OCR Text |
Show I II I ! Your Soil Conservation District t Tlus This IS s the thud of a ser les series serles of irticles uhcles irtieles I theorgainzation theorganizato describing the Iorgamzahon orgamzahon organizato . nnd 1.nd 1nd mnd functions of ofthe ofI I the Grand Soil Conservation ConservationDistrict Conservationf f District and how it works I "Ith Ith with " worksvith worksI workswith the Soil SOli Conservation ConservationDistrict ConservationI I DIStrict DIStrictThis This s week weeks eeks s artlcle article wln will deal dealwith dealwlth dealvith wlth vith the organization orgamzahon of the therrand theGrand Grand -rrand rrand - s0 SOil Conservation Conservahon distrIct districtand and local erosion problems problemsAs As a result of the popular feemg feeing popularfeeing popularfeemg toward need for an or organized orI I gamzed ganized force to combat the sOIl soilerosion eroSion menace to the welfare of ofthe the nation nahon the federal govern ment government established a Soil Conser I ConserI Conservation , vation vahon Service The state govI governm governments * - . , gov . I ernments " " " fol1owed followed t--n t n tnj - --j j - - - I whereby 'hereby up legal machInerYWh machinery 'here here ' i I by local people could } orgamze organize a soil conservation dls dis distnct dlstnct district tnct trict which could request the as slstance sistance assistance asslstance of the Soil ConservatIon ConservatiorService ConservatIonSerVIce SerVIce and other federal agen agencies agenCles agendes Cles des concerned with soil and andmoisture mOIsture conservation conservahon and a n d andsound dsound ' sound land useThe use countywere county"ere county'ere The farmers of Grand county "ere ere 'ere " ' interested mterested in m such a move movement movement movement ment andorganized toward soil protection protechon and andorgamzed andorganized orgamzed organized wh what , t is known as the theGrand Grand Soil Conservation DIS tnct trict tnctAs trictAs Distnct District DistnctAs hearingsand hearmgsand As a result of public pubhc hearmgs hearings and districtbecame a popular vote the district became a fact on ( Uune iJune June 3 1940 1940The The secretary of state for Utah UtahIssued Utahissued Utahissued Issued the official certificate cerhfIcate of oforgamzatIon oforganization oforganization orgamzatIon organization on that date The TheccrtlfIcate TheCertiIicate Thecertificate ccrtlfIcate CertiIicate states statesThe statesThe statesThe The Grand Soil ConservatIon ConservatIonDIstnct ConservationDistrict ConservationDistrict DIstnct District is hereby made a gov governmental governmental governmental ernmental subdivision of the thestate thestate thestate state ( f Utah and constitutes a abody abody abody body corporate and politic wIth wIthfull withfull withfull full powers to exercise all rIghts rIghtsand rightsand rightsand and privileges provided by lawThe lawThe law lawThe The boundaries of the dlstnct district dlstnctmclude districtinclude districtinclude mclude include all of that portion of ofGrand ofGrand ofGrand Grand county Utah lying lymg wIth wIthm within within m in the watershed of the Colorado Coloradoriver Coloradoriver river riverA \A A \ A board of supervisors was wasthen wasthen then created Three members C S Thomson J Reed Lanceand Lanceand Lance ; the late James SomervIlle SomervIllewere Somervillewere were elected by popular vote voterwo Two rwo members L L Taylor and andthe andthe the late B E Buchanan were wereappomted wereappointed appomted appointed by the governor Since Smce that time James has been appointed appomted to Mr Bu flu BuC fluCf Bucranan C Cf anan s position and no has yet been ' held 'held to till fill the po P0 slhon sition position poslhon P0sition left vacant by Mr Somer Somerville Somerville Somerville ville Mr Taylor was appoInted appointedchairman MrThomson chairman of the board and Mr , Thomson is now secretary secretaryI treasurer treasurerIt secretarytreasurer secretarytreasurerIt boardto It was the desire of the board I theSoil to obtain obtam the assistance of the SoIl Theytherefore Conservation Service They , therefore entered entcred into mto an under understandmg understanding understanding standmg standing US agreement with the U Agricultureand S Department of Agriculture and the Soil Conservation Service Ser Service VIce By this agreement government was willing wIllmg to tomamtam tomrtnfin tomaintain mamtam nnu mrtnfin _ _ _ _ _ _ a _ - - staff SKU-L SKU L - 44c * . . " " - ut of V.L VL - - ' . . ' . " ' o < . ? ' ' - - - ' " ? - - - - - nnu _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - . . - V.L VL - ' . . . " ' . ' - ' ' H"H HH iL11 " " HI ILL Moab us , and make certain certam erOSIOn erOSIOncontrol erosioncontrol erosioncontrol control tothe equipment available to the district to use on its lts vanous various vanousproblems variousproblems variousproblems problems The management of ofall ofall ofall all equipment and all fmanclal financial fmanclalmattels financialmatteis financialmatteis mattels matteis pertaining pertammg thereto are the arethe districtThis responsibnty responslbllty