The Cross Section, Volume 5, Number 3, August 1958 Page: 1
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A Monthly Publication of the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1
Volume 5-No. 3
"THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR WATER"
August 1958
DISTRICT TO TAKE ADDITIONAL STEPS WATER DISTRIN
TO ENFORCE RULES AGAINST WASTE
CT FIELD OFFICE
TO BE LOCATED IN HEREFORD
In a meeting at Lubbock on August
20, the Board of Directors of the High
Plains Underground Water Conserva-
tion District discussed at great leng-
th one of the Southern High Plains'
major problems-waste of agricultur-
al "tail-water."
"Tail-water" is the term which des-
cribes unused irrigation water which
is allowed to run from the end of
crop rows. Most of this "tail-water" is
uncontrolled by the irrigator, and us-
ually it enters a road-ditch from the
crop rows and from there meanders
toward a low place, depression or lake.
Included in the rules of the District
is a regulation which forbids the ha-
bitual and willful waste of agricul-
tural irrigation water. The District's
staff, under the Board's leadership,
has attempted to enforce this rule in
the past by employing educational
methods.
The District has shown that from
an economical standpoint the prac-
tice of allowing "tail-water" to escape
the land from which it is produced is
very unwise. It does not take a highly
educated man to determine that mon-
ey is being thrown away when it is
used to produce irrigation water that
is allowed to run into a lake and there
evaporate without serving a beneficial
purpose for anyone.
The District has pointed out that ag-
ricultural "tail-water" is also a detri-
ment to our society from a health and
safety standpoint. The road-ditches,
depressions and lakes when filled with
"tail-water" represent excellent breed-
ing environments for disease-carry-
ing mosquitoes. Also, "tail-water" rep-
resents a public safety hazard when
allowed to run across or stand on pub-
lic roads. Many accidents have oc-
curred when an unaware motorist
comes upon a large gully washed a-
cross the road by "tail-water." One
would suppose, when facts such as
these are known, that a sound-think-
ing irrigator would do everything in
his power to protect his family and
others of the community by ceasing
to allow any "tail-water" to run intoAgricultural Research Hydrologist Presents
Rare Book To Tech
A rare book, entitled "Geology and
Underground Waters of the Northern
Llano Estacado," has been presented
to the Texas Tech College Library by
W. L. Broadhurst, Chief Hydrologist
for the High Plains Underground
Water Conservation District.
The book was written by Charles
Laurence Baker and published in
1915, as Bulletin No. 57, by the Uni-
versity of Texas. It is the first com-
prehensive report of ground water
in the Southern High Plains.
Earlier, when Mr. Broadhurst at-
tempted to find a copy of the book
for reference and it could not be lo-
cated, he began an intensive search
and finally found two old copies in
a book store at Brownwood, Texas.
After the copies were rebound, one
was retained in the Water District
library and the other given to Tech.
Mr. Broadhurst presented the publi-
cation to Tech's library so it will be
available as a reference for students,
geologists, and others who are inter-
ested in facts pertaining to High
Plains water.The High Plains Underground Wa-
ter Conservation District will establish
a field office in Hereford. The office
will primarily serve the north part
of the District.
The new office will be opened about
September 1. Mr. Wayne Wyatt, Dis-
trict Field Representative, will be
transferred from the District office
in Lubbock and will make his home
in Hereford.
Due to the increased work load of
District field operations and to the
vast size of the District, the Board of
Directors voted to establish this field
office and situate it near the north
boundry so that the area might be
better served.
The District plans to run several
new experiments on water use in the
Hereford-Dimmitt area. The experi-
ments will require close supervision
and should supply valuable informa-
tion to irrigators as to proper amounts
of water that should be applied to
various crops.
Exact location of the new field of-
fice in Hereford will be 317 Sampson
Street.
Landowners in Deaf Smith County
will still obtain well drilling permits
from the Farm Bureau office in Here-
ford.WELL DRILLING STATISTICS FOR JULY
During the month of July, 61 new wells were drilled and registered with
the District office; 7 replacement wells were drilled; and 2 wells were drilled
that were dry, or non-productive for other reasons. 69 permits were issued
by the County Committees. The new permits issued and completed wells fol-
low by county:lakes and thereby contribute to the
preservation of mosquito - breeding
habitats, or across public roads and
thereby create traffic hazards and
maintenance problems.
The District has also approached
the problem from the standpoint of
this present generation leaving a use-
ful heritage of an adequate water sup-
ply to future generations who will at-
tempt to earn a living from the farm
land we now call "ours." When water
is produced and is not put to a bene-
ficial use, someone down the line ofFacilities Studied
Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft
Benson has announced the appoint-
ment of a working group to study fa-
cility needs for soil and water conser-
vation research. The study is being
made at the request of the Senate
Committee on Agricultural Appropri-
ations.
Members of the working group are:
Dr. G. M. Browning of Iowa State Col-
lege, representing the State Agricul-
tural Experiment Stations; Gerald E.
Ryerson of the Soil Conservation
Service; and Dr. Cecil H. Wadleigh
and Dr. Darnell M. Whitt of the Agri-
cultural Research Service.
Secretary Benson d i r e c t e d the
working group to focus its attention
on problems of national and regional
importance, leaving for the attention
of the States problems having only
State or local significance.
The Senate and House Committees
on Agricultural Appropriations receiv-
ed a number of proposals for soil and
water conservation research facilities
during the hearings on appropriations
for fiscal year 1959. The Committees
stated that the recommendations re-
ceived had merit, but that the total
needs of the country for soil and wa-
ter conservation research facilities
should have careful study.
The study inaugurated by Secretary
Benson will provide an estimate of
total soil and water conservation re-
search needs with respect to problems
of regional and national significance,
of the capacity of existing research
facilities to meet those needs, and the
need for any additional research fa-
cilities.
The working group will receive
recommendations from Federal, State
and local organizations concerned
with the conservation of soil and water
resources. Interested parties are in-
vited to present their evaluation of
the kind and extent of soil and water
problems needing research. Presenta-
tions should be addressed to Dr. Dar-
nell M. Whitt, Plant Industry Station,
Beltsville, Md.succession is deprived of his rightful
heritage.
The District has attempted to stress
these forementioned reasons for con-
serving "tail-water" and has in the
majority of instances, with such logic,
been able to solve acute waste prob-
lems.
However, there remains a minority
element within the Water District thatCounty
Armstrong
Bailey
Castro
Cochran
Deaf Smith
Floyd
Hockley
Lamb
Lubbock
Lynn
Parmer
Potter
RandallPermits
Issued
0
5
8
1
6
1
11
3
19
6
6
1
2New Wells
Drilled
0
7
3
0
13
2
8
10
2
5
0
4persists in allowing "tail-water" to
escape their land. To this group we
would like to point out that under a
democratic-type government such as
the one we enjoy, each individual is
responsible to see that the use of his
property does not do damage to others
of the community, and that he is
morally and spiritually obligated toReplacement
Welts
0
0
0
0
3
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0Old Wells
Deepened
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0Dry Holes
Drilled
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0use resources entrusted to his care as
wisely as is possible.
The District is now taking addition-
al steps to enforce the rules against
waste. These steps represent a more
positive approach to the problems of
conserving our precious resource, pro-
tecting community life and health and
facilitating a greater economic return
from irrigation water pumped.
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High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (Tex.). The Cross Section, Volume 5, Number 3, August 1958, periodical, August 1958; Lubbock, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1532801/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.