The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-14
MAY BLOCK UTAH
LAKE PROJECT
A. G. Lamson Admitted to Have
the Advantage.
CITYS RIGHTS LET LAPSE
TROUBLE IS AHEAD FOR THE
RESERVOIR SCHEME.

Breakers are ahead FOR the project
OF the Salt Lake valley canal inter-
ests to secure a congressional appro-
priation of $1,000. 900 for making a res
ervoir of Utah lake. IT is no longer a
secret that salt Lake City has lost
its valuable right to the reservOired
waters Of the lake by virtue of the act
of appropriation of a couple Of years
ago and that Allan Q. Lamson, who
filed on the same right a day later,
adverse to the city and the canal com
panies. is now terrifying his position
so that when terms Of compromise are
sued for ne VIII be the master of the
situation. The rough sailing for the
reservoir project can be more easily es-
timated when it is understood that the
canal companies taking the outflow of
the lake had all along contemplated
sharing in the benefits of the city's
appropriation on nominal terms, but
since the municipality lost its addi-
tional rights and Mr.. Lamson SHOWS
that he must be considered in all fu-
ture NEGOTIATIONS a new aspect of the
situation is presented.
Acknowledge the Coin.
The embarrassment of the situation
was revealed yesterday at the meet
ing of the committee delegated by the
president Of the canal companies and
the municipality some time ago to
petition congress for a large apprOpria-
ton TO carry out the reservoiring pro-
iect. AT this meeting, attended by
Chairman Angus NJ. Cannon, Mayor
Thompson, County Commissioner An
dersOn, state Engineer DOremus and
John Henry Smith. it was blushingly
confessed that Salt Lake City had
abandoned last spring the work neces-
sary to be done in good faith and in
pursuance Of a definite plan to get
more water out of the lake through the
city canal so that an advantageous ex-
change could be made with owners of
Big Cottonwood creek, thus making it
possible to bring a larger supply OF
pure water into the city.
Pledge Is Not Kept.
When the taxpayers voted bonds 10
the amount of S250,000 to relieve the
CITY from the distress of shortage of
water supply it was pledged by the
municipal administration that the val
liable rights acquired in Utah lake in
addition to the original fifth interest
in the flow Of Jordan river, would be
protected and developed, but this has
not been done. Some of the bond
money was used to pay for surveys and
urgent work TO hold the appropriation
Of the reservOired waters until it be
gan to appear that not enough would
remain in the fund to pay for pipe lay
ing contracts. Then all work on the
Utah lake project was abandoned and
. Mr.. LamsOn quickly seized upon the
situation TO his own advantage. Under
his now prime and valid appropriation
to the reservoired waters of Utah lake
he is pursuing a plan of action which
: has convinced several persons who are
in close touch with the situation that
he is in the mastery and even in a
/ position which congress must respect
/ when it comes to apprOpriating money
/ to make the lake discharge more water
/ in dry Sna~OlS.
Seek Plan for Relief.
/ So important did the status of Mr.
/ LamsOn's rights to the surplus waters
of Utah lake appear TO the committee
] yesterday that the meeting directed
/ Attorney F. S Richards and Engineer
I Doremus to determine the present
| status of the situation and report theiI
J recommendations as TO what should be
/ done in the premises before applying
/ TO congress for relief.
In the hope Of overcoming opposition
in other directions, il was decided by
the committee that the members viii
meet at an early date with the land
/ owners along the lake shore in Utah
/ county to explain the scope and in
tention of the reservoiring project
/ These land owners viii be told thai
/ congress will be urged to expend no
/ less than 81 ,0C0 900 to make the lake
an ideal reservoir to supply water t
! reclaim all the now partially reclaimed
. arid lands in Salt Lake valley and al
of the fertile but dry domain in the
southern part of Davis county and the
3 eastern part of TOOele county. and il
the accomplishment of this work al
the swamp lands bordering on the LAKE
viii be reclaimed without doing othel
than benefting those who are nov
ready to oppose the scheme. The ex
PLANTATION of these matters is expected
TO result in changing the attitude o
the Utah county contingent TO the sid,
Of favoring the project and urging i
IN every way
Doremus Sees Breakers Ahead.
After the meeting Engineer Doremu
stated that he saw any amount Of hare
work ahead before the favor of con
/ gress is secured. Unlike some of thr
ardent advocates of the scheme Il
make Utah lake a reservoir through
congressional aid. the state enginee
reasons that il is not an easy matte
to get a million dollars or any othe
sum from congress to aid in such al
undertaking as is projected He hope
to see the objection to special legisla
ton overcome by having proposed
bill for a general law applicable to tn
Utah lake case and any other plans o
land reclamation i'm other states wher
conditions are similar
In the meantime Mr.. Iamson is look
ing intentlv on the moves of the com
mittee and congratulating himself tina
he has the trump hand in the next few
moves to be participated in by himself
the Salt Lake valley canal interests
the city and the Jordan Narrows powe
plant