MECHANICAL TRASHRACK

This mechanical trashrack used on the Northport Canal, North Platte
Project, Northport, Nebraska, is a product of 4 years of experimenta-
tion and improvement. Most of the construction and alterations that
were necessary for the efficient operation of this device were done
by Mr. N. E, Troudt of the Northport Irrigation District, Northport,
Nebraska.

It is basically a very simple mechanical device that is reported to
operate most efficiently. Photograph 1 below is a view of the trash-
rack looking up at it from the lower section. The trash moves up

the rack and falls on to the conveyor belt which moves it to a depres-
sion on the right side of the 60 cfs canal where it has been installed
at a drop structure. Photograph 2 at the top of next page shows the
eccentrics or camshaft detail. A full view of the mechanical trash-
rack installation is shown in Photograph 3. Photograph 4 on page 21
looking upstream shows the trashrack as it fits into the drop struc-
ture.

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Photograph 1 - P20-703-5845NA
Trashrack Construction
The device is made of a 2-inch steel shaft that has eccentrics or cams

keyed to the shaft. These raise and lower alternate steel bars or
walkers approximately 2 inches with each stroke. The walkers are made

19


SCRAPER FOR CLEANING CANALS1/

A unique scraper for cleaning sediment and algae from the concrete lin-
ing of a canal is used by the Metropolitan Water District of Los
Angeles, California. The scraper was developed by the District and
consists of an old track from a tractor on which scraper blades have
been mounted.

Photograph 1 - P214-D-64736D

Photograph 2 - P214-D-64737D

The scraper blades are about 6
to 8 inches long and are bolted
to the tractor tracks, which
makes an articulated section.
The length is about 6 feet and
it is supported on a bar to
which it is attached at three
points; at both ends and the
middle. A sling attached to
this bar is then pulled from
the crane. Special sheaves at
the end of the boom were devel-
oped to make this job possible.

Photograph 1 shows the articu-
lated scraper. The frame sup-
ports the track at both ends
and the center. The sling is
attached to the frame. Photo-
graph 2 is a closeup view of
the scraper and the hard metal
pieces bolted to the track.

Two 25-ton rubber-tire-mounted
truck cranes are used continu-
ously to clean the canal linings
in the District. The truck
cranes drive along the operating
roads, which are on both sides
of the canal, and drag this
particular piece of equipment
along the canal lining to remove
the sediment and algae.

It takes six passes to clean
one reach of canal; two passes
for the bottom and two for each
of the sides. The passes can be
made from either side of the
canal.

I/Taken in part from a field trip report by J. K. Shankland, H. E.
Pelham, and T. L. Steel of the Office of Chief Engineer, dated

June 11, 1969.


Photograph 4 - P20-703-S840NA

of 3/8-inch steel, 4 inches wide. Each walker is notched at intervals
of about 8 inches and has several weld spots to further roughen the
top surface and aid in the upward movement of the trash, as shown in
Photograph 5S on the next page. The walkers are spaced 1-3/4 inches
apart.

A piece of 3/8-inch steel is used on each side of the walker to elimi-
nate lateral movement and also to give a closer fit as the walkers
slide in the groove on the eccentric. It was found that better results
were obtained if the bearing surface was bronzed at the bottom

of the walker where it makes contact with the eccentric. The shaft
makes 42 revolutions per minute and is powered electrically with a
1-1/2-horsepower motor. The walker-eccentric contact surface is
greased once a day and it was discovered that wheel bearing grease
gives the best results.

The Belt Conveyor

The view of the conveyor belt also is shown in Photograph 6 at the
bottom of the next page. This particular conveyor belt is 60 feet
long and 2 feet wide and also is powered electrically by a 3/4-
horsepower motor. The smooth type belt does not move the lighter
weight weeds as well as it should. A rough surfaced belt 3 feet wide
is recommended. It is believed that the added width is needed to
handle longer logs and large objects.

21


as:

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Photograph 2 - P20-703-5912NA

Photograph 3 - P20-D-64743D

20


PUMPING PLANT TRASHRACK

A heavy concentration of debris on the trashrack at the Burbank No. 3
Pumping Plant, Columbia Basin Project, Ephrata, Washington, was contin-
ually interferring with the flow of water to the pump, causing frequent
shutdown at the plant.

In order to eliminate this problem another trashrack as shown in
Photograph 1 was constructed approximately 6 feet in front of the
original rack.

Photograph 2 at lower
left shows the original
trashrack that was
built with a 1-7/8-inch
spacing on a 1 to 3
slope. The supplemen-
tal trashrack with a
trash bar spacing of 3
inches, made from 1/2-
by 2-1/2-inch steel
bars, restricts the
larger material to the
forebay where it can
be removed easily.

The new rack has a much
flatter slope which
makes it possible to
clean both racks at
less frequent intervals.
This has been made pos-
sible because of the
heavier driftwood and
other large debris
being caught by the
auxiliary trashrack.

