[Photon713]

I am trying to find a ratio of vegetable oil, water and detergent that can be used be mixed with blue clay to reduce evaporation. Professional horseshoe pitching pits are normally filled with blue clay.  Typically, the pits are watered between every match, but, the water quickly evaporates during hot summer days.  Consequently, the clay becomes rock hard and requires constant turning and watering.  Is it practical to mix these three liquids to reduce the evaporation safely for man or beast? What might be the recommended ratio if pertinent? Thanks

[Arkcon]

I don't know if it will work.  It seems like water, detergent and oil might work to keep water around for a little longer, but clay may help it evaporate despite the oil and detergent.  Then you'll have clay, oil and detergent, which may be slippery.  I suspect the sport's conventions might disallow this sort of alteration, but I don't know how seriously you'll follow regulations.  See if the sport's governing body has some ideas.  Maybe a silicone oil, instead of water is allowed.  Or a synthetic base media is allowed.

[curiouscat]

Drip irrigation? Sprinklers?

[curiouscat]

You could try hexadecanol / octadecanol.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0272c/report.pdf

There's some damn prior research on everything! Amazing!

[Photon713]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. The issue has nothing to do with legal or illegal. It has to do with what a tournament director can do to eliminate the necessity to turn a shovel full of heavy clay between each "professional" match. A large number of participants are women and Elder men over 70. It is stressful to turn over 10-15 shovels full of heavy clay in the hot summer sun. Eventually, the only area turned is a small circle around the stake. The intent of the question was to try to find an inexpensive method to reduce the evaporation to reduce the shovel turning. Synthetic clay was developed a long time ago and rejected by the pitchers. Water, dishwashing detergent and vegetable oil in small quantities was the genesis of the question. I would also like to know for my own blue clay pits. Thanks