Los Banos Rotary Club History
Wade Reviews Farm Problems

Kenneth Wade, U. S. Soil Conservationist in charge of the local Conservation office, outlined to members of the Los Banos Rotary Club Tuesday noon some of the problems that confront agriculturists in this immediate area, and told of the work the Conservation District is doing in improved farm practices designed for the most practical land use.

The Los Banos Soil Conservation District, Wade said, was organized in 1945 by a group of local farmers mostly residing in the drainage area of Los Banos creek. A seriously high water table, aggravated by lack of an over-all drainage system, was then and still remains the most serious problem of the district, and the most important work of the U. S. Conservation since coming to Los Banos has been the scientific study of this and related problems.

An exhaustive survey and study has now been made of the entire district to determine water source as the proper basis for computing the requirements of such drainage system, and this study has produced some rather surprising answers. After making a careful check of water tables from Menjoulet canyon through to the Grass Lands swamp area, conservation engineers find that the water table throughout most of the area is virtually the same, varying in depth with the seasons. Contributing to this underground water flow is an estimated 10,000 acre-foot run off from the Menjoulet canyon each year, to which is added 5,000 acre-feet of seepage water from the canals and drains that transverse the area, plus about 15,000 acre-feet of water that results from over irrigation.

From these investigations and findings Wade said, the Conservation Service is now preparing recommendations for a proper drainage and irrigation system that will relieve or remedy the high water table problem and permit the re-claiming of hundreds of acres of once fertile agricultural land.

In the meantime, Wade said, individual farmers in the district are doing much to re-claim and improve their own lands. In numerous instances farmers have found their principal trouble to be faulty irrigation and lack of drains, causing surplus water to pile up at the lower ends of irrigated fields and effectively drown out any crops planted. Citing individual instances, Wade told of the successes enjoyed by several farmers who have overcome this problem and after rebuilding the soil with commercial fertilizer and gypsum, are now harvesting peak yields from what, a few years ago, was sub-marginal land at best.

However, these instances are made insignificant by the problems that confront the farming community as a whole, and Wade emphasized that a successful solution to this problem is a job for the entire community if we are to obtain the best use of our agricultural lands.

Commenting on the U. S. Soil Conservation Service, Wade said the sole purpose of the federal agency is to assist and advise the local district, and make available trained engineers and technicians. Throughout the United States, the Service has been able to suggest improved land uses and economies resulting in an average 20 per cent increases in production.
Rotarians also heard brief reports from fellow members Elge Mastrangelo, John B. Machado, L. J. Spindt and president-elect R. Lindemann on the International Convention held last week in San Francisco. All were greatly impressed with the convention activities and the general sincerity of the International groups.

Acting president G. E. Elliott announced that there would be a joint meeting of Lions and Rotary Clubs Tuesday evening at the Masonic Temple. The dinner meeting is the preliminary to an inter-club softball game and summer get-to-gether that is planned for the early part of next month.

June 17, 1947

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