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indicate a need fo r measures to protect an adverse discharge condition. ” Jn case o f Las Ve gas V alley, co llection reservoirs Jor temporary storing and desiltin g prior to spreading operations could not be considered a practicable undertaking. In Willow Creek, eight miles west o f Las Vegas, the W.P.A. and C.C.C, made an abortive e ffo rt at spreading but after a season’ s t r ia l the gravels were so drowned with s i l t that the project was rendered useless»M 4.V. i Greene's study indicates that owing to structural conditions, no part of the large areas indicated upon his Map Wo. 1 as Zone 4 contributes to the re­charge of the Artesian Bait, and that run -off and evaporation loss greatly reduces the recharge fa ctor from Zones 1, 2 and 3. It is his opinion that a greater part of our recharge comes from the smaller area indicated as Zone 1, I think i t is obvious that i t is not possible to measure or even to accurately estimate the rate of recharge o f this reservoir, so to determine whether we are withdrawing water fa ster than nature is recharging the supply we must depend upon observation of pro­du ctivity and recorded pressures in producing w ells, ^ j 3hCmi a deoline in production in nine o f our ten wells in the J6w ° d i 94u t0 1944 °f 8’ I 2^# indicating an average annual decline In production of 4 .I /0. have recorded corresponding pressure reductions fo r the same period vary­ing from 3 lb s. per squire inch to as high as 10 lb s . per square inch, the pressure deoiine in general being greater in the upper producing zone, which occurs approxi-mately 300 fe e t to 500 fe e t below the surface of the ground, than in the lower zone which_extends from something over 500 fe e t below the surface to about 800 fe e t , L V ! , aS p racti®a lly a11 of th® w ells, other than our own, throughout the Valley tap the upper zone, and i t follow s that depletion should occur to a there than in the lower zone. This clea rly indicates to us thpt, with lack o f oontrol o f wastage from existing wells and the issuance of permits fo r w ells, it w ill only be a matter o f a few years un til the artesian flow ceases a lto ­gether. Such has been the history o f a ll artesian fie ld s where conservation of ‘the underground supply has not been rig id ly practiced. I do not mean to in fer by this statement that immediately upon the discontinuance of artesian flow the Water Company w ill be unable to furnish water from the present sources fo r the needs of your com­munity. I do mean, however, that with the discontinuance of artesian flow springs w ill naturally dry up and i t w ill be necessary to pump the w ells, and that the advane tage now obtaining to wells throughout the Valley o f securing water by merely open­ing the valves, w ill disappear, making i t necessary fo r those who e le c t to continue production of w„ter from wells to incur the expense of in stallation of pumps and the constant power cost o f operating and maintaining the same, with the disadvantage and expense that, as the watershed is further lowered, it w ill be necessary to follow the water level down and perhaps substitute d ifferen t and more expensive types of pumping equipmentHo produce from greater depths. The only possible alternate supply would be fromHMke Mead, The Colorado River water is heavily mineralized, and is therefore an extremely hard water. I t is usable fo r domestic purposes, but must be heavily chlorinated, and as those of you who have had occasion to drink or use the water at Boulder City know, it is far differen t from the water you now enjoy. I have recited to you the picture as we see i t , and I hope the situation w ill be given your most serious consideration. The problem we are a ll confronted with is the conservation and protection of your domestic and industrial water supply. For your own best interest every .effort should be made to bring about enactment and enforcement of ordinances and statutes to stop waste o f -water -to protect the future c f the area. (3)