TER WELL JOURNAL
LTRAL RESOURCES BUILDINGURBANA, ILLINOIS
W. 3, Coe_
Colorado ^ &g College 7ort Collins, Colorado
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C.S.C. Campus Memo
-9.n Christensen Dean Christensen forwarded to Dr. Robertson Lis. Robertson turned in
Date —15-46
Is the ptt,:ched retort from Floyd Brown in sufficient detnil????
"0 woulrl nrefer to 1-P7re 'is internret-tions and nertine - t dPta on 7ields cro-n -_!onaitions if it is feasible.
,1
vf
From
S
H. S. Wilgus by RHA
fo.
COLORADO AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE
AND
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATING
I 14.
,
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK
IN
AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS
STATE OF COLORADO
FORT COLLINS
July 10, 1946
Director iomer J. Henney Dr. D. V. Robertson
EXTENSION SERVICE
0-1441 424-t fe,424„
The attached table is a summary of the irrigation
Aeasur ents 77 made on the Agronomy Farm during
1945
and 19460d
Floyd . Brown
Extension Irrigation Specialist
...„--,1-
,(...„crA./....4 ,./..,t_ isa
/...(4..A , /77,-,,,,,t--",,
5,
K.,...7
et42
Series 300 500 600 & pt.of 700 706 Date June 13, 1946 June 11, 1945 Aug. 3, 1945 June 14,1946 June 11, 1/45 J00 June 12, 1945 Aug. 2, 1945 900 June 13, 1945 Aug. 3, 1945 1a7 9, 1946 1000 Aug. 1, 1945 July 30, 1945 4 1100 Aug. 1945 plus May 4, 1946 pt.of June 14, 1946 1200 July 30, 1945 41200 Aug. 1945 ,flay 8, 1946 June 15, 1946 1300 July 1945 (I
WO
June 6, 19T;-.5 Barley & New seeding 1.954300 '-1945,
August Alfalfa plots9, 1946 If tt
1.98 qpoo-livo-,11,P0
Hop a44.4) (Zoo -A4Arra
1600 June 11, 1945 1700 June 9, 19JI 1000 June 6, 1945 1900 June 7, 1945 . -000 Aug. 7, 19L4.5 7100 Aug. 1945 2200) July 11, 1945 2330) Crop S. Gr. nursery Acres Irrigat-ed 1.09 S. Gr. nursery 1.06 Alfalfa - part .28 S. Gr. Nur3ery 1.31 Sweet clover 1.66 Rotation 1.52 1.62
Barley and new seeding 2010
Alfalfa and grass 2.10
2.10 Corn Yiybreds 2.10 Sugar beets 2.10 2.10 S-nall grain 2.41 VI II 2.41 Sugar beets 2.10 2.10 Small Jrain 2.10 2.10 Farm Corn 2016 Barley nursery 2.16 Barley 2.10 Barley 2.10 W. wheat 2.10 Corn 2.10 Alfalfa 2.16 SuL-ar beets 5.60 2400) July 30, 1945 9 9 6.30 40004 IA4ay 31,
1945
---T.97
Sp. wheat Hours Irriat-ed 3.50 4.75 Applied 2.2 3.1 4.7 5.1Acre-inches per acre Abscrbed 2.7 3.6 4.0 nun-off 00)4 1.1 1.1 3.75 4.50 20.00 7.50 3.9 13.3 4.3 3.9 3.1 10.9 3.9 0.0 1.8 1.4 0.4 10.25 9.50 6.00 6.00 5.75 9.50 13.00 5.25 7.2 10.2 4.8 4.3 3.3 3.1 9.9 4.1 6.7 9.3 4.8 3.4 3.2, 3.1 9.9 4.1 0.5 0.9 0.0 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 .75 2.50 7.50 4.50 23 9.25 3.3 3.1 5.1 14.3 13.2?
).7"
11.75 13.0 11.00 13.9? 14.00 1207 8000 7.7 6.007.5
27.25 5.6 18.00 2.8 60.50 33.6 12.00 23.6 7.00 12.2-21.00 31.4 3.2 3.1 5.1 4.3 12.5? 11.5 6.7? 7.55.6
2.8 31.7 21.4 10.1 30.1 0.1 0.0 000 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.9 1.4? 1.2 1.0? 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.9 2.4 2.0 1.4, •
.k
4;11, 4,•1 A". , • _ (;\1946 .
