The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-08-14
WATER
WASTED
In Irrigation Of Yakima
County Lands.
GOV 1RNMEAT EXPERTS REPORT
They Tell How Water Might Be Used
To Much Better
Advantage.
GOVERNMENT EXPERTS REPORT

Washington, D. C.-Observation Of
experts of the department of agricul-
ture, who have recently visited the
Yakima valley, in Eastern Washing
ton, confirm opinions heretofore
formed, that the farmers of that re
gion, who are resorting to irrigation
under various private OR cooperative
canals, are annually wasting large
quantities Of water. because of their
lack Of knowledge as to methods Of
retaining desert or semi-arid lands.
In other words, these farmers are
putting on their lands all the water
they can use. regardless of the needs
of the SOIL with the result that con-
siderable portion of their crops are
mOlGing, some areas are entirely
flooded. and the low-lying regions
are, through sub-irrigation, becoming
swamped to the danger point
But One Effective Remedy.
There is a remedy for this. but on
ly one effective remedy, and thai is
for farmers to devote little time
to studying the principles of practical
irrigation, finding out how much wa
ter is needed for the crops, when to
apply this water, and how to con-
struct their laterals so as to give the
best results. The department of ag-
riculture is about to publish an eX-
tensive report, bearing on this sub
in Wnjrh tho of tho NoiZi-
ma valley farmers will be pointed out
and specific remedies suggested. But
in order that the subject may be
more fully studied, experts are to be
kept in the region during a part of
the present summer, with a view to
benefit and instruction Of these same |
farmers. This report will not be
ready for year, at least.
One of the Principal Errors.
In the meantime, the department |
makes general suggestions, which If
followed, will do much to relieve the
present situation. One of the princi- |
pal errors of the Yakima farmers is |
that they make their lateral canals |
too long. Where laterals should be |
20 to 80 rods in length, many have |
been strung out to two or three
times that length. The result is that
the water thoroughly saturates the |
s il adjoining the distributing canals, |
and ofUentimes the lower ends of the |
laterals receive no water whatever. |
In other instances, farmers turn wa
ter into their laterals in the morning, |
the day, and when they return at
night find that accidental obstruc-
tons have cut off the water from
large portions of many laterals, the
result being that some portions of
the field have been watered excess |
lively while other portions are dry.
To remedy this, they remove the !
Instructions, and next day turn on
the water again, to the effect that the |
portions that were abundantly or SUI
perabundantly Watered the first day. |
are again sacked, while the neglect
ed patches receive only such water
as should have been given them on
the first day 1t is shown that while
water is being turned on cultivated
fields, some one should be in con
slant attendance to see that the wa
ter is evenly distributed, and to turn
off the supply when the field has been
adequately moistened.
Water Various Crops Need
A great deal of time has been Civ
en- by the department to the study of
the amounts of water demanded by
various crops. and numerous careful
ly prepared publications have been
issued on that point. These are al
ways available for farmers, and it
is suggested, should be carefully
studied by all who resort to irriga-
ton, or contemplate watering their
fields by artificial means AS the
department explains, irrigation is
a farming process that must be car
ried on with system, if the best re-
suits are obtained. Too much water
worse. especially in the Yakima val
ley, for there not only are crops de-
stroyed by waste of water, but the
lOwlands are flooded to the detriment
of settlers below The institution of
systematic drainage must sooner or
later be undertaken, but this ques-
ton will be more fully discussed in
the report of this years investigation. |