Our First Half-Century Part 30

[Footnote d: See Votes and Proceedings, 1894-5, for Hydraulic Engineer's Report, 1st November, 1894, page 5.]

SUBTERRANEAN WATER BELONGS TO THE STATE.

Mr. Henderson again returns to the misuse of water, suggesting that the utility of the artesian supply can easily be tested by intense cultivation of a small area at each bore. He complains that one of Queensland's most valuable a.s.sets is not as carefully guarded as it should be. He estimates that the quant.i.ty allowed to run uncontrolled and generally misused amounts to 66,000,000 gallons per diem, or 66 per cent. of the estimated total flow in Queensland. He invites attention to a recommendation in a previous report that all underground or artesian water should be declared State property.

This would not prevent owners of artesian water taking and using a reasonable supply of water, but all consumption beyond what might be called a "liberal" amount should be paid for, the State receiving the water rate. The experience of America in this matter proved that in some States control by the Government was enforced, while in others the greatest care was exercised to prevent any further granting of subterranean water franchises unless the absolute right of the State was reserved to regulate the consumption. Appended to the report is a copy of a recommendation by a Commission in the State of Colorado for regulating, distributing, and using water. Mr. Henderson thinks the recommendation too severe, but insists that some State control should be exercised.

The same report contains an interesting review of the condition of irrigation enterprise in Queensland, and again insists that scientific stream-gauging is indispensable if surface water is to be made generally available for irrigation purposes.

EXTENT OF ARTESIAN SUPPLY.

The report dated 5th October, 1895, recurs to the Hydraulic Engineer's previous estimate that the outcrops of the water-bearing beds of the country covered an area of about 200 square miles. He is glad to learn that Mr. R. L. Jack, Government Geologist, had since worked the matter out, and, while approving of Mr. Henderson's suggestion as to the source of artesian supplies in Queensland, estimated the area as 5,000 square miles, or twenty-five times the Engineer's estimate.

This information seems to have allayed Mr. Henderson's dread of the exhaustion of the supply, for he says that the Geologist's figures indicate that "the gathering-ground is larger than can possibly be required for years to come if there is no extensive leakage, of which as yet there is no evidence that I am aware of." He next writes strongly in favour of a comprehensive search for artesian water by the Government, and of Government aid being offered by loan to persons willing to sink bores on Crown lands or even on private property.

Such a.s.sistance would encourage settlement by leaving the settler in possession for other purposes of money which would otherwise be spent on water provision on his holding, and prove an incalculable benefit to the State by mitigating periodical droughts.

PROGRESS TO 1895.

The report then gives statistics relative to artesian bores as follows:--Number of bores, 397; average depth, 1,195 ft. Of these 286 overflow with a total output of 213 million gallons per diem.

Total cost of boring and casing, 860,321, as nearly as could be estimated, "remarkable results for eight years' work, as in 1887 boring in Queensland was in its infancy." With a view to greater accuracy provision for the salaries of two inspectors had been made on the Estimates for the year, in order that uniform records might be secured as to the strata pierced, the flow, the pressure and temperature of the water, amount of rainfall at the outcrop of water-bearing beds, and the alleged diminution of artesian streams.

The suggestion is then made that land, the leases carrying water rights, might be made available for settlement in small areas around tanks and bores.

THE WINTON BORE.

In this report the Hydraulic Engineer is able to announce the success of the Winton bore. At about 3,555 ft. a daily supply of 720,000 gallons of excellent artesian water was struck, and boring being continued to 4,010 ft. without increasing the supply work ceased, the total cost of the bore having been about 7,000. An article on irrigation shows a total irrigated area of 7,641 acres, an increase for the year of 2,240 acres. Included in the area are 2,000 acres of natural gra.s.s land and 2,000 acres sown with artificial gra.s.ses; also 11 acres irrigated from artesian wells in the Warrego district.

Flood mitigation is also dealt with at length, and a system of flood warnings on the various streams recommended.

DR. R. L. JACK'S OPINION.