responsibiity of the distrIct This prevents the government governmentowned governmentowned governmentowned owned thedistrict equipment loaned to the district from competing competmg wIth wIthprIvately withprivately withprivately prIvately owned equipment Following Followmg equipmentFollowing equIpmentFollowmg this agreement the thesuperVIsors thesupervisors thesupervisors superVIsors with wlth the assistance assistanceof of the Soil Conservation Service Fore Forest ServiceForest ServiceFore t Service and the Exten Extenslon Extension Extension slon sion Service prepared a pro gram program and work plan which out outlined outImed Imed lined the various erosion prob problems lems in m the district and their theirIdeas theirideas theirideas Ideas of how to combat those thoseerOSIOn thoseerosion thoseerosion erOSIOn problemsThroughout problemsThroughout problems problemsThroughout Throughout a period of sever several several several al months the supervisors and andthe andthe andthe the district conservationist conservatIomst stud studled studled led the erosion problems in m the theGrand Grand district and finally fmally seg segregated segregated regated them as follows problems 1 Farm Lands Those prob lems listed apply to some farms farmsbut farmsbut but not necessarily to all farms farmsNevertheless Nevertheless the problem eXists existsand and is recognized recogmzed by the board boardas boardas as a menace to the future agrI agrIcultural agricultural agncultural cultural prosperity of the distnct distncta dls dis trIct tricta a Loss of soil sOlI fertility fertIlzty through throughconstant throughconstant constant cropping croppmg or lack of a awell awell well organized crop rotation rotationsystem rotationsystem rotationsystemb system systemb b Loss of soil fertility fertIhty through throughconstant throughconstant constant cropping croppmg without use useContinued useContinued ( ContInued on page four ) Your So Soil Sod " Conservation ConservationDistrict ConservationDistrict District DistrictContinued ( Continued Contmued from first pace pa1e page ! ) ( ) of f green manure crops cropsc cropse c e Loss of soil fertility through throughconstant throughconstant throughconstant constant cropping croppmg andIthout and \\Ithout Ithout nithout nithoutuse \ withoutuse Ithoutuse use of oflatural " -latural latural "latural natural - or commercIal commercIalfertilIzer commercialfertilizer commercialfertilizer commercialfertilizerd fertilIzer fertilIzerd d Los " , , > of soil fertility through throughleachmg throughleaching throughleaching I leachmg leaching as a result of the applI applIcatIon application application catIon of more irrigation water waterthan waterthan waterthan than is needed needede e Loss of top topsoil OII and soil sOlI fer fertIllty fertility fertility tIllty tility as a result of soil sOlI washmg washing washmgwIth washingwith washingwith wIth uncontrolled irrigation lrrIgatlon wa water water water waterf ter terf f Loss of soil sOlI fertility andtilth and andtIlth andtilth tIlth as a result of water loggmg logging loggmgThIS loggingThis loggingThis ThIS is probably a direct result resultof resultof resultof of the use of too much IrrIgatIon IrrIgatIonwater irrigationwater irrigationwater water on higher ground groundg g Loss of soil fertility and andtilth andtilth andtilth tilth as a result of the ralSlng raising ralSlngof raisingof raisingof of the Colorado nver river water ta to toble tahIe table ble hIe bletl bleli tl 11 li Loss of farm lands along alongthe alongthe alongthe the streambank as a result of offlood offlood offlood flood water m in Pack and Mill Millcreeks Millcreeks Millcreeks creeks and other localIzed localIzedstreambeds localizedstreambeds localizedstreambeds streambeds such as Castle creek creekand creekand creekand and others othersi i 1 Loss of soil sOlI fertility fertllIty as a re result resuit resuit sult suit of using usmg lands not accordmg according accordingto accordmgto to their adaptability In other otherwords otherwords otherwords words certain certam soils are adapted adaptedto adaptedto to certain certam crops For example examplesteep examplesteep examplesteep steep- steep steephIIlslde - hillside hIIlslde land if not terrac terraced terraced terraced ed and strip cropped should be beIn bein bein In a soil binding l1mdmg mdmg i crop such sueh as ashay ashay ashay hay or pasture rather than m in mrow inrow mrow row crops . .All All Jill . farm lands in the thedIstrIct thedistrict thedistrict dIstrIct have been mapped ac accordmg according according cordmg cording to capability classesJ classes j 1 Loss.of Lossof Loss . . of fertlht fertility ) classesI through throughland throughland throughland I land lymg lying " ' idle 1dle and going gomg to toweeds toweeds toweeds weeds weedsk k Loss of topsoil and sOlI soil sOlIf sOlIrt soilof soilfertility f rt 1ty as a result of wind wmd erouorr eroicon ero erolorr ! lorr uorr icon- icon iconfront - front frorn from lacks lacksoft lack oft oftwindbreaks of windbreaks wmdbreaks 1 Loss of fertility through throughll1festatIons throughinfestations throughinfestations ll1festatIons