Annual Report
Colorado A
&
M College - Extension Service
SPECIALIST IN IRRIGATION PP"CTICE FLOYD BROWN
COM:RATITE VXTBNSTC"T YOTT
rr
AGR/CULTURT AND FM? VeT,MWTCIS
STAT2 COLO/ADO
COLORADO AGRIOTTLTVRAL
Awn YTCRAWTOAL ommar
AND TITIR
1NIT7D STA'"rA D7PAT7TY2NT AnRIPITLTrTRT OOOP2ReTN4
ANNUAL RTMORT of
YLOY, 7. BROWN
SPITTALIFT TN MIGATIOr PRACTIO2 necember 1, 10.5 to July 10, 1946
I(11PIT)
ytension vr1cu1tnr,41 IDecialiat
APPROVED
TAMA
o? crwTrITTs
ACTIVITT7S A OOVPLISrMTNTS ---- 1
OUTLINE OF IRRIGA7ION DrIWNSTRATIONC- ... 00 M. 2
METHOD DIMONSTRA7ICITS
4
AFFSCT OF SOIL 1CISTU12 a5 77N7r74 KTLITNG
nr
ALFALPALAND L-7ELIMI AD 11AITAG7 DVMMTWICNS 10
COOPZRATION 1.41TTI, UrICIN PACT7TO RAILROAD 12
IRRIGATION MTITINGS TO :mans IRRIGATION 13
BULLETINS 14
ACTIVITIFS AND ACCOMPLISTWErTS
Subject-matter informItion WIR discussed with the County Arent
at district conferences held at 7ort Collins, Fort Morgan, Rocky. Ford, Monte Vista, and Glenwood Springs. Colored slides shovine! information rerarding irrigation and the results of previous irri-gation demonstrations were used. The 1946 irriration propram wag discussed and tentative plans for demonstrations were arranged at these meetings.
Following the conferences an outline of the proposed demonstrations to bP cowlucted during 1946 was prepared and sent to the county Agents who indicated a desire to conduct them. A copy of the outline follows on the next page.
To Courty Aeents
Subject: Irrigation Demonstrations
The most effective irrigation demonstration that tIRP been
tried in the past is outlined RS follows:
1. The demonstration may e conducted with any row crop or cror irrigated by furrows or corrueations.
2. Water is applied at approximately the same rate of flow into three sets of furrows lnd at shout the sere rate used by the farmer.
3.
Each set of furrows consists of from 4 to 12 furrows.4. Weter will be aprlied to one set of furrows for 1 hour, the second set for 2 hours and 3 hours in the third set for flat sandy soil. Longer reriods will be used where water penetrates slouty. Thus the time for clay soil may be C hours, 12 hours and lg hours.
5.
The amount of water aprlied and the runoff will be measuredby mall Parshall flumes, which I have evailpble.
6.
Prior to the irrigation the soil will ba examined todeter-mine how deep into the soil the water should penetrate to result in an effective irrigation.
7.
On the day following the demonstration the soil in each setof furrows will be examined to determine which length of tire
and the amount of water require A to secure en effective
irri-gation.
S. A demonstration meeting on the day following the irrieetion is desirable.
9.
The demonstration will show the farmer a method of determininghow long or how much water to aprly to any elven field by following the rrocedure as shown by the demonstration. 10. The demonstration will show the use of the Parshall
measur-ing flume, use of soil auger, soil probe, and syphon tubes. 11. The demonstration can be mod!fied to show the differences
between irrigation in every furrow as compered to every other furrow.
12. The demonstration can be mrde a nrrt of a field day nroorsm or tours.
If you are interested in conducting demonstrations of this
Water for irrigation becomes available in the Arkansas Valley
earlier than it does in the 7,)rth-eastern pert of the stste.
Con-sequently it was planned to begin the demonstrations in tbe Arlren-sas Valley during the month of May.
Due to the fact that travel during the month of June wee not Possible, no demonstrations were nlanned for June.
PrETHOD r12401kTVRAmIOFS
The following are rerorts of the demonstrations end other accom-plishments conducted in the Arkansas Valley Counties.
A demonstration showing improved methods of measuring irrigation water was conducted the week of May 20 on the Fenry Feidt ferm south-east of Sugar City.
E. M. Gregory, County Agent, and P. E. TIrown, Irrigation Srecielist,
showed how to set and use a
6
inch Parshall water measuring flumewhich was recently purchased by Mr. Feiet. It was found thet Mr. Heiet was receiving a flow of .70 of cubic foot of wster rer second at the time the measurement was made.
Other measurements were made for ditches belonging to Andrew Schimpf, Pete Heman, and P. L. Vlach. A small rortable 3" Parehall flume was used, to measure the flow for these men.
