The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-05
Bulletin Issued From Depart.
ment of Agriculture.
SUBJECTS TOUCHED UPON
CONDITIONS IN THE ROCKY
MOUNTAIN REGION.
How bitches Are Built, Rights Es-
tabhshed, Water Diverted Into
Canals and bitches and Applied to
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to Those TO
Whom Subject is New and Strange
Special correspondeneel

Especial Correspondence
Washington, =. c.. Jan 30.-The Office
Of experiment stations of the depart
ment of agriculture. which has charge
Of irrigation Investigations, has issued
a bulletin describing irrigation in the
Rocky mountain states. 1t was writ
ten by J. C Ulrich, an irrigation engi-
neer Of Denver. and describes the agrf-
cultural conditions Of the Rocky noun
tain region, covering more particularly
the states Of Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
Utah and wyoming.
Beginning with the climate, resources
and appearance Of this region, the bull
letin explains how bitches are built,
rights to water established and the
water diverted into canals and bitches
and applied to the land, the main pur-
pose being to instruct those to whom
the subject is new and strange, and
thus to enable them to avoid the costly
mistakes which nOviCes in irrigation
farming are liable to make.
The difference between bitches built
and operated by individuals, corpora.
tons or districts are described, as are
the methods of operation. On the latter
point the bulletin makes the following
statements:
The owner of an individual ditch
operates it as he pleases, subject only
to the state laws governing the diver
S on and use of water But when sew
eTal persons are interested in the same
ditch. the necessity for some system
of control arises. In the case of unin-
cOrpOrated community canals, this con-
troll is secured by the selection of a
watermaster, who is usually one of the
owners, to have charge of the operation
and maintenance of the system and the
distribution Of its water to those en-
titled to its use.
1T is on the large corporation canals.
however, that the necessity for a care
fui system Of operation and manage
ment is most apparent. Many of these
canals are more than fifty miles long
and number their water users by the
hundreds. The Ridenbaugh canal, IN
the Boise valley, Idaho. furnishes water
to more than 500 farmers. The High
Line canal IN Colorado has ABB cOnsum-
eTs under it; the LOveland and Greeley
has PSI, and many other systems are
as large or larger. It can thus
be readily seen that the proper opera
ton of such canals involves a very
thorough business organization and
careful attention to many important
details"
Duties of Ditch Rider.
The detailed organization and man
agement of the canals are described,
especial attention being given to the
duties of the ditch rider" the official
with whom the farmer comes into most
frequent and intimate contact
His duties consist in patrOlling the
ditch throughout the season of actual
operation. for the purpose of seeing
that the works are in good repair and
to supeTintend the proper distribution
of water to the various stockholders or
irrigators from the system
Where ditch does not exceed twelve
or fifteen miles in length, one ditch
rider is expected TO patrol its entire
length, but upon more extensive sys-
TENS several may be required TO per
form these duties. Where there are
several required, the canal is divided
into divisions, each Of which is patrOlled
by a separate rider. In such cases the
length Of a division ridden by one man
depends upon the character of the du-
ties, varying materially with the
amount of repairs, the danger of breaks
and leaks, and the number of regulat-
ing gates to look after. The average
length of a division is however, from
Twelve 10 iiLlEEll lAlllto- anu tic DIV q ute7E
compensation for the work ranges from
$50 to SO per month, out of which he
must pay his own board and furnish
and maintain his own horse and cart"
The different methods of applying
the water to the land Flooding, furrCw
and compartment systems) are de-
scribed, and the conditions under which
each is especially applicable are ex-
planned
The advantage of reservoirs in equal
iZing the flow Of streams and in in
cTeasing the iTrigable area is pointed
out.
Quantity of Water Necessary.
THE quantity of water necessary or
used for irrigation fluctuates during
the irTiEat ng sec son, but unfortunate
~ the period of maximum use does not
coincide with the period of maximum
flow Of the streams says the report
THE time Of greatest need for water
varies somewhat in different localities
but generally there is very little water
used in April, and the quantity used in
May is relatively unimpOrtant. June
and July are the months of maximum
use, and the use in August is usually
cOnsiderab y greater than that in May.
The August flow Cf streams is that
which limits their irrigaUing capacity.
Not more than about 20 per cent of the
total annual discharge Of streams can
be made available for irrigation from
their natural flow. Where the t0pogra-
ply Of the country is favorable this
loss of water may be prevented or
greatly diminished through the con-
stTuctiOn of reservoirs for storing the
surplus during the early part of the
season for use in the later months
An adequate system of storage viii not
only protect irrigatOTS from the varia-
ton ia supply from month to month.
but assist in reducing the fluctuations
from year to year 1t will enable the
floods of years of large discharge to be
held back for the years of drought
with these benefits there are also
complications If a comprehensive sys-
TEN of storage is to be adopted. il win
doubtless greatly increase the difficulty
of dividing water among the different
claimants to 2 common supply and
make it necessary to have additional
legislation to define the character of
the rights to these stored Weters.
1.-THE benefits which Rave already
come from the cons ructi1n of rzser-
Vo rs haze en- of the most substantial
character. but their Improvement and
operation has also added largely to the
annual cost of water. and a canal with
an early priority right which gives a
definite and abundant water supply
without their aid is much to be pre-
feTred. Reservoirs are simply a sec
oncary means Of utilizing wa ,ers which
otherwise run to waste, ana they are
g.