Gift from the Clouds (1962)

[Music] Supply is slowly piling up with the gentle fall of soft cools of snow here in the silent Wilderness is The Frigid Storehouse where snowstorm piles on snowstorm through the winter months each snowfall is of special interest to the men of Uncle Sam's Department of Agriculture who make periodic snow surveys each winter the Snows of winter piled deep in Nature's refrigerator are the lifeline of water for industry Agriculture and people everywhere at this designated location several depth measurements will be made during the winter dry powdery snow does not contain as much water as wet heavy snow the weight of the snow in the tube is a precise indication of the amount of moisture in the snow carefully recorded the figures from the snow survey enable accurate predictions for the amount of the spring and summer runoff this forecast enables us to lay plans to live within our water income during the dry [Music] season Electronics play a part in the snow survey and this device also indicates the water content of the snow like money in the bank the vast snowfield Fields represent a portion of our wealth nothing takes the place of water and when winter gives way to the warming breath of spring our frozen assets are transformed into the liquid wealth of the beginning runoff the settling snow drifts become heavier and down beneath near the slowly warming Earth they reluctantly drop by drop at first until finally in the Full Burst of spring spring with the song of waters breaking through icy barriers and G and collecting in natural depressions to rest where awaits an eager [Music] industry technological growth in the United States imposes heavy demands on water for industrial and Manufacturing processes the making of steel and other metals accounts for the use of great quantities of water today today we find American industry located where the water [Music] is water is the lifeblood of American agriculture symbolic of the importance of irrigation shining tendrils of water creep through fertile Furrow across the [Music] land the growing number of hydroelectric projects in the west produced through the agency of water much of the electric power to turn the wheels of Industry cook our meals and heat our homes as well as protect us from the ravages of uncontrolled floods it is often said that water made the West the Topography of the country is naturally suited to the development of large irrigation projects Western mountains high elevation snow storage areas permit the gradual release of water through the growing season to the great fertile valleys which Nestle in this rugged country canyons and Gorges slashed deeply into the mountains furnish strategic locations for the construction of dams here man chisels into Solid Rock welding the concrete footings of the great barriers into the very roots of the Earth the construction of these dams by the United States Bureau of Reclamation is a mammoth undertaking requiring years of unceasing work around the clock this Dam on the Columbia river is a multi-purpose Dam it is effective in flood control prod produces electric power and stores water for irrigation a smaller Dam representative of many in the west is primarily for the purpose of holding irrigation water during the heavy snow runoff such dams collect great quantities of water but always release enough to maintain a constant flow in the river whose waters are impounded thus dams like this save water for the dry period when its use is of great importance in Crop Production intricate problems are sometimes involved in the delivery of [Music] water here a giant steel siphon tube moves water across a deep Canyon large canals are engineered to be compatible with the topography and are calcul ated to carry a specific amount of [Music] water lined canals prevent waste of precious water through seepage preparation of land for efficient irrigation is expensive since it involves many operations including careful engineering from the time the land is cleared until lateral ditches are completed surveyors establish the grade and the stakes carry the indication of what must be done to ensure proper rate of flow in the field C means cut in this case one ft and F stands for fill in this instance 2 and 2/10 feet large machines follow the engineers cutting the dirt from high points and depositing it evenly in the areas to be filled as indicated on the nearby Stakes virtually all operations to prepare land for agricultural use including smoothing by the land plane is done under contract by concerns specializing in this type of work similar smaller devices may be owned and used by an individual or by a group of neighboring Farmers the importance of the proper grade to ensure just the right of flow through the furrows cannot be overemphasized in the early days of irrigation most any ditch that would hold water was good enough today with the ever increasing demand for water head ditches that carry the water to the field are carefully engineered to conserve water Machinery digs better ditches in less time and at less cost here's a v-shaped head ditch ready for its concrete lining which is now being applied by this ingenious machine which molds the concrete to conform properly to the ditch banks by this method no pre-forming is necessary the machine so to speak supplying the form as the concrete is dispensed under pressure against the side walls Expansion Joints are pressed in the fresh concrete pre-fabricated metal gate frames are placed in the side of the ditch and the wet concrete removed to make lateral [Music] openings the ditch is then spray painted