. The Survey geologists have been alert to the possibility of the existence of favorable structure in the Western States and to the association of suitable reservoirs and sources of oil with such structure. The results of their research have been reflected in the areas reserved because of their possible oil content. New withdrawals amounting to 1,001,300 acres were made during the year, and areas aggregating 154,558 acres were restored because examination determined that the lands were not favorable for the accumulation of oil. The result of the year's work, therefore, has been an increase of the area of oil reserves from 4,774,418 to 5,621,160 acres.

The classification of 1,466,471 acres of land in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah as mineral land because they contain shales from which, it is believed, great quantities of petroleum and by-products may be distilled is a matter of much more than passing interest.

Phosphate reserves were decreased during the year. The withdrawals amounted to only 45,669 acres, while the restorations in