An interesting demonstration showing the relationshir 1-,etween the length of furrows and the amount of water required in an irri-gation was also conducted on Mr. Hetet', farm. Ye was irrigating corn for germination. The furrows were about 6g0 feet long and had an average slope of 2 feet per 100 feet of length.
It was foune that with a flow of .053 cubic feet of wat,er Der second or 21.8 gallons Der minute in each furrow that it required 18 hours for the water to rerch the lower end of the furrows.
This length of time resulted in an application of 23 acre-inches Der acre, or the equivalent of a 23 inch rain fall over the area irri-gated. Yr. Brown pointed out that the 23 acre-inches wee not arrlied uniformally over the length of the furrows and that it was quite likely that three or four times the average amount Was absorbed. by the soil in the upper end of the furrows. It was estimated that
the lower end of the rurrows did not receive more than 2 or
3
inches of water per acre.
In contrast to the excessive amount of wP.ter used in the long furrows it was found that by the -ape of a cross ditch thereby making the furrows 330 feet long that the same amount of water flowing in
each fur-ow that
3
hours would be required for the water te flow tothe cross ditch or half way across the field. This procedure resulted
in the ap71ication of
E.5
acre-inches per acre or a. saving of nearlytwo-thirds of the amount of water required by the long furrows. Mr. Vlach was also irrigating corn for germination in a medium heavy elpy soil. The length of run was 400 end a heovy run of water was applied for an hour an' fifteen minutes. This was the length of time recuired for the water to run the length of tIle furrows or 400 ft.
During the hour an fifteen minutes, a little over
3
acre-incheswere airlie and the penetration was approximately
2„
inches.It WPS recommended that as a result of the demonstration that
furrows for irri7ation should be no longer than the distance required for the water to flow durin.,;7 two or three hovIrs of time.
About 20 farmers observed the installation of the measuring flume all77, the irrleation demonstration.
Otero County
An irrigation demonstration to show the relationshin of the leneth of furrows to the amount of water apnlied was conducted on the Yenron farm near Vroran.
Corn was being irrigated for germination. The furrows were about 1100 feet long. Pert of the corn was on land plowed out of alfalfa and part was on corn land in 1945.
The upper half of the furrows on the alfalfa groune received
r.
acre-inches of water per acre ane the lower half of the furrows received
4.6
acre-Inches per tecre.On t't.e lr.nd that was ntnted to corr. in l9Lnd &Pain in 1L it
was four e that the upner half of the rows received an ave-r‘age of h.g
acre-inches of water per acre and the lower half received
1.9
acre inches of water per acre.
On each set of furrows the water in the furrows reached the middle
cf the furrows in less than 2 hours tire and then reouired fror
r
to g hours to flow to the lower end of the furrows.
Mach of these demonstrations indicated the value of a cross ditch, especially for the savin of time or labor in irrigation.
Bent County
lue to rain and lac:- of irrigstion water it 147,?s found impossible to conduct the irrigation demonstrations that were planned.
The type of demonstration was discussed with the county agent and Soil Conservation Service personnel with the expectation that the demonstrations would be conducted at a later date witlIout the assistance of the specialist.
Since the specialist's itinerary called for his presence in LAS Animas County on Vay 2g and 29, the specialist remained in Rent County and assisted_ the County Agent in the planting of corn variety tests.
kas gwmos edrutrfy
Rain ma May PT orevented the irriOtion damonetration that was,
planned on Way 2X-P9. Arraneemente were me with the tlonnty APent
and Soil Ccnc4ervetion "errice rersonrel to conduct the demonetr,t1,m at R lpter
A talk on recormerded irriratior practiree WPV ifIven over
A7174(7 OF SOIL "OISTURT 07 Wi71111 TTLTTW1 Or A.7:/11,371,
7early every autumn the srecialtst has given nulDlicity to the need for fall and \enter irriestion of alfalfa as one means of rreventing winter killing an to fnrnish soil moistnre for eprly growth the following season.
Durinr the winter of 1945-46 there wrP very little preciritPtion after September 1. Considerable wind we experieneed which tended to dry the purfPce soil. Ahnormally low terrerPtnres were not rresent, although the lowest temperatnre for the winter eame eprly following mild weather.
In the spring of 1946, the alfalfa crop stprted to e,row very slow on most fields. Some fields seemed_ to bo comrletely dead. When the new growth did smear, mort of it develoned from the root, below the old crown.
In order to determine whether or not any relationshir existed between the soil moisture and the conditions of the alfalfa Yr. W. R. Fiernes, Lartmer County 4—IT Club Arent, end the specialist took soil samrlee end made observations on a nnmber or rields.
