Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-04-19
NOT INDISPENSABLE.
ANOTHER SCHEME or tRRiGA-
TlON IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

4 Paper by William II. Davts of Hitchcock
on the subject of storing the su.-surfAce
sapply OF Water and Uulisng II for Irri-
CATION Purposes.
Arteslan Wells Not Indispensable.
SINCE the Artesian Well and IrriRa-
tion Convention at Huron early in
March interest iii these subjects have
been revived to u marked degree. A
paper by William IL. Davis Of Hitch
cock on the subject of storing the sub
surface supply Of water and utilizing 1t
for Irrigation purposes by the use Of
windmiils will be read with interest 10y
hundreds Of people In South Dakota
interested in irrigation. Mr.. Davis
says underground streams or reservoirs
unaorlie large portion Of the surface
Of the state at an average depth OF
twenty-five feet: in that part OF the
state intersected by creeks and draws
vast volume Of water is near the sur
face. Underlying is stratum OF sand
aud gravel through which is conducted
a very large per cent. of the supply OF
these water courses. In illustration,
Cain Creek, near Wolsey, receives the
water from an artesian well. yet 1t dis
appears and reappears at different
points before reaching the Jim River.
Turtle Creek waters, in Beadle and
Sphinx Counties, without the supply OF
artesian waters, disappear and reap
pear, presenting conclusive evidence
of a strong underflow near the surface.
The same conditions appear in num-
Der of water courses in Pennington
County. notably on high table lands
between Rapid and Box Alder Greeks.
Attention was called to this undertiOw
through the efforts of farmers to hold
the surplus water in the spring, by
building dams across the draws. The
water could not be retained, but es-
capped through the underlying stratum
of sand and gravel. Shallow wells
near the channels of these runs fur
nish inexhaustible supplies Of water.
Ponds in these water courses do not
become stagnant, nor perceptibly di-
minished by evaporation. all evidenc-
ing living water Innumerable in
stances OF this might be cited proving
the existence of this subsurface supply
which may be utilized for irrigation at
cost practically within the reach OF
all.
The query arises, can this supply of
subsurface water be raised In suffi-
cient quantity for irrigation, by wind
mills? A. B. Nc Allister, writing up
on this, says: "a five-ineh pump will
discharge $3.50 gallons per hour. or 81
gallons per minute. On the Colorado
basis, stream running .O6s cubic feet
per second would irrigate about six
acres, but the pump is estimated to
run only one-third Of the time, SO only
about two acres could be irrigated di-
rectly from the pump. suppose the
farmer spends few dollars construct
ing reservoir 100 feet square and j
feet deep. Such reservoir will con-
tain 10000 cubic feet. or about 300. 100
gallons of water. 4 5-inch pump. dis
| charging 1860 gallons per hour. will
in eight hours one-third OF day
discharge 1880 gallons. I'm twenty
eight-hour days assuming that the
windmill runs only one-third OF the
time 21a,6O gallons will be secured,
practically filling our 100000 gallon
| reservoir.
During the six months from April 10
September, inclusive, there are nine
periods OF twenty days each. therefore
the reservoir can be emptied and filled
nine times during these months, result
ing in an aggregate OF z, 700, 900 gallons
for irrigation purposes, equal to $780,
600 cubic feet. The report OF the KAN
sas State Board OF Agriculture tor the
last year shows at Wallace, Kan, DUR
ing the six months from April to Sep
tember the rainfall aggregated over Is
inches. 1t has been fonnd that an ag-
gregate of feet in depth is required
for practical irrigation cubic feet
OF water for a square foot of land. An
acre contains 43. 500 square feet hence
to irrigate one acre 81 l20 cubic feet of
water are required. OF this five-
efghths may be supplied by rainfall.
leaving three-eighths to be supplied
from the reservoir. Therefore to ir.
rigate one acre during the season will
require $3.50 cubic feet Of artificial
supply water. One pump and reser-
voir will supply $4,000 feet. or enough
for eleven acres.
The size Of the windmill and depth
of well are not given in the above esti-
mate, but q l2-foot well is applicable
to the average depth of wells in this
locality.
The area in South Dakota to be irri-
gated could be increased one-third
T.
ence in soil and climate. This ha.
been proven byexperiments. Reca,,se
Of the small amount Of water rennired
In excess OF rainfall. from IL to 9o acres
can be practically irrigated by wind
mill power from sub-surface supply.
Taking an average dapth wall ne 4 ha.
eis. a is-foot Windmill and nnmn vii,
not cost more than a14O. and a. Al ~.
ample OF what such m ontfit will do
reference is made 10 the success 81 Mr.
BURGESS. enpared IN cranherrv cni.
tnre ut Yarmnnth. Mass Ha has :
12-foot Decorah windmill which r,,rs q
pinch square hnx nnmn IN : Io.irch
stroke. iifting feet - about az,
pounds-of water. discharciny sbont
IA no,nds every secon1 thns 7andirr
about 7OO. 600 gallons in his raservoir
in "a hours. At another date M R,,r.
ress Hooded II Acres ona | fnot fiasn -
With 4 days' work with : is-mita winf
| With this min and nImn NJ E,,rras. !.