The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1912-11-16
RESERVOIR FOR DRY FARMS
For Gardening and other Purposes 10
10 Well to Make Careful Study
OF Storage Places.

OF Storage Piaees.
A number of small dams, as well
as bigger ones. constructed under the
superintendence of engineers. have
gone out this spring. and much water
run to waste. When II comes to the
case of damming up the ordinary ar.
roya or dry creek that merely was .
heavy flood when large area has be-
come saturated beyond its holding ca
pacity, 1t must be recognized that we
are endeavoring to accomplish some
thing very difficult. II not In some
cases impossible. unless the dam can
be made to act as an overflow weir In
times Of sudden food or a point OF
diversion provided higher up. for the
food waters have and will again
need the whole space across the draw
for 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 a careful study OF all
places where water can be stored and
to see II the natural difficulties can
not Be overcome Rock IL. as rule.
scarce upon the plains and concrete
Ia expensive. and its SUCCESS largely
dependent ON the solidity Of its base
approaches and overhows from the
dam. often necessitating long and ex'
pensive aprons which may become
undermined and fail.
j In q dry country the soil ID 30 ab.
sorbent that II takes . large drain
age area In normal years to prevent
any fow and yet only yesterday saw
gravelly soil become saturated on
side hill In forty-dve minutes to the
point Of producing turn on ON land
plowed eight inches deep and the
drainage area was only 80 fest IN
depth, or . little less. The ground
; had been left with some back burrows
, and there were from four to twelve
! inches deep where trees had bee1
!, planted, soil taken for use In other
places and 20 forth. Some Of the
holes filled and overlooked. Some
absorbed the water In accordance
: with the amount Of the clay mixed
. with the gravel. Only q few Of then
absorbed all the water where the col
had been removed and It fell Of
y straight gravel with the furrow'
] around the lower part Of the lots. tn
small space, 200 feet by $50 feet, man
. aged to practically absorb all tn
rain and hail, but It couldn't hold an,
more than the inch and a half tina
;. fell; in fact did not take quite all
;. that. The reasons why land will tax
= cubic foot Of water under irrig'
. ton and be soaked with an inch an
= = half of rain till a run OF occur
need not be gone into here. tn
~ point Ia how are we going to int
\ cept some of this water for futuI
use at a reasonable outlay. In th
irst place the dam must be made .
solid as possible, not be piled up
straight as 1t will stand ready
wash and settle 80 soon as stress
put upon it and in the next place
should be provided with q very Al
pie flow pipe leading water 4
enough away from the foot Of Il
dam SO 1t will not cut back duril
the storm period, causing the dam
fall
he The lower end of the flow pi
cd should be led into ditch. when pos
nd BILE, that will distribute the water
,ss higher ground rather than allow 1t
oft run to waste down the creek. T.
is land will take this water when 1t
Mt lows the rain to run off, as may
&C. seen under any irrigation ditch: b
ill. the main point, so far as the res
me voir is concerned, is to lead 1t to
an point where 1t will not cut ba'
he Where diversion of the supply CT
Is not be accomplished above the d.
pin in time of flood, 1t is sometimes p
it sible to lead ditch down either 81
of a draw and carry off the wat
zen filing the reservoir from spillways
.ra- allowing it to fill only so much az
ach will from the more restricted dra
a age area. Tie trouble with this pl
ore is that the bitches themselves ,
ori- vrey liable to break, so when the dr.
ing is of an extended area, 1t Is bet
eat to see IL a series of small ditch
to cheaply made with pillow, which
Ike turbs the ground little. cannot be {
cry en-, says half the general fall Of
Of ground, to lead the water clear
EN- the reservoir In times of he,
for flood. There are good many vi
int in which water can be circumven
cut. besides building an unprotected
op- struction across its natural flow,
be periodically washed out.