with a curing compound to prevent rapid drying and the job is done in some areas of large scale farming it is advisable to establish underground water systems to handle great quantities of irrigation water concrete pipe is commonly used in these installations initially expensive it requires a minimum of attention or upkeep Irrigation in many Western areas depends on water pumped from Nature's underground reservoirs lifting the water to the surface requires powerful pumping installations water is metered and effective maximum use of each drop is made under rigidly controlled systems of irrigation based on time and rate of [Music] flow concrete is commonly used to construct headgates and diversions an outlet of this type affords a positive method of measuring the flow of water onto the field this double diversion is equipped with steel Gates that may be raised or lowered to control the flow of [Music] water a given amount of water flowing through the gate provides a means of accurate measurement drops prevent erosion by fast flowing water a clever arrangement of drops and Gates combined with screens furnishes a way to eliminate weed seeds from irrigation water daily cleaning of the screens during the irrigation season is necessary to prevent clogging almost symbolic of the meaning of water to an arid land this farmer prepares a field for pre- irrigation an ingeniously constructed machine quickly extends the furrows from the crop to the Head ditch utilizing the tractor power takeoff using metal stops to raise the level of the water in the ditch siphon tubes are used to take the water to the furrows this is a practice widely used by irrigators and either light metal or plastic siphons are employed [Music] the importance of the gentle slope is emphasized by this field with its long ditches slow flowing water prevents washing and affords time for proper water absorption in the continued evolution of irrigation methods emphasis has been on new developments pointing toward a higher degree of mechanization to save time and labor Electronics furnish the key to this novel Arrangement which permits one man to handle the irrigation of several hundred [Music] acres first all the gates except the last one must be set on the automatic triggers the triggers are activated one at a time by an electrical charge from the battery which gets its orders from the radio receiver next to it the sending unit consists of a moisture meter called a tensiometer and a radio trans transmitter at the lower end of the field the tensiometer is forced into the soil to a depth that would indicate irrigation to Field capacity it is then connected to the radio transmitter the gauge on the tensiometer is set and the system is ready to operate as the ditch fills with water the last check Dam raises the level sufficiently for the water to run through the outlets and into the corrugations in the field when the water reach lower end of the field and the soil is moistened to the desired depth the tensiometer reacts and gives the radio transmitter the impulse to relay to the receiving set at the head of the field which gives the battery orders to drop the next check gate when irrigation is completed in the second block another radio message repeats the process activating the solenoid that pulls the trigger and drops the second gate as the cycle is repeated each gate drops automatically raising the water level in the ditch and sending the water down the furrows of a new Block in this electronically controlled system of irrigation a field with only one head ditch and with long furrows results in a waste of valuable water and plant food by the time the water reaches the end of the furrows the penetration near the head ditch has gone below the plant root [Music] Zone deep penetration is a waste of water and nutrients this example of faulty irrigation is largely corrected by the use of two head ditches the second ditch not only has its own water Supply but it collects the runoff from the top half of the field the second ditch regulates the supply of water for the lower half of the field by this means the penetration is relatively uniform over the entire field conserving both water and nutrients [Music] this gated pipe serves as a second head ditch without using valuable crop land recharging the row with water is easily accomplished and control of the flow in each Furrow is positive and reliable water control in concrete ditches is a accomplished by the use of Metal Check Gates and metal shut offs to the lateral this adjustable type of check permits a variable flow at the discretion of the [Music] irrigator large pumps Working Day and Night bring water to this storage reservoir for subsequent daily use with the water released into the underground system it is a simple matter to turn the water into the design tied laterals the tire casing prevents washing with a large accumulation of water in the reservoir it is possible to irrigate several fields at once under one man's supervision any means that ensures a controlled and constant flow of water is desirable there are many types of adjustable hand regulated Outlets this simple and inexpensive device permits positive control pipe sections likewise play a part in regulating flow and can be utilized in many varied [Music] setups here several pipe Outlets receive water from a common source border irrigation is commonly used on Western pastures and Forest crops here the object is to spread the stream over a strip 30 to 50 ft wide depending on the amount of water available the method of applying water depends not only on the Topography of the land but on