Semiannual report of the Moapa Soil Conservation District, from June 30, 1940 - January 1, 1941

SEMI ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MOAPA SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT June 30, 1940 to January 1, 1941 The formation of this Conservation District was included in the semiannual report covering the period January 1, 1940 to June 30, 1940, and is therefore omitted from this narrative. A memorandum of Understanding between the Moapa Soil Conservation District and the Soil Conservation Service was signed June 1, 1938. changes have been made in the Moapa Valley Soil Conservation District, and no new ordinances have been adopted by the board of supervisors. On April 11, 1940, a Supplemental Memorandum of Understanding for the use of CCC labor was signed by the Soil Conservation Service and the Moapa Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors. On may 18, 1940 a Supplemental memorandum of Understanding between the District and the Soil Conservation Service regarding the loan of SCS equipment was signed by the District Supervisor. A bay city one-yard power shovel model 62 was shipped into the District from Carbondale, Illinois May 14, 1940 and construction was begun on a drainage ditch using the shovel in two eight-hour shifts. The ditch was completed September 5. The shovel was then transferred to the Pahranagat Valley Soil Conservation District to work on two drainage ditches in that area. The shovel was returned to the Moapa District, and work on the lower drain was begun on December 9. The total work on the upper and lower ditches during this six-months period benefited twelve properties, as indicated on form SCD-3 which is attached to this report. A total of 18,083 lineal feet of ditch was dug, and 60,664 cubic yards of material were moved. A detailed record of these operations is attached. During July the Dell H. Robison Water Facility consisting of the purchase of 20 shares of Muddy Valley Irrigation Company stock was completed, and this irrigation water was put to use in the rehabilitation of this farm. SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT - MV - _2- The first week in November the Forest Service CCC Camp which was located on Charleston Mountain during the summer returned to Logandale. Under an agreement with the Soil Conservation Service the camp was to complete its unfinished work on Bowman Reservoir and, working under plans and specifications provided by the Soil Conservation technicians, to do the work of clearing and enlarging certain portions of the Muddy River Flood Control Channel and such other work as shown under a farmer-district agreement. In this period the Forest Service has cleared a total of 230,000 square yards and excavated a total of 7,650 cubic yards in the improvement of the Muddy River Flood Control Channel. A total of 3,805 man-days was expended in this work and CCC tractors were used 246 hours. The Forest Camp spent 1,276 man-days in rip-rapping the Bowman Reservoir. Through the efforts of the District Supervisors the Army Engineers completed a reconnaissance survey of possible flood control and storage dams to protect Moapa Valley and a sum of money was appropriated by Congress to investigate foundations for the proposed damsites at the White Narrows and the narrows below Glendale. In the Moapa District to date there have been 39 applications for farm plans covering 1,306 acres of which 34 plans have been completed covering 1181 acres. The attitude of the farmers toward the drainage program can be most adequately expressed by the following quotations from letters received from representative farmers: "....Previously when I dug fence holes I struck water at 2 feet and at times less than that. Now I find that the water table is down feet. My crops are looking good this year and I expect a greater yield..." (Letter from Roy Felt.) "....I recently made borings on every ten acres of my eighty acre Semi-Annua. Report - MV - -3- tract and where before the drain was constructed the water table always stood at from 3 to 4 feet it is now below 6 feet on all but north of the irrigation ditch where it is a little higher. I find, also, that barley is now growing and has a dark green color on land that last year it would barely live and was yellow and most of it died before very high. "I feel that this drain is going to make it possible to use a lot of lands that were entirely useless...." (Letter from Wallace Jones). Educational activities have been carried on by the Extension Service and the SCS personnel by direct contact with the individual farmer in which personal and community problems have been discussed. The District Supervisors have also been very influential in matters pertaining to promotion of action programs among farmers of the area. It has been found that this is a better approach than group meetings which have not been well attended. The attached statement will show a summary of these activities. The Federal Land Bank, which makes a great many farm loans in this District, has expressed a desire for full information as to the properties affected by the drainage ditches which shows that this work will have some effect on their appraisals. The fact that the supervisors are unable to make assessments and are dependent on voluntary contributions makes their work especially difficult. An effort to remedy this is being made by organizing a flood and drainage district. The Overton town supervisors have obtained the consent of the County Commissioners to use the sum of $600.00 derived from income from licenses, the water system, etc., to improve the Overton Wash Flood Control Channel and have requested a survey and plan from the Soil Conservation Service. Semi- Annua. Report - MV - - A - The Muddy River Irrigation Company, realizing that improvements can be made in their irrigation system that would conserve water by a more adequate control, have signified their desire for technical assistance in making a survey and recommendations for such improvements. The program as carried on during this period as between the Forest Service, the Soil Conservation Service, and the District Supervisors has been very effectively carried on, and very encouraging progress has been made on both the Moapa Flood Channel and the Moapa Valley Drainage projects. Considering activities during the period, the outlook for future results are exceptionally good. Respectfully submitted, THE MOAPA SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT Edwin Marshall, Chairman J. H. Wittwer, Secretary Total meetings held and days devoted to work by Extension Agent and Soil Conservation District Supervisors Moapa-Virgin Soil Conservation Districts, for the period July 1, to Dec. 31, 1940.