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Explanation [For 1 (Volume 1-4); 250,000 Geological Map Series of South Africa and Namibia].
Explanation 250000 Geological Map Series of South Africa and Namibia - For 1 Volume 1-4 Author:Geological Survey This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907. Excerpt: ... X.--Water Supply. The surface water supply of the area is not by any means either plentiful or reliable, the majority of the streams bei... more »ng small and usually becoming dry throughout the greater part of their course during the winter season, while natural springs are not of common occurrence. Thus, during the dry season large portions of the area are often quite waterless, while other portions have to depend upon small dams, many of which do not survive a particularly dry season, stagnant pools, and small native waterholes dug in the dry beds of the streams. In various parts of the district, however, in order to supply the needs of the white settlers, wells and bore-holes have been put down, for the most part with successful results, partly by private and partly by Government enterprise. During the geological mapping of the Springbok Flats Mr. K. T. Mellor gave special attention to the question of water-supply in this area,--a question which becomes of great importance in connection with the suitability of large portions of the Flats for agricultural purposes, if adequate means of irrigation could be provided. The following remarks on the area lying east of the railway are mainly abstracted from Mr. Mellor's report." There appears to be no difficulty in obtaining moderate supplies of water for domestic and stock purposes over considerable areas of the Springbok Flats by means of shallow wells, such wells having for long been in use among the natives. In most cases the native wells are situated on the sandstone ridges which border the Flats, where in many localities supplies of water are obtainable at from 5 to 15 feet below the surface, as for instance on Weltevreden 44)5, north-east of Pienaars River Station. These supplies are mainly due to the retention ...« less