Irrigation in Western Australia - Digital Library

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Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 Western Australia, Series 3

Volume 5

Number 4 July-August, 1956 Article 11

7-1956

Irrigation in Western Australia - Report on Government controlled Irrigation in Western Australia - Report on Government controlled schemes 1954-1955

schemes 1954-1955

H. K. Gibsone

Follow this and additional works at: https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation

Gibsone, H. K. (1956) "Irrigation in Western Australia - Report on Government controlled schemes 1954-1955,"

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3: Vol. 5: No. 4, Article 11.

Available at: https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture3/vol5/iss4/11

This article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agriculture at Digital Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3 by an authorized administrator of Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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IRRIGATION

IN

Fig. 1.—Concrete-lined main supply channel

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Report on Government-Controlled Schemes 1954-1955

By H. K. GIBSONE, Officer-in-Charge, Irrigation

in the land under

T

HE 1954-55 season showed a further increase of 2,790 acres

irrigation in the Harvey, Collie and Waroona areas. Of the present total of 25,342 acres irrigated in these districts, 16,426 acres are under permanent pasture and over 92% of the area is used for dairying and fat stock production.

Brief reports of progress in the three irrigation areas are given hereunder.

HARVEY IRRIGATION AREA

The total area irrigated was 12,033 acres, a n increase of 1,440 acres on last year. The acre waterings for the season

H A R V E Y (CENTRE OF I R R I G A T I O N AREAS) R A I N F A L L .

January February March ....

April May Jane July August . September October November Decemlier Total

I M S Points.

2 149 0 55 641 1,074 612 252 266 509

1954 1955

35 28 3 164 691 411 878 403 192 181 173 1 200

5 50 3,549 4,011

23 812 1 271 565 476 784 1,315 533 482 43 128 3,747

Harvey (Centre of Area), Annual Average Brunswick (South of Harvey), Annual Average Waroona (North of Harvey), Annual Average Pinlarra

Points.

4,014 4,112 4,109 3,784

were 60,138 an increase of 6,945. The average number of waterings per acre was 5.0 compared with 5.02 for last year.

The area of irrigated pasture increased by 1,077 acres to 8,736 acres and the average number of waterings given to irrigated pasture was 6.98.

Since the construction of Stirling dam this area has shown a steady increase each year and by next summer the area irrigated should be nearly up to the capacity of the dams.

Last year Stirling dam did not fill but the position was saved by heavy rains In February.

COLLIE IRRIGATION AREA

The area irrigated was 9,430 acres, a n increase of 367 on the previous season. The acre waterings were 48,194 an increase of 3,820. The average number of waterings per acre were 5.11 compared with 4.90 last year. Irrigated pasture increased by 168 acres of 5,769 the average number of

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Journal of agriculture Vol. 5 1956

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Fig. 2. -Concrete-lined supply channel showing wooden drop and check

waterings for irrigated pastures being 6.84 compared with 6.58 the previous season.

Due to the February rains and also the fact t h a t it was essential for the Welling- t o n dam to be empty by the end of the season to enable structural alterations to be commenced there was no shortage of water in the Collie area. This accounts for the slight increase in the area and the rather high number of waterings for irrigated pastures.

Further expansion and increased production will be affected when storage is increased by the raising of the weir wall some 50 feet.

WAROONA IRRIGATION AREA The area irrigated was 3,879 acres, an increase of 983 acres on the previous season. The acre waterings were 14,218 an increase of 1,104. The average number of waterings per acre was 3.66 compared with 4.53 for the previous season.

The area of irrigated pasture decreased from 2,132 acres to 1,921 acres. The average number of waterings for permanent pasture was 4.5 compared with 4.54 for the previous season.

The sudden increase in the area irrigated was largely due to the February rains which caused a very early germina- tion of subclover. Irrigation was then used to keep this clover growing until the winter rains. This early clover watering also reflects in the rather low figure of 3.66 for the number of waterings per acre.

WATER UTILISATION

The attached table shows t h a t the total area irrigated in the three irrigation districts was 25,342 acres an increase of 2,793 acres, and t h a t acre waterings were 122,550 an increase of 11,879. The average number of waterings per acre was 4.84 compared with 4.91 for the previous year.

This decrease is due to the increase in the number of early clover waterings from 4.144 to 6.004 acres.

Of the total area irrigated 25,342 acres, 64.82 per cent, was used for permanent pastures and a total of 92.16 per cent, for dairying and fat stock purposes. Of the water used, 94.57 per cent, was used for the above purposes.

It is evident t h a t pasture production in all its forms—permanent pasture, early clover and fodder crops—is the main feature of both the utilisation of the land and water in the irrigation areas.

LAND GRADING

During 1954-55 a total of 1,741 acres of land were graded as compared with 1,911 for the previous year.

Of this total, Government machines handled 1,056 acres on 105 farms at an average cost of 7 10s. 5d. per acre. The farmers were again charged £4 per hour for use of the machines for grading and

IRRIGATION RESERVOIRS.

District. Reservoir.

Harvev / . Harvey

\ Stirling Warnona . / Drakesbrook

\ Sampson Collie ; Wellington

Depth

Type of Water.

Concrete Earth Fill Earth Fill Earth Fill Concrete

Feel.

150 54 100 65

rapacity. Acres.

Gallons.

2.250.000.000 12,000,000,000 504.000,000 1,800,000,000 8,700,000,000 I 25,254,000,000

Feet.

8,300 44,344 1,855 6,540 31,500 92,539

Crest o f

1-ennth. District.

Feet.

797 900 580 800 1,200

Acres.

2.928 29,735 V 10,325

i

28,762 I l t i m a t e Rateable Area.

Acres.

2,928 10,077 3,441

9,288 71,750 1 25,734

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£5 2s. 6d. per hour for other work. The average time to grade 1 acre was 1.88 hours.

The utilisation of land immediately after grading is of interest as shown in

the following table.

I

USE OF LAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADING.

Vegetables Potatoes Fodder crops Annual p a s t u r e P e r m a n e n t pasture Fallow

Acres 48 ... 188 ... 441

77 ... 789

198 1,741 Since the 1949-50 season, Government power graders have graded 4,729 acres and contractors and farmers 3,069 making a total of 7,798 acres. During this period 132 miles of farm drains have been con- structed at an approximate cost of 4s. 4d.

per chain.

The value of these drains can be ap- preciated when it is realised that we are irrigating in a 40in. rainfall. Of this 40in.

rainfall an average of 33in. normally oc- curs during the months: May-September inclusive. On occasions as much as 20in.

Fig. 3.—(Above) Final preparation of land sown to potatoes for furrow method of irrigation. (Below) Some weeks later showing four rows of potatoes to each land

with irrigation furrows on each side

has fallen during the month of June with the annual aggregate as high as 60in.

Therefore, it can be readily seen how necessary adequate drainage is if water- logging and/or flooding of land is not to occur.

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