SRB-1001-Okla. Issued December 1945 HANDBOOK OF CONSERVATION PRACTICES 1946 AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM TO OKLAHOMA FARMERS: This handbook has been prepared for your use. It contains all the conservation practices for which assistance is offered by the Oklahoma State Committee in 1946. It also tells you of the way you can obtain this assistance on your farm. If you are a landlord, tenant, or sharecropper, you are eligible for conservation assistance if you: 1. Apply to your county committee before you begin the conservation practice for the amount of assistance you will need for carrying out the practice (see section 1 A). 2. Carry out the conservation practice in accordance with the printed specifications in the handbook (see section 1 B). 3. Inform the county committee or county office within the time fixed by the county committee of the completed practice (see section 3 C). The amount of assistance to be made available will be determined by your county committee on the basis of your conservation needs and the funds available to the county for this purpose. FEB22 46 CONTENTS Page 8 3 SECTION 1. CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE, PRACTICES, AND RATES OF ASSIST ANCE: A. Conservation assistance B. Conservation practices and rates of assistance. SECTION 2. CONSERVATION MATERIALS AND SERVICES.. SECTION 3. GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO ASSISTANCE: A. Materials and services in lieu of other assistance..... B. Assistance for practices carried out with State or Federal C. Application for payment..... E. Increase in small payments... 16 F. Payments limited to $10,000.. G. Deductions or withholdings from payments...... (1) Deductions for conservation materials and services... 17 17 17 17 (5) Depriving others of program assistance.. (4) Practices defeating purposes of the programs.. (3) Failure to maintain practices carried out under previ 17 17 17 (6) Overgrazing native pasture or range land. 17 17 SECTION 4. FAILURE TO CARRY OUT APPROVED EROSION CONTROL MEASURES 18 SECTION 5. PAYMENT COMPUTED AND MADE WITHOUT Regard to CLAIMS.. 18 SECTION 6. ASSIGNMENT OF PAYMENTS. 18 SECTION 7. APPEALS SECTION 8. DEFINITIONS SECTION 9. AUTHORITY, AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS, AND APPLICABILITY...... 18 18 19 HANDBOOK OF CONSERVATION PRACTICES FOR OKLAHOMA Section 1. CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE, PRACTICES, A. Conservation assistance.-Farmers in Oklahoma are offered assistance under the 1946 Agricultural Conservation Program for carrying out conservation practices which meet approved specifications between January 1, 1946, and December 31, 1946. This assistance consists either of payments to farmers as reimbursement for a part of the cost of performing conservation practices or of conservation materials and services furnished to farmers to be used in performing approved practices. The maximum amount of assistance for each conservation practice to be carried out on a farm is the amount for which written approval is granted by the county committee. Written ap proval by the committee will be given only where the request for the assistance is made by the farmer before he begins the conservation practice. Requests for assistance may be made by farmers by contacting their county or community committeemen, or by writing, telephoning, or calling at the county office. B. Conservation practices and rates of assistance.-County committees can approve assistance for only those approved conservation practices contained in the 1946 Oklahoma conservation handbook. Furthermore, in order to encourage the use of those conservation practices which are most needed on farms in the county, the county committee, with the approval of the State committee, will designate from the list of practices approved for the State or area, those practices for which assistance will be offered on all or designated groups of farms in the county. To qualify for assistance for any approved conservation practice carried out on range land, the operator must have submitted in writing a grazing management plan to the county committee not later than June 15, 1946. Assistance will not be given for practices on range land unless the practices are included in the grazing management plan. The grazing management plan shall show the conservation needs, if any, of the ranch as determined by the ranch operator and the county committee. The conservation needs may include, but not be limited to, conservation practices for which assistance is offered under the 1946 program. To qualify for assistance, practices must meet the practice specifications. For additional information regarding how practices should be performed to qualify for assistance, the farmer should consult his committeeman or the county office. 