Project field personnel
fabricated this new
rack and a platform was
made from surplus land-
ing mats in which the
debris can be piled for
removal.

ak RR

Photograph 2 - P222-D-64739D

23


HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED SPRAY RIG FOR WEED CONTROL1/

A combination of fertile soils, water and a year-around growing season
have provided the essential ingredients for the thriving agricultural
economy of Southern California's Imperial Valley. These same elements,
however, also result in an undesirable by-product - weeds of unexcelled
luxuriance and stamina,

Through the years Imperial Irrigation District, which operates over
3,000 miles of main canals, laterals, and drains, serving in excess of
500,000 acres of irrigated farmland, has run the gamut in methods of
weed control. From the early-day use of labor gangs equipped with
shovels, brush axes, and machetes, through the period of extensive use
of weed burners, the District has progressed to the present-day method
of chemical weed control, employing relatively sophisticated machines
for the application of various liquid herbicide mixtures.

Nearly one-half million dollars is expended annually by the District
in its weed control program. Such a sizeable expenditure, coupled
with the rather extensive area to be covered, demands close attention
to efficiency and economy of operation as well as to its overall effec-
tiveness. The District's management team has concluded that the con-
tinued spiraling of labor and equipment costs makes it imperative that
time-saving innovations be employed.

Imperial Irrigation District, also being in the power generation,
transmission and distribution business, utilizes a fleet of line
trucks equipped with personnel booms. It was only natural that some-
one would eventually ask as to why couldn't an adaptation of these
hydraulically operated units be used effectively to support a spray
bar, as well as put an operator out over his work?

One such unit was developed in the headquarters shops of the District,
and field tested during the 1967 fall spraying season. Photograph 1
on the following page shows a full view of the new hydraulic-operated
spray truck. The advantages of the automated boom and chemical-flow
control were readily apparent. It appeared, however, that by reliev-
ing the boom of the weight of the operator and personnel basket, the
boom could be lengthened from 20 to 25 feet, plus the addition of a
pair of movable spray arms mounted at the end of the boom. These and
other refinements were incorporated in a hydraulically operated
articulated aerial boom spray rig fabricated at Imperial in the spring
of 1968 and placed in service during the summer spraying period.

It will be noted in Photograph 2 also on the following page that the
operator sits at a control panel mounted on the swinging pedestal of

I/This article was written and presented for inclusion in this bulletin
by Mr. R. F. Carter, General Manager, Imperial Irrigation District,
Imperial, California 92251. Inquiries for further information should
be directed to Mr. Carter.

15


for use on this type area, top priority is given to this herbicide in
the first year of the study. Other herbicides will be monitored as
the program develops.

This entire monitoring program follows procedures reviewed and tenta-
tively approved by the Interagency Ad Hoc Committee on Use of Herbicides
in Aquatic Sites. The first steps of the analysis are performed in

a laboratory on the Columbia Basin Project. Extractions reduce the
volume of liquid for shipping from 1 quart to a few ounces and leaves
the 2,4-D in a liquid medium resistant to biological activity. On
arrival in Denver the samples of extracts are processed and analyzed
for 2,4-D content with the gas chromatograph. The data are transferred
to punch cards, and an automatic data processing program is used to
process these data for future reports and other purposes.

A total of five channels have been sampled. These are selected at
random throughout the project to obtain a cross sectional representa-
tion of the variability in water conveyance channels and herbicide
applicators.

Throughout the sampling program, agronomists will identify and
appraise both aquatic and terrestrial vegetation in the sampling areas
so that the effect of herbicides at the different sites can be evalu-
ated. Some of the things that are expected to be learned from the
study are the extent of dilution of particular herbicides as they move
through the irrigation system, the degree of absorption in soils or
plant life which takes place, and the amount of loss through evapo-
ration.

A typical example of collecting a set of three replicated water sam-
ples from a canal on the project is illustrated in Photograph 1 at left,
and, on the next page,
Photograph 2 depicts
the manner in which
three l-quart glass bot-
tles are positioned on
the sampler so that the
three replicates are
collected at the same
time. Water samples
collected are kept
under refrigeration
until the following day
when they are extracted.
The extracts are stored
under refrigeration in
4-ounce glass bottles
fitted with teflon-lined
caps until ready for
Photograph 1 - P222-D-64735D shipping. The bottles

26


HERBICIDE MONITORING STUDY IN IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

Herbicide Residues

A 3-year herbicide monitoring program in cooperation with the Federal
Water Pollution Control Administration is in progress by the Bureau
of Reclamation to determine the fate of herbicides used on irrigation
systems. The program is part of a nationwide study in which the
Bureau is participating. Data obtained from the study will be used to
support national registration of commonly used herbicides.

Under the Department of Agriculture's compulsory registration program
for herbicides used in or near irrigation systems, evidence must be
submitted demonstrating that a herbicide can be used to prescribed con-
centrations without injury to man, wildlife, livestock, or crops
before that particular herbicide can be approved. Some herbicides
have now been in common use for as long as 20 years with very little
documentation having been obtained as to the residues of the herbi-
cides, The purpose of the study is to obtain such documentation.

The Columbia Basin Project in the State of Washington was selected for
the field phase of the study because of its broad system of canals,
laterals, and drains of various sizes, lengths, and conditions, and the
availability of personnel experienced in water monitoring procedures
and needs. The program is closely coordinated with the Quincy, East,
and South Columbia Basin Irrigation Districts, which actually carry
out the weed control operations on the Project.

