Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-11-30

sc-io,,a THE drainage outlet shown on
the map as the North slough aud hhl-
legs lake Is from % teet pelyW
the surface with n fair slope 20 the lahe'
The scheme involves the recoustruc
lion of wcirs, headgatcs. and fumes ol
the North Point Consolidated canal
miles of new canal aud the installation
OF a pumping plant the details OF Wnlch
win bo treated later and shown on the
man.
GOVERNMENT Co-oPERATEs.
rho T.. s. department Of agriculture
through the irrigation and drainage IN
vCstlgations OF the office OF experiment
stations. en- cooperation win the Otdn
experiment station. has been engaged
IN drainage studies and the reclama-
tion OF alkoli lands IN this state Tor
the past three years. During inns
time. experiments have been made ln
eight different counties. The success
attained in most OF these has been very
marked Besides this the department
has been doing cooperative work along
these lines in the states of washington.
Montana California. colorado ana
Texas Tor five years. Mr. Elliott mas
had 20 wears experience in the dtaih
age problems OF the middle west in ad-
dition lo live years iu the department
which time has been about equally di-
vided between humid and arid drainage
work Tho department has considered
that where EFFORTS were being maze
along these lines &c o. within the scope
Of their work. Co assist win surveys
plans. ctc.. Co tho extent Of their avail
able funds and time. Do Is under this
provision that ve have assisted IN this
project Ales-rs hluy 0uc Jeremy,
owners OF the tract and the Bast-
ltoOkiedgc Investment co.. Who are
undertaking 20 finance the schemehave
assisted and borne a portion Of the eX-
pense OF the survey
THEORY or ALKALI RECLABlA-
TlOS.
What rs commonly known as alknll
lands are those lands IN arid sections
I'm which there is an excess Of alkaline
salts 10 the extent that plant pro-
duction is prevented or seriously inter-
fcred with. Nearly an soils In the
arid regions have an abundance of
these salts but they are so uniformly
distributed that theV do not interfere
with crop production until after one
or more years OF irrigation. These
salts are very soluble. IN lands where
the water table is near the surface tho
application OF water fills the soil TO
saturation. The alkaline salts go into
solution readily and are carried TO the
surfuCe with the soil moisture as 10
rises 20 the surface by capillary at
traction. When the water evapOrates
the alkali is left behind on the surface
Prof. Hilgard reports the limit to Will IA
the water WIN rise by capillary at
traction az feet FOR clay soils and
less for loans. AS "a result allan ac-
/ cumulates rapidly az the surface unless
| excessive evaporation Is prevented.
/ Evaporation may De prevented by "A
| reasonable lowering % the water ia
| BILE by drainage and surface mulching
on shading Of crops
The prevalent notion that alkali can
| be washed out by heavy and frequent
| irrigatlnus without underdraiuage H.
| wrong. There Is another idea held
] by some that h equally faulty. and
| that 4, that such lands can be sue
! cessfully handled by applying just suf-
hcient water 10 supply the plant needs
| without any seepage OF course this
VIII concentrate the alkan at
the surface in time The method
Of nooding the surface by cnecks ana
then slutcing the water away does
not remove much allIali for the rea-
son that the salts go into solution 20
readily and are carried down into the
soil by the first water that reaches
them The only successful and perma-
nent way Is by undertakings. and
the use OF moderate quantities. OF
water.
SUPPLIED WITH PLANT FOoD.
u is a well known fact that the
soils Of these sections are well sup
piled with all OF the elements OF plant
food. The fertility OF these soils whom
the moisture conditions are properly
controlled are wonderful. Irrigation
water cannot be applied practically
without seepage or draiage water II
this water in IT'S downward movement
through the soil passes out through The
drains, II carries its load Of alkan
and the land is improved. II on the
ether hand 10 has considerable lateral
movement and is allowed TO rise near
20 the surface I'm other parts or the
field, the alknli ls accumulated there.
This De- what usually happens with the
irrigation of hillside lands. Nothing
can be done beforehand 20 prevent this
but drains should be SO placed as 10
intercept such scepaRe where 10 first ap-
| pears on the surface. This particular
/ tract win not be troubled from tho
soopage from other lands II the water
| table ls lowered sufficiently 20 OF
| feet The soil will readily care for an
ordinary application OF water and rain
fall
OPEN DRAINS
As stated before, open drains were
decided upon by Mr.. Elliott and my
SELF az he best method OF draining this
| tract The sandy loan and sand SUBJ
soil which nderlies the tract will re-
| spOnd 10 such drainage ana keep the
| water table practically TO the depth Of
the bitches. The following IN the Sec
ton Of the drain bitches: bottom width.
feet. side slopes. I horizontal TO 1
vcrucal and depth 8 foett Tho grades
WIN be- from to Q feet per mile. The
bottom width may seem large ana be
/ questioned The first and main reason
/ is that the effective depth Of any drain
/ ls to me surface OF the water n tho
I dich De- narrow the water which o.
. must carry rrus deeper and the depth
o. lost Tho second reason Is that
/ feet is about the minimum width On
+ which "a m0 chine viii work There o. n
third reason which is also good IL is
[ Chat such bitches WIN wOrt effectively
with less cleaning ana win Boz less like
] IF 90 become INSTRUCTED With very liz
fn Slide etc. The drains are located
with respect 20 draining the soil and
n1ording outlets nr supplementary Tile
I limos aud surface waste water N ncc-
arE Each drain will require q right
of way OF Go feet making "a total of 40
acres waste Tine waste banks should
he LETT for nlling as tho land VIII in
. time become valuable enough 90 lay
uif in the bitches and cover
COST or DRAINAGE
This class of work win require the
use of machines. There are two types
/ ~ dltchiug machines that might be-
] used successfully on this lob one