The Ordway new era., 1912-11-08
RESERVOIR FOR DRY FARMS
For Gardening and Other Purposes 1t
is Well to Mako Careful Study
Of Storage Places.

A number OF small dams, as we'll
AZ bigger ones. constructed under the
su uperintendence Of engineers. have
gone out this spring. and much water
run to waste. When 1t comes to the
case Of damming up the ordinary ar.
roya or dry. creek that merely was
heavy flood when a large area has be-
come saturated beyond Its holding ca
pacity, 1t must be recognized that we
ure endeavoring to accomplish some
thing very difiicult. II not III some
cases impossible, unless the dam can
be made to act as an overflow weir In
times Of sudden food or point OF
diversion provided higher up. for the
Hood waters have and will again
need the whole space across the draw
tor their flow. Having In view. how.
ever. the immense importance OF
reservoir to the dry farm for garden
ing and other purposes. 1t Is worth
while to make . careful study Of all
places where was-< can be stored and
to see II the natdral difilculties can.
not be overcome. Rock Is. as a rule.
scarce upon the plains and concrete
is expensive, and its success largely
dependent on the solidity Of its base
approaches and overflows from the
dam. often necessitating long and ex-
pensive aprons which may become
undermined and fail. L.
In a dry country the soil IL SO alb.
sorbent that 1t takes a large drain.
age area In normal years to prevent
any flow and yet only yesterday saw
gravelly soil become saturated on
side hill In forty-five minutes to the
point Of producing turn of on land
plowed eight inches deep and the
drainage area was only $50 feet In
depth. or a little less. The ground
had been left with some back burrows
inches deep where trees had been
planted. soil taken for use in other
places and SO forth. Some of the
holes filled and overfowed. Some
absorbed the water in accordance
with the. amount of the clay mixed
with the gravel. Only a few Of them
absorbed all the water where the soil
had been removed and 1t fell on
straight gravel with the burrows
around the lower part Of the lots. the
small space. 200 feet by $50 feet. man.
aged to practically absorb all the
rain and hail. but 1t couldn't hold any
more than the inch and half that
fell: In fact did not take quite all Of
that. The reasons why land will take
cubic foot of water under irriga-
tion and be soaked with an inch and
half OF rain till a run of occurs
need not be gone into here. Tho
point Is how are we going to inter-
cept some OF this water for future
use at reasonable outlay. In the
first place the dam must be made as
solid as possible. not be piled up as
straight as it will stand ready to
wash and settle SO soon as stress Is
put upon 1t and In the next place 1t
should be provided with very am
pie flow pipe leading water far
enough away from the foot Of the
dam SO 1t will not out back during
the storm period. causing the dam to
fall.
The lower end Of the flow pipe
should be led into ditch. when possi-
BILE, that will distribute the water on
higher ground rather than allow 1t to
run to waste down the creek The
land will take this water when 1t al
lows the rain to run of. as may be
seen under any irrigation ditch: but
the main point, SO far as the reser.
voir Is concerned. Is to lead 1t to q
point where It will not cut back.
Where q diversion of the supply can
not be accomplished above the dam
in time OF flood. 1t is sometimes pos.
sible to lead a ditch down either side
OF a draw and carry of the water.
filling the reservoir from spillways or
allowing 1t to fill only SO much as 1t
will from tho more restricted drain.
age area. The trouble with this plan
is that the bitches themselves are
vrey liable to break. 30 when the draw
is Of an extended area. 1t Is better
to see II a series Of small bitches.
cheaply made with plow, which dis
turbs the ground little. cannot be Civ.
en-. says half the general fall Of the
ground. to lead the water clear of
the reservoir in times Of heavy
flood. There are a good many ways
In which water can be circumvented
besides building an unprotected OBJ.
struction across its natural flow. to
he periodically washed out.