The Monte Vista journal., 1912-07-20
by ID. q. MILLER
Drainage Engineer, L. S. Department
of Agriculture
lFrom The Alamosa Courierl

- 'ohi ne aldlUOSd courier
Within the past six months plans
ana estimates have been prepared for
the drainage of more than $4,000
acres of land in the San Luis valley
Three drainage districts have been
organized under the drainage laws
OF the state of Colorado passed dur
ing the legislative session of 1911.
The first of these to vote bonds is
the San Luis Valley Drainage Dis
trict No. l, in the vicinity of La Jara,
covering an area of approximately
$500 acres. This district voted last
Wednesday for an issue of $4,000.
This amounts to $1,000 per acre.
Thirty votes were cast in this district
and not a single one was in oppo-
sition to the issue. This remarkably
gratifying result was obtained even
in view of the fact that early esti-
mates for this work gave $3.50 as
the probable maximum. The plans
call for 19 miles of open bitches and
oN VI tlit AIMS.
The San Luis Valley Drainage
districts surrounding the town of
Mosca will vote on the bond propo-
sition July 30th. This district COW
ers more than $4,000 acres and is IA
miles long by S1a miles wide. The
total amount of the estimate is ST.
nd ha
There will be more than 200 miles of
tile drains within the district, more
than 60 miles of open bitches and
about 26 miles of outlet ditch to
carry the surplus water from this
part of the valley to the river
The Carmel Drainage district, sur
southwest of Alamosa, as recently
organized embraces 5,040 acres. Es-
Inmates for the plans submitted show
that the cost for this work will be
about $500 per acre. This district
will have about 13 miles of open
bitches and 19 miles of tile drains.
htSe thlte l'lS, loNdttu do
they are in different parts of the
San Luis valley, unquestionably rep
resent typical drainage conditions
and the estimates should give a rea-
accurate idea as to the cost
of this class of work.
1t will be noticed that by far the
Of hn 1ra In
are covered tile drains.
The average cost per mile of tile
drains is not far from $4,000 which
is about the same as the first cost of
an open ditch of equal length and
depth. The general depth of all tile
drains will be six feet.
The history of drainage shows
that practically all open bitches are
converted into tile drains
unless the volumn of flow of water
is very large. Inasmuch as the first
cost of tile drain is no greater than
an open ditch, does it display good
sense to begin with an open ditch?
open ulltI ID utNtl tlhtitll dS
the first day 1t is completed. From
that date it begins to fill in and gen
orally necessitates expensive ma
chine cleaning within from one to
three years. A tile drain becomes
better from year to year as it is "A
permanent institution and the con-
S,t hA oil fat tat IA
gradually develops definite channels
and the efficiency, instead of decreas-
ing as with the open ditch, actually
becomes better as time elapses. Open
bitches have their uses and many
miles will have to be constructed in
the San Luis valley, but to construct
a single mile more than absolutely
necessary is poor engineering and
poor agriculture.
There is nothing speculative or
with tile drains. The
science dates back to 1920 when clay
tile, hand made like ancient pottery,
were first used in France. The state
of Iowa alone has Installed 300, 900
miles of them today. Utah has used
them with remarkable success for
ten years. Their use has been rap
idly increasing through northern,
western and eastern Colorado for
about the same length OF time. Cali
fornia, New Mexico, Wyoming, Ida
ho, Montana and Washington are
rapidly realizing, and making use Of.
their value In the reclamation of lands