The Delta independent., 1922-02-10

Milk River ST
Yuma drrigates entire year,
Minidoka Pumping Unit---------2.68
Minidoka Gravity Units----------4.23
Uncompahgre Project -----------5.7O
From the above tabulation it will be
noted at glance that this project
uses more than twice as much water
per acre irrigated than many of the
projects shown above.
All the projects except the Uncom-
pahgre Project supply water on the
acre foot basis, which system is sim
ply that you pay for what you actually
use, and, that consequently the water
user has an interest in conserving the
water supply and not wasting it. This
This office finds that the crop yields
per acre for projects having similar
climatic conditions and raising similar
crops are higher than the crop yields
per acre produced on this project.
despite the fact that such projects use
much less water.
This information is submitted for
your consideration at this time SO that
you may give it serious thought in
NlSW OL tuc ldCt Iudl Ihc Law plONiuCo
| that water be furnished on an acre
foot basis when the project is opened
under public notice.
This Office during the past year re-
duced the amount of water sold to the
water users under High Mesa to an
equitable basis. This was done on
account of the fact that it was found
+b,t <ba d;tnb cono citv had hoon in
past years over sold, and In many
cases water users on High Mesa were
cut SO per cent this year over the
water purchased by them in previous
years. Naturally they did not have to
pay as much for their water. No COM
plants have been received in the
project office over the plan put in
effect for that mesa, and from the
information at hand it is believed that
the same system will have to. be
adopted during the coming season for
several OF the other canals and
laterals.
Crop Returns
The crop yield survey for the sea-
son 1921 shows that 63,759 acres were
irrigated, and that the value of the
crops raised approximated 1854 .305.
or an average of $41.10 per acre. in
arriving at the total value Of the crops
produced during the year 1t was neces-
sary to estimate a valuation for the
alfalfa hay. oats. potatoes and wheat
that are in storage. 1t was found that
| approximately 30 per cent OF the hay
crop is on hand, 46 per cent of the
oat crop, 81 per cent Of the potato
crop, and 43 per cent of the wheat.
| The crops on hand were given the
following unit values in order to ar
| rive at the total value of crops pro-
duced: alfalfa hay IS per ton. oats 30c
| per bushel, potatoes 60c per bushel,
and wheat Coo per bushel.
From the tabulation prepared from
the crop census data 1t is found that
the value of the crops marketed
amounts to 575,826.5O, or value
of $24.70 per acre, and that the value
of the crops in storage amounts to
81, ,038, ,478.50, or unit value per acre
of $1623.
The acreage OF hay cropped during
the past season amounted to 38 per
cent Of the total acreage cropped. Only
| three crops showed an increase in
value per acre over the 1920 tabula-
tion, onions, prunes and miscellaneous.
These totaled to only 4S9 acres, or
less than one per cent Of the total
acreage cropped in the valley during
the season 1921. Only two OF the
principal crops raised In the valley
showed any increase in yield for the
1921 season over the yield for the
1920 season as follows: The sugar
beet yield increased from "a tons tn
an average Of 1913 tons per acre. The
Indian corn yield increased from 31.9
bushels per acre to 1928 bushels per
acre.
Effect Of Public Notice
In view Of the fact that public notice
will issue for this project at some
future date. 1t might be timely to dis.
cuss in q general way the effect that
such notice will have upon the pay.