Arizona republican., 1903-09-18

mentS have been made at the heads of
canals, at the heads of latera,s and at
the margins of fields. The great differ
ences between the quantities diverted
by some canals and the quantities de-
livered to farmers by them, led to a
series of measurements to find out
where the water taken from the
streams but not delivered to farmers
went. Such measurements made up to
and including the season of 1901. show
that canals on an average lose SIS per
cent of the water entering them in each
mile of their length, some small canals
losing in a single mile as high as 81
per cent of the water diverted by them.
The general average of the volume lost
by canals in their entire length is
usually given as one-third of the vol
ume diverted. although our measure
ments would indicate that it is even
greater. The saving of these losses
from canals means an increase of at
least third in the area which can
ultimately be reclaimed. The measure
ments made show that in manay canals
the larger part of the losses occur in
short sections of the canals, and the
, measurements locate these sections.
, Where this is the case, the losses can
be stopped by lining the canals or
putting in fumes for thesa shcrt dis
tances where the losses are greatest.
The measurements show another fact.
/ The percentage of losses from small
| canals are much greater than those
| from large canals. Averaging OF our
measurements show that:
Canals carrying leo cubic feet per
second OF more lose .eS per cent per
mile.
Canals carrying from 50 to 100 cubic
feet er second lose 2.G7 per cent per
mile
Canals carrying from % to 50 cubic
| feet per second lose 5.22 per cent per
! mile.
Canals carrying less than % cubic
feet per second lose 1.fS per cent per
mile.
These figures show that the percent
age of loss from small canals is more
| than seven times that from large
canals. Great saving can, therefore,
be made by running water in large
canals rather than in a larger number
of small ores.
Various experiments have been made
in lining bitches to prevent loss, and
the department is collecting all avail
able information on this subject. The
probIenE is not to find a means of con-
veying water withouth loss. but to find
/ a cheap meals of doing this. Where
, the crops raised will justify the ex-
rense. the loss. can be stopped, but the
| expense is too heavy for ordinary
| crops, or at least mas been considered
| so. AS the demand for water becomes
greater, larger expense will be justified.
But what is needed is a cheap but ef-
-,
from canals. We are working on this
problem. Its solution means as has
been Shown an addition of at least one
third to the area which can be re-
claimed.
The losses from laterals have been
shown to be nearly if not quite as
great as those from bitches. We are
| studying methods of constructing
! laterals ard of making them more
economical carriers of water. All the
field agents of the irrigation investiga-
| tions have been instructed to study
| the practice of the best farmers in the
sections covered by them. The reports
| from all these agents will be digested
/ and combined and published in the
| form of a farmers bulletin. Expert
| ments looking to the same end are be-
| ing carried On. AS with canals. the
question of saving the losses from
! laterals is a question of expense. and
what we are looking for is some cheap
| check on these losses. the saving of
| which means the addition of another
| third of the reclaimed area.
| Great as are the possibilities of saw
| ing by stopping the losses from canals
| and laterals, they are not so great as;
! the possibilities of saving i'll use. Our
measurements of the quantities actual
! ly used by farmers show that some
| use from five to ten times as much
water as others who are raising the
| same crops under similar condition and
who secure equally good if not better
| returns. There is no way of telling
what proportion of farmers use toe
much water. but the measurements re-
| ferred to seem to justify the estimate
| that on an average farmers use al
! least twice as much water as is neces-
| sary under present methods. If this
| saving can be made. it means d doub-
| ling of the area which can be reclaimed
| and that with little expense to AIRY
one, since most canals cover much
more land than they now supply with
water. The department can. of course
do nothing to enforce economy in use
| 1t can olly point out the fact thal
equally good returns from the land now
| irrigated can be secured with half the
water. in the hope that self-intersst
Will induce farmers to use the smalle,
quantities. One method has, however
| been suggested by our Investigations
| That is. to base charges for water or
the quantities used rather than on the
! acreage irrigated. \ report from New
/ Mexico shows that farmers who palC
according to the quantities they re-
ceived used y per cent less water thar
| others uder the same canal who paic
a fiat rate per acre. and used what
they wanted. A similar test in Idaho
showed that those who paid for the
quantities received used 90 per cen
less than those paying the acreage
rate-an average for the two sections
of % per cent. A large majority ot
farmers receive water from ditch com
panies of some kind. and wherever
they do this means of inducing econ
omy is available. But most farmers
use these excessive quantities of water
in the belief that it is necessary tc
do so. The department. therefore. ha: