Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-01-31
IRRIGATION IN THE WEST
Continued from First Page.


from stream, the farmer gets share
of the available supply rather than a
fixed quantity. Under most contracts
short supply does not decrease the
charge to the customer This shows
the necessity for paying as much at
tention to the rights OF the company
as to the fern OF the contract
% The value of contract water
rights likewise depend on the way the
canal is man?ed Care and efficiency
in maintenance and operation, equit-
able distribution OF water. and suffi-
cient resources to meet all necessary
expenses are important factors in de-
tcrmining the value OF water rights.
90 Attention should also be given
to the permanency and stability OF the
canal system Floods and fire fire.
quently destroy canal structures, and
before they can be repaired crops
may suffer or perish for lack of wat
er. So, also, breaks are liable to oc-
cur at the weak points and the repair
ing of these necessitates the turning
off of the supply which injuriously
affects the owners of water rights.
Water for irrigation purposes may
also be obtained at the stipulated
price per acre from one of the gov
crnment irrigation projects. Ot
these, sevral are nearing completion.
w ncn Inc "
furnish water to lands in private own
ership it does so through a water us
ers' association in which all of the
landowners within the project become
shareholders in the association. The
cost of water right under govern
ment project varies from about SIS
to $40 per acre This sum is payable
in ten equal annual instalments, and
4 failure to make any two payments
when due may forfeit the right. When
the payments for the water for the
major portion of the land under any
project have been made, the operation
and management of the irrigation sys
TEN. exclusive of all storage reser
voirs, passes to the owners of the
lands irrigated, to be maintained and
operated at their expense. The cost
will then be prorata share of the
actual operating expenses.
Whatever the source of supply, a
network of bitches to convey the
water to all parts OF the farm is nee
essary. The larger bitches and ca
nails need not to be considered in
this connection. for they are usually
built by contractors under competent
engineers; but the location and build
ing of farm bitches is done in most
instances by the farmers without as
sistance from engineers or surveyors.
The following features of farm ditch
es are briefly discussed for the bene-
fit of the inexperienced:
The capacity needed depends chief
ly on the manner of delivering the
water and the method used in applying
it. 1t also depends. but to a less eX
tent. on the size of the farm, the duty
OF water, the nature of the soil, and
the crops raised.
In Montana, Wyoming and Idaho,
as we'll as in parts of other states.
water is usually delivered in continu-
ous streams which for an average size
farm seldom exceed SO miners inch
es, or , cubic feet, per second. The
supply bitches for the farms are ac-
cordingly small, except for the large
In Utah. New Mexico. Arizona. Cal
ifornia. and to some extent in other
states and territories water is deliver
ed to the user during short periods OF
time, with long intervals between
when the supply is entirely shut off.
The volume delivered depends on the
way it is applied and the time of use.
In the citrus orchards of Califor- |
MIA the size OF the streams deliver
ed varies from 80 to 90 miners inch |
cs. At Riverside, where the soil is J
a clay loan, the usual allotment is 30 |
inches for forty-eight hours once a |
month or go inches for seventy-two |
hours every six weeks on Io-acre
tract. Around Pomona. where the |
soil is sandy. the usual head is from
so to 90 inches, the larger head be
inc for shorter time.
On the diversified farms of Utah !
and Colorado the supply bitches vary |
in capacity from so to $50 miners
inches.
In irrigating alfalfa and meadows |
by the border and check methods OF
irrigation, as practiced in Arizona and
California, and in the use of water |
during the rainy winter seasons OF
the Pacific coast, large volumes are
used Supply bitches are accordingly |
built to carry 800 to 500 miners inch |
es. The size must be determined
with reference to the crops to be
grown. their acreage, the methods to
be adopted in watering them, and
the regulations governing the deliv
cry of water to the ditch.
The quantity OF water which ditch
will carry depends fully as much on
the fall or grade as on its size. The
two elements should be considered
together. When conditions are such
that one can adopt suitable grade
the chief points in mind are the vol
ume to be carried and the nature of
the soil. The smaller the volume the
~reater the grade required. In al
small ditch capable OF carrying so min
cr's inches a fall of 2 inches to the
rod would produce velocity of q
feet per second, while in ditch ca
pable of carrying $50 miners inches
the fall required to give the same We
locity is only one-fourth inch to the
rod. In fine sand or sediment flat
grade is required in order to prevent
securing. A mean velocity of foot