American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1908-02-01

started out in this work of recisiminR
the desert by irrigation with better laws
on our statute books governing the APP
preparation. diversion and use OF water,
there would have been fewer legal bat
ties over water rights. The beneficial
effects Of irrigation should not be lost
sight Of on account Of these drawbacks.
Water is not only needed for house
hold and stock purposes and for the irri-
CATION Of trsas. lawns and gardens. but
IL is the most important factor in the
production Of field crops. The soil is
fertile. the climate favorable. but the
proper amount Of water is frequently
lacking. and low yields or crop failures
result. II the dry farm could only OBJ
tain ard apply the water which the irri-
gator wastes II would greatly increase
the yields from ard lands.
WnA~ kyieaaisa.
BY winter irrigation" is meant the
.ppaaeatsoa Of water 10 the soils outside
of the regular irrix alton season. The
lste<r seldom lasts more than four
months. During the balance Of the
year. particularly in the early spring. a
large quantity Of water passes the dry
farms on its way 10 the ocean. This
water is no, utilized by either the dry
farmer or the irrigstor. We; IL is capable
Of producing valuable results. II one
excludes the Great Plains region. where
there are few rivers. and considers the
more mountainous portions Of the states
ard territories ives, Of the Missouri
river. there is presented ~ell-nigh
hmi,less opportunity for the diversion
Of water from western streams and the
application 10 dry farms during periods
II the year when Il is no, used by tbs
sfrigators of the lower valleys.
Winter irrigation has gone beyond the
experimental stage. In Arizona, Cali
fornia. eastern Oregon and eastern
Washington many Of the streams dis.
chsrg. the greater part of their flow
during the ncn-irrigsting season. This
water when no, retained in storage res
crvoirs would be entirely wasted unless
diverted and used. Quite often fields
and orchards are irrigated in this way
when the plants and trees do no. re-
quire water. but in order To store up a
7 supply Of moisture in the soil for future
use. A deep. retcnsiyc soil forms one
Of the best natural reservoirs.
Winter irrigation. as practioed in the
Santa Clara valley. California, may
serve a. an example. In lsss the rain
fall Was only onc-half of the normal.
Instead Of sixteen inches the precipita-
ton Was eight inches. The year pre-
vious was also one Of scanty water sup
ply. Those two dry years coming in
succession and followed by others Of
l medium rainfall. compelled the orchard
lists &c 'rrigste. and since tina, time they
have continued the practice. Investiga-
tons made there by our Office in 1904
showed that one ditch supplied water to
i2si acres from February q TO April %.
During thus period Of winter and early
spring the land was flooded 10 depth
Of nineteen inches. Another ditch GOV.
cred over 5000 acres to a depth Of TWEEN.
ty-one inches from February IL to April
%. Still another covered 800 acres to .
depth of forty inches during the early
spring months. The average cost OF
! 80, H..
bitches was 81. 66 per acre. This water
which averaged nearly twenty-sever
inches in depth. was applied at time
when the orchard soil was wet from
rains, when the trees did not particular.
ly need irrigation, but for the purpose
Of storing sufficient moisture in the sol
to nourish the trees during the warm,
dry months Of summer.
As the area devoted to dry farming
increases, the use Of water outside tht
regular irrigation season is destined.
believe, to increase in much greater
ratio. To make this use possible W.
ought to begin soon to define by legisla
tive enactments all kinds Of rights L
the use Of water. One man desires wa
ter only during the crop-growing season
which in Utah. for example, may bs
assumed to be five months. Anothe,
desires to divert part of the food fow
for storage purposes. while q thirt
wishes to use water for winter irriga
ton At favorable times in the sever
} months when Il 10 not otherwise needed
Now, 1t would seem to be the duty o.
the state to issue permits for al o.
these appropriations, but to 20 defin,
the rights Of each that conflicts may b
avoided.
Storage Reservoir.
The storing Of water from springs