The Benson signal., 1920-02-21

Dec IT.
Total 255OO $4,000 6O317 $4,000
Average years. Feb 1924 Mar 2S1S Apr 1862
May June July 3422 Aug 3o954 Sep 56S; Oct $780,
Nov 2O57; Dec 743.
For average crops under our conditions OF low rain
fall and high evaporation than six acencheS is seldom
needed in any one month of the growing The fig
ues above concusvely prove that for the five months Feb
Aug-Sep, more than six acre inches per month
are available which represents greater amount OF water
than is desirable or possible to apply during these
months During the months of January October aud No.
veber ample is available for any crops grown at this
season. Thus for eight months OF the year plenty OF water
is available.
April January and June, all important months tor growing
crops are unfortunately months during which the water
supply is limited There is, however, sufficient water for
one irrigation per month of all the land durng1 these three
months With proper management the acreage requiring
irrigation at this could be limited to that amount
that could be irrigated thoroughly.
December it will be noted, is the low month OF the
year. Very little irrigation will be required during this
month.
These figures do not include the water from the Baba
comar river The flow from this stream tor several months
in the year would materially increase the amount OF water
available for the project
The above figures also afford some interesting nforma-
ton concerning the possibly of the Chaeson Dam prof.
ect 1t will be noted that the average yeayrun ofs H.
643 acre feet.
There is an amount of water for each setof so crop,
and water conditions which produces the greatest profit
This point of optimum duty of water will vary with each
set of conditions. Results obtained under we'll controlled
abatory and experimental field conditions indicate that SO
acre inches per year liberal average and is ample or
almost any CROP On this basis the 900 feet is su
cient water if stored and used when needed to gate 23
881 acres.
The third annual report of the Reclamation Service gives
6O25 acre feet the estimated capacity of the Charleston
reservoir, with 10Of dam, 100000 feet with
12Oft DAM 1t is evident then that the yearly run-of is
sufficient to fill such reservoir The storage of this water
would materially aid the ST. David district in that the
of the months of high water would be stored to be
used in April May and June when the natural flow of the
river is insufficient.
The above data laboously colated by Profs. Maesen
and Wright should be "'argumentum knock-doWn- EN-.
The facts given constitute proof conclusive. But there is
really another argument which, in the opinion of the Signal
is stronger ye possible why the people of ST. David and
Pomerene should change tactics. Would they entertain
proposition to abandon the water system they
have? Why their lands would not be worth buying What
then? Continue the old policy of pouring soap-suds into
rat hole? Gla Valley farmers have just demonstrated the
loss of $500 oCO 90 sunk in temporary diversion dams 1t
is plain that Of three must be pnrSued total alb
andonment, continuation of the old policy, the adoption
of some new policy 1t would to be matter of self
preservation and that rapidly, along the line of the
proposed new project.