The report for 2nd October, 1896, brings records up to date. By map it is shown that not only does the water-bearing country extend over 56 per cent. of the area of Queensland, but also continues into New South Wales and South Australia, and enters Western Australia. It "marks the position of the ancient Cretaceous sea which connected the Gulf of Carpentaria with the Great Australian Bight," and "divided the continent into two islands." "They were," wrote Dr. R. L. Jack, "laid down by this sea; their present position is due to subsequent general upheaval, and they lie directly and unconformably on schists and slates of undetermined age, or on granite or gneiss. Except in Queensland, where they are overlaid here and there by the remains of the Upper Cretaceous or Desert Sandstone formations which have not been removed by denudation, they seem to be covered to a considerable extent by Tertiary rocks. The Desert Sandstone beds lie horizontally but unconformably on those of the Rolling Downs, which dip to the south." [e]

[Footnote e: See "Geology and Palaeontology of Queensland and New Guinea," by R. L. Jack, F.G.S., Government Geologist, and R. Etheridge, jun,. Government Palaeontologist, New South Wales, page 390.]

IMPROVED DRILLING MACHINERY.

In the same report the improvement in drilling machinery is discussed, and Queensland manufacturers are congratulated on making American and Canadian machines with improvements which greatly add to their efficiency. Bores in Queensland are generally begun with 10-in.

casing, and carried to not lower than 500 ft. Then 8-in., 6-in., and 5-in. casings are used. The necessity of these casings being as perfect as possible is emphasised by the Engineer. The cost of sinking bores by contract, which is almost the universal method, depends upon the facilities offered by the site for the transport of wood and water, but the range then was from 17s. to 24s. per foot for the first 500 ft., and increased with depth until, at 4,000 ft. odd, sinking had cost 55s. per foot. The inspectors appointed the previous year had done good work, though the wet season delayed travelling. Sectional diagrams compiled from the inspectors' reports appear among the appendices.

Then follows an interesting description of surface artesian water known as Elizabeth Springs, in lat.i.tude half a degree south of the tropic, and in 140 degrees west longitude. The account of these remarkable springs is well worth reading.[f]

[Footnote f: See Votes and Proceedings for 1897 for Hydraulic Engineer's Report, 2nd October, 1896, page 5.]

PROGRESS TO 1896.

Number of bores in Western Queensland to October, 1896, 454; average depth, 1,168 ft.; feet bored, 530,332 (nearly 100 miles); overflow, 193,000,000 gallons per diem. There were also nineteen deep bores on the coast. The total cost had been 928,081.

BORES IN THE GULF TOWNS.

Reporting on 2nd August, 1897, the Hydraulic Engineer mentions that the Burketown bore has been carried to a depth of 2,304 ft., with a supply of 155,560 gallons of good water at a pressure of 60 lb. per square inch, and a temperature of 155 degrees, the cost being 4,155.

A few months earlier the Normanton bore had struck water at 2,330 ft., for 293,000 gallons a day, with a temperature of 151 degrees, at a total cost of 3,803.

PROGRESS COMPARED WITH SOUTHERN COLONIES.

The same report glances at the progress made in artesian water discovery in the southern colonies. Queensland aggregate flows on 30th June, 1897, were estimated at 140,000,000 gallons daily, or 51,135,000,000 gallons annually. This would suffice to cover 294 square miles with water 1 ft. deep, or 100 square miles 35-1/3 in.

deep. In New South Wales, in 1897, there were thirty-four flowing and twelve pumping bores, yielding 22 million gallons of water per diem.

In Victoria only one or two flowing bores had been put down, the country being generally unfavourable for artesian water. In South Australia there were in all sixty-two bores, seven being still in progress, but of the total only nineteen wells gave good fresh water, and twenty-two wells salt water. Seeing that artesian water exploration began in the three colonies named before any steps were taken in Queensland, the success here may be regarded as phenomenal, although of course a very considerable amount of capital was lost in sinking abortive bores.

GRAZING FARM SELECTORS' BORE.

The report dated 15th September, 1898, mentions that the Bando bore sunk for the Lands Department for the accommodation of grazing farm selectors was completed during the year at a depth of 2,081 ft., giving a supply of 2,000,000 gallons daily, and at a cost of 3,289.

It was estimated to water 146,000 acres. The Roma bore for the town supply had also been completed at a depth of 1,678 ft., and yielded a controlled supply of 111,000 gallons daily, which sufficed for the wants of the town.

STATISTICS TO DATE.--THARGOMINDAH ILLUMINATED.

