Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-06-12
IRRITATION SCHEMES.

The dispatch which appeared IN the
NEWS a few days ago, announcing
that contract had been let nt Miu-
neapolls for the construction Of n1 exc
tensivo reservoir aud canal system DO
Arlzlna, refers 10 the greatest lndi'
vldual scheme yet inaugumtei In the
United States for the reclamation OF
desert land. The amount Of work 10
be- done usder the contract is valued nj
5000 900, aud Il ia 10 be- completed by
January I, 1895. IL includes slofags
dam 100 feet high NJ Horseshoe Bend,
on the Verde river, n diversion dam On
tho stream near Noun, Mcdowell, sand
10 miles Of canal work. Tho purpose
ia to reclaim 100000 ncrcs Of land
which is expected 70 bo olassed among
the choicest grain aud fruit raising
soil In Arizona. The scheme has
been under way for about ,hres years,
being operated by some Of the resi-
dents OF Phmnix, and by heavy capt
tallsls OF Minneapolis, MINI. The
preliminary surveys have COST already
hundred thousand dollars. 10 l.
understood that actual work on the
canal system will be commenced by
July Let, and II il anticipated that In
eighteen months there will be flowing
through the canals a stream Of 5000
feet OF water per second, made constant
by the Verde river and the storage OF
wator In reservoirs during the sphng
ireshets.
Such enterprises - these, when
carried into practical operation, are a
far more prolific source OF wealth and
development 10 territory situated A.
Arilna Il than are a good many
Of her minss. The Investment of two
millions In canal system is tho small
est item 10 be considered. rns report
on the feasibility OF the schems shows
that for tho extent Of tho ground to be
covered the expense Of canal and
reservoir construction Il comparatively
small. This further investment necos.
aary TO bring thu tracts OF land within
the canal range under cultivation IL
largely the ordinary labor OF farm and
garden work which will produce ia
own reward each season. In addition
to this II IA eslimaled that after 1895 the
additional profit 10 Arizona from the
cultivation Of the O,OOj acres Will bo
not less than $40 per acre, or a, OJO,OJO
per year.
While Utah has no opportunity Tor a
single irrigation scheme OF such mag.
niludo a. the one referred 10, there IL
ample field Tor many smaller onos
which In the aggregate will 40 far
beyond tho figures given. Tho syslom
Of storage reservoirs has received little
attention as yet In this Territory, 10.
lance for water supply being placed
mainly on this mountain streams, which
are not 70 uncertain In their quantity
a. In many places In Arizona. But
the additional acreage that could be
brought into cultivation anu be made
to adj to the wealth aud welfare OF
Utah Is yet very large Recent efforts
In saupete, Willard aud other counties
to Increase the water supply Tor the
summer months by tho reservoir sya.
tem are meeting with excellent cue.
cess, ana Ia the greater part Of
The Territory tho small reservoir
system could be- made available
with PROFIT. Large reservoirs nlscw here
have been a source Of danger to their
localities, aud the topography OF
tho country here "a scarcely suit.
able Tor them, But there II hardly
canyon iu which syatem oil
small storage reservoirs could not be-
placed along the mountain stream and
he mado 20 supply, in many Instances,
Ateniold greater quantity Of water Tor
the SUMMER months than is available
ht present, us tho water now runs 10
waste al o. season when IL cbunlt bo
utilized. with the steady increase of
population Ia the Territory aud tho
necessity of iucrpasinF tho agriculture
production, thutmc seems CLOSE 40 hand
when the system 1. snail storage
reservoirs iu the canyons oi Utah VIII
receive close study aud practical
denomination.