<br />001493
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<br />Surface storage for range livestock generally requires a right
<br />under State law. Rules and regulations concerning such things as size
<br />of structure, amount of water stores, and type of construction vary among
<br />States.
<br />
<br />Range water for livestock can be and usually is widely dispersed.
<br />There may be cases, however, where large numbers.of stock ponds are
<br />concentrated in drainage basins contributing to stream flow for which prior
<br />rights need to be satisfied. In these cases there may be a sufficient deple-
<br />tion of surface runoff to interfere with existing rights.
<br />
<br />Range livestock water facilities in the Pacific Southwest contribute
<br />to economic stability and growth. Ordinarily the facilities for the storage
<br />of surface water are for the single purpose of furnishing water for live-
<br />stock, but in some cases the facilities are used for the incidental purposes
<br />such as fish production and for other wildlife and recreation purposes. For
<br />the most part, however, surface storage facilities may be located, spaced,
<br />and designed for the single purpose of range livestock use.
<br />
<br />In the field of agriculture, water is in basin-wide demand for use
<br />at farm and ranch headquarters, for irrigation, and for utilizing the range
<br />resources. A high percentage of agricultural operating units is comprised
<br />of a combination of irrigated cropland and range livestock production.
<br />The water used for range purposes is closely and perhaps inextricably
<br />associated with water used for the irrigation of livestock feedcrops and
<br />other cash crops. Wastage of water either in the utilization of the range
<br />resource or in irrigation of croplands defeats the objectives of wise use
<br />of water and handicaps economic growth. There is a need to eliminate or
<br />at least mitigate water wastage wherever it may occur in a river basin.
<br />
<br />Complete utilization of the natural resources of'the range requires
<br />that suitable water be available at locations so distributed that the range
<br />can be utilized without undue travel by the animals.
<br />
<br />Vast areas of all the Southwestern States are suitable'for controlled
<br />grazing, but for their full and effective utilization many stock-water facil-
<br />ities are essential. Over the past century large numbers of developments
<br />have been made, but many more will be required for complete utilization
<br />of the range. Water sources currently being developed include springs,
<br />wells, and runoff from treated areas, but probably the -largest number of
<br />new facilities is obtained by constructing ponds or tanks to catch and store
<br />natural surface runoff. During the past few years and with the coming of'
<br />modern construction equipment, low-cost stock ponds have been built with
<br />such ease and rapidity that the number of new ones appearing on some of
<br />the drainages in our range areas is phenomenal. .
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