The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-02-11

orally out number the existing one
about three to one. As the adver
tisements say, There's reason,
and it is easily arrived at. Ii
nearly all cases it is poor construc-
ton, although in a few instances
the location is at fault.
The average farmer or ranchel
who wishes to build reservoir fol
irrigation or stock purposes doesn't
feel that he can afford concrete
and uses earth. An earthen dam
if properly built will. in most cases,
be much cheaper and equally salts
factory. Poor Foundations, nc
core wall, failure to provide an
adequate spillway, failure to puddle
and failure to get down to hard pan
are causes of failure.
In building a reservoir dam, the
site is the first important, consider
alton. The following questions
should be considered.
If it is to be used for irrigation or
flood water purposes, is it high
enough above the highest point in
the field to be irrigated So that
ditch connecting the two will carry
water?" if not another site will
have to be chosen higher up, unless
this is the only one available. In
this case only the lower levels of
the field can be irrigated.
'Will the floor of the reservoir
hold water, or will it be practical to
cover it with heavy clay soil and
then puddle the surface when it is
wet?" Many reservoirs fail to hold
water because of the open, porous
nature of the soil or because of SUBJ
drainage of the water through sand
or gravel strata which crop out in
the bottom. This can be reuedied |
in many cases by covering the floor
with heavy CLAW soil, which should
be thoroughly wet and then thor
oughly puddled into the floor by
driving stock over it until it is
thoroughly worked up into the
surface soil of the reservoir THE
surface should be thoroughly sat
lrated with the water while this is
being done.
Twill it be possible to get core
wall down to hard-pan?" Ii the
,ore wall is not put down to hard
pan, the water will seep out under
heath and in turn wash the dam
out.
In determining these facts before
tarting to work, take soil auger
II long handled spade and sink
wells at different places on the pro- {
,osed reservoir site and entirely I
cross the coulee or creek bottom S
there the dam will be built. After y
soil examination of this kind
GU will know definitely as to the
hances of the reservoir holding
-ater, and the depth the core wall
nould be placed beneath the sur
ice. A loose sandy or gravelly
oil will not hold water, and
nall, thin strata of sand or gravel
ill quickly empty a reservoir of
alter.
In building an earthen dam, the
ore wall is the most important
If the soil is of a
ayey nature on the surface, simp-
dig out trench two feet wide
nd two feet deep on tue center
ne of the proposed dam. Fill this
it'll the heaviest clay obtainable.
eeping enough water in the trench
that the team and scraper in
orking back and forth over it in
lie filling process will puddle the
ii we'll. Then as the earth is be-
g scraped in and the body OF the |
am rises, keep the center lowest
i'd with water in it so that this
lddling process is carried ON and
e core wall of puddled earth is
FRIED well up into the body of the
I'm. This puddled core wall
hen built up in this way makes
e body of the dam impervious to
epage aud also ties the dam TO
e surface of the ground. If how
er. the dam proper will lie over a