This educational film “Water for a Nation” dates to 1957 and shows the necessity of water in day to day life as well as how it moves and conservation efforts which were being set into place in the mid 1950’s. The film was presented by the US Department of Agriculture (:11). It opens with various images of water being used in daily life such as for drinking (:54), cooking (1:00), bathing (1:09) and for recreational fun (1:15). Water can also be a dangerous force in the environment as waves rush up and over a cliff (1:42) flooding a whole town (1:42). It can also be an aide against disaster as firefighters put out a fire with fire hoses (2:17). A hydrant is opened onto city streets (2:40). A wheat field blows in the wind as water is also used to feed our crops (2:50). Clouds drop their load of precipitation drawn up from the land (2:59). Farmer and tractor move over land to harvest crops (4:10). A young boy shares his water canteen with the farmer (4:18). Wind kicks up dirt clouds in the flat dry lands of Texas (4:36). The film turns back to the 1930’s and the dust bowl era (5:03) as the land was over used and abandoned (5:35). Farmers then covered the lands with grass in order to hold it (5:56). Cattle roll over pasture (6:00). Wheat is farmed on contour (6:07) as another conservation effort. An apple orchard is visited in Yakima Valley in Washington (6:39). This area experiences little rainfall and requires much conservation effort (6:53). Snowy mountain peaks stand far off in the distance (7:08). Eventually the peaks melt and the water turns into bubbling streams (7:18). Dams were installed to store water for power (7:39). A sprinkler system is put to use spraying large swaths of crops (8:23). Grounds are easily flooded in the low banks of the Pocomoke River on the eastern shore of Maryland (8:54). A local farmer works to remove the excess water safely (9:31). Cotton wads are plucked from their stems (10:00). Members of one the oldest agricultural societies; the Pendleton Farmer’s Society, appear at (10:40). This group was established in 1815 in South Carolina and still meets today. A man made pond was created to help fight severe drought (11:26). The Granville, Iowa Post Office (12:08). A local farmer’s wife feeds baby chicks (12:30). Cattle are fed hay (12:37). The farmer notices as the rain water washed downwards, so did his topsoil (13:01). A river overflows and floods the town (13:25) leaving soil in it’s wake. This farmer decided to study the conservation efforts of his neighbor (13:59). Hay is harvested (14:16). A western rancher slides from his horse to inspect the dry cracked land (14:45). Purgatoire River in Colorado appears dry (15:02). Heavy alkaline water is combated by drilled over 600 feet into the ground (15:07). Water must be bought and brought in to the town of Trinity (15:25). Another man made pond is constructed to collect rainwater (15:57). Cattle is fenced in so they do not roam and over graze other lands (16:00). Farming methods are often passed from generation to generation as grandfather and grandson sit together (16:22). A cowboy ropes and ties up a calf (16:45). In the summertime, cattle is driven into the high mesa for water (16:56). The film begins to wrap up with the information that water is necessary for the land, for the animals, to fight fires, to maintain cities and to grow our food (18:04).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed,this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com