WSPC00104

• File Number: 8408
• Description: River Basin General Correspondence
• Date: 1/1/3000
• Title: Fourteenth Annual Report, Pathfinder Irrigation District
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

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The area of seeped land for the past ten years is as follows:

.~

Year 1930 3356 Acres
" 1931 3141 "
" 1932 3243 "
1933 3764 "
"
1934 2322 "
"
1935 2322 "
"
1936 2317 "
"
1937 2585 "
"
1938 2995 "
"
1939 ~ 2634 "
"

The de~ease of more than 1400 acres in the seeped area in 1934
clearly indiaates the relation between the irrigation water and the seeped
area, Another fa~tor in the dearease in seeped area is the fact that the
method now used, in maintaining drains on the project, is more effective
than past methods,

The maintaining of channel alignment and the cutting of narrow
~annel, to carry the normal flow, in the drains, is still being done by
hand labor, because it is the cheapest and most lasting method, .

'I

During the past season about eight miles of drain channel was
deepened and straightened. One of the expensive maintainance items is the
raloval of material washed into the drainage channel by the wasting of
irrigation water, not so much of this has been done during the' past four
years as was the case when irrigation water was more plentiful,

During the past season the drainage system in the upper end of
Sheep CreeK was improved and enlarged, About 1800 feet of drain was cleaned
and about the same distance of new'drain constructed with the Ruth machine,
Then it was deepened by hand labor, one short cut was deepened more than
six feet, This work was done b, Dan McIllwain after he had tested the type
of soils and direction of flow. The results so far are satisfactory and
should improve with time,

The Dutch Flatts drain pumps were not operated for drainage purposes,
but pump #3 was leased to Peter Janssen who operated it to secure water for
irrigation purposes,

The cooperative drains are operated by the Farmers Irrigation
District ~n a ooope~tve basis,