WSP10994 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

001/t95 METHODS OF SUPPLYING RANGE STOCK WATER Most stock water for range use in the Pacific Southwest area is obtained from four principal sources: streams, springs, wells, and stock ponds. Temporary supplies are derived from a few minor sources. These include the direct us e of st).ow by livestock (the winter grazing of sheep on certain desert areas being the prime example of this practice), interception of rainfall and storage in natural surface depressions such as joints and rock pockets, and incidental storage in artificial depressions not designed or constructed intentionally for stock watering. The latter include borrow pits and irregularities along roads and also depressions created by some types of land treatments, such as contour furrowing, pitting and terracing. Except for the minor sources, where expanded development would obviously be impractical, the service area of any source can be enlarged by hauling or distribution by pipeline, provided the supply is adequate and the costs can be justified. Each of the above sources has its advantages, disadvantages, and limitations. Consideration of a source for any area must therefore be judged on its own merits. When water from two or more sources is avail- abl e, thechoic e w ill be made on the bas is of economi cs or pos s ibly on adequacy and reliability of supply. When there is but one source available, the choice narrows to one of cost versus the value of the range to be served. Some areas of considerable size are still unused because of an unfavorable ratio between cost of providing water and value of the range that would be served. Although somewhat foreig.n to a discussion of stock ponds, it is believed that a des cription of some of the other methods of supplying stock water is pertinent. Streams Perennial streams repres ent probably the cheapest and most reli- able source of range water. However, their use is limited because of inaccessibility occasioned by ownership of bordering lands or to physical characteristics. In addition, the waters of most streams have long since been fully acquired by appropriation or prescriptive use, leaving little opportunity for further development. Ephemeral streams on the other hand, particularly those that flow as a result of spring snowmelt, offer greater opportunities for development, and many have not been exploited to the extent they merit. A cons iderable number of thes e pres ent favor- able opportunities for on-stream and off-stream reservoirs where diver- sion of storage can be carried out during periods of snowmelt when water is not needed downstream. The use of off-stream stock ponds :"":~:;">1 '''';'''' :'. ?':';-:;:.~:\ , .~--" ',:,,:~ . '. ":.'",", i ';~:. ",,- &1 - 1'~~"!. ~ -';';~'.:'.~i:l ;;'l;'~: i'.:'::::\':~:>:; ;.:',-;!_:.. ;<; ...; ",,\.;: '<':; '.;, , ,