The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-29
SILT LAKE DRYING UP
Before Another Century It
May Have Vanished.
IRRIGATION IS TO BLAME
Its Geological Recessions-
Who Discovered 1t.

Denver, Aug 27.-Before another CEN
fury nears its end the Great Salt lake.
the mysterious tideless inland sea Grad
led 1900 four thousand feet above the lev
ell of oceans, may have disappeared into
air. For three decades its shore line
steadily has been contracting, its depth
continually growing less, until today its
ultimate destiny is written SO legibly that
the waters are being weafted into the at
mosphere is no figure Of speech. EvaD-
grafton is the foe which in certain course
of time, under prevailing conditions, Is
going transform the vast expanse Of wat
er into huge salt basin.
Ages ago, thousands of years the geo.
logists say, the Great Salt lake, then q
sea covering the greater part, possibly
the whole. Of the great basin began TO
subside, but strangely enough the agency
which now is fastening its disappearance
Is distinctly of human origin. OF more
astonishing purport still the Mormons,
who made the valley Of the Jordon widen
from a narrow strip If green to miles
of fields of unexcelled fertility. are them
selves the people who have sacrificed the
lake. That they may exist, that their
rich tracts may continue to bear, they
deliberately are cutting of the source Of
fresh water supply of the mountain sea.
Stagnant and helpless the lake is coming
to lie at the complete mercy Of pitiless
sun.
Not many years ago geographers and
descriptive writer's took a fancy to ex-
pressing the belief that the Great Salt
Lake was fed not alone by the four rivers
which empty into it, but by hidden
springs at its bottom. AS long as no one
took the trouble to question the ascer-
tons they were accepted as facts, and by
many persons are still credited. II there
were springs at intervals aong the bed of
the lake it would not matter so much
whether the rivers continued to pour
their contents into the basin, but no
springs exist. They were called into the
pages of text books and into the accounts
OF travellers to explain why the lake Is
so exceptionally salt. 1t sounded much
better to say that nature, by one Of its
freaks, had opened I'D the crust of the
ter the style OF geysers and sulhur
Springs than to make the simple state
ment that the sadness, as with the ocean,
was rdue to the process Of evaporation
on a body of water lacking drainage
outlet. and that its excess was the con-
sequence of altitude Plainly enough, II
the infiowfng water be diverted to other
uses before 1t reaches the lake, there will
come a day when its salt deposit, which
is the result Of the long continued war
fare between sun and water. will stand
exposed, its blanket gone.
The mormons, more, perhaps, than any
class of settlers in the arid districts of
North America have mastered the science
of irrigation. They have been studying
and experimenting for over half CEN
fury In all the time since they entered
their promised land they have labored
with the end Of making a little water do
the most possible good.
Unfortunately for the Great Salt lake,
the lessons Of economy in the usage of ir-
rigation rivuIets have not served to keep
peace with the increase Of population
and the consequent necessity Of the con-
tinued reclamation OF arid land. All the
water for the irrigation Of the Jordon
Valley-the Great Salt lake stake of the
mormon church, as 1t is denominated-
must come from the rivers which feed
the lake. They are the Jordon river itself
connecting the fresh water Utah lake
with the larger body; Weber river, which
has its source in the foot hills of the
Utah mountains and flows northward
winding close to Ogden before 1t empties
into the lake; Ogden river, a smaller
stream, which parallels the Weber for
the latter half Of the journey: and the
Bear river which drains the Great Bear
lake at the north.
The Bear river Is subject to irrigation
demands of the gentle as well as the
Mormons. since more of It's course is
through Idaho than Utah. but tha Web
er and the Jordan are wholly within
Mormon sphere of agricultural influence.
While the gentiles divide the city popula-
tons of Utah. they do not compete with
them in the farming districts. They own
! the mines In the mountains. but these
need no water for irrigation. Hence It is
that the Mormons have themselves ia
| thank for the lakes recession.
It has come to pass that at the dryest
seasons of the year the Weber discharges
but a tiny streamlet into the lake. The
Jordon and the Bear both drain lakes
| which IN turn are fed by mountain
| streams, their flows are larger than thai
| of the Weber, though Insignificant ir
| comparison to what they once were OF
what they would be again should the ir.
rigation canals or bitches cease to claim
| their contents.
1t would seem at first thought that thu
fate OF Utah lake would be identical with
that OF the Great Salt lake. The fedora
government. indeed. was seized over ter
years age with the fear that the LESSEE
body would soon be dried I'd. though NJ
concern was express for the possible eg
feet upon the saline reservoir II KEEP
| filling.
| When the Great Salt lake is gone II VII