Technical guidance is provided by the Chief Engineer's Office of the
Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, Colorado. The field segment of the
work consists of a number of operations required in the program, Some
of these include the planning of canal sampling and coordination of
it with district personnel making the herbicide application, tracing
the movement of water subjected to herbicide application through the
use of dyes, collecting water samples periodically at a number of
stations along the canal, recording data on all parameters involved,
performing the initial steps in the extraction of the herbicide from
the irrigation water, and the preparation of samples for shipment to
Denver.

The laboratory and data analysis phase of the work are performed in

the Research Division, Office of Chief Engineer, as a part of the
Bureau's cooperative weed control research program with the Agricultural
Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Denver, Colorado.

The Study

Since the amine salt of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is used
extensively on irrigation systems of the western states for controlling
broad leaved weeds on ditchbanks and it is not registered specifically

25


Photograph 6 - P20-703-5842NA

There are no plans of the trashrack available, as it was built and
altered as ideas and problems arose. However, if further information
is desired, it can be obtained by writing to the Northport Irrigation
District, Post Office Box 547, Bridgeport, Nebraska 69336.

kk RK

22


and as each unit of the present fleet of manually operated, swing-boom
rigs is phased out it will be replaced by hydraulically operated equip-
ment similar to that described on these pages. Specific nomencalture
of the various components of this new rig is listed below:

Truck Specifications

1. Manufactured cab and chassis

2. 39,000 gross vehicle weight

3 Three-axle, 6 x 4

4. V-6 cylinders, 400.9 cubic inches

5. Wheelbase 157 inches with C.A. 84 inches
6. Transmission 5-speed

7. Auxiliary transmission 4-speed

8. Tires 15 - 22.5

9. Minimum speed of 1.5 mph at 1,600 rpm
10. Rear axle heavy duty

ll. Addition to rear frame - 16 feet from cab to end of frame
12. Section modulus increased

1. Shop-built 1,800-gallon tank with baffle

Suction Pump

1. Centrifugal 3 by 3 inches
2. Power takeoff from transmission
3. Tank fills in approximately 6 minutes

1, With hydraulic control pedestal

2. Two 10-foot 5-inch hydraulic-operated with vertical and
horizontal motion

3. Hydraulic controls mounted on boom

Auxiliary Engine

1. Engine rated at 25 hp at 2,400 rpm

Engine powers both the spray pump and the hydraulic pump

3. Hydraulic pump rated at 1,200 rpm giving 6-1/2 gpm with a
9-1/2 hp output from engine. Spray pump at 2,400 rpm with
maximum 360 gpm using 11 hp from engine

nN

Spray Booms

1. Two l-inch id by 10-foot 5-inch hydraulically operated booms
with six nozzles per boom, producing 3.4 gpm at 30 psi.

kk RR

18


the boom, affording him a full view of his work. The main boom has a
360-degree horizontal swing with a vertical movement of 45 degrees
below the horizontal. The two spray arms attached at the end of the
boom are hydraulically operated from the control panel and each is
capable of a 180-degree horizontal swing and a 90-degree up-and-down
movement. This allows positioning of the spray pattern to conform to
any normal drain section or canal side slope and berm. Each spray arm
is equipped with six nozzles, operated in groups of three by valves
operated from the control panel.

Other noteworthy features include the jet-agitated 1,800-gallon tank
capable of being filled in 6 minutes, with the 3-inch centrifugal
pump using a power takeoff from the truck transmission. Photograph 3
below shows a front view of the spray truck with the liquid herbicide
tank clearly visible. One auxiliary gasoline engine powers the spray
pump and the hydraulic pump for the boom operation.

The three-axle, 6 by 4 truck is mounted on high-flotation super single
tires which will permit it to operate over most canal and drain bank
roads under normal conditions.

The total cost of the rig was approximately $19,000, including $10,500
for the truck and $3,500 for the bare boom and pedestal.

The subject machine, along with its immediate prototype developed in
1967, has convinced District personnel that they are on the right track

Photograph 3 - P214-D-64742D

17


Photograph 1 - P214-D-64740D

Photograph 2 - P214-D-64741D

16


are packed in sytrofoam
containers and shipped
to Denver. Samples are
in route less than 24
hours by this mode of
transportation. On
arrival in Denver the
samples are unpacked,
Photograph 3 below, and
stored under refrigera-
tion until the analyti-
cal procedures are com-
menced. The number of
samples collected from
each canal and included
in each shipment may
vary from 100 to 150

Photograph 2 - P222-D-64733D depending on the number

of sampling stations

employed which varies with length of the canal

The analysis of samples from the first two collections are nearly
completed but the 2,4-D chromatograms have not been processed. Very
low concentrations of 2,4-D are found in most of the samples analyzed.

Photograph 3 - P222-D-64734D

It is planned that this study be continued through 1971. Different
herbicides will be monitored during this period. Herbicides selected
for future study will be based on the need for this type of informa-
tion to support their continued use.

kK RR

27 GPO 883-927