Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1918 — FARM RESERVOIRS. FOR WATERING STOCK [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM RESERVOIRS. FOR WATERING STOCK

(Prepared by the United States Depart-' «• ment of Agriculture.) Many small reservoirs have been built in the grazing districts of the West to furnish water for range stock and household purposes, the irrigation of land from such supplies being of secondary importance. These are discussed in this article. , la the Great Plains area and more particularly in the eastern portions of Wyopiing and Montana and the western portions of the Dakotas, there is little stream flow during the greater part ‘of the year and the well water often is so impregnated with mineral salts as to be unfit for drinking purposes. On the other hand, the native grasses are abundant and nutritious but the cattle and sheep which graze thereon are not permitted to feed beyond easy reach of the nearest water hole. Thus without the use of reser-

voirs or other means of providing water, the public range can be only partially utilized and too often the big stock companies, in acquiring possession of the land bordering springs and streams, become the sole beneficiaries of the use of such lands. v Water for Stock. Other reservoirs of this class have been built by transportation companies in order to provide water for cattle and sheep en route from the range to the nearest railway station. The dams for reservoirs of this type are of earth built for the most part in the beds of streams. Before the embankment is begun the surface of the ground under the entire base of the dam, as well as the borrow pit, is stripped for a depth of at least six inches so as to get rid of all sod and other light, porous material which would prevent the earth in the dam from settling in a solid and compact

manner. After the ground has been so stripped and before the grading is begun, a trench 12f fest wide and not less than 18 inches in depth is dug the entire length of the proposed dam. The edge of this trench from the upstream side is not less than 3 or more than 10 feet Inside the toe of the inner slope. This trench is dug for the purpose of breaking the seam that otherwise might exist between the natural ground and the constructed dam. Standard Dimensions. The dam then Is built in the usual way by placing the material in uniform layers .under the whole base of the dam. Figure 1 shows the standard dimensions used in embankments and the position of the intercepting trench. It will be noted from this sketch that the flow line of the wasteway is five jfeet below the top of the embankment Wherever possible, a natural wasteway was utilized in direct line with the stream channel and the dam located to pne side so as not to be subjected to the direct force of the stream.

To protect the embankment from waves produced by the high winds of the open range; the inner slope may be covered with rock, brush and rock, or other material. A common kind of protection consists of sheet piling formed of inch boards 10 Inches wide and 8 feet long. Each board is driven into the embankment at the edge of he water of a full reservoir to a depth f 8 feet and then nailed to 2 horizontal ties of 1 by 10-lnch boards. These latter are braced to dead men buried in the dam in the manner shown in fig* ure 1. £ Smaller Reservoirs, 7 Small earthen reservoirs or “settling basins” for the watering of stock are common in Imperial Valley, California. These are usually rectangular in form, 20 by 30 feet being a common size and about 4 feet deep. To keep out the stock they are fenced with the exception of a drinking place about 6 feet long, which is cribbed. ' The cribbing consists of two 12-inch planks spaced 6 inches apart with the intervening space filled with sand. Figure 2 illustrates ♦his cheap method of furnishing water for Stock. In recent years a more Costly equipment to provide water for domestic purposes as well as stock has been Introduced *in the valley. One plant in the valley comprises » reservoir lined with concrete into whith the muddy water from the irrigation, canal is diverted by a supply ditch, a pumping plant, and an elevated metal tank into wMch the settled

water from the reservoir is pumped. The reservoir is 14 by 18 feet in area, 7 feet deep and has a removable cover in order that the silt may bq cleaned out periodically. The walls are 6 inches thick throughout and the bottom 3 inches thick. The tank has a capacity of 3,750 gallons and this quantity of water serves 100 head of cattle and also provides for all domestic uses for a period of three days., A wdoden derrick supports the taqk at an elevation of 27 feet above the ground and pipes of black iron 1U Inches in diameter distribute the Water contained in the

tank to two troughs in the corrals and to two other troughs in the fields. A 3-horsepower gas engine and a 4-inch plunger pump lift the water from the reservoir into the tank. The various items of cost of this plant are as follows : Concrete reservoir, including excavation .....;..........<m Reservoir roof 20 Derrick 103 Tank 75 Engine and pump 240 Piping and extras .. 250 —j Total ... ......4800

BUILDING COBBLESTONE WALL OF RESERVOIR.

Cross Section of Earth Dam.

Settling Basin for Stock Water.