Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-09-21

half miles lopg. Debouching into n
ravlue on the west slope II allows the
water to reach some 80, 900 aores IN the
San Pitch valley OF great richness OF
soil. This reservoir will store 00,0O0
aero feet Of water.
In summing up we IND that there
has been insuRutated and under oJn-
slructlon irrigation works for watering
over one.thlrd OF n million acres. Not
tho least important fssture OF this pro-
gfess IL the greatly Improved character
OF all this works now being built,
whereby a saving In the cost Of annual
maintenance IL being brought about.
A a. ther pleasing feature Ia that the
young generation OF Utah, educate d
naturally q irrigation methods, 10 rap
idly settling up these newly opencd
regions. The vastly improved
methods OF construction moreover has
not enhanced the cost OF n perpetual
water right; for IN Utah II IL the rule
that the land and the water 20 to-
gsther and that the owner OF the land
eventually becomes the owner OF tue
right 10 use the water.
The cost ofthis perpetual water right
averages about $40 per acre; lands SUIT
ect 10 II arc worth about s25 per acre,
while the average for nil Utah Of i'm
proved fatms IL fSi25 per acre. Tho
farm unit IL rarely moro than
~ acre., while for the whole Territory
the average holding Ia "a acres
The coet OF annual maintenance has
heretofore boon high, but IL IL rapidly
coming down to less THAI one dollar
per acre.
Another gratifying feature IA that
the duty OF water l. being greatly sn.
hancsd, our people are learning thst
much less work sufllces for given
acreage while an Increase In products
ID also brought about. Heretofore the
acreage duty In Utah has been 100
neroe for cubic foot OF water per sec.
ond. In many places this amount
now ifrigates twice that area. Notably
do We have AN object Lesson given us
by the people tho settlement at
Levan. Here 1906 miners Inches or
cubic feet per second thoroughly irii.
gate :, 100 AOtos Of diversified crops.
This IL duty o' 900 acres 10 the second
foot, and tue yield per acre II above
thst OF the rest u the Territory.
Tho yeaf'a record OF active work has
moro tnan ever opphaslzed the Utah
syslem OF building svou great irrlga.
ton works by association, by og-Dpeta-
ton, by swapping land for both labor
and material, ami by making be-
linnlng finally construct the whole
without debt.
In tho Geld OF irrigation inquiry
much has been done during the past
year. Careful measurements and
Btudy demonstrate that no more per.
feet oonseryors Of water exist than our
Irrigated lands Themselves. Water
thus applied 10 only partially evapor-
ated while on tho longer streams this
water utains back and Ia 90 used
over aud over. In tho forty miles
OF tho jordan river this occurs
at least three times, and q project 10
now on foot TO take the water out again
by current motors near tue outlet on
tue adjacent lands fifteen 10 twenty
feet above the river level. While these
return waters vary with different
streams It 10 q great step In advance to
even partially determine them locally.
A forestry association, composed OF
some OF the best educated anu think
ing men OF this region, who are earnest
workers, 10 already doing good work to
not only save what we have lett OF our
forests, but also by "parking" to pro-
mote forest growth all along the lines
OF tbs head waters Of our streams.
In this connection, however, the
hest reiult effected has been the found
Ing OF the State Irrigation association
for Utah. A. Q potent factor In pro.
noting irrigation and all eognate
matters this will probably do much TO
educate our people aud keep them In
the front rank OF irrigation agIicuI-
turisls. The machinery OF this ofgani-
sstion IL simple but we believe etiec-
tive.
In conclusion we Of Utah feel that
no better move hss ever bsen msde for
the people OF tue Wost than that OF
bringing about our National Irrigation
Congress. Without taking into &c.
count what has been done TO uoncen-
tfAte cur ideas and our efforts In q
legislative way, tho Incentive given
for increased snd better work along all
the lines u irrigation would alone
compensate Western people for the
time, trouble and expense incurred.
6sntlnmsn, that Utah thoroughly
appreciates the beneng she has d.rived
by meeting you year after year IL best
evidenced by the annually increasing
number OF our delegates.