Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-15
IRRIGATION IN UTAH
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notwithstanding that irrigation was
first introduced into the United states
hy the Mormon pioneers I'm Utah. said
Engineer o. R. Young this week, there
is suu a great deal Of room for im-
proycment In the methods In use IN
this state. In some respects Colorado,
wyoming ana California are now in adj
vance OF Utah In the perfection Of irri-
cation methods. This is largely due
10 the assistance given by these states
al OF which are more advanced than
lrtah In state engineering. Some ac-
ton was taken in this matter by the
state legislature two years ago, which
had for rs object the encouragement Of
the storage OF irrigation water and It
Is not improbable that further consd-
Grafton VIII be given the matter boy the
Legislature, which Conyencs In Janu-
ary That the subject is one OF grows
Ing public interest Us evidenced boy the
attention given the matter I'm the yari-
Gus Trans Mississippi congresses, by
which the general government has been
urged TO take % hand iu the matter
The subject is one OF vital Importance
In the west Already many visitors
from the East Europe and the South
Seas have been and are deeply inn
pressed with the transformation
brought about by the cruder irTiga-
ton systems OF earlier days. The sim
pie diversion Of the mountain streams
has led 70 the retaining Of hundreds
OF thousands Of acres OF sage brush
desert Now. however greater ongi-
neering skill and more capital are need
ed 20 10 farther than the diversion Of
the streams and conserve the great
overflow az certain seasons OF the year.
which 40 present largely runs Go waste.
The 0r.ginal systems. such as those In
salt Lake county, were built by assoc
citation of community efforts, ana were
laid out on the easiest lines The pco-
pie lacked money though labor was
plentiful, and I'm this manner the vari-
Gus canals We're constructed. The sci-
entiAc construction OF canals was not
followed, ana the result has been the
loss OF a great deal OF water from
evaporation and seepage. The modern
system OF canal building contemplates
tho direct conveyance of water 90 IT'S
destination IN such "a manner that fric-
ton seepage and evaporation are re-
duced 20 a minimum In the place Of
sharp angles I'm canals. modern Cngi-
neering skill suggests gentle curves
Fumes are also built 90 avoid extreme
~ meanderinC courses around lu'chps.
in a few words, &c may Doe said that the
aim OF the present system is 90 gat the
water TO the ground as quickly as pose
sible This requires more capital and
greater skin than was ohtlinabIe In
early days Consequently. &c Is not
surprising that a great work like the
Bear River canal was contaminated
few years AGO which was not possible
IN the early history of Utah. This
company damned the water OF Bear
river and conveyed it some so miles at
q cost of probably Slj0000l The meth
DDS OF this company AFFORD a striking
object lesson Of the differences between
the methods of carly days and those
OF more modern times
WATER STORAGE.
Great, however. as has been the cost
Of divcr,ing the mountain streams TO
aid agriculture. it ls when we come
10 water storage that great expense
IS being incurred u IS here that
much higher engineering skill Us re-
Quirsl and 10 is these things. perhaps
which help 90 make So a field specially
inviting for state ala or Government
assistance The fact that IN many
places. an the water I'M the streams Is
diverted during irriEating seasons,
makes the conservation OF the early
sprirg water q necessity if q greater
reputation is TO Zoe secured iU those
Districts. Already the efforts OF sew
,ral companies arc bearing good fruit
Among these is the Nj Ncbo Irrigation
3 Land company. which has built q
big storage reservoir and head works.
The water has been conveyed
around Kimball Creek Valley and
IS now the means OF reclaim
ing about 1900 acres OF land,
with the prospect that this win be- in
creased 20 10000 acres. Another pro-
ject OF similar character is the Gunui-
son reservoir, which Is 80 successful
that IT'S enlargement has been deter
mined on. The Clear Lake Irrigation
company has awaited itself Of several
small natural lakes other companies
might be mentioned all Of which are
more or less successful In their opera
lions.
PROJECTS.
The attention that Is being given TO
water storage Is best shown by the
numerous projects now being promoted
and consummated In different parts Of
the State Too much cannot be said
upon this matter as upon its advance
ment depends the increase in the agri-
cultural resources Of Utah OF the pro-
jected schemes none Is OF greater inn
portance than the Bonneville Water
and Power Co., which proposes 10 carry
out one OF the largest storage schemes
IN the world near bennington on the
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