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..50- that region is especially devoid of either adequate .or potable ground water supplies. The artesian supply in this valley is ,by far the most outstanding in the state if not in the nation. Accqrding to C. E. Siebenthalof the United States Geological Survey in his report in 1906, there were 3,231[ flowing wells here at that time. Frofessor 1. G.Carpenter estimated the number as 2,000 in 1891. Today the number is prcbably near 7,000. Even in 1891 there were wells 1,000 feet deep, but most of them were under 500 feet. One of the deeper wellsflowedabcut 600 gallons per minute as estimated by Carpenter. About 7 or 8 years ago the drilling of large deep wells for irrigation was begun mainly south of Monte Vista and Alamosa. Although these wells were artesian in cha.racter and many flowed, all are being pumped at a high rate. 1ast year 'large rotary drilling rigs w~re moved into the valley and deep well construction took another jump. 'Some . , of these new wells in Saguache County are real gushers. i know it is a touchy subject here and some may be offended but I feel impelled as an engineer and proponent of conservation to express my opinion on this artesian situation. It is a ,kncwn fact ~hat much water has been wasted in the past and this will be'continued iri the future. Of this waste some of it has come about through faulty well construction. The casings in some wells were not .long enough or properly seated to prevent a blowout or other deterioration, and most wells were permitted to flow continuously to no purpose. Many of t,he Cld wells were abandoned when the casing rusted out, and ceased to flow~ndwere replaced with a new one. Such a.well will continue to leak into the upper water table forever. Many wells are nct being used in a beneficial or efficient ,manner. in my opinion. Some of the soil damage by Sodium salts could very well have 'come from uncontrolled salty wells. Some loss in pressure/has been experienced principally in the upper strata and particularly around . 'Alamosa. In 1934 Ray S. Wells, while drilling a well for the City, told me that the pressure in the strata above 600 feet had dropped considerably in his time. . . In mcst situations of'artesian sUPPlies, the intake area is remote and the recharge limited.. Here, hovvever, the intake is reasonably close at hand and the opportunity for recharge seems unlimited. The surface water coming out cf the mountains, before it can be used for irrigation, passes over the exposed edges of the upturned artesian strata., Therefore replenishment has always been regular and substantial. A good question to ask ishovv much longer will this great water supply last? As with most things there surely must be a limit. Nota limit that envisions a drying up of a source but one that greatly reduces usefulness of water under pressure. When wells stop flcwing the people will have to resort to pumping for their domestic supplies. Most wells in the valley. are not large enough in diameter to permit being pumped and there- fore if and when such a time comes, new wells will have to be drilled. Such a program will mean much new mcney spent for water. What will be done about the old wells? I might draw your attention to the Roswell artesian basin iry New ~exico. Carelessness in irrigation well construction and casing failures there resulted in a considerable waste of water.