Standard forms for scheduling wells.
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Water Resources Division
Washington 25, D.C.
In reply refer to: December 10, 1956
Code 4052 0001
GROUND WATER BRANCH MEMORANDUM NO. 57.20
To: District Chiefs and State Officials, Ground Water Branch
From: Chief, Ground Water Branch
Subject: Standard forms for scheduling wells.
Periodically we request the Government Printing Office to
replenish our supplies of certain standard forms. Two forms of
particular interest at this time are the following:
No. Title Size
9-185 Well Schedule 5" X 8"
9-255 Record of Well 8" X 10 1/2"
It has been past practice to reprint form No. 9-185 in lots of
30,000 and form No. 9-255 in lost of 50,000; the cited quantities
represent about 1-year and 5-year supplies, respectively.
Some agitation for revisions in the above two forms prompts this
request for field office comment on the changes, if any, that
might improve the usefulness of either form. The following
discussion may facilitate your reply.
Form 9-185, as last revised in 1935, is designed for the field use
of Branch professionals and subprofessionals engaged in well-
inventory work. The 5" X 8" size is compatible with many other
field forms used in loose-leaf notebooks or in the aluminum
spring-clip covers, and the abbreviated style of the numbered
items should adequately guide the trained worker in recording the
desired information.
Form 9-255, as designed in 1927, was intended for mailing to well
drillers or well owners who were asked to record all available
well data and return the forms to the Geological Survey. The
numbered items on the form are thus couched in simpler language to
ensure understanding by the layman. Although collecting
information through widespread mailing of government forms now
requires specific and prior approval from the Bureau of the Budget
some of our District offices continue to make effective use of
form 9-255 by keeping a supply in the hands of cooperative well
drillers. Valuable data are thereby recorded, for Survey use, at
or near the time a well is drilled.
Evidently there is genuine continuing need for two kinds of well-
schedule forms; one for field use by our Branch personnel, and one
for use by laymen such as well drillers and well owners. I
believe the latter use will continue to be served by retaining 9-
255 essentially as is. It has been suggested, however, that item
15 concerning "cost of well" be deleted and that closer-spaced
horizontal lines be printed on the reverse side to permit more
entries under "log of well." Your comments on these or other
simple modifications of form 9-255 are requested.
The greater number of suggestions received to date concern
modifications that might be made in form 9-185, ranging from the
size of the form itself to the particulars of the numbered items
shown thereon. Many of the suggestions are incorporated in a
sample form appearing with R.C. Vorhis' article in the Water
Resources Bulletin of February 1954 (p. 13-15). Although Vorhis
discusses proposed revisions in form 9-255 I feel that his effort
is more appropriately considered in relation to possible changes
of form 9-185 or to the possible need for an additional 8" X 10
1/2" version of that form. Your comments on modifications of form
9-185 should cover the following questions:
Should the form be 5" X 8" or 8" X 10 1/2" or should it be
available in both sizes?
Should the back side of the form be left blank?
Should all the section-plat lines be printed as dashed lines
to improve the clarity of the location sketch?
Regardless of the size of form preferred should the format of
the front side be modelled more closely after that shown
in the cited Bulletin article?
Your prompt reply to this memorandum will be appreciated. If
either or both forms (9-185 and 9-255) adequately meet your needs
without modification comments to that effect are desired.
(s) A. N. Sayre
Distribution: A, B, GS, GFO