The Delta independent., 1918-06-21
PYLE MAKES REPORT ON THE
WATER SITUATION IN VALLEY

The following review Of the irriga-
tion situation may be of interest to
you, the Board of Directors and water
users in general.
The demand for water has been un-
usually heavy this spring and the sup
ply below normal The demand has
been heavy on account of the small
amount of fall irrigation of alfalfa and
orchards due to the large crops and
the scarcity of labor last fall, making
1t almost impossible for the farmers to
attend to their crops and irrigate; the
small amount Of precipitation on pro-
ject lands since last fall; the continu-
ed windy weather during April and
ed and the fact that many of the
water users were SO busy planting
crops this spring that they did not
realize they were getting behind with
their irrigation until the ground had
thoroughly dried out.
The water supply has been below
normal on account of the fall of snow
on the low hills being light so that
the runoff from Cedar Creek and Dry
Creek and the May floods of the I'm
compahgre river have been below nor
NAL. making it necessary to run large
I quantity of water thru the Gunnison
Tunnel and the South Canal. Ordin-
arily there is a period about the middle
of May when the Uncompahgre river
furnishes plenty of water from the
low snow and the water can be turned
out of the South canal in order to
make minor repairs. but this year we
have not been able to do this and
since April Goth water has been out of
the canal for only twenty hours. divid
ed into three periods. the first nine
hours on April 26th to make temporary
repairs to holes in the concrete lining
near the Gunnison Tunnel and below
tunnel 3: the second. six hours on May
5th to allow the city of Montrose to
open up the intake of their tunnel con
nection; an dthe third. five hours on
June 1st. to remove the flash boards
and clear the gate opening OF the sec
ond gate at the tunnel intake. as we
were unable to obtain sufficient wat
er through the gate opening. The dis
charge of the tunnel has been gradual
| ly increased since April goth TO S25
second feet. The discharge was meas
urged when the gauge was 80 in tun-
mel at east portal. The flow was III
second feet compared with $50 second
feet last year at the same gauge height
showing an increase in discharge of
over 16 per cent.
Anticipating larger run off from
the Uncompahgre 1t was not thought
advisable to unduly strain the south
canal until repairs can be made. About
four days will be required to repair
soft spots In concrete. which do not
generally show up until some water
has been carried through the canal.
The daily fuctuation of 200 to 300
second feet in the discharge OF the
Uncompahgre river due to melting OF
snow during the day and the freezing
at night makes it difficult to regulate
, the flow OF water In the canals and
with the fluctuation OF 300 second
feet 1t is possible to have $50 second
feet going to waste the same day that
, we are short $50 second feet in the
canals.
The service during the month has
been fairly uniform except under the
High Mesa siphon where there was
the washing out of drops and the In
stallation of changes in the intake
necessary to increase the capacity oi
the siphon. Under ordinary condi
tions considerable air is taken into the
siphon with the result that 1t accum
ulates and reduces the discharge. Last
: season six inch vent pipe was placed
near the intake which remedied tha
condition but only to a small extent
On May 13 a second vent pipe was
placed at point where the head on
the siphon was about 26 feet. The
vent pipe was 26 feet long and stood
: vertically above the siphon. When
the water was turned back into the
siphon an draised to a normal head
the air pressure shot water about &C
feet into the air above the top OF the
pipe. making geysers which erupted
every twelve to twenty seconds. This
condition WIS finally remedied by
changing the form OF intake and In
r creasing the head Of water. -
The discharge OF the canal was
increased during the month from
! about 900 second feet to approxim
ately 1,5O0 second feet, which IL being
used to irrigate about 10000 acres ol
crop. There were number OF shor'
, periods when owing to fluctuations In
the discharge OF the Uncompahgre
river 1t was impossible to furnish ful
heads. Practically no water was vast
/. ed past the Garnet headworks. except
: that due to the daily fluctuations.
II will probably become necessary