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Show v r v TOO MUCH IRRIGATION WATER Mr. J. C. Whcelon, chief engineer of tho Utah-Idaho Sugar company, recently delivered nn address before tho irrigation convention nt Garland, Gar-land, Utah, In which ho seems to show conclusively conclusive-ly lint seme fanners of this region nro UBlng more Irrigation water than they need; and that tho effect ef-fect of the po.icy Is to take from the value of their land, without giving them tiny additional benefits In tho crops they nro ra sing. Hero Is an extract from Mr. Wheelon's address: Twenty-two enra ngo the Hear river canals (or "Hothwell" canals, ns thcjJ were known i few yeurs ngo), begnn delivering water to Its patrons nnd ns tho company contracted to furnish water nt n duty of SO acres to tho second foot or 1.2 ncrc-feet per scssou of six months,, they hao supplied water enough to cocr tho vli'ley to a depth of 92.4 feet. This would havo wotted to completo saturation (If none had evaporatod), sUntum of earth nbout ISO feat .n depth. Even 'though much of this water hnB cv.nporntcd, only twclvo years of operation were required to make such gains upon tho nliturnl process of elimination elimina-tion by seepage and evaporation, that the ground water tnble became permanently so near tho sur-faco sur-faco ag to seriously Impair the prcductlvcncss of tho soil. , It liaB long been tho contention of both President Presi-dent WIdtsoo nnd Mr. Lewis A. Merrill that a quantity of Irrigation water less than Is commonly common-ly used will produce better results than are found with tho present system. And all scientific, practical practi-cal study of tho subject confirms their view. Utah and southern Idnho have n limited amount of water. There Is an almost unlimited area of land that needs Irrigation. There nro great possibilities pos-sibilities In dry farming; but every dry farm needs some water. Such things ub homes nnd orchards nnd summer gardens can not bo hoped for In wholly whol-ly dry tracts. Thero Is water enough, when the sinto's water uses aro perfected, for every section of Utnh. And the same Is true of the dry portions of Idaho. There must bo a willingness on the pnrt of present users to share their blessings with their less fortunnto neighbors, where this can bo done without actual Injury to tho original owners of water rights. In nil reason nnd right they aro entitled en-titled to nil the water they actually need for their land. And In nil reason and right they aro not entitled to any moro. Tho dry sections of these states can bo reclaimed reclaim-ed only by united nnd concerted nctlon. In the un'ty nnd fraternity of all trying to build up tho country, the wnys must bo found to conservo this lnvnluablo element wntor. Mr. Whcelon has helped help-ed in the work which finally must prove a blessing to nil. Ogdcn Kuunlner. |