The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-29
Utah LAKE RESERVOIR
FIRST PROJECT IN STATE
Only Suggested Barrier Will Be the Litigation
Pending Between Canal Companies.
Chief Engineer Newell Talks Entetainngy at Reception Given
in His Honor by Commercial Club

ROM PERSONAL conversation and
/ the drift OF an address made be-
fore the Commercial club last
-,bt nv f. II. Newell, chief engineer
- the reclamation survey. it is reason
.s,y certain that the first government
,.-ivstion project in Utah will be the
.,1iza lion Of Utah lake as a great res
.-roir. The only barrier to the project,
"a far as indicated. is the litigation
t,iween Utah and salt Lake counties
and between the canal companies
5,swiug water from the lake MIR.
versU indicated how this obstacle
rsbt be overcome. and it is thought
Conference Of interested parties will
10 held TO accomplish the necessary
rrsinlnary negotiations to that end.
about seventy-five members of the
slrb had gathered to meet Mr.. Newell.
and after personal greetings Secretary
Al state Hammond made an informal
speech Of Introduction. saying Mr..
Newell probably knew as much about
tho irrigation problem in Utah as any
n the old settlers IF the region. and
would therefore, he listened to with
more than casual interest on that sub
ret
Working Of Survey.
Mr. Newell prefaced his talk by de-
s-ribing the workings of the geological
survey Of the interior department.
which was entrusted with the execution
q the new irrigation law. 1t was the
iuty Of a branch of the geological sur
yey. he said, TO examine and report to
the secretary Of the interior on projects
for the reclamation of arid lands. No
rroiect would be considered which did
no promise 10 refund it's cost to the
EOYernment ultimately. The law leaves
much To the discretion of the secretary
Of tha interior. and is so wide in its
application that it can be utilized for
sny reclams ton plan which would
commend itself to the judgment of
PRACTICAL business men. II was because
o. this appeal to business men that the
department. was DESTROYS of enlisting
the cooperation and support of the
commercial clubs and similar business
organizations Of the country
Continuing. Mr.. Newell spoke of the
various applications that would be
made Of the law. Where government
land was reclaimed. the cost of the
water supply would be assessed against
the land, the homesteads limited to the
smallest feasible number OF acres, and
each settler required TO live the full
Eve years on his homestead without
cQmmUtauoH. paying for the water at
Us assessed cost in ten annual pay
ments Il had not been determined
bow these payments would be secured
or what guarantee the government
would require 10 insure the payments
No title would pass until the entire
cost assessed against the homestead
had been met.
In cases where a community already
possessing canals and an irrigation
system wished TO increase its water
supply by storage or other means, the
government would probably require an
agreement with all the landholders I'm
der the canals affected to pay the cost
Of the improved supply before any
work would be undertaken or the
scheme recommended to the interior
department..
Must Settle Disputes.
answering a number of questions.
off, Newell said that where litigation
q, disputes over water rights existed,
would be recommended unless the dis
ti'ants reached an agreement among
themselves. The department was not
olnpeHed 20 spend money in any spe-
Lel project and il certainly would not
olhe involved in irriga ton systems
rsIe Htlgauon would embarraSs it.
l..'eS and towns we're supposed to be
soc to take care Of themselves and
yu'd not receive government assist
some Of the club members present
Interested i'm the canals from Utah
enc especially those west of the Jor-
.aA' With the situation there in mind,
~ asked how canal companies could
ZONE be9ehciarics of reclamation
surveys. Mr.. Newell said that was a
N1sSuon of administration and could
ivy De answered off-hand: he would
say. however, that no corpora ton
tIa get the benefit of the irrigation
~. IL was intended TO limit the Op-
a,lons OF the law to direct relations
~" oWrers Of the land using the wa
' Nhere canals were directed BY
."pdnleS and land owners held GER
'aseS ot water rights. il might be
S'Io.N 10 secure agreements with the
-NlAual owners of the land and wa
No. out mat was a problem for the
u'erS 20 work out among them
.VN such an agreement would have
W formulated before any recon-
,ilduon could be made to the in
,or department. Of it's feasibility. In
~ case. the land benefited would
10 Dear the cost of the improved