El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-07
Report Of the First Years
Work In the West.
ELWOOD MEAD SUMS UP
The Lessons of the Years Investioa-
tlon.-pIans For Economy and
Equitable Distribution OF Mater.
Valuable Experiments.

becoming we'll known. As state en-
gineer Of Wyoming, Mr.. Mead echiev
ed for his stats sucn an enviable re
putation throughout the irrigated re-
Rion that his broader work OF fnveshRa
sion under the general government Ii
meeting with much favor and 10 being
watched wisn deep interest. His fire,
| tion" is just issuing aud will be found
OF great value to the west.
II deals with the methods In use In
the arid states In The distribution and
use of water In irrigation, and gives g
large mum Der OF measurement made
TO determine the duty Of water; the
losses from seepage and evaporation In
canals; and describes the methods BY
which she water supply may be more
effectively and economically applied 70
drops. II contains papers disoussin &
the results OF she years Investigations
by Elwood Mead, expert Ia charge.
Clarence T. Johnston, assistant, and
reports and discussions by special
agents Thomas Berry, Colorado; w &.
NJ. Reed, New Mexico; W. q. Code,
Arizona; w. Irving, California; r. G.
Gemmen and George L. Swendsen,
Utah; d. w. Ross, Idaho; Samuel
Fortier, Montana; and o. v. r. Stout,
Nebraska. 1t 10 illustrated by views,
oho ooo ub 70 6hOWlbk shO AoSo-
ton and character Of the investiga-
lions made.
The Investigations, says Mr.. Mead,
deal with problems, which sorely per-
plex the irrigasors and canal builders
of she arid west. Their comprehen-
sive study IL a new feature of national
aid TO irrigation development in this
country. Heretofore the leading OBJ
jeos of such aid has been TO promote
she construction OF new oausls, to show
how much land there wac above exist
ing disches which would be reclaimed,
and the benefits which would come
from such reclamation. II il believed
thas this investigation also will tend ID
secure these ends, bus It's primary
purpose is 70 promote the welfare OF
she people living under She bitches al
ready built, to render the farms now
Irrigated more profitable, to lessen the
over She distribution of
water and secure its more systematic
aud economical use.
Every nsaotion which has had to
do with the disposal of . stream has
been marked by Q lavish prodiR Atty.
D.tohes diverted more water than was
used; their owners claimed more than
they could divert: while DEGREES gave
titles to more water than
1itohes could carry and many times
What the highest food could supply.
Lissle WAS known of the quantity of
y aser needed to irrigate an acre OF
and, and In the absence Of such iufor- |
nation the Ignorance and greed OF the |
peculative appropriation had its oppor- |
unity.
GREAT LOSS OF WATER.
During the year that Mr.. Elwood
dead has had the work OF irrigation
q vestiR asion in charge a great mum Der
4 measurements have been msde, OF
1ater useo for irriRation-st the heads
( the large canals; at the heads of the
mall canals or lateral, and also At the
,argins of she fields where used. These
show In many cases .
discrepancy. The differen-
co In she measurements at the three
IL ces show the approximate loss OF
'ater In transit in canals. The results
'hich arc given In full In Mr.. Mead's
eport are expressed In the depth to
'hich the water measured would oover I
he land irrigated, provided IL all
i yes the averages Of the three classes
m easurements.
Depth
leasured at the heads OF
large canals. .......... 63 It.
Ieasured ~ the heads of
small canals and laterals 2.40 Il.
Ieaeured ~ the margins of
fields where used. ! % Il.
The causes assigned for these i'm
,epse losses are improper construc.
lon, abe nature OF the soil through
Thich the canals pass, and the prac-
Ice Of placing checks In canals to
brow water on land too high to be
without their use. The re-
ort of the work on the Gage canal In
'slifornis shows that practically all
hese losses can b, stopped where the
alue Of the water will justify the
ecessary expense. This saving would
nable many existing canals to irrigase
ouble the area now reclaimed.
LOSS BY EVAPORATION.
Serious losses from evaporation do
OF OCCUR In main oanals, but from the
elds where water Is distributed. Dur
~ tho midsummer season the continu-
10 sunshine hests the surface of the
round TO . very high temperature.
test made last sum mer by the govern.
TENT irrigation man, showed she sur
ace soil in soushera California 10 have
temperature Of l20 degrees F. When
md thus heated, as IL is frequently
one where flooding 10 prscSiced, the
,ss from evaporation must be exces-
I've. Mr.. w. NJ. Reed discusses this
! his report on New Mexico, showing
distances where Is has become so great
8 TO entirely consume the volume sup
lied. Irrigators know by practice
ow much faster 81 irrigation head of
alter travels over fields at nighs
nd in the early morning than dur
u the afternoon. This IL due
the difference In the rate Of evapc-
ltiop. In order to lessen this loss 10
important that fields be irrigated as
uiokly as possible. To do this, each