The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-10-08
STUDY WATER PLANS
City Officials Inspect Big Cot
wood Sources.
ENGINEER THE TUTOR
SAVING AND DEVELOPING PRO
JECTS VIEWED FAVoRABLY.

1
seven members of the council, Water
| works Superintendent Hines and Assist
| ant Attorney c. B. Stewart, the latter
specially representing City Attorney
| Stephens paid a visit of inspection to
| the sites proposed for developing and
otherwise obtaining an adequate supply Of
| water from Big Cottonwood canyon for
Salt Lake City's present and future needs
| Primarily the purpose of the trip was to
inform the members of the council of the
feasibility of the plan of developing and
| conserving large flow of water toward
| the mouth of the canyon under the ap~
propriated right filed upon recently by
! Engineer Kelsey for the municipality, and
| it was conceded that the days jaunt was
not without compensation to the sOlons
| in the way of increased wisdom to solve
| the perpleXing water problem.
Regret was expressed that Mayor
Thompson and the eight councilman did
not report at the appointed rendezvous as
trip were Buckle, Cottrel, Davis. HeW-
lett, Fernstrom, Reid and Thomas. All
of them were keenly interested in what
was drawn to their attention and the re-
sulting discussions
Assistant City Attorney Stewart was
particularly interested so that he could
consistently report upon the question OF
how much work is necessary to be done
on the new rights acquired IN order 10
hold the appropriation while developing II
on a scale commensurate with the city
means until at least the proceeds from
ion conceded with that of his principal
that many men should be employed on
the work as can be worked to advantage,
and accordingly a start will be made not
later than tomorrow, the next to the last
day of grace
City Engineer Explains.
The drive was made direct to the mouth
of Big Cottonwood canyon. where Engi-
neer kelsey commenced to explain the
nature, extent and results of the work
proposed to be done Here the measuring
vair mt in nv he showed a
p, 600, coo gallons daily. Ii was stated by
the engineer that his record of measure
mentS. covering a period of two years,
and the only record eXtant. showed that
there was a loss of from % to % per cent
Grafton for a distance of about two and
half miles down the grayelly and gran
lite boulder hollow His first plan IS In
under a lately appropriated right. which
was located with the concurrence of State
Engineer Gemmell, who passed favorably
upon the question of feasibility and for
titled himself with engineering facts in
order to assure the farmers below that
their vested rights would not be molested
by the execution of the plan 1t is to
convey in pipe line the creeks flow over
the two and a nalf miles down to the
head of the Green ditch, which is the low
est point of diversion of the irrigating
streams.
of wood stave thirtyesix inches in diam
eter, and with the heavy down grade
would be of ample capacity to carry all
of the waters of the big creek during its
low stages in dry weather down to the
lowest point of diversion where the city
would take its 20 or % per cent of the
evaporation, amounting to more than the
present flow of City creek and turn IL
into forty-inch staVe pipe line easy
or hydraulic grade ten miles into the big
distributing reservoirs contemplated to be
constructed east on Mt Olivet cemetery
Cost of the Work.
lost water would be about $4,000 ard
considerably less if the Utah Light &
Power company will join in the work,
as il is likely to do in moving its power
plant down to the old granite paper mill,
above the tale race of which the city
cannot take the water even if it owned
the whole creek. Engineer Kelsey esJi-
mated the cost of the ten-mile pipe lire
at about $4,000.
5000 in sinking a shaft near the mouth
of the canyon to ascertain how much of
demonstrate if it would be advisable 10
run q tunnel up the cayOn on bed rock to
develop the underfiOw.
Engineer Kelsey further explained that
these two plans are part OF the whole
scheme TO bring a large portion OF Big
Cottonwood water into the city When
ever the water from this source is to be
conducted citywardS the ten-mile pipe
line must be constructed However, be
fore the project to exchange rights in the
city canal for water of Big Cottonwood
owned by the farmers is put into effect IL
would be necessary to make Utah lake do
its fullest duty reservoir for irrigat-
ing purposes and the canal must be re
constructed on the highest grade line
possible
To permanently solve the citys water
problem for all time to come would re
quire an outlay, the engineer estimates,
of $3.50, 900 more than the $4,000 for water
improvements authorized by the taxpay-
ers in voting the bonds last July.
During the discussion of the entire
question with the cOuncilmen, Engineer
Kelsey made the point that nothing of
value could be accomplished in securing
more water for the city without resorhEg
10 Big Cottonwood in the manner out
n hut he or a q
would like to see something better point
ed out. He added that a little money
spent here and little there would count
Ior nothing ana ne expressed reSret thas
the water bonds had not been made OF
sufficient amount TO permanently increase
the municipalities water supply.
Exploding Bugaboos.
For a time Councilman Fernstrom con-
tended that the piping of the flow over
the two and a half miles to save the
enormous loss would involve the city IN
plea that their springs below had IN
Consequence been dried up, but the
engineer demonstrated that the great
majority of the springs lower down came
from the irrigating bitches and not from
the seepage water of the canyon creek
Admitting for the sake of argument that
few springs would be DRIED up, me
engineer declared that the farmers would
first have to prove that the city caused
the damage Even then il would pay the
city to supply the water from its pipe
Then the engineer asked If the city is
going to stop trying TO increase its
water supply every time some one threat
ems a damage suit.
Chairman Davis of the waterWoTks com
mittee, was served, the official party in
spected the headgates of the bitches taken
out of the canyon creek, some OF the
Sr1rir X claimed