The laboratory of the Soil Conservation service eooperated in determining the soil moisture precentPge and the probable wilt— ing point of the soils.
The fo11owiw7 table show the results of observations mee on
April 10, Probable
Water Wilting Available
Farm Condition of Alfalfa Present Point Water
Hoffman Good stand-3" high 16.6
g.6
g.0rrrigated in October Warren (1) Old alfalfa, thin stand
2" high. Irr14ati.d dur-ing winter.
19.1
Warren (2) New alfalfa, good stand
311 high. Irrigated during winter
lg.9
Howe Very good alfalfa 2"
high. Water tFble at about
5
ft.17.g
Biebellaus Old alfa1fa-4" high good condition. Irri-gatFA in October.
12.4
r.5
13.0 lt.fr
20.1
12.3
Average for good. fields 18.5
Warren Ssme field as Warren (1)
above. Not irrigated, apparently dead
13.6
Warren Same field as Warren (2)
above. 7ot irrt,ated,
apparent'', dead 15.1
7.g
11.5 7.0 11.0 2.612.4
2.7
Howe Same field as Howe above 16.1 13.2 2.9
Water table 15 to 20 ft. alfalfa noor condition.
Teems Surface soil quite dry.
Water table ft.,
appar-ently (Iliad.
17.g
Average for poor fields 15.6 12.5 3.1
Although the fields that were in bad condition had more soil moisture than the wilting point, the amount of moisture above the wilting point wee much less than in the fields in good, condition. Apparently there was a relationship between the roil moisture and the condition of the alfalfa. The tests help to prove the re-commendation in favor of fall or winter irrigation.
LAND LTNELING AND DRAINAIr DEMOTTS'RATTOITS
Two land leveling demonstrations were started in Weld County with the cooperation of Mr. George James, assistant County Agent.
On the Carl Henry farm, southeast of Greeley a PO acre field was topographically surveyed and a contour man prepared showing the surface profile prior to leveling. Another mar was then prepared to show the proposed topography following the leveling and the
amount and location of all cute and fills. 7ollowing the preparation of this map guile stakes were located at lOn foot intervals on the field showing the amount of cute and fills to be used during the
leveling operations.
It was found that a uniform slooe could be established on the
field by making cuts and fills Which did not exceed.
4
inches of depth.Following the location of the guile stake 1!r. ITenry had the leveling work
performed-On the S. J. Rhodes farm o miles eat of port Lupton a similar
survey, MAIM; and location of guide stakes was Alftn accmillighed on
25 acres.
The field was also in need of drainage, and it rs decided to defer the leveling until after drainage was accomplished.
It was believed that the use of dynamite might 11Pee to dig the
required drainage ditches and conseciuently Mr. Belseu, a Dupont rowder mpert in Denver, was contacted. Mr. Islaeu visited the field and agreed to assist with the drainage demonstration. Mr. Rhodes purchased the necessary dynamite, and the services of Yr. Balaeu. were furnished without cost by the Dunont Company.
The date for the blasting demonstration was set for May 10. On this date about 50 feet of ditch was blasted for a test of the
Possibilities, si-e of load, spacing of shots, etc. Following the test it wee decided to nostrone the work, because of the pevere
weather conditions that nrevailed. About 90 nennle observed the test
on My 10, although the weather conditions were tlqa.
On May 20, the demonstration WRP complete. At this time about 1700 feet of the ditch WAS blasted at one time. Annroximately 2() people attended the demonstration on Yay Pn.
The comnleted ditch was from
3 to 6
feet in denth and from 9to 12 feet in with. The cost of the dynamite WAP about t00.00.
Since the demonstration the snecialist has not visited the farm, but Mr. James, County Ap:ent,renorte that the desired drainare is
COOFERATION WITT! IRIOT PACTPTI RAILROAD
Yr. Ferold Berm, Agricultural Agent, has been preparing an edu-cstional movie on recommended irrigation practlors.
The specialist secured the cooperation of Mr. Jacl-, rrenob, County Agent in Morgan County, who assisted Mr. Berm to obtain views of the border method of irrigation and land levelini7 in Morgan County.
In Larimer County the specialist assisted, in securing views of recommended ditch structures, concrete, canal lining, construction of lateral ditcher on greee, land leveling, furrow method of irri-gation and flood methods of irriirri-gation.
A bulletin to be published by the rhion Pacific Railroad on re-commended. methods of irrigatinn war!. reviewed by the rnecialist and suggestions were given for improvement of the nublicstion.
