The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-23
ANNUAL REPORT
ON IRRIGATION
Chief Newell Tells of the Work
in This State.
REGULATION OF UTAH LAKE
UTILIZATION OF THE WATERS
OF BEAR LAKE.
REGULATION OF UTAH LAKE
(speclal 70 The Herald.l

Special to The Herald)
Washington, Aug. 22.-The first an
nual report of F. H. Newell. chief of
the reclamation service under the geo
logical survey, which is charged with
carrying out the provisions of the ma
tional irrigation law of the last con-
gress, reviews at length the work that
has been done by the engineers in the
field up to the close OF the past year.
Contained in the report is a summary
OF examinations made Ira Utah, which,
IN a general way, throws light on the
outlook in Utah, and in a sense indi-
Gates localities where the government
Will sooner or later undertake the con-
struction of irrigation works.
Utah Lake Regulation.
1.-THE most important project for the
development of the arid lands of Utah
is that which involves the complete
control of the water entering Utah lake
or Jordan river" says Mr.. Newell.
1.-The situation is peculiar, but the en-
cheering features are not especially
difficult. The complications arising from
vested rights will cause the greatest
delay" He goes on to explain that
Utah lake is a broad, shallow body Of
water, from which evaporation is 50
great that probably more water disap-
pears into the air than is put to ben
eficial use. il is not economical as a
reservoir, and its value could be in
creased by decreasing its area if, at
the same time, the storage capacity
could be maintained by providing for
a greater annual rise and fall of the
diminished surface. It is to