Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-06-19
ECONOMICAL USE
Of WATER FOR
IRRIGATION
IMPORTANT MOVEMENT
IN MESlLLA VALLEY
Installation of Rating Fumes
to Measure Flow Of bitches,
Forward Step in Scientific
Irrigation,
Especial cerrespondenee to Morning Journail

Especial Cerresrondenee 10 Morning Journnll
Las Cruces, n, NJ, June lin
order To measure the water which
flows through the Mesila ditch the
commissioners installed on June nth
rating flume at the head OF the Me.
sllla canal. II has long been felt that
the need OF such a device was not TO
be questioned and upon the advice Of
Frederick l.. Bixby, irrieauaa en-
gineer for the Agricultural College. Il
was decided 10 install rating flume.
This marks new era In the irriga.
ton annals IN tn, Mcsilla Valley, IL
not IN the territory. as II is the first
effort that ditch company has put
forth in this all important subject
the measurement of water for irri-
cation. IL is sten which ultimately
every irrigation company In the terri.
tory Will have to take. as IL Is certain
that water will not always be as
plentiful as II is now. With
the growing scarcity of water
and an increasing irrigation area,
the farmers will have TO use
their supplies more economic
ally in order to proportion the
water fairly IL will be necessary L.
measure the same. Thus 1t is seen thar
the installation of the rating flume by
the Mcsilla ditch Is but step in adj
vancement. The rating flline Is incroly
llnme built In the canal of the same
with which is rated or through when
the water is carefully measured for
the various depths which are liabla TO
flow trough the same. A water ltise
register keeps a record, automatically,
OF the varying depths Of water pass.
ing through the flume. II is from the
depths of water passed through at
various times and from the measure
ments previously taken with a water
meter that the quantity of water pass.
ed through the flume in any given
time Is determined. There \ no guess
work about 1t. After the flume has
once been rated the Majordomo can
look at the gage and note the depth.
Then from y table prepared from the
rating for various depths he can de-
terinine at once the quantity that is
| flowing in the flume. If he has not
enough or as much as he Is entitled
to he can turn IN the desired amount
by Watching the gage height Tho
flume also forms basis for determ-
lining the total amount used during
a season. From this amount of water
and the total acreage watercd II Is
possible to determine for that reason
what the duty Of water has been. 1t
may be the policy OF company TO
stimulate the use of as small an
amount Of water as IL Is
possible to get along with, IN this
manner a greater area may be served
with the water that formerly watered
only small stream. Every irrigated
area Of the west has gone through the
same process of development and II Is
coming 10 New Mexico The Las CRU
ces Community Ditch expects In the
next three weeks TO install rating
flume also These two fumes are Just
below the partidor of the main ditch
supplying these two bitches These
fumes will then make 1t possible for
the two companies to divide the wa
ter between them in an absolutely lm-
partial manner as the division VIII be
based on the flow of water through
the fumes II is to be hoped that other
ditch companies wlll follow the ex'
ample OF the two above bitches and
start a campaign for IN economical
use OF water In New Mexico II Is GER
tain, with the water now used In many
places, that with careful use three
times or at least twice as much land
might be irrigated with the same wa
ter as II spread wastefully over many
irrigated areas