Particulars of thirty-seven bores sunk in the colony to a depth of 3,000 ft. and over are given. Of these eleven had reported flows, either large or small, during the year, three had been abandoned, and nine were still in progress. The yield of 376 bores in the colony was estimated at 214,000,000 gallons a day, the average per bore being over half a million gallons. Besides these, fifty-five sub-artesian wells--those whose water did not rise above the surface--yielded 2 million gallons a day; and perennial springs gave an ascertained continuous flow of nearly 4,000,000 gallons a day. The report calls attention to a serious diminution in the yield of certain wells, and says that it has been ascertained in some cases that the loss was due to loss of head, and not to any leakage or obstruction in the casing.

The Hydraulic Engineer therefore again urges legislation to give the Government control of bore water. As to power, it is mentioned that a small electrical installation had been set up at Thargomindah by the Bulloo Divisional Board, and that the number of lamps of sixteen candle-power that would exhaust the bore power was 150 to 200.

THE DROUGHT OF 1899.

When the report dated 30th August, 1899, was prepared the country was held in the throes of a protracted drought, and the Hydraulic Engineer speaks of compression in his report on the ground of economy.

For years past the reports had been becoming increasingly bulky, appendices and maps being supplied on a generous scale. Government expenditure in bore-sinking had now nearly ceased, presumably because private enterprise had already benefited greatly by Government prospecting for water, and the same necessity did not exist for State action as in previous years. The new feature of the departmental year's work is stated to have been the comparative a.n.a.lysis of the height of bore sites and the water potentials thereat, upon which the iso-potential map, with the full description given in page 56 of the report, is based. By this time the number of bores sunk to a depth of 3,000 ft. and over was fifty, an increase for the year of thirteen, which shows that private enterprise was still active in the search for artesian water. The total number of flowing bores in the colony was given as 440, with a yield of water of nearly 266 million gallons a day.

The report dated 25th August, 1900, mentions that during the year in the Adavale bore 9,000 gallons of water a day had been struck at 1,494 ft., and although further sinking had been carried to 2,930 ft. there was no increase in the supply. By this time the number of bores sunk to 3,000 ft. and over had increased by nine, or to fifty-nine, while the aggregate flow of artesian water was put at over 321 million gallons per day.

REGRETTABLE ECONOMIES.

The report dated 31st August, 1901, was the last to supply the very full information customarily given annually by the department. There was almost universal drought and difficulty. In some parts of the State, however, the drought had broken, so that needful works could be again pushed on. But this was by no means the end of the great drought of 1898-1903, and the appendices and valuable maps which added so greatly to the permanent value of the reports of the department were discontinued, and only a brief report was presented. This is much to be regretted, but retrenchment was enforced by revenue shrinkages and the dislocation temporarily caused by federal union. Happily, however, the information has since been carefully collected, and is now available to complete this sketch of the work done and results achieved since the year 1883, when the department was created under Mr. Henderson's direction. In the 1901 report the success of the Adavale bore is recorded, the depth being 3,398 ft., with a flow of 990,890 gallons per day, and at a total cost of 5,369. The striking of a supply of water in the Dalby bore to the amount of 46,470 gallons an hour at a depth of 1,841 ft. is also mentioned in this report.

This success is interesting on account of the site being the furthest easterly where artesian water has been found.

The report for 1902 was cut down to the minimum limit. It was prepared while the country was in the grip of the worst drought ever known, and yet private enterprise was active as ever in bore-sinking, no less than thirty-six flowing wells having been completed during the year.

The total number in the State was thus brought up to 563, yielding 375,000,000 gallons a day, the average flow per bore being 666,231 gallons.

ADDITIONAL FLOWING BORES IN 1903.

The report for 1903 was brief. During the year the number of flowing bores had increased by thirteen, and the aggregate flow by 10,000,000 gallons. The average flow was 669,279 gallons, or 3,048 gallons increase upon the flow for the preceding year. This in the face of the diminution of the flow in many bores cannot be considered unsatisfactory. The entire cost of well-boring in the State to 1903 is set down at 1,463,326, including abortive bores, and heavy sums for carriage of boring plant in the earlier days. It is mentioned in this report that the Whitewood bore, Bimerah, yielding only 70,000 gallons a day, at 5,045 ft., is still the deepest in Queensland. The shallowest is given as at Manfred Downs, at 10 ft., yielding 2,000 gallons a day; and the hottest water at Elderslie No. 2, where from a depth of 4,523 ft. emerge more than 1 million gallons per diem at a temperature only 10 degrees below boiling point. The greatest static pressure is at the Thargomindah bore, where it is nearly 240 lb. to the square inch.