128. Earthen dams, fellows and Fortier memo

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS

DIVISION OF AGRICUI:.TURAL ENQINEERING

Mr. R. L. Parshall, Fort Collins, Colo. Dear

Sir:-July 28, 1922.

FEDERAL BUILDING

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

On account of the absence in Europe of

n.

c.

Hanny, Chairman of the Special Committee on Irrigation Hydraulics, I am taking the liberty of sending each member an outline of~ plan for a study of earthen

reservoir dams. Our A. 1. FellOV¥'8 in charge of this investigation whose address is Customs House, Denver, Colo. will be glad to receive through the writer, any assistance or suggestions in regard to the carrying out of this work.

The perusal of this outline may also serve to call to your

mind other lines of research work in irrigation h.tdraulics which you may desire to outline and present ot the committee. As I regard the work

to be unde~taken, the preparation of such outlines might well form the first step of the work of the Cormni ttee. Accordingly, I shall be pleased if you can find time to prepare and forward to the above address your views on other appropriate subjects.

1 enc.

1/k

Very truly yours,

~A~~~~~

I / / ... Associate Chief, Division of

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TERMS USED IN MEASURING THE FLOW OF STREAMS.

The volume of water flowing in a stream, called the " run-off," or " discharge." is expressed in various

terms, which, however. may be divided into two

groups-those representing rate of flow and those representing actual quantity of water. The rate of flow is generally expressed as "second-foot," an abbre-Yiation for cubic feet per second, the unit used for measuring flowing water; as "gallons per minute," the unit used in connection with pumping and city

water supply; as "miner's inch," the unit used by miners and irrigators for measuring water that passes through an orifice 1 inch square under a head that varies locally; and as "second-feet per square mile," the unit used to represent the average number of cubic feet of water flowing per second from each square mile of area drained, on the assumption that the run-off is distributed uniformly both as regards time and area.

The actual quantity of water is expressed by the terms •· run-off in inches," " acre-feet," and "million gallons." " Run-off in inches " expresses the depth to which the drainage area would be covered if all the water flowing from it in a given period were conset·ved and uniformly distributed on the surface; it is used for comparing run-off with rainfall. "Acre-foot," which is used commonly in connection with storage for irrigation, is the quantity of water required to cover an acre to the depth of 1 foot-that is, 43,560 cubic feet.

COL.ORADO AGRICUL.TURAL. COL.L.EGE

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK

IN

AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS STATE OF COLORADO

FORT COL..L.INS

AND UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL.TURE COOPERATING

EXTENSION SERVICE

September 12, 1922

Radiogram

to

All

Faculty· Members:

S~OoS.

(Meaning the Editor

is in

Distress.)~-

Fall

is here; the first killing frost may cut down the tomato

vines at

any

tLY!le.

Anything

by way

of introduction.

Now

to the point.

News Notes items have been rather scarce from most

of the

Departments

during the vacation season, but

there

has

been

ample

reason for

the

scarcity, such as the drouth,

~be

hot

weather,

the railroad strike, the tariff debate, the

pri-maxy election, the paving of West Mountain avenue, the

un-timely death of th:e

Ahko1md

of Swat, which occurred in

1S87,

and other irrelevant

excuses.

But that

1 _{s all}

_{over- now--all}

except the paving

of

West Mountain avenue, which goes on

forever.

·

The last trout has been caught, (most of the

fisher-men knew· that long ago;) the last

moun~ain

peak

sc~led;

the

last wienie done to a brown turn; the last campfire smothered

with

an empty

bean

can

full of

Cache la Poudre

sand, and

we're.

all back on the Campus, rarin

1

_{to grind out copy}

_by-

_{the yard for}

News Notes.

These

few·

lines are merely a reminde

r

, more or

less

gentle, of

the f~ct

that 60,000 farm families (U_S.Census of

1920) are

depending

upon YOU for information7

advice and

suggestions of an

agricul~ural

or home

improvement

nature and

that there is a direct avenue open to these Colorado farm homes

from

the

Agricultural C

.

ollege, via News Notes and the rural

press, which you may utilize at no

~est

to yourself or the

College, for the delivery of your message.

