The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-13
PUMP SOLVES 1T
Z. 5. Government Gives Up
Reservoir Ideas.
Would Pump Underground Wa
ter for Kansas.
STREAMS FAIL IN SUMMER
Cost of Pumping Figured at
1925 per Acre.
Satisfaction i'm Western Kansas
to Study Methods.

drOuth in the middle western states Is
again directing attention to the varl-
GUS irrigation possibilities in the sec
tions where the rainfall is not to be
depended upon. With few exceptions
the streams in western Kansas and
Oklahoma and southwestern Nebraska
are of little use for irrigation because
they usually go dry at the time when
water is needed. Both the United
States reclamation service and the
department of agriculture have in
vestigated the possibilities of storing
water for irrigation and have reached
the conclusion that there is small OPP
portunity for this kind of development
There is available however, a large
volume of underground water when
can be obtained by pumping.
The utilization of underground wa
tiers by pumping is already an import
ant factor in the irrigation development
of western Kansas. The greatest deVel-
opment of this kind at the present
time is in the Arkansas valley in Fin
ney and Kearney counties. In addl-
ton to about 5000 acres irrigated by
sugar company there We're So indiv1d-
uaI pumping plants operating in this
area in 1912, supplying water to 6,0Ot
acres and capable of serving about s.
500 acres.
Two Types of Pumping Plants.
Two general types of pumping plants
are in use. depending on whether wa
wells In the bottom or valley lands
the depth to water ranges from 10 to ~
feet Most of the shallow wells now
bored are 16 inches in diameter anu
range from 80 to so feet in depth II
has been found that from $50 to 4oo
lraIIons per minute can generally be
obtained from one we'll. Where larger
flow is desired a group OF wells IS SUM
and a centrifugal pump is connected
to the wells by means of suction pipe
graduated to decrease friction.
The deep we'll plants are found on the
7InIands or plains and have been IN
stalled within the past two years the
success that has been attained in these
plants has caused widespread interest,"
throughout the western part OF Kansas.
The wells on the uplands are from SUI
to 400 feet in depth, depending upon
the solid formation and water strata
encountered
Cheap fuel makes it possible to pump
for higher lifts than would otherwise
be practicable.
The Garden City Plant.
\ pumping plant was installed in
1911 by the office of experiment sta
tions of the United States department
of agriculture under cooperative
agreement with the Kansas expert
ment station Garden City Commercial
club and tinney county commissioners
on the experiment farm at Garden
City.
This plant. which is typical of the
deep-well plants now being Installed
on the uplands in western Kansas,
while in operation only one year. has
given entire satisfaction. and there
seems to be no diminution of the water
supply. The plant was used to lrrl-
gate so acres of experimental crops the
first year, consisting of alfalfa, sugar
beets, sorghums melons, etc. and it is
thought that with a careful use of
Io ,11a nj oh hn Oa 1a nf
serving $50 acres of land. The cost Of
the deep-well plants varies almost di- !
rectly with the total lift With an av-
erage lift of 125 feet the cost for a |
complete plant with a capacity of 1000 /
gallons per minute is about $50 per foot |
of lift or Sc. $50. On the basis g d |
plant of this capacity serving 100 acres |
of land. the cost per acre is $39 The !
average cost of the plants pumping |
from the shallow wells in the bottom |
lands having capacity of 1000 gallons !
per minute is about 5000. or $40 per |
acre on the basis of a plant serving |
$3.50 acres. Numerous smaller plants |
having d capacity of about / 900 gallons |
per minute are also in operatio With |
these plants a small earth reservoir is |
usually provided
At S6.25 Per Acre.
Accurate data on the duty of water |
in this section are not available. but it |
is the general opinion among irrigators |
that the average use of water on the /
bottom lands amounts to about 4 acre |
feet per acre per season. Assuming a |
duty of 4 acre-feet per acre on the bot |
tom lands and acre-feet per acre on |
the uplands. the total cost per acre per !
season on the figures presented would |
be about 6.25 on the bottom lands and |
s11.50 on the uplands in the Garden /
City country.
A private company has several sue
cessful pumping plants in operation. |
one plant consisting of a 150-horsepow- /
err engine burning crude oil connected |
TO a multistage turbine pump which !
irrigated 500 acres of beets last year. /
The average yield was Is tons per acre
which sold for $3.50 per ton at the su- |
gar factory. While this yield is above
the present average in the sugar-beet |
district. the department. says that it /
should be generally attained with a |
careful use of water and proper meth I
DDS of farming. The average cost of t
raising sugar beets is given by the !
company as $50 per acre, to which /
must be added the cost of irrigation.
estimated at $11.50 per acre on the up !
lands. While pumping on the uplands |
is still in the experimental stage. with |
cheap fuel. encoura cement is offered (
to the farmer of western Kansas |
where a gravity supply is not avail !
able.
Can Use Windmill.
Where the cost of installing a fuel |
pumping plant is deemed too expensive
attention should be given to the wind /
mill with the small reservoir, the i'm |
portance of which can not be overesti-
mated Nearly every farm in western
Kansas and western Oklahoma has a |
windmill used for stock and domestic |
purposes. and by building a small earth
or concrete reservoir sufficient water
can be stored for irrigating the garden
and family orchard small tracts of
two to five acres. One case is recorded
in Scott county of 60 acres being irri-
ted h1- rnaaa rs of NYindn1ills and