Alamogordo news-advertiser. (Alamogordo, Otero County, N.M.) 1912-1914, 1913-03-15
WHAT WATER POWER
WILL ACCOMPLISH
SOME FIGURES FOR OUR
READERS TO STUDY
Contribution Furnished by NJ. H.
FISHERY

ed in the press, cause many SER
ious thinkers to wonder where on
earth a market can ever be found
to utilize such an enormous out
put of power contemplated in these
vast development schemes 1t is
interesting to use little simple
of solution.
In the enterprising city of Oh
tario in southern California ar un-
derground system of supply cor
duits has been scientifically con-
struoted and in successful operation
tor many years. 1t has been found
that rancher owning ten acres of
land in combination with twenty
nine other ranchers each owning
ten acres of land can successfully
and properly irrigate his land for
citrus fruits and for small farm
products by the use of but one
share in a joint ownership of thir-
ty miners inches of water. The
water is scientifically applied day
and night and no appreciable waste
of any sort is allowed.
What does this mean?
1t means that one-tenth of min
er's inch of water under scientific
application is amply sufficient to
irrigate an acre of arid land.
Thousands-yes, millions of acres
of arid lands are available for irri-
cation in the West by raising the
water from so to $50 feet Such
choice lands readily bring from
$3.50 to $3.50 per acre when proper
ly watered, while in their arid state
they go begging at from SIS to
$25 per acre. 1t is true that the
duty of water will in general vary
with character of soil, crops to be
irrigated, but the Ontario example
Is illustrative of what scientific ap-
plicaticn can do.
One miners inch of water is by
statute 1.5 Gu. #. per min Hence
since l Gu. TT. of water weighs 62.5
lbs, to raise one tenth of a miner s
inch of water 60 it., will require
62.5xl 5x60
$50 foot pounds
of energy every minute of time
Let us suppose that our electric
pump operates at SO per cent eff
cheney. Hence to irrigate one
acre of ground will require 1924
foot pounds of energy eevery min.
ute. But it requires $4,000 foot
pounds of energy utilized every
minute to consume one horsepower
Hence to properly irrigate an acre
of land un der scientific devel.
opment, raising the water so feet
requires but 0.0341 of horsepow.
er.
The remarkably steady operation
of electric pumps necessary in scien'
tific irrigation makes a most idea
hydroelectric load-for the load /:
even and uniform day mad night
The horror of unwieldly peaks new
er stares the operating manager in
the face when supplying power fol
electrically operated pumps planned
for the scientific and economic ir
rigation of arid lands. Such beinf
the case profits can be realized In
the sale of power at the loves
rates. A rate of $50 to $40 pei
horsepower per year for such ;
load as Is proposed. would make
big dividend payers to nearly al
the proposed hydroeleetric installa
tions which have been favOrably re
ported upon by competent engineers
Assuming a rate of $40 per horse
power per year, this would mean ;
cost for power of but 0.0341l
$4,000 equals s1.36 per acre pc
year compared to the enormou
crops raised on western irrigated
lands, this cost per acre is triflinl
in consideration.
Let us bear in mind for a min
ute that in the state of Idaho alonI
the state engineer has estimate'
there are in his state acreages b,
the millions that can be irrigate,
by raising the waters not highe
than 100 feet. II requires but
small extension OF our figures Civ
en- above to see that not only !
this cheap supply of power, causin
the desert to blossom as the rose
a substantial profit-making load 70
the hydro-electric plant but the tC
tai aggregate of power that will b
eventually UTILIZED In reclalming tn
arid lands of the West will rcquir
horsepower by the millions.
The San Joaquin valley and dis
tricts In the vicinity of visalia. Ca
iforna, though wonders of accom-
pilshment In lands reclaimed by {
Electrically operated pumps. are bu
feeble illustrations of the futur
possibilities of ultimate arid Ian
reclamation by lifting the water.
The city of Los Angeles seem
almost on the edge of THROWN
itself into a fit OF distemper In II
proposed ideas of floating It's enoI
nous power supply sooh to be n
allied from the Los Angeles aqus
duct. This enterprising city hs
long since won the admiration {
the world with Its strength and VII
or. II IL surprising that car.
full Investigation Is not being mad
looking to the utilization OF IN
surplus power along the propose
aqueduct In the way of reclaimin
large acreages of beautiful lant
awaiting "for little drops of wat'
10 be added to the sand whic