The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-15

There are but two serious objections
to raising the lake by damming the
outlet, which of itself VIII involve but
a trifing expenditure-the one that it
will overflow these tillable lands. and
the other. quite as important, that il
will so increase the area that evapora-
ton will offset the Increased storage
capacity.
The irrigation survey party. from
the Office of the geological survey. in
the examination Of this basin, noted
this objection and expressed the Opin-
ion that IL was not practicable TO use
it as a reservoir for that reason. At
the same time il was stated that in
occasional flood periods the water was
likely to be backed UP for long dis
lance across the meadows, and so they
proceeded to Segregate all the area that
was subject to such overflow. with
drawing all the public lands from the
market within the prescribed lines
The danger of overflow therein indi-
Gated is a menace which depreciates
the value of the land for general cult
walton, and which has practically pre-
vented the use of it except for pastur-
age from the natural salt grasses.
Deductions and Comments.
With the foregoing brief statement of
the situation the deductions TO be made
from il are
First-To utilize the lake as a reser-
! voir it must be confined in its surface
/ area: and.
| Second-The rights of owners in the
/ adjoining lands must be respected.
Fortunately, it is possible and prac-
ticabIe to cover both these contingent
! cies at a cost that will be justified by
/ the results and in a manner that VIII
/ afford the people of Salt Lake county
! an abundant supply of water for irri-
/ cation. and at the same time TO inn
prove and greatly increase the value of
the border lands for the Utah county
! owners.
! Before announcing the general plan
I of Improvement it may be noted that
] by an agreement made several years
! ago between representatives of the re-
/ Spective parties authority was given
J 10 raise and hold the lake at a level
+ fixed as n compromise point When
il is filed to the extreme height agreed
| upon. about three and a half feet can
be drawn from it's surface. The mar
/ gin of the lake when so filled may be
| accepted as the established ''meander
line" with the property rights above
it determined and acknowledged.
The Plan.
The sugh estion, then. that was pre-
! Gcnted by the writer several years ago
| is to build dyke along the shore line.
! So established that it will permit of
rising the surface, say five or six feet
| above the compromise point without
| increasing the surface area.
First the outlet should be dredged
on the most direct line to the narrowS
to tie lowest depth at which water
can be delivered to the headgates OF
| the established canals: and this should
not cost much more than to put in a
pumping plant as proposed. Gates at
the margin. of the lake would then en-
able such control that in cases of eX-
IRENE drouth. like the present, water
coul6 be drawn somewhat lower than
it can be now. while in periods Of eN-
| Cessive rainfall enough could be stored
20 carry over sufficient for one, or even
4N@s ,nra~1
il for the direct benefit of Salt Lake
county.
let us consider the rights of the
Utah county land owners. In building
The proposed dyke, a drain ditch deer
I enough to intercept all seepage water
! 1.rder the dyke embankment should be
| rxcavated. which at the same time
/ should furnish outlet for drama &c
bitches. or tile draina, to reclaim the
| lands now sui charged with alkaH, OF
50 saturated with seepage water as &c
/ depreciate Their value. far below what
! il ought to be Fortunately. the estab-
! lishmen. Of the beet sugar industry
] which CT esItes a demand for the prod
ucts of Thousands of acres of beets il
/ the district where such reclamation Il
| proposed. in:sisres an increase In th'
value OF such land TO three or foul
. times the price at which II can now b
sold.
II follows, then. that both parties il
interest would be substantially bene
fed by such an Improvement In fact
either ooulc easily afford all the eN
pense involved for the benefit it would
directly derive. If Joined in the under
= taking, as they should be, the people o
4 both counties would have a direct anC
very Important share in the benefits
There would be practically no damage
| it would be all benefits.
The cost. while it would aggregate
! considerable sum, would be compare
lively small. far below the general ex
t pectation. 1t is work that can be don
entirely with dredges. which. as nov
: | constructed, can excaVate earth at
cost Of or 3 cents per cubic yard.