CNKS--Water Allotment

I forget that the biggest share of farmers don't do the irrigation thing and aren’t familiar with it's terminology.

A lot of the irrigation in this country is set up under Irrigation Districts and for the most part was developed during the later part of the depression by FDR and his "New Deal".

During that time, the CCC boys would come in, build irrigation dams, reservoirs, canals, level the farms for flood irrigation (which was all that was available at that time) and install the head gates at each farm.

Local boards are elected to run and maintain the overall system and the year's accumulated water at these dams is then divided up among the total irrigated acres under the system. Taxes are then assessed and collected to maintain these districts. Down side is that taxes are based on acreages, not the amount of water available, so water or no water, taxes still need to be paid.

Last year, down on the home place, it was so dry that the available water in the dam at the beginning of the irrigation season (usually July 4th to Sept. 1st) was less than 10,000 acre feet. After river release and evaporation loses (64%) were figured in, the total allotment came to .24" of water per acre for the farmers.

It is generally agreed that an irrigated crop requires 1 foot of water per producing acre. Read: Old fashioned draught.

This is why so many wells were poked down into that aquifer. But, due to this ongoing drought, the water table is falling and even a pivot system requires at least 750 gallons per minute to do a good job of irrigation.

Looked at this place two weeks ago, and this is the farm that I said only had an allotment of .64" of water coming down out of the Wyoming system and has no irrigation well. Just not enough water to raise a crop. :>(

Allan

In the late 1800s and early 1900´s in New Mexico´s Pecos Valley, there were artesian wells that the farmers used to let run 24 hrs a day, even if they weren´t irrigating. Some would flow thousands of gallons an hour with no pump. They thought their water would never end, but by the time I grew up there in the 50´s and 60´s, all the wells had pumps and water meters and we were alloted 3 acre feet per year. Now, most of the alfalfa and cotton land is gone due to lack of water.

Out here in the desert, if ya should happen to pull 150 bushel, you'd probably get your name in the paper as the "official designated county liar". :>)

It's a different world out there anymore, that's for sure.

Allan

I can't 'cause I think there is some kind of regulation that says us 'slow-wits' and 'po-folks' gotta stay in our pre-designated play areas.

Something about the powers that be don't want us to contaminate the sand in the box or some such thing. :>(

Wouldn't know how to act if the water fell from the heavens. Just don't seem natural somehow.

After planting, what does a guy do? Just sit and wait for harvest? What kinda farming is that, anyway? What happened to the 60 days of unadulterated he!! between the 4th of July and the 1st of September?

Heck, I’m already setting; I wanna work! :>)

Allan

Now, I'm the one that just don't get it. What are rocks? :>)

Allan

I thought, well heck, I can punch a hole in the ground here because Nebraska's NRD "No drill" law does not apply in Wyoming.

Guess what? Wrong. Nebraska has agreements with Wyoming that no more irrigation wells will be drilled within a certain distance from the state line.

Me thinks all the easy oil has been found and claimed already. :>(

Heck, there is a half section just across the ridge and 5 miles from here. Maybe I outta go learn how to be a drylander. :>(

Allan

steveormary