OCR Text |
Show « 4N crops are the usual thing, end the pastures will bum up* Late season crops, such as sugar beets, potatoes, corn, etc., must hare water during August and September* By that time, 1he natural stream flow will be at Its minimum and very little water can be expected from existing sources* Additional supplies must be developed if these orops are matured* Eliminating the effect of possible rains the probable percentage of crop that will be matured this year through the state will not greatly exceed £ 5$ and may not be that much* There are two major points to consider in the application of water to crops this year. First, aa attempt is to be made to save orchards and other perennial crops, even at the expense of annual crops* Second, livestock feed must be matured as far as possible in order to take care of the existing herds of livestock during the coming winter. It is probable that our herds will have to be reduced in order to carry them througi the winter* However, the drouth situation extends to all of the surrounding states and even as far east as the middle- western states* Therefore, it will be difficult to dispose of livestock on account of the water shortage in other areaso This emphasises the need for the maximum production of livestock feed with the water supply available. DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL WATER SOPPLIES Additional water supplies are urgently needed to reduce the foregoing pending losso Such water may be obtained by pumping from ground water basins* sloughs and drains, and by clearing out the water in springs, and by lining ditches or piping water over porous formations. Some additional water may be developed by draining existing natural lakes on high watersheds. In many cases, this water can be developed at relatively low eoato Steps should be taken immediately to begin the development of these supplies* Many of the early crops will be lost, if this water is not available within ten days or two weeks* It is believed that if all of the additional supplies available are developed, that the percentage of orops produced during the season of 1934 may be increased in a great many sections from the estimated 85# up to 50- 60$, and in some cases more. CROP LOSS DPS TO WATER SHORTAGE In the counties visited, the possible crop loss due to water shortage this year, which is based on a oensus made available, la approximately $ 5,000,000* GEORGE D. CLYDE Irrigation Engineer Utah State Agricultural Experiment Station In charge of Water Conservation. |