1. Construction of terraces for which proper outlets are provided: (a) Large ridge-type terrace-$1.50 per 100 linear feet. (b) Small ridge-type terrace or channel-type terrace-$1 per 100 linear feet. (c) Diversion terrace-$1.50 per 100 linear feet. SPECIFICATIONS: Ridge-type and channel-type terraces-Ridge-type and channel-type terraces shall be constructed to equal or exceed the following dimensions: Terraces, except diversion terraces, must not exceed a fall of 3 inches per 100 feet. The recommended average distance between terraces or the vertical interval between terraces shall not be exceeded by more than 20 percent in Kay, Noble, Logan, Oklahoma, Grady, Stephens, and Jefferson Counties and counties east thereof, and by not more than 30 percent in counties west thereof. The width of the lower side of the terrace shall in all cases be at least two-thirds the width of the upper side. The minimum settled cross-sectional area above the normal ground line shall be 10 square feet for large ridge-type terraces and 7 square feet for small ridge-type terraces. The water channel of channel-type terraces should have a flat bottom at least 4 feet wide. Ridge terraces should be constructed by moving soil onto the terrace ridge from both the upper and lower sides. Channel terraces should be constructed by moving all of the dirt from the up face of the terrace. Graded terraces should be constructed to divide the water on the ridges and carry it to protected waterways. Fills. Terraces must have settled fills in the terrace line across gullies built up to the normal level of the terrace ridge. This shall be accomplished by increasing the height of the new fill by 10 percent. Terrace outlets. The outlet ends of all terrace channels must be protected. Where conditions permit, the outlet may be constructed so that each terrace will empty directly on well-established pasture or meadow land. Where the above conditions are not possible or practicable, terrace channels shall be protected by means of sodded channels, riprap, or other effective devices which prevent erosion. Terraces constructed for which adequately protected outlets are not provided will not qualify. Outlets must have a cross-sectional area equal to or greater than the terrace channel. Diversion terraces.-The grade for diversion terraces may be variable but must not exceed a fall of 6 inches per 100 feet, unless the channel is protected from erosion by a vegetative cover or other satisfactory means. Fills must be built to sufficient height across gullies so that they will be above normal level of the ridge after settlement. The outlet must be protected against erosion. A diversion terrace will be acceptable if the cross-sectional area of the terrace channel is 10 square feet for drainage areas of 3 acres or less; plus 1 square foot for each additional acre of drainage up to 10 acres; plus 4 square feet for each additional 10 acres. Diversion terraces shall only be constructed for the diversion of water from cropland. Dikes or levees to control floodwater will not qualify as diversion terraces. 2. Construction of a dam or reservoir: (a) For first 2,000 cubic yards used in the construction of the dam-12 cents per cubic yard. (b) For material moved but not used in the construction of the dam or material used in the construction of the dam in excess of 2,000 cubic yards-8 cents per cubic yard. To be eligible for payment, dams or reservoirs must be located on noncropland. The primary purposes for the construction of dams and reservoirs are to provide adequate, well-distributed watering places for livestock on pasture land in order to distribute grazing and prevent overgrazing and resulting erosion near watering places, and to contribute to control of erosion by being a factor in flood control. SPECIFICATIONS: Preliminary survey.-A preliminary survey must be made before construction is started (a) if the dam to be constructed will be 8 feet or more in height, or (b) if as much as 300 cubic yards or more earth will be moved, or (c) if the surface of the ground on which the dam is to be built is extremely irregular or an existing dam is to be enlarged. The top width of a dam for a stock pond shall be 4 to 12 feet, depending on height. The inside slope shall be not less than 3:1 and the outside slope not less than 2:1. The sod must be removed from the base of the dam before construction. Enlargement of existing dams. Where it is determined by the county committee that an existing reservoir is inadequate for watering livestock, payment for enlarging the dam will be made at the same rate and under the same specifications as apply to the construction of new dams. Before existing dams are enlarged, the top of the upstream and downstream slopes shall be plowed in order that a proper bond will be obtained between existing dam and the new fill. The earthen fill for the dam should be spread in well-packed layers of not over 8 to 10 inches per layer. Sod should not be used in the fill. Allowance for shrinkage.-Allowance must be made for shrinkage at the rate of 10 percent, except that the shrinkage factor for dams constructed with bulldozers will be 15 percent, and for dams constructed with drag-line equipment will be 20 percent of the gross volume of earth used in the construction of the dam. Spillway construction - Wherever available, a natural sodded spillway should be used and care should be taken not to destroy the existing natural cover. The spillway must have a cross-sectional area greater than the impounded stream at highest known flood stage. Where the spillway is not protected by natural cover, sodding or other protection must be provided. The end of the dam should be riprapped or sodded if it forms a part of the spillway. The settled top of the dam must be at least 3 feet higher than the spillway crest. The spillway should be protected from livestock. |