Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-08
RESERVOIR AT GUNNIsoS.

THE people Of the town of Gun
nison in Slnpete Couaty have lately
| completed the construction of a
reservoir which is n very valuable
improvement, and will prove to be a
source OF wealth to those sharing in
its benefits. IL is situated at or near
the confluence OF Six Mile Greek
and Ssnpete river, and about six
miles south Of Manti. 1t is located
in broad hollow, through which
the river flows and the water is
retained by means Of dam about
500 feet long, extending across the
hollow, and about twenty feet high.
The dam is about one hundred feet
thick at the base and from fifteen 10
twenty feet thick at the top, and is
'ace,i with rock on both sides to
prevent animals from burrowing
through it. Extending through the
dam, and about on a level with the
bed Of the river. is q two-foot steel
piFe flied with a cast iron head
gate, 10y means of which the water
in the reservoir may be drawn of
when Necessary.
Inc body of water varies from
one-fourth to one-half a mile in
width, and from two and a half to
three miles in length, and has an
average depth of about eight feet,
when brought TO within four feet of
the top OF the dam, which may be
done with safety. Between four
and five hundred acres Of land is
covered 10y the water, all Of which
was purchased by the Gunnison
Irrigation Company, which built
and owns the reservoir. The cost
OF this important improvement was
very small compared to its actual
value. Only few dollars per acre
was paid for the land covered by it.
while the cost Of the dam was only
about $500, as the dirt for it was
very handily obtained. The reser-
voir is constantly fed, and. even II
not replenished during the summer
season, its contents would be sufIi-
cient to irrigate thousands Of acres
Of land. --a
The people of Gunnison have set
an example many other settlements
might follow with great advantage.
The farms below this reservoir have
not been more than half irrigated Tor
several years past, ami with plenty Of
tertheir productivenessw will prob
ably be doubled. Hence a water
supply that viii admit Of this will
practically double the value OF those
farms. II is no fAr-fetched estimate
to suppose that this reservoir has in
creased the value OF the farms TO be
irrigated from it, to an amount ten
times as great as its total cost. In
other words the men who have
built it and who own it will derive
a thousand dollars worth Of benefit
from il for every hundred dollars
they haveexpended upon it.
In the same manner many other
other settlements may utilize the
natural sources of wealth within
their reach. But in the con-
stuction Of reservoirs one point
should always be kept in view,
that Of security Let the dam
be made so thick and strong that the
bursting of it will be placed beyond
the range Of possibility. The Gun
nison people have evidently aimed
To do this 10y making their dam 100
feet thick at the base and from if
teen to twenty feet thick at the top,
with a total height Of only twenty
feet, and a depth of water behind it
Of only sixteen feet. These dimen-
sions would seem to make the dam
safe beyond the remotest possibility
Of a doubt.