We are averaging

300

re-prints of News Notes items

a mon·t;h in the weekly papers of C.olorado. Ls

your

work, or

your department

repre_sented? I f

not, you are

missing

an

opportunity

fox service to the people of the

.

state.

Sincerely,

w~';).~~

Editor News Notes.

b~or your irlfor11l·::ltiou and conunent

. ttl ... i .• v~,.,u­

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PEB.CO 'l'ION 'i1IIROUGH E.fRTH D.""" S. Records and Reports.

Instructions to Observers.

Object of Investigations: The main objects of making a study of

percolation through any selected dam are:

(1) To learn fundamental facts relating to rates and amounts

of percolation through the dam, by keeping an adequate record

of the relationship existing bet een the water surface in the

reservoir and the water surfaces in certain wells looated at

. selected points and extending do,Tn\T.ard into tha body of the

dam;

(2) To ascertain, if possible, the statio pressure under the

dan1 through similar records of the ·~tar surfaces in a second

olass of vrells extendittg do\vnward to the stripped surface or

other strat belo\r tha d&"1.

In keeping tne records it is of prime im_._)Ortance that no major

mis-takes shall be made as to dates, numbers or descriptions of wells, readings

of elevation of v.rater surfaces, etc. The following instructions o..re issued

thar fore, as suggestive of standards set, although i t is fUlly realized that

variations fro·1 the standard practice often will be advisable a.ul the observer

is expected to use his best judgment in all cases of doubt.

limes of taking records: The records should be t~cen at le~st once

each ,,,eok throughout the year, i f practicable. All the records, including

readings of the \vater surface elevation, should be taken consecutively and

during the same day.

:ru:ethod of measurina; depth to ~~ater in ·wells; . The depth from the •Jell

datur.1 pl 1e, which is always the top of' the casing, to the sur~ace of the "Vrater

in the \"'Tell, is to be measured by means of' the appara.tus .1. urnished for the

-2-well at a fa.ir rate of speed and the sound of its striking the water surface can be heard or the difference in the pull of the weight san be felt. ,!.hen

the location of the sur~aoe of the water has been approximately located its

elevation can be determined with sufficient exactness by droppi11g the ight

gently several times through short distances. The depth, when determined, is to be read directly on the tape and recorded in the observer's record book. The reading of the reservoir gage is of especial importance and must never be

omitted •. Especial care is to be exercised in seeing that no error is made in

the foot marlc. uore errors are made in such measurements by reading the v.rong

foot mark, the one above the top of the pipe, instead of the one below, than

in any other ray.

Discharge Below Reservoir: Whenever i t is practicable, the discharge

below the dam should be given for the purpose o~ sho ing the amount of seepage

through the drun. That being the object, tlwse records are especially desired

for periods when the discl1arge gates are closed.

Reporting records: As soon as· reasonably practicable after taldng

the records the observer shall mail a carefully checkeu copy of same to the

engineer in charge on a card _provided for tho purpose, ·rrtith such remarks as

he may think advisable.. r!hanaver a book h s been filled or its use <liscoutinuad,

and also 1he.never requested to do so, the observer shall mail his record book

to the engineer in charge so that the copies ~ be chack~d against the original.

Both record books and cards are to be signe by the observer in the pl~oe

provided fo1· the purpose.

[ea.suring devices and fo :nns: The measurin _,. devices, record books

and report cards \lith such other supplies as m~ be necoss~ry are to be supplied

t ... ,

-3-Ca.re of wells; The observer shall see that the numbering and bench

elevations are kept clear and distinct and that the tops are lrept in good a:rdsr

and locked do •1n when not in use. .an:y failure on the part of the ·wall to

function properly shall be reported promptly to the engineer in charge.

A. Lincoln Fello~,

Senior Irrigation Engineer.