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Show Water Shortage Not to Be Feared "The propoganda being circulated ' that there is to be a water' shortage ; in the Gunnison Valley during the j coming season is not well founded and should not be taken seriously," said a well known business man to j a News representative yesterday. "While it is true the water may not be as abundant as in some of the years past, statistics show that the water sheds from which this valley receives its water have a greater depth of snow and a much greater water content than usual. The heavy February snows added greatly to the water situation and altogether there should be no fear of a water shortage Conservative use of water, too, should be one of the important matters mat-ters to be considered by the farmers and if this is done and cultivation and conservation of moisture adhered to, there need be no fear. "A close study of the situation and comparative figures for 1924 and 1925 made, will convince these in any doubt that the estimates are correct. At the Mammoth Ranger station in 1924, the snow was 40 inches deep, with a water content of 16 inches. The measurements taken for 1925 show the snOw to be 48 inches deep and a water content of 22 inches. At the Great Basin Experiment Station on April 1, 1924, the snow was 53 inches deep. The water content, how ever, was low and only showed 11.40 inches. This year the snow is 47 I inches deep, but the water content is 16.5 inches, an increase of more than five inches. Both in six mile and in twelve mile canyons there is a greater great-er depth of snow now than there was last year at the sametime." From the figures given it is evident ithat there is considerable more water ,in the snow cover this year than there i was for 1924 and in addition to the water now in the snow during the imonths of September and October, il924, 5.12 inches of moisture fell- at the Experiment station and a similar j'amount at the Mamoth station. Practically Prac-tically all of this moisture went into the ground. Since September 15, 1924 'approximately 21 inches of moisture has fallen, showing slightly above the yearly average for the station. Generally speaking every farmer and beet grower is not fearing the 'outcome from a water standpoint and are going ahead and many are planning a different method of farming farm-ing by doing more cultivation and using less water, which usually result in far better returns. |