The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-28
.IRRIGATORS ARE
MOVING SLOWLY
CONTINUED from page II


erroneous idea that it is not necessary
TO look at the source of supply as the
vital part of an ideal irrigation system
and that it ought 10 be permissible to
allow grazing and timber cutting on
the sheds, has forced him to the con-
clusion that in Utah the natural des-
erts are becoming parks and the nat
ura! parks are becoming deserts. He
advocated the protection and preser-
yation of the watershed areas. for
without so doing the water is wasted
when II should be held in reserve, as
nature formerly conserved it.
Protect the Sources Of Supply.
II was further pointed out by Mr..
Doremus that only 4 per cent of the
area Of Utah is possible OF cultivation.
but there is not water enough for even
this small area Much of the remain
der Of the state ought 20 be consid-
cred the watersheds and protected.
With this done and reservoirs built to
hold the flcod waters, he said there
would be enough supply To irrigate two
or three times as much land as is now
possible to irrigate. He ridiculed the
idea of making forest reservations of
watersheds where there is not a tree
in thousand acres and letting live
stock Craze thereon for revenue to the
government.
Another difficulty, the speaker said.
was that irrigators stay at home and
let others make laws for them, and the
irrigators are too modest to make
themselves felt as a power and let
their wishes be known. While he
deemed it desirab that federal aid be
secured TO reclaim the arid lands. he
warned the convention that it must
not Re carried away with the delusion
that congress Is going 10 build reser-
voirs and then turn the water loose.
Mr.. Doremus concluded by saying he
had some more remedies to suggest
and that he would tell them later.
The part Of Mr. Doremus' address
referring TO the indefinite DEGREES rem
6ered by the courts in attempting to
adjudicate water rights was deemed
by Mr.. HalvOrsen, county attorney Of
Weber county. TO be an attack upon
the judiciary. He could not credit that
any such DEGREES as referred to by the
state engineer had ever been made, and
he wanted to hear from Judge Johnson
in refutation of the insinuation
Just before the noon recess was
taken it was agreed that Judge John
son should have an opportunity to
speak at the afternoon session.
Flood of Resolutions.
The afternoon session was COM
menced with the firing of a volley Of
resolutions from all parts of the con-
ventiOn hall. The various propositions.
some of them conflicting in their pUr-
port, were. with couple of exceptions.
referred to the committee on resOlu-
tiCns, after reading by the secretary.
One of the most surprising of the reso-
lutions was that offered by Delegate
Pack of Summit county, declaring that
the convention OUGHT to urge the gov
ernor to cal Ia special session of the
ernor to call a special session of the
legislature TO pass suitable laws de-
signed to regulate the distribution of
water. and that a committee be- APP
pointed to draft the proposed bills and
lobby them through 70 enactment.
o. P. Miller offered q resolution for
the appointment of a committee OF
eleven, associated with the governor
and the state engineer. to formulate
plan of organizing an effective state
irrigation association. and report it for
the conventions considerat ton. The
resolution was adopted and the follow
ing were selected as the committee: @.
p Miller of Salt Lake w. D. LiVinES-
ton of Sanpete. James .Curfew. Of Beav-
er. Caleb Tanner Of Utah. Henry Mar
shall of Tooele. I. c. ThOresen of
Cache George HalvOrsen Of Weber, j.
H Wilcox of Davis, John Pasket OF
Summit G. II. WilCken of Millard and
Simon Christensen Of Sewer. The COM
mittee was directed to report at
o'clock This afternoon.
A resolution was offered by Delegate
Howard of Emery county favoring, as
a means of reducing the existing con-
fusion in the division of water from
the rivers and canals, the incorpora
ton Of all such rights, where existing
wholly in one county. and the control
of the distribution by a bonded COM
missioner or watermaster. acting under
a general board of directors. elected by
the shareholders of all the waters.
Practical Aid Suggested.
A resolution by w D. Livingston of
Sanpete declared that the pressing and
most important field of development of
irrigation is the conservation and
proper distribution of surplus waters
and that any legislation by congress
proposing the expenditure of money
solely on projects for the reclamation
of unOccupied government land would
be OF little benefit to the people OF
Utah except in the uninhabited Green
river region. The resolution further de-
clared that the most practical aid IN
this direction which could be extended
would be a longtime, low-interest loan
from the government to promoters. and
that Utahs delegation in congress be
memorialized to this end
A resolution by Peter Ciegg of TOoele
county protested against the policy of
the state land board in permitting The
selection Of land TO he sold in forty
acre tracts. covering springs IN noun
tain districts. thus giving purchasers
of such lands control Of water sources
to the detriment of irrigation interest
The reading Of this resolution was
greeted with applause
The entire delegation from Davis
county offered a resolution protesting
against the establishment of more for
est reserves in this state purpOrting tc
no i'm the interest Of irrigation. until
further Investigations are made. ard
If is fully demonstrated by experience
that the grazing of stock on mountain
districts is sufficiently detrimental &c
IRRIGATION interests to warrant such q
policy.
Delegate Nebeker of Rich offered &
resolution dec airing il to be the sense
! of the convention that the most ef-
I fective and expedient method. of pre-
serving the timber and underground
necessary for the conservation of the
waters of the state used for irrigation
purposes is by. the establishment. IN
1 der the federal government of forest
reservations on the public lands at the
/ headwaters and along the banks of al
rivers and streams of the state
A resolution by Engineer DOremu;
was offered. declaring that the water
/ shed sof Utah's irrigation systems are
/ the essential parts of such systems
4 that their protection as the sources o.
/ water supply is of paramount import