The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-04
ON IRRIGATION.
STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICERS
OF THE STATE ASSOCIATION.
What 1t Is Intended the Organiza-
ton Shall AccOmpIish-Object
Are Worthy Ones and Should BE
Heartily Supported.

The State Irrigation Association of
Utah yesterday issued the following
address as to the purposes of the
organization:
| 1t is a well recognized fact that as
irrigation was the foundation upon
which the pioneers of 1S47 commenced
the upbuilding of our prosperous and
fiourishing commonwealth, so it is yet,
and must continue to be the main prop
of the agricultural interests of Utah,
the tower of strength upon which Sc
curely rests the golden wealth of our
valleys, making also available the
mineral output of our mountains, and
insuring to us our thousands of happy
homes.
To inaugurate local agricultural and
industrial affairs from a higher stand
point than ever heretofore, and secure
the more. efficient control by all our
people for the usage and storage of
water and for the real lettering of
Utah and all its interests, this associ-
alton is organized.
Further, this is what its founders
had in mind when they stated in their
circular of April Is, 1895, that 1t shall
be the duty of each member of this
association to foster and promote the
interests of irrigation matters in Utah,
and the especial duty of the county
committees and the city, town and
local presidents, presidents and
the corresponding secretaries thereof,
to promote the growth of the aSSocla-
ton by inviting all interested parties
in their respective counties and towns
TO become members.
1t may be well here to reiterate
what was distinctly stated at the
meeting in the chamber of commerce
May II, 1895, when the association was
formed. 1t is entirely non-political,
non-sectarian; nor is it started with
any prospect of pecuniary gain in view
nor as a shield for financial irrigation |
operations, but purely as a mutual !
educational movement having the OBJ |
Ject OF informing the people of the |
different localities in Utah of what |
irrigationists both at home and abroad |
are doing, to show them now. when |
and where we can to advantage follow |
the example set by other states in the
arid region, and to warn them of |
lawyers lurking in wrong and perniA
ious irrigation methods. Through the
reports Of the local corresponding sec
and from similar organiza-
tons in adjacent states and territories,
the central office of the association
will be kept constantly informed of
everything pertaining to irrigation at
all points in Utah and the west, and
such of those reports as are of general
or extracts from them, will be
in the publications of the
association.
Utah should be the chosen ground of
all the United States for the best eff
forts of irrigation: it should and can
have the best and highest irrigation
it is the aim of the asSocia-
tor to bring this about.
Eight million additional acres came
H. .
when We adopted statehood. This will
make homes for a large population, ;
yet under our present loose methods {
his land can be handled by private s
without any possible SUI '
Dervision or control
1t is expected that the many local s
associations will discuss the best s
methods of utilizing these lands to the
End that they may be cheaply obtained ]
~ the people. Further. the best in s
erests of old water rights demand {
hat these associations shall be sue
,essful in order that conflicts may be {
avoided and costly law suits saved. !
Wyoming has the best administrative !
system. Why should not Utah have as j
rood one?
California has the best irrigation I
Methods Why should not Utah equal j
II excel them? 1
The work of our association is purely
public work, aiming to lay the right !
oundation for the great industrial life !,
hat will grow up here in the next CEN Il
ury. Z
The state, county and local associa- =
ions of California have made of it the i
most productive per acre of all irri- >
-ated regions in America, while the =
tate assoc ationS of Kansas, Nebraska, =
'exas and others have given an i'm y
etus to irrigation progress within =
heir borders such as no other efforts a
ould have effected. N
President George Q. Cannon, in his =
peech advocating the formation of
his association for the purpose of edu- n
ating and instructing the people rela- F
i've to the judiciouS use of their water n
upply. regretted that while the people
f Utah were pioneers in irrigation, :
hey were allowing adjoining states to
utStrip them, and attributed it
lainly to the fact that our people have
ot yet realized the Importance of wa
ar and what wonders it will accom-
lish if properly handled, and as it will
OF be long before Utah will have a
cry dense population, more careful
nd scientific methods for the control
nd use of water will have to be
dopted.
In this connection it is worthy of note
hat while some of our people fondly
nagine that their local irrigation sys-
Ems have been economically construc-
I'd, yet as shown by the census the
act remains that the average first cost
bringing water to the land in Utah
$10.55 per acre, or more than that of
ny other state or territory, with the
1ception of California, where the most
and expensive systems for
iving and distributing water have -
cen constructed and where the re-
lrns are proportionately high, while
,e cost in nine other states ranges
ON 1882 in Wyoming to $7.5S in Ne
ada, thus proving that our faulty |
instructed bitches are really more ex-
ensive than those constructed on true |
lgineering principles. California with
5 well built bitches uses one-fourth as
UGH water as Utah, yet has larger
turns per acre.
While advancing, the cause of scien-
dc and practical irrigation through
1t Utah, the State Irrigation associa-
On will, through it's central and
pecially its local organizations, also
ing into active discussion the subject
water rights and water control
nich is as yet but imperfectly under
GOD by the majority of our people.
Id which requires systematic inveSti-
Ltion and regulation.
One of the immediate efforts Of the
ISOLATION will be to bring about a.
ore complete and systematic meas
ement of the flow of streams dur
g dlnerent seasons of the year; and "a
more effective instrumental observ- al
zee of the snow and rainfall in the a
While this is to be done a.;
der the 'SrJne1-xricion aud a tho ooet 90