The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-07
Irrigation.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,

II
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH June 70 1889
To the County Court of Salt Lake county:
| DEAR SIRs-I have received a letter from the
| Irrigation Engineer connected with the United
States Geological Survey stating that a special
committee on irrigation appointed by the Senate
| OF the United States will visit Utah about the
| 10Th OF August next, and asking that informa
| tior be procured for the use of the committee,
with q view to future legislation to be directed
to the reclamation OF arid lands by the storage,
| conservation and distribution of the water
supply.
L therefore respectfully request you to furnish,
| so far as may be possible, information covering
! the following points
1.-The location of all streams, rivers and irri-
eating canals. These can best be shown on
maps sketches or tracingS, prepared on a scale
of two inches to the mile
2-List of canals and bitches giving as nearly
complete as possible.
G-Name of canal or ditch.
6-Names of owners or Officers and their p. o.
ddresses.
Date when built or first in use
d-StreamS from which the water is diverted.
Number of acres irrigated, and of cultivated
land.
Number of acres of good land so located
that they could be irrigated by an increase of
the water supply in the canals or bitches now
constructed
g-Number of acres that could be irrigated by
new bitches or canals, and new reservoirs.
1.-THE available sites for reservoirs, either in
the valley or mountains, and the probable size
of such reservoirs
In addition to the above you are requested to
reply to the following questions:
What is the average depth of snow in your
mountains during the winter?
2-When does the irrigation season begin and
end in each valley?
3-What is the elevation of each valley above
the sea-
o~Sic feet per second flows through each stream
in your county, at the point where it can be
used for irrigation during the irrigating season:
5-How much water could be stored in suitable
reservoirs during the rest of the
GLOW much wateris required in each valley
or locality to irrigate an acre of sandy soil for
each crop small grain, grass, root crops, corn
orchards, etc, etc.!
How much water is required to ir1igate an
acre OF clayey or alkaline soil in each valley or
locality for each crop as mentioned above!
the land irrigated?
How many acres of crops have been lost
tt year from lack of water?
Ii the above information could be supple
mented by brief abstract from the county rec
ordS of the water rights that have been recorded
ii would be of special interest to the committee
and would give them reliable data showing the
extent of the appropriation OF the water supply.
The abstract should show
d-phe date of record.
6-Name of claimant or grantee
c-The amount of water claimed, appropriated
adjudcated.
d-Natnre of claim and whether a first, second
third right.
At the last session of Congress- action was
taken by Congress looking to thorough inves-
tigation of the opportunities for building reser-
vOirs and storing water for agricultural pur-
poses, and in pursuance of this purpose the
Senate committee viii visit Utah at the time
stated.
Thewater Or 'stion is of vital interest to Utah,
and l urge you TO furnish as complete informa-
ton as possible and mail it TO me before August
l, 1889. Very Respectfully,
ARTHUR L. THOMAS,
Governor,
The above circular having been referred to J.
d. II. McAlliSter, surveyor of Salt Lake county,
to furnish all information possible in said
matter, all persons having the division regula-
ton and control OF any stream or irrigation ditch
in possession Of any information that viii an
swer any of the foregoing questions-are re
QueSted TO communicate with him at his Office