The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-04-03
A NEW AND ORIGINAL TOPIC

ior domestic, irrigating, manufac-
turing and other purposes.
have heard people talk about sur
o lus water. In a wet time there
may be such a thing SIS surplus water
in this city. But l do not recoIlect
seeing any in the months OF July,
August and September, except pcs
sibly during heavy rainstorm, which
we very seldom have in either OF those
months. l have cultivated a little
land in this city for twenty years, but
in those three months L never saw
the time when 1 could get enough
water for irrigation. Consequently,
at an early day. put most OF my lot
into trees and lucern. as they would
survive with less water than most
other things cultivated. [ said l
never got enough water. never got
half enough in the fell OF the year,
though l have as good a claim as
any in the city. Last year was the
worst, and it was really provoking to
be up half the night every week to
look after enough water to irrigate
about one.tWentieth part OF ones
land. But that was my experience,
and not mine alone. Therefore
more water IS needed, and a good
deal more too, even for the old
settled lots, to say nothing of the
thirsty and parched condition Of the
dry bench lots. More water is wanted;
more water must bs had, by hook or
By crook. How is it to be obtained?
There are various ways. l mean
moro water Immediately available
fer irrigation.
There is water in the lower Jordan.
It may be urged that the water could
be pumped cut of that river into the
city and forced up az high az wanted
True. it could. But the lower Jordan
will always be there and its waters
will be sppropristable, if desirable.
The more water is spread over the
valley, the more will seep into the
lower Jordan.
The construction of reservoirs may
be urged, TO store up the waters OF
the creeks running into the city.
That could be done. The reservoirs
can be made twenty-five or fifty years
to come, if needed, just as well as
now. All the streams that can be
used to FIJI these reservoirs, being al
ready appropriated by the citizens,
will be at their control at future
time fer that purpose as much as
they are now. But there is a reservoir
made, a grand reservoir, q
reservoir of immense capacity, a re-
servoir net made with hands. re-
seIv0ir made by God Almighty, appa-
rently for the especial purpose of pro-
viding abundance Of water for the use
of the inhabitants of this valley,
leaving to man only the Conpara-
lively simple work of appropristing
and utilizing the immense body Of
water stored in that reservoir. No
tear OF devastation by bursting down
the banks Of that reservoir. Utah
Lake would half cover this valley
south OF this city. That is the Daagni-
fcent reservoir which God has made,
so convenient for this valley. 1t will
be no wonderful engineering feat to
bring that water ID this city, aud the
more of that water the people of this
valley use the better pleased the
people of Utah valley will be.
The only means of making that
great body of water available for this
valley is by a canal or plurality OF
canals. The sooner a canal is made
to bring water from Utah Lake to
this city, the sooner the title to the
water will be well settled. As to the
moral right to the use of that water,
or liberal portion of it, this city,
being the Oldest settlement, is in best
case.
AS to the best route, inclination
and capacity of the canal, I presume
opinions Will always differ. There
we're different opinions about the
Suez Cansl, and 30 there are about
the proposed DeLesseps Canal across
the isthmus. Il may be that some
portions OF the canal, when dug, will
not be vide enough. 1t may be that
the level portion from here to Sugar
House will not be found large enough.
Well, the experience of a year or two
will tell that, and then the canal can
be widened or deepened in places as
may be found to be desirable. In all
human probability the canal, by
WhCmsoever laid out and dug. will
not be perfect the first year. Ex-
perience will develop its imperfec-
tions, and they can be cured as dis
covered.
As the level portion hence to Sugar
House will constitute a sort of sub |
reservoir, 1 certainly should advocate
that it be made at fret of g liberal |
size, so that it may be fully able to |
carry all the water that it will be
practicable and desirable to run into
t. The greater the capacity of that
eyel portion, within reasonable
pounds. the better for many reasons.
+ some parts OF the canal should
prove to be unable to carry all the
Vater that other parts could, the
iefect could be remedied when dis
covered. Moreover, beadgates would
I'VE control to the amount of water
o be run out of the river into the
ANAL.
In regard to the water available
rom the Jordan at the head of the
anal, the probability is that the
will be large in ordinary
easons. In very drouthy seasons
here will be scarcity, and all will
ave to suffer to some extent, Every
there, when drouth comes, people
1ter IN consequence. That can't be |
elped.
1t may be proposed to dam and
ank Utah Lake to increase the
npply. There is no need of that.
tnlnk 1t would be bad policy. There
plenty OF water in the lake in the
REST OF seasons. The thing is to GET
out and use it. In nv opinion If 9
'ould be far better to make a deener
ltlet and lower the lake. than tn !
am it up. The lower you reduce !
lie waters of the lake, the more land I
ou reclaim on its banks, and that is q
le best OF land. It would be much I
stter to reclaim thousands of acres 8
the shores Of the lake by sinking =
) waters, than to dam it up for the V
1rpose of retaining the high bench 4
11s IN fh5s -ol1a, o.. :