Show leaky Head gates cause immense water loss by N W IRSFELD project engineer myton utah CARE LN IX conservation or OF WATER IN LATERALS SAVE TO reservation SECTION THIS YEAR one ot of the problems confronting us in our campaign to make the scanty supply ot at water th that at will be available this summer irrigate as much land as possible and thus produce the maximum crop value is how to stop the leaks in the hundreds of 0 head gates and add turnout boxes at times when no water Is being taken through them tor for irrigation purposes in all the ditches of 0 the uintah irrigation project and no doubt in all other canals in the basin the water will be distributed by the rotation system again this season under this system the water is divided into heads or streams ot of a size most desirable tor for handling in the fields and these heads or streams will be rotated among the various water users the time per acre or share being such that each will receive the same amount of c water during the season this means that only a part ol of the gates or turnout boxes will be in use at any one time now the only type ot of turnout box or head gate that is economically possible in the basin Is one built of 0 timber these at best are leaky affairs at but it if at tle time be ae gate is closed a few shovel fais of dirt is thrown against it all leaks are effectually sealed scaled and will remain r so BO until the gate la Is disturbed right here Is where the difficulty lies the ditch rider or water user who closes the gate may shovel in the dirt but the water users or at least many of them desiring a small stream in their lateral for convenience sake will not permit the leak to remain sealed but by moving the gate they dislodge the dirt that was scaling the leak and permit the water to again trickle through and flow down the lateral this practice has become quite general in some localities and Is more or less prevalent all over the basin but I 1 ara am certain that whenever it Is done it la Is done thoughtlessly tor for no one who Is interested in welfare ot of the farmers of the basin would indulge in this wasteful practice it he knew the amount of u water that will bo be wasted in this manner this summer it this practice Is not discontinued there are on this project alone more than 1200 turnouts boxes or head bead gates to farm laterals literals late rals it if the water is divided into heads only of lot these 1200 gates will be open at any one time now it if each of the other 1000 gates Is permitted to leak a small stream here is what it will mean in terms ot of do dollars 1 and cents not much of 0 a leak is required to pass one awen aleth of a second ot of water it if that amount ot of water passes each of the 1000 gates that are supposed to be tightly closed there would hs be fifty second feet of water leaking out into laterals literals late rals where it can do no good for it Is too small to be used to irrigate and is completely wasted by seepage and evaporation this fifty second feet of water flowing during the months ot of may june july august and september would amount to ac acre re feet of water or enough water to irrigate acres of land it each acre produced 2500 worth of crops a low estimate these acres would grow worth of crops in other words it will cost the farmers of the basin 00 to water their farm stock tafu r summer it if they do it by means of the leaky he adgate are YOU going to contribute to such a wanton waste as this are you going to stand by without a protest and permit your neighbor to contribute to this sinful waste we cannot afford to install steel gates that will wedge tight when closed but we can with the expenditure of a little time and effort make our timber gates water tight and thus conserve the precious water tor for the purpose ot of growing crops and thus add materially to the value of the crops grown in the basin this summer if you have stock that must be watered during the time that your lateral Is dry why not build a small pond A very small pond it if properly will hold a weeks supply of water and will cost but a small amount of labor let us all unite in making the small amount of water that will be available this summer do the utmost possible good in the way of producing crops it is up to the individual water user to stop this waste through head gates tor for it is impossible for the ditch rider to stand guard over the numerous head gates on his division all afi he can do Is to seal every leak he finds it if you will do the same this waste will bo be stopped |