infestations of noxious nO"IOUS nOIOUS " weedsm weeds weedsm m Loss of fertility through throughovergrazmg throughovergrazing throughovergrazing overgrazmg overgrazing of pastures and andgrazmg andgrazing andgrazing grazmg grazing of pastures when wetOther wet wetOther I IOther Other erosion problems no nodoubt nodoubt nodoubt doubt exist eJ\.lst eJ.lst eJ .lst lst \ . on farm lands of the thedIStrIct thedistrict thedistrict dIStrIct which are not listed 2 Range Lands Many of the thefollowmg thefollowing thefollowmg followmg following list of erosion prob problems problems problems lems exist e'Xlst eXlst ' on most of the range rangelands rangelands rangelands lands in m the Grand district d1strIct Our Ourrange Ourrange Ourrange range lands vaiy ValY vary a great deal- deal dealirom dealfrom deal dealfrom - from irom the high La Sal mountam mountain mountamco.mtry mountaincountry mountaincojntry co.mtry comtry country . to the low Manco Mancoc ' " shale shalean shalean shalean an t I semi desert dcsert country All the therarge therarge therarge rarge lands with the exceptIon exceptionof of the slick lock rock areas pro pro.du pro-du pro du .du du - . . e a range feed m in varymg varying varymgamJunts varyingamounts varyingam3unts amJunts amounts The types of vegeta vegetatIOll vegetation vegetation tIOll tion produced are naturally re related related related lated closely to the climate and andSOH andsoil andsoil SOH soil environment Perhaps the theupset theupset theupset upset apple cal cait cart t referred to m in mthe inthe inthe the first of this series of artIcles articlesis IS more noticeable and harder to toset toset toset set upright again agam on the range rangelards lards rangelards than on any otheB other othe _ type of ofland ofland ofland land All of the moisture comesfrom comes comesfrom comesfrom from the clouds instead mstead of from fromIrrIgatIon fromirrigation fromirrigation IrrIgatIon canals and nature naturesnatural s snatural snatural restoringlost restormglost natural processes of restormg restoring consequentfeed lost fertility iertIhty and consequent feed production and erosion eon con eontrol control control trol ha\ ha ha\e ha e hae hate \ e to be done \ without \ Ithout the theaid theaid theaid aid of fertilizers controlled Ir it IrrlgatIon itrigation irngation rlgatIon rigation green manure ard and crop croprotatIon croprotation croprotation rotatIon Therefore a rancherefforts rancher " < ; efforts to restore his range to towhat towhat towhat what grandpa saw 80 years ago agoaren agoaren aren fewie'Xamples t very heartening heartemng A fewi few fewexamples fewexamples e'Xamples eXamples ' exist in m rn Utah howev howeve e- e ewhere e " - where livestock men have havecut havecut cut their herds to the carrying carrymg i ' I ! . ' [ : ' ] I capacity of their range and have haveactually haveactually haveactually actually sold more pounds of ofmutton ofmutton ofmutton mutton \ wool \ 001 and beef with the thefewer thefewer thefewer fewer numbers At any rate the theerOSIon theerosion theerosion erOSIon problems on range lands landsas landsas landsas as recognized by the boal boaid board d of ofsupervIsors ofsupervisors ofsupervisors supervIsors and the Soil SOlI Conser Conscr ConserratIon Conscrration Conscr/ation Conscr ation ratIon / , Service Forest ServIce ServIceExtensIOn ServiceExtension ServiceExtension ExtensIOn Service and Grazmg Grazing GrazmgIservice GrazingService GrazingService Service are as follows followsa Iservice a Loss of topsoil as a result of oflovergrazmg ofovergrazing ofovergrazing ofovergrazingb lovergrazmg overgrazing lovergrazmgI overgrazingb b Loss of topsoil as a result resultlof resultof resultof lof of concentration of livestock due dueIto dueto dueto Ito to lack of drift and dIVISIonfences divisionfences division divisionfences fences , , fencesc c Loss of topsoil as a result resultof resultof resultof of overgrazing overgrazmg of areas WhICh WhIChprobably whichprobably whichprobably probably would not be over overgrazed overlivestock overgrazed grazed by y grazfy a different type grazf grazfing of oflIvestock oflivestock lIvestock For example the grazmg graz grazmg mg ing of a typical cattle range by bysheep bysheep bysheep sheep or vice versad versa versad , d Probable raising ralsmg of the theColorado theColorado theColorado Colorado river nver water table as asa asa asa a result of overgrazing overgrazmg and the theresultant theresultant theresultant resultant load of silt in m the Tlver river Tlverbed riverbed riverbed riverbede bed bede e Additional silt being bemg added addedto addedto addedto to Lake Meade behind belm\d belm d \ Boulderdam Boulderdam Boulder Boulderdam dam , damIn In this tills article we have at atI attempted attempted attempted I tempted to describe Grand dIS distract distnct : trIct tract organization and its erosIon erosIonproblems erosionproblems erosionproblems problems Next week we wIll wIllattempt willattempt willattempt attempt to tell what the Grand Granddistrict Granddistrict ' d1strlct district has tried to do to combat combatthe combatthe combatthe the erosion problem |