The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1913-06-27
PROBLEM OF DRAINAGE
OF the Utmost Importance In IT..
rigation Country.
Farmer Should Hire Engineer Who 10
Capable Of Making Necessary
SURVEY and Who Knows How
to Lay Out Good System.

cBy e b. HOUSE. Colorado Asricul-
tural CollegeD
The drainage OF lands is of great I'M
portance as the subject of irriga ton
itself. We apply water to the soil
and call 1t irrigating; We spread 1t
over the ground and see ii sink from
sight; we see crops grow and forget
all about the excess water we apply.
This water, however, is not lost and in
later years will return to bless us or
curse us, as the case may be, and II
usually comes in the form of a curse
rather than a blessing.
What is there that detracts more
from the appearance of prosperous
farming community, as we drive along
the country roads and look at the
magnificent crops, than to see here
and there large tracts of barren waste
covered with white alkali SO common
in this state, producing absolutely
nothing and all on account of high
water table? Perhaps this ground used
to be as productive as any in the
community, but in later years farmers
have found 1t impossible to raise any
thing upon it. They have finally aban
doned 1t, and there it lies worthless to
the farmer and worthless to the com
munity at large.
Why this state of affairs! 1t is due,
as stated before, to the high water
table or, In other words, to the tact
that the underground water has risen
until it is within few feet of the sur
face. Capillary action is then set up
and excessive quantities Of water
work from the water table to the sur
face of the ground and there evapo-
rate, leaving behind the elements that
they carry in solution These salts
form the aIkali which we see on the
surface of the ground,
Can this land be reclaimed and can
It ever be made first-class farming
land? The answer to this question Is
yes" 1t may be reclaimed in num-
Der of ways, but the only permanent
way is to thoroughly drain the tract.
The laying out and installation of
drain is not the simplest problem in
the world, and is too often attempted
by men who know nothing about 1t.
My advice to the farmer is to hire
some engineer who is capable OF ma
king the necessary survey and who
knows how to lay out a drain system.
Have him not only set the necessary
grade stakes, but supervise the laying
of the drain Many drains have failed
because of improper installation.
There are a number of different
dr7in tile on the market, and TO say
thst one is good and another Is worth
less would be not only unfair. but un-
true. All OF the burned clay tiles, IL
properly made, will last fairly we'll
and make a suitable pipe for this kind
Of work. Wooden boxes also have
long life, but / believe 1t is a mistake
to place, in the trench open bottomed
wooden boxes, unless the full Is ample
to give a good velocity to the water.
They clog more readily than do the
tile pipe and animals are continually
digging into them. when water is not
running. and filing them up to
greater or less degree with dirt.
Water is becoming extremely val
liable in eastern Colorado and in many
Instances land may be drained, the
outlet OF the drain being SO placed
that the discharge enters some irrigar
ton canal, and after filing upon the
same the owner may sell 1t to or rent
1t profitably. This has been done in a
number of cases near Fort Collins. In
some cases the flow has been sufficient
to pay for the installation of the en-
tire drainage system. Drain water
makes good late water, as the now
usually continues we'll into the fall
and when water In the bitches be-
comes low The seepage water enter
Ing the drain Is a maximum, hence the
value.
The drainage of lands should be
considered whenever irrigation is con-
templated, because, II the subsoil of
the community does not of itself form
a natural drain, it is only a question
of time when the underground water
will be so increased in volume that the
water table will reach the surface in
the many low spots. The worst alkali
and seeped tracts that could be found
In the country have been experiment
ed upon and reclaimed In such a man
ner that luxuriant crops have been
grown upon them, while surrounding
them on all sides was a barren alkali
stalled may be counted upon to do the
work.