El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-17
BARREN RANGES
CAN Be Utilized
Proper Watering Is Prime
Factor; Reservoirs Are
Gaining in Favor.

Albuquerque, n. NJ, Nov. li.-I1OM
ranges which ordinarily can not pc
graZed because Of inadequate water Ia
cilities can be opened up for stock, Is
told by the department of aBrlculluI
in its Farmers Bulletin 592 on the ue-
velopment and Improvement OF stoSk
watering places upon national rores1s,
3 No stock range can be SAID 70 De
properly utilized, the department AYERS.
il there is an uneven distribution OF
water. On some areas the water sup
ply is not sufficient for the NUMBER o.
stock the forage will support. on olh-
ers the water supply is sufficient put
is not permanent making II necessary
to remove the animals before the sea-
son is over. Still other areas are maoe
practically worthless for stock puIt
poses by the absence Of water except at
rare intervals during winter
Must Have Much Water.
Range cattle need from eight to 10
gallons of water a day says the ue-
partment, and sheep from One-haiI 70
three gallons, unless there is heaVy
dew and an abundance of succUlent
feed. No matter how good the forage
on a given area may be, animals must
have all the water they need or they
will not thrive. Cattle, moreover,
average more than two miles to reaeh
water, if they are to be in marketable
condition in~the fall.
The flow from ordinary springs, anu
digging them out and curbing the sldes
with cement the water being carried IN
pipes to conveniently situated trougns
Swampy spots can often be made TO
furnish a water supply by cutting an
omen channel from some spring IN the
middle of them, perhaps cutting other
channels across the main Inc, ana draw
ing the spring and surface water TO
some storage point OUTSIDE. streams rs
flowing through deep canyons may be
made accessible to stock by construct
ing trails over which the animals can
reach them, or by raising the water TO
the surface Of the canyon by mechanlcaI
Reservoirs Practicable.
When a natural water supply is some
distance from the range small dirt
flood water reservoirs can De con-
structed almost anywhere TO supple
ment the natural supply II low place
with a heavy adobe or clay SOIL is Sc
lected in the middle of some open park
with slipping hills about 1t, compare
tiveIv little work with ploW anu
scraper will construct a reservoir
which, when trampled and puddled by
use. will hold enough water Tor many
head Of stock for some time. -.
Burrows running dtagonally across
the slopes will collect the ralnIall or
melting snow waters and carry them
directlV to the reservoir for storage
Artificial reservoirs permit the STOCK
to be scattered out over larger area
than ordinarily. and remove the need
for them to concentrate at permanent
watering places
wells Often Necessary.
Where the natural water supply Is
more than so feet below the surface OF
the ground the best way TO reach It.
saws the department, is by drilling or
boring a well and raising the water Dy
means of a windmill or pump m e..
A deep well of from $50 to 300 feet
such as is common in the Texas PAN
handle region. complete with windmill
truck and trOughs represents an m
vestmeut of about SlOOO, ana snouio
easily supply between $50 and 500 cat
No weeil is complete. claims the de-
partment, without reservoir with a
capaCity large enough to carry the
stock dependent upon it over long
calm spell The cost Of a reservoir
holding approximately 200. 900 gallons
of water should not exceed 500.
FavOrs Cement TrOughs.
The best kind Of trough for holding
water derived from wells and springs,
thinks the department, is the ordinary
metal one used by stockmen. 1t is light
in weight, will last a long time, and
costs little. However, where the ma
terials are readily available and the
cost of cement is not prohibtive, the
deDartment recommends concrete as
better than any other trough material
Work has been done on the national
forests to improve the water facilities
on the range lands. In all a total OF
SIS separate water Improvements pro-
iects have been developed, 329 by the
users Of the range themselves, liz
through cooperation between the forest
service and the users, and 11b by the
service alone. OF these 676 improve
ments, 37S are springs or seeps, zS6
are reservoirs or tanks, while the rest
are wells, trails, and the like.