Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-05-30
SECURE WATER SUPPLY
Economical Way of Building Gate
or Dam in Canal.
As Irrigation Is the One Thing That
Makes Possible Ranch or Farm
Too Much Cannot Be Done to
Regulate Its Use.

In response to the following query:
Il would like to know of an econom-
ical way of building a gate or dam in
canal SO as to raise the water for IT.
rigation purposes. / live In a valley
where a drainage district has been
formed and a canal is being built. The
canal where | wish to build dam is
&c feet wide at the top with sloping
sides and about 3k feet deep ] want
to know how to build dam that will
not wash out on the bottom or sides"
Lou Blakesley OF Big Horn county,
Wyoming. makes the following reply
in the Farm and Home:
/ Dig a trench across the ditch and
well into either bank. about two feet
| deep. Make this trench plenty wide,
so that one can work in it with ease.
Drive piling. or set posts, against the
lower bank of the trench, about two
feet deep. Begin at the bottom OF the
trench, and board up the piling, as
high as the water is to be raised.
Double the boards, breaking joints
each time. Then fill the trench with
heavy. coarse manure, and carry 1t
well up to the top and on either end
Weight the manure down with plenty
of loose dirt. turn in the water, and
you will have a dam that will be sub
stantial, as long as the timbers last.
This dam will not wash out. but
should. by any chance, a leak show in
IT. load Of manure will effectually
stop Il. and that is the only repair ma
terial you will ever need. until you
have to put in new timbers. A ce-
ment dan is much better and cheaper
= IN the long run.
am at a ioss to understand why
you want such a dam across an irri
cation ditch that is 26 feet wide, OF
any other width for that matter. II
the people OF your community have
formed an irrigation district, the Off
Gers of such district and canal should
have greater control over it than tC
o allow anyone TO build a dam across
% IT, Further than this. the canal au
thoritics should construct all turnout'
where water is taken from the canal
= In a canal as large as this one al
- intakes. turnouts division boxes anC
, other means Of control should be un
4 der the immediate and absolute super
s vision of the company Certainly NJ
i. thorough irrigation engineer would al
low the building Of a dam across tn
" main canal
: The water should always be takel
or drawn from the bottom of tn
canal because II otherwise, the cana
u would soon fill with sediment. unit
g Il would be valueless. All intake:
= turnouts. and boxes should be of C
nient. but where that is not practica
lumber can be used. though it wi
p. have to be rebuilt in a few years.
j. One cannot emphasize too strongl
the necessity for absolute control {
2 water in the canal. by the proper al
II thorities II should be turned out I
each user by the company and I'll
user then compelled to take care OF /
Under no circumstances should the Il
le individual user be allowed TO take W
10 ter from the canal. nor turn 1t bac
- at his pleasure The ditch enterpris
= as n whole. will fail OF success II tn
should be permitted.
In a new district the great and II
portant step is to start right. Goo
n headgates. outlets. division boxes ar
" properly constructed laterals are
ro part OF the company's work. whi'
should require of the user that he co
ne struct suitable bitches and vast
IN ways. to properly handle the water.
n A new district could well take a
vantage of the mistakes of older If
gated communities. and not only sa
~ the expense and annoyance of poor
ut constructed works. but prevent I
-, loss OF many acres of land. aka
IL caused by too free use of water,
al for the lack Of suitable waste ditch'
10 As water is the one thing III
makes possible a ranch or farm In
desert country. one cannot do
to much to provide for its proper u
an Upon the method of handling Deepen
the success or failure of the farm