the particular needs of the crop properly irrigated the plant root system absorbs moisture and food from the soil if the moisture Supply is depleted the plant wilts growth is curtailed and valuable growing time is lost when soil moisture is replaced the plant will recover and continue to [Music] grow over irrigation or the excessive application of water to the root Zone causes the plant to become unhealthy the amount of water properly applied to the plant root Zone depends largely on the water holding capacity of the soil and the rate of use by the plant in fields where a hard pan or impervious layer occurs water should be applied only long enough to wet the plant root Zone over irrigation may cause curtailment of growth from the accumulation of water on the other hand if a gravel bed lies below the root Zone a heavy application of water will cause valuable plant food to be carried below the layer of gravel irrigator should know the soil pattern in each field and apply water [Music] accordingly if fertilizer is applied without moisture to move the plant food to the root Zone nutrients remain on the surface unused when fertilizer and water is applied the valuable plant nutrients are carried to the root Zone and made available to the plant sprinkler irrigation is widely used and can be applied to rough land this system affords a positive method of water control and the sprays give even coverage and gradual absorption portable lightweight aluminum pipe is [Music] used well adapted to shallow root crops sprinklers are used on deep root crops by simply increasing the application this huge automatic self-propelled sprinkler unit can only be used efficiently on fairly large Fields it moves slowly activated by water power and will water an entire field with Min tension this high pressure system is portable and adapted to low or high crops tail water can be pumped back to the Head ditch and reused used or it can be caught and re-regulated after irrigating a high field and used to water a lower [Music] field the amount of water required for each crop is largely determined by the depth of the root system a cutaway illustrates the depth of the roots and water penetration the irrigator must know the depth and spread of the plant's root system in order to give the plant the proper amount of moisture the Deep rooted plant will require a deeper water penetration than the shallow rooted plant to know the depth of water penetration and soil conditions a soil augur bit is used while this is not a precise method of determining the moisture condition of the soil it gives a general indication of the need for water when the core is peeled from the augur a palm grinding test will indicate the presence or lack of moisture in this case the soil crumbles it's too dry irrigation is needed a tubular probe serves the same general purpose as the soil auger again the palm grinding test shows the condition of the soil here is still plenty of moisture for continued plant [Music] growth young plants will not require the same degree of water saturation as older more mature [Music] plants regardless of age some crops need heavy applications of water regularly for rapid growth lettuce requiring light applications of water needs more frequent irrigation than other crops with less water assimilating capacity although widely spaced at the time of planting these maturing trees have extended their Roots between the rows therefore virtually all the orchard area must be irrigated to ensure coverage of the entire root systems irrigation is not fraught with Glamour the Bountiful crops that result from man applied water are rewards for an exacting and laborious occupation as compared to dry farming irrigation has removed much of the risk transforming dry areas producing a single precarious crop into rich well-watered soil producing many different crops in increased tonnage in some areas hops are an important crop requiring meticulous care and involving a considerable investment careful irrigation is the key to the Quality that makes this specially crop [Applause] profitable size flavor and color appeal are notable qualities of fruits from irrigated Orchards nothing in agriculture is more dependent on water than sugar beets an important basic cash crop in many Western areas Union Pacific Railroad is a prime transporter hauling thousands of car loads running into millions of tons of sugar beets to plants all over the West every year here is one Agricultural Product which lends itself to a complex processing procedure that takes place near the source of Supply Furnishing employment to thousands of people in smaller cities in the sugarbeat country and when the time comes to deliver the sugar to America's Sweet Tooth Union Pacific is right on time with specially constructed plastic lined cars for bulk transportation of sugar to markets everywhere although irrigation is a practical agricultural routine it has its aesthetic aspects which bring pleasure and relaxation to the Leisure Hours of active [Music] Americans we may not be aware of the primary purpose of the dam which backs up these Waters to Form This Magnificent Scenic Lake set like a jewel in the rising crown of the Grand Tetons but we are well aware of the fact that water is essential to the well-being of all living things sports-loving Americans enjoy even more strenuous Pursuits on these Mountain Lakes which are also contributions to the conservation of our Wildlife by providing habitats for many creatures of the [Music] wild we like to think of these benefits as a part of what we call our American her itage our gift from the clouds [Music]