Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-06-08
DRAINAGE is NEEDED
Apparent in Every Section Where
Irrigation Is Practiced.
Water-logelng Of Lands is Not Con-
hned to Any Particular Part
makes Its Appearance Even on
the Bench Lands.

The necessity OF draining irri- |
gated lands has become apparent, |
not only in every section of our
own arid west, but in every coun-
Try where irrigation is practiced In |
dla and Egypt and Spain have their
problems and their characteristics are
much the same as our own. A con
servative estimate shows that nearly
million acres of valuable land in
the west are in need of drainage The
water-logglng OF the irrigated lands is
not confined to any particular section.
II makes its appearance in the river
bottoms and In low lying swales and
depressions. as would be expected. but
1t does not stop there. The gentle
slopes, the hillsides. yes, even the
bench lands are attacked.
once saw tule swami on a
hillside that had a slope of 20 de-
grees and one OF the wettest PROPOSE
tons / ever encountered was on the
very brow OF a high gravel bench.
200 feet higher than its drainage basin,
writes b. A. Hart, in the Denver Field
and Farm. Nor is waterlogging confined
10 any particular soil type-clay. silt.
sand and grayelly lands are all suscep-
tible TO its ravages. Many men have
declared that their lands will never
need drainage, because they have
| gravel sub-soil. have found, however
that gravel subsoil is often a source
OF drainage. Everyone realizes the
need Of drainage on humid lands, but
few understand the necessity or even
the possibility OF draining irrigated
lands AS a matter of fact, its neces-
sity is even more imperative than in
humid sections for the reason that wa
ter-logging in the west is always ac-
cOmpaned by concentration OF aka
II salts on and near the surface. Ger
tain OF these salts are necessary 10
plant growths but certain others are
exceedingly Injurious Water-logging
is the natural result OF over-irrigation
and Is made natural by the absence OF
natural drainage outlets. The soil
filling of a valley consists of decom
posed rock and is often very deep. The
rainfall OF the arid regions is very
light and the evaporation factor high
50 that little water percolates down
ward through the soil and as a conse
quence the ground water reservoir Is
usually we'll below the surface pre-
vious to the irrigation OF a valley
II has been demonstrated that
rainfall OF rs inches properly distrih
uied will produce crops The plant. o
course. receives only part Of thii
amount. Much is lost by evaporation
and some by percolation When irri
cation is practiced. however. from TIVE
} to twenty times this amount Of waite
is supplied The plant undoubtedl,
uses more than before. more is los
! by evaporation. but by far the large
part OF the excess percolates down
ward through thu soil and eventual,
finds its way to the ground water res
{ eryojr. the level of which is thus raise
A year by year until finally water-loggin
and the attendant alkali troubles Re
! suit The boys usually appear in III
4 lowest part Of the valley first. Will
the alkali shows up on slight elev'
tions.
Having once begun. the spread {
the seepage is rapid and the infectio
makes it's way up the slopes unit
J. eventually even the highest parts ar
c Injured. The appearance of the bog
Is viewed with alarm and their sprea
d with CONSERVATION by the farmers VIII
4 are steadily driven back. abandonin
their farms and taking up higher land
from which in turn they are often
danger of abandonment But. no
Io withstnndng the intensity OF the alarm
IL never occurs TO these same farm
ID ers to reduce the supply of water th'
is doing the damage-in fact. the
= often use more water in the vain hoT
! of washing the alkali away. II cann'
\ be truthfully said. however, that thes
| man.made swamps could have bee
| prevented altogether by sane use
| water. but the evil day would hay
| been postponed to a considerable e
| tent Nor will regulation of the su
| ply prove a complete cure for the dl
ficulty.
| FOREIGN ENEMIES OF MOT