The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-14
MEAD'S PLANS
To WATER LANDS
Report of Expert on Irrigation Is
Submitted.
-A
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM
-%-
PROFESSOR BELIEVES HE HAS
POSITIVELY SOLVED 1T.
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM
Special Correspondence

/ work Of the irrigation once Tor the
past year. The report, in part, re-
cites:
The studies of the practical cues
tons involved in diverting water from
streams. transporting it through canals
and bitches, distributing it over the
land. and determining the require
ments of different crops, have been
carried on in all of the arid and semi
arid states with one exception. In
| general. the resVlts of this work shows
that the losses in distribution are
much greater than has usually been
supposed, and that the quantity Of
| water required, where those losses are
included is somewhat greater than
has been estimated by many writers
on the subject or stipulated in many
[ water-right contracts. The stations
! for the measurement of the duty of
I water are scattered over nearly one
third of the United States The aver
/ ages of the different measurements fol-
| the past two years show a surprising
! " close agreement when this wide
/ range of conditions IS considered, as
| is shown in the following summary:
The average depth of water applied
/ to crops in 1888 was 4.35 feet.
The average depth of water applied
/ to crops in 1900 was Alb feet.
! One Of the results of this work has
been to show the Importance of keep
| ing canals in good condition. and to
! emphasize the benefits resulting from
/ diminishing as far as possible the
| losses by percOlatiOn. Measurements
show that the loss from seepage and
] evaporation in bitches and canals va
] TlHs from IL 70 .,f IN
| water taken in at their hands. and flat
/ by far the greater part of this loss
| is due to seepeage. Formerly, many be-
| lleved that most of the loss was due
| to evaporation, and was therefore be-
| yond the power of man TO remedy
/ Now that it has been demonstrated
| that the water disappears through the
] sides and bottoms of bitches and
canals, steps can be taken to improve
these channels and the loss stopped to
a great extent improvements of this
character Will increase the area which
| can be irrigated, and save much land
| for productive agriculture, which
would otherwise become swamps and
/ marshes.
Use Too Much Water.
The difference between the high and
low duties obtained under practically
the same conditions show that where
water can be had in abundance the
natural tendency is to use too much.
resulting in a reduction in the yield Of
crops, a temporary injury TO the land.
and limitation of the areas which can
be irrigated with the available water
supply.
In many localities a lavish use OF
| water has converted areas once arid
alkali marshes of which the only pro-
duct is cat-tail flags, and made drain
age necessary at a cost fully as great
as was required to provide the water
supply in the first instance. The need
of this drainage might have been
avoided in many cases, had canals
been constructed with more care and
the evil results Of Over-irrigation an
preciated at the outset.
The soils of the arid region are rich
IN mineral ingredients This is due in
/ part 70 their origin, and in part TO the
| Scanty rainfall. which has not been
sut1cient to wash out the soluble eIe-
ments as has been the case in humid
regions. Because Of this there are
large areas which are highly charged
with alkali. The tendency of irrigation
is 10 leach these salts out of the higher
grounds and concentrate them in the
lower lands. Evaporation tends to
bring them to the surface, where they
| accumulate in such quantities as To
XIII vegetation. The remedy is to be
found in drainage, and this investiga
Ton has been called upon to assist in
I sowing the larger engineering and le-
gal problems connected with the for
/ nation OF drainage plans. As some of
theSe districts embrace in the aggre-
gate many thousands of acres in which
not only the alkali, but the water ulane
has risen until it has reached the Sur
lace. 1t is necessary that the plans be
1 comprehensive, and must include pro-
vision for removing the surplus water
as well as the salts which are TO pass
( with it. Drainage studies must include
the causes of their being flooded and a
/ determination of the source and volume
OF the water TO be removed. Drainage
and irrigation are part of one whole
/ and TIER investigation should be car
RED on together. The Office is now en-
gagged in this work in Colorado and
California
The publication and circulation Of
the facts being gathered regarding the
injuries resulting from excessive losses
! IN distribution or wasteful use will go
far to prevent a recurrence of such in
Juries in other localities where irriga-
! ton is yet in its infancy Another re-
suit viii be the reclamation of more
land than would otherwise be posi-
BILE
Instruments for Measuring Water.
In carrying on the measurements of
water il was found that the instru-
ments used were in many cases not
suited TO the work required of them
and were SO expensive as to limit their
use generally TO government and state
work. With the progress of the work
of the investigation there has been a
growing demand for instruments which
VIII do accurate work and at the same
time be within reach of canal compa-
MES and individual iTrigat0rS. The
instruments most used are the current
meter and the register for keeping a
continuous record of the depth of wa
ter at any point. Efforts have been
made TO cheaper these Instruments
and at the same time increase their
efficiency Little has been accom-
plished with the current meter. but the
water register has been so simpli6ed
as 10 reduce its cost by more than
malt without any sacrifice in accuracy.
The measurements made to deter
mine the quantities of water used and
the losses from canals has another oh
80 SS9iN~S me iii 0tliehlS OF egrl-
cultural practices. 1t IS a principle of
irrigation law. in theory at least. that
rights To water are based on bene-
fetal use. That is. a person or com
pany can maintain a right to only as
much water as he or ii can put to
beneficial use in irrigation-) 1t is of
first Importance. therefore, 10 know
how much water is needed to grow
crops on a given area, in order that
courts and boards OF control may in
diligently determine the amount of
rights 10 water, and officers charged