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<br />001493 <br /> <br />! <br /> <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. . <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br /> <br />:":, -~:':;-:":,,. " <br /> <br />""-'-:- <br /> <br />.:,<:..:;i'-;' <br />" ;~';"'< <br /> <br />,',. <br />,)0:', <br /> <br />.:::-:~::.~~: <br /> <br />~:/jf,f:: <br />: ',<'(i.:; <br />. ....: ~ . <br /> <br />" ,_,'F <br /> <br /> <br />II <br /> <br /> <br />'." ,.~. <br /> <br />i'~;'ri,~i <br />~ <br />~~i~j~ <br /> <br />.::;;(:..;{:}, <br />~:~:~ji~~!i <br />J':-A.V~. <br />(~~ <br />~t,;:~r~:~";l~ <br /> <br />li]~~ <br /> <br />:~',;.~f~~'II <br />~rl.~~:.:~ <br />'-~:~:!k~''l. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />;5g~i;~: <br />., .....> <br />:~.~::~\~;::~ <br />. ., " <br />...,',:"..< <br /> <br />'.' ,', ~ <br />i:(~~::) <br /> <br />.-,:,:"" <br /> <br />,.:<.\i~.: - ,.,;',' <br /> <br />, <br />'c.-' <br />