The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-25

been built are constructed with little
regard to the ruling principles namely:
The proper grade and cross-section
The only object heretofore sought has
been to get the water to the desired
point in the shortest possible route
This plan is usually a great mistake,
and is one of the causes of unneces-
sary waste. There are instances in
which bitches and small canals are
built to flow down very steep inclines
and in these cases much trouble is in
variably caused by the increased veloc-
ity, which scours the bottom, promotes
seepage, and thus fills the level
stretches below with sediment, Undue
ing their overflow. These are great
faults, which must be overcome, and
the surest remedy is to educate the
people to the necessity of obtaining
the proper supervision or to educate
the class that do this work to the
end that they may become skilled in
the operation.
There is correct grade and a
proper cross-section for every canal,
depending upon the discharge; and it
should be the aim to carry these
points out in the construction, if good
results are desired.
Water for irrigation in the west has
been used rashly, wastefully, and
with little regard for economy or fu-
ture needs. Our ideas of how much
water is requisite, or the best method
of applying it to obtain the greatest
result, are often primitive and I'M
satisfactory. 1t can be safely stated
that the farmers of Utah are applying
from three to four times as much
water as is needed for the successful
maturing of their crops. Since water
is the first essential to irrigation,
questions relating to the supply are
of prime Importance and should be
answered first. But if the supply is
first in Importance, economy in its
crease in the extent of the land irri-
gated or in the amount of crops raised,
which isdue to better methods of appli-
cation, is equivalent to a still greater
increase in the available supply.
We are all likely to fall into the err
ror of strictly following the methods
of our forefathers, without stopping to
consider whether or not these methods
give the best results. If they followed
particular mode of applying the
water, we do the same, instead of in
vestigating the question or studying
for more skillful way.
At first the water supply in a new
locality is abundant-there is no abso-
A1SS~h9NtSJ
most convenient methods of using it
are followed. The methods are often
wasteful, but when once commenced
they usually become permanent, and
the work is carried on in the same
manner for generations without a
thought of improvement
When the value of the water of the
territory comes to be properly esti-
mated, it will be seen that the policy
which designs to protect the interests
of the community as a whole, against
the exactions of private monopolies,
could be applied as much to water con
servation as it has been to public
roads and highways and other state
enterprises. To the control of water
the same methods are quite rs appli-
cable, if not more so.
We must then, first, preserve the
sources, and therefore increase the
supply; and, second, improve the prim-
tive methods of conveyance from its
source until each drop of water fulfls
it's duty for irrigation purposes.