IRRIGAT/011 NIMTNIS TO niqrTSS TTnIlAmTOF
Weld County l'srmers Institute - January 1 - attendsn-e q5 .
Rocky Ford Science Club - February 11 - attendance
17.
Irric,ation and Crops Inetitute (C'tero and Bent Counties Yanzanola - February 1? - attendrnk7e 1F
Sink - Tebruary 17 - attendamee
5
La Junta - Febronry 14 - attendance 17 Las Animas -Febr'oarY 7_4-15 attendance PP Young Farmers and Homemakers' Meeting
Brighton - June 17 - attendsnce Pr)
Colored elliee were used to illustrate the informrtion discur,.ed in each of the meetings.
BITIL7TINS
The manuscript for one section of a tenative bulletin on land leveling has been prepared. It iF planned to have another section
for Ft discussion of the engineering featuree of lend leveling to
be prepared by the Civil Irrigation section and another section for the discuseion of soil! by Mr. Robert Gardner of the Agronomy section.
The part prepared by the enecieliet 1.1 0 been delive-efl to Dean
r.
A. Christensen of the Pngineering Division,1
D
LL LEVELiING
Tr Weeklies
aelease ThbabDAY, January 31, 1946
any pst-war plans of farmers call frr a of land eveling to save labor and water in irrigating, reports Floyd E. Brown, extension irrigation specialist for Colorado
A &
M College,trt Collins.
Irrigation water flows at a more even speed and depth over a ield after the surface has been leveled to uniform slope or grade. n some cases, an estimated 50-percent saving in water and labor equired to irrITate a field has resulted from the elimination of Ligh and low spots.
The
cost of land leveling varies from a few dollars to more,han 50 per acre, depending on the amount of soil moved. 1,:ost of ?he leveling work is done by owners of leveling equipment at an hourly 'ate.
All land-leveling plans need a map made from a survey of the 'ield surface, showing the location of high and low spots and the
epth of soil to be moved to provide a continuous an reasonably niform slo - e. Then stakes can be located in the field to show the mount of cut and fill needed.
Land leveling attempted without a previous plan or survey Oually results in unsatisfactory treatment, Brown points out, 3eil
1
ay be moved f9rther than necessary and may be moved to or from the rong areas. Sometimes it is found necessary to move the soil more han once before a good leveling lob reeults.Farm:ers within :oil conservation districts may secure enEll_neer-ng assistance from the Soil Conservation 3ervice by applyienEll_neer-ng to their coal board of directors. Other farmers are ured to employ an en-ineer to Make the survey and map, especially if a major land-leveling ob is needed.
January 24, 1946 2-398
To Weeklies
Release THURSDAY,'
nay 18,1945
ITcH—s CAN
- ,17 "DUG"
ITK DYNAIIITE STICKS,
EI:OFSTUTI'T PROVES
Fort Collins, I:ay 16 —
That drainage and irrigation ditches
an be "dug" by blasting with dynamite sticks is being deonstated to
armers by experts of Colorado A and M College.
The latest demonstratim of how time and 17,-)ney can
'(:E saved on
itches as given Friday (hay 10) at the S. J. Rhodes farm east of
rt Lupton.
A 1700-foot ditch was blown with sticks of dynanite placed in
les about eighteen inches anart along the entire length of the
t
ionosed ditch.
Previously a ditch experiment was carried out pn the farn of
sil Slaves west of Yellow Jacket in I: ntezuma county. This
emoeri-t, however, showed that the ground must be wet in order for the
namite to emplode fro
:.1 hole to hole without the use of caps.
In this exhibition, dyna-lite was pinced in holes eighteen
ches deep and the sane distance a--)art, with a ca---med stick placed
a,
one of the sticks in the line.
When the capped stick went off it set off the next stick which
turn ex-oloded the stick next to it, and so on down the line, The
„at was that all the sticks were set off in virtually one blast.
About six hundred feet of ditch a',)o
t
four feet deep and three
a half feet wide was blown. The cost for one hundred feet of ditch
1-)owder alone was six dollars and sevent-
cents.
The best ditches can be blown when the water level is within
three or four inches of the top of the 'round or higher, or even when
he wter is over the top of the ground.
Fariners were warned to consult an expert when tryig out the
new method of ditch-digging,
In charge of the exhibition near Fort Luton was Ceor:e Janes
assistant county agent of Weld County. Assisting were 3. H.
TriervBila-Weld County agent, and Floyd Brown, Colorado A and 1: College extension
service irrigation specialist.
44.11J-1 7T7r7r
