Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

LANGEMANN IRRIGATION GATE

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1990

Materials

METAL

No. Pieces

1

Height

270

Length

85

Width

140

Description

TALL WHITE STRUCTURE THAT HAS A METAL DOOR (GATE) THAT CAN BE RAISED OR LOWERED TO HOLD BACK OR RELEASE WATER. THERE ARE TWO CHAINS ON THE INSIDE OF THE SUPPORTS THAT FULLFILL THIS ROLE. CALIBRATED DEPTH MARKINGS ARE SEEN ON THE INSIDE OF THE SUPPORT AS WELL. TWO LARGE PLANES ARE USED TO DIRECT THE FLOW OF WATER WHILE IT IS BEING RELEASED. A METAL BEAM HANGS DOWN FROM BEHIND A HAND OPERATED WHEEL THAT IS ON THE SIDE OF THE STRUCTURE. THERE IS A LITTLE EVIDENCE OF CORROSION.

Subjects

OTHER STRUCTURE

Historical Association

AGRICULTURE

History

USED BY THE ST. MARY RIVER IRRIGATION DISTRICT. *UPDATE* IN 2015 GALT CURATOR WENDY AITKENS RESEARCHED THIS IRRIGATION GATE FOR POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN AN EXHIBIT. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE GATE'S INVENTOR, PETER LANGEMANN, AND ITS USE IN THE ST. MARY RIVER IRRIGATION DISTRICT WAS COMPILED USING BACK ISSUES OF THE WATER HAULER'S BULLETIN, PATENT NO. 08135892, AND LANGEMANN'S OBITUARY. PETER LANGEMANN WAS BORN IN COALDALE IN 1927 AND LIVED MOST OF HIS LIFE ON THE FARM ORIGINALLY OWNED BY HIS PARENTS, JOHN AND ANNA LANGEMANN. HE MARRIED EDNA SALAHOR IN 1969 AND THE COUPLE FARMED GRAIN AND SUGAR BEETS. LANGEMANN WAS INVOLVED WITH AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE FORBES LATERAL WATER USERS ASSOCIATION, SUGAR BEET GROWERS OF ALBERTA, AND THE BOARD OF THE ST. MARY RIVER IRRIGATION DISTRICT. DURING HIS SERVICE WITH THE SMRID BOARD, LANGEMANN WORKED ON THE LOPAC GATE, WHICH WAS USED IN THE DISTRICT TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF IRRIGATION WATER. HE DEVELOPED IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT DESIGN, AND IN 1994 PATENTED THE LANGEMANN IRRIGATION GATE, WHICH IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. NO MATTER WHAT VOLUME OF WATER FLOWS THROUGH A CANAL, THE LANGEMANN GATE DIVERTS A SET AMOUNT THROUGH THE TURNOUT. THE GATE IMITATES THE VARIATIONS IN WATER LEVEL ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE, SO THAT IF THE WATER LEVEL GOES UP, THE GATE RISES THE CORRESPONDING AMOUNT, FACILITATING A CONSTANT HEAD OVER THE GATE AND THEREFORE A CONSTANT FLOW OVER IT. THE GATE IS BUILT AS A SINGLE UNIT AND BOLTED TO THE EXISTING WALLS AND FLOOR OF A CONCRETE IRRIGATION TURNOUT. A PROBE ATTACHED ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE SENSES CHANGES IN WATER LEVEL AS SLIGHT AS 3MM. THE POWER TO OPERATE THE GATE IS PROVIDED BY A STANDARD CAR BATTERY, AND IT IS CONTROLLED BY TWO ELECTRONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS AND TRANSISTORS. THE MANUFACTURING COST OF THE LANGEMANN GATE AT THE TIME OF ITS PATENTING WAS $1000, AND LANGEMANN GAVE THE INVENTION AND HIS PATENT RIGHTS OVER TO THE ST. MARY RIVER IRRIGATION DISTRICT. IN 1995 THE LANGEMANN GATE WAS COMMERCIALIZED BY AQUA SYSTEMS 2000 INC., AND THE DESIGN IS STILL USED IN IRRIGATION DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. PETER LANGEMANN CONTINUED TO WORK WITH THE SMRID UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1997; HE DIED IN LETHBRIDGE ON MAY 26, 2012. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF SOURCE MATERIAL.

Catalogue Number

P20010036010

Acquisition Date

2001-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail