RANGE WATERING PLACES IN THE SOUTHWEST ey 
Upkeep costs generally increase with depth. It will prove eco- 
nomical to use only skilled labor to operate deep-well pumping 
plants, because of the expensive equipment and the heavy deprecia- 
tion even with careful handling. 
WATER STORAGE 
Adequate provision for water storage is essential for a complete 
pumping plant. (Pl. VIII.) In addition to calm spells when the 
_ breezes are too light for pumping, there are times when breakdowns 
or necessity for pulling pump rods or pipes for repairs holds up 
all! pumping for periods varying from a few hours to several days. 
During such emergencies, a lack of storage facilities may mean 
costly losses or heavy expense in moving stock or hauling water. 
A supply of water sufficient to last the livestock for a week should 
be the minimum sought. With such a storage capacity, many wind- 
mills can handle the pumping for months at a stretch, and on some 
ranges adequate storage capacity has practically eliminated the need 
for engines. | 
Costs are influenced greatly by the kind of material used for the 
storage reservoir, earth being cheapest. If the earth from an excava- 
tion about 60 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep be piled evenly around 
| the rim, the water-holding depth of the completed structure can be 
) increased to about 5 feet. The cost of such a reservoir should ordi- 
-narily not exceed $100, yet its storage capacity of approximately 
100,000 gallons of water should supply 400 cattle for 10 days or 
longer, with ample allowance for evaporation and seepage. ‘There 
is only a shght leakage from properly constructed reservoirs of iron, 
steel, concrete, or masonry. The reservoir noted in Table 5, under 
well No. 12, is a combination reservoir and drinking trough with a 
capacity of approximately 7,500 gallons, only a small reserve, but 
enough to supply 100 cattle for several days. 
Encircling dams are sometimes stabilized by a sod of Bermuda 
grass, and in many localities windbreaks of willows or cottonwoods 
are provided. Coal tar and crude oil have been successfully used 
to coat the inner surface of earthen reservoirs to reduce the seepage 
(10) (1). 
Livestock should usually be excluded from earthen storage dams 
and watered by troughs fed from the reservoir. 
Satisfactory storage places have been made by blasting out a cavity 
in the side of a rock ledge or cliff and walling up the front with 
masonry or concrete. Warren (25) discusses the mixing and placing 
of concrete to secure water tightness. In concrete construction care 
should be used to place plenty of reinforcement, particularly at cor- 
ners.’ Concrete storage tanks are expensive, and their construction 
should be intrusted only to experienced concrete workers. 
Combined storage and drinking troughs of galvanized iron or steel 
with dirt bottoms are growing in popularity. The one shown in 
Plate VIII C is shallow enough so that an animal can readily get 
out if crowded over the edge. These “rims,” as they are often 
° Various manufacturers of Portland cement issue helpful bulletins on the placing of 
steel reinforcement. 
52015°—26——_4 
