Salt Lake Tribune | 1913-12-18 | Page 14 | Change Basis of Reports on Water

CHANGE BASIS OF REPDRTSOW WATER Data in Great Basin Region to Be Completed for Cli-matological Cli-matological Year. Word lias been received by the local office of the water resources branch of the United Slates geological purvey from Washington, that all future reports pertaining per-taining to the water supply and resources of the rivers and streams Ip tho "great basin" drainage area will be. published on the basis of the cllmatologlcal year. Instead of the calendar year. Tho cllma-tological cllma-tological year will extend from October 1 lo September '.!0. and will allow consulting consult-ing and resident engineers truer relation as regards run-off in comparison to precipitation pre-cipitation than has heretofore been published pub-lished on the calendar year basis. The change in the preparation of runoff run-off data Tor the streams In tho great basin of Utah and Nevada hujj been advocated advo-cated by a great many ot the prominent hydni-eleclrlc and Irrigation engineer:, in the west, and after n thorough review of the cbango, favorable action was taken bv the Washington office. The cnaiige will probably not be made In any of the reports, with the exception of the California Cali-fornia report, for the other drainage areas throughout the United States, as conditions Hiroughout the great basin drainugc area are more uniform than in the other drainage areas and offer better bet-ter conditions for publishing run-off data on tho cliinalologlcal Instead of the calendar cal-endar year basis. Discussing the change yesterday afternoon. after-noon. E. A. Porter, district engineer In charge of the local water resources office In the federal building, gnvo the following reasons why It will bo beneficial to hydro-electric and irrigation engineers: (1) Practically all Irrigation ceases In tho great basin by September .10 or each vear. and for all storage purposes pur-poses this date Is an Important, factor, fac-tor, as it is not possible to use the surplus waters of the streams for storage until aftor the same cannot be applied to beneficial use. (2) Storms are frequent In the great basin' district during the months of October, November and December, which usually precipitate a large amount of snowfall at tho higher elevations, and which usually form a reliable source of water sup- ply to the streams during the following follow-ing irrigation season. Snowfall is the chief source ot supply to practically practi-cally every stream In the great basin, ba-sin, and the last three months of each calendar year usually allow from '10 to 65 per cent of water supply for the following open season. Therefore. In order to secure a tnse mean in reference to run-off per square mile, the same should be computed on the climatologlcal year basis, beginning with tho month of October rather than the calendar year which begins January 1- Accurate datn regarding run-off per square mllo arc often an important factor in tho preparation of reports for future construction of power and Irrigation projects. (3) Data showing tho run-off and supply of streams In the great basin will bo availablo for publication much earlier than heretofore, and the change will allow tho state cngineors of Utah and Nevada data consistent and timely with their biennial reports.