The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-01-24
A. n. saxer, Professor Of Mathematics
Utah Agricultural College.


poses every year.
Practically 100000 acre-feet {
this water Is wasted every year,
we consider the actual water need
of the lands to which this water
being applied.
This reasoning Is perfectly simpl
when we consider that Utah has onl,
100000 acres OF irrigated land t
which the above mentioned 100000
acre-feet of winter are being applied
1t is we'll known fact, establishe,
by the Experiment Station of tn
Utah Agricultural College, that acre
feet of water are amply sufficient To-
the actual needs Of the crops upon al
acre of average land, provided tina
the water is properly applied.
This figures out that 2.00O.OO
acre-feet of irrigation water should be
sufficient for our 100000 acres OF
irrigated land leaving a balance OF
6,oO0,000 acre-feet goin- to waste.
If this could be utilized to its full
capacity. it would furnish water for
100000 acres of land. or three times
as much as we are now irrigat.ng.
IAN Impossible Dream" would be
the reply Of the average irrigator to
the foregoing statement, but 1t d.
true nevertheless. 1t is also true that
IL the average canal company vert
restricted to two acre-feet of water
for each acre of land covered by its
canal, the lands would suffer for
want of water and the crops would
wither and perish.
The average irrigator is not vast
ing water as far as he can help it.
He simply takes the water that is his
and under existing conditions applies
1t to the best of his ability. He gets
results and the fact that he uses
several times more water than Is
really necessary IS frequently no fault
Of his.
The fact remains, however, that
two acre-feet of water per acre are
sufficient when properly applied. This
fact has been proven time and time
again by the Experiment Station of
the Utah Agricultural College.
The Big Question, however, Is.
"Can this two feet of water he both
ECONOMICALLY and PROPERLY
applied"
The answer to this question at
present is probably NO. To recon |
struct the average irrigation system
from the point of intake to the point
of application OF the water. and the
further preparation of the land ST.
that there shall be no waste in appli-
cation, would be so expensive that
the cash value of the feet of water
saved would fall far short of cover
ng the expenses incurred.
say that at present the answer
a the Big Question Is probably no.
mt Utah must have more irrigated
ands and it must obtain water toI
rrigate them with We have reache,
he practical limit of our water sup
'ly and the water to irrigate these
lew fields must be obtained in
reat measure by decreasing the
mount NOW being used on our pres
mt irrigated area.
From 80 to 40 per cent of the
'ater taken from the streams of UTAH
lost by the canal companies be-
IRE it rs delivered to the land to
'hich it is to he applied. Show the
verage canal company how it can
emedy this condition and sell the
after fins cayad for aprsrrb - 49,,
# this increased expense and 1t will
D sn without any outside or legal :
ressure being brought to hear. AS .
ny as the saving Of certain amount
water is losing financial pr,, r
,sition. no canal company is goin. $
"break it's neck" to do this saw,
e. y
Show the average irrigator how he S
prepare his land and apply his e
rigatinn water so that . feet will a
t him the same crop that I fee. t,
Il before. and he VIII gladly do So. r
divided you show him at the same W
ne where he is going to come nut b
cad on the proposition financially. d
Waste of material is not waste IN t'
e generally accepted order of th.n~s I
it is possible to prevent it only al
a financial sacrifice. d
The tail'ngs and Stag piles at many u"'
our large mines contain hunIrens '"
thousands of dlllars of minera,
1t has been wasted in the process
handling the ores, yet we are no:
ding up our hands in horror at this e
mendous waste. The reason is thar -,
can he prevented or recovered only -.
a financial loss, and is therefore g,
present, not regarded rs bein. W,
sted, The Sshool of Mines is M,
wever, daily struggling with the mr.
blem OF how to economically tres. fin
Sc ores SO that this waste shall Ca
minimum. an
ust so it is with the bigger prob
of economically handling our ir- ba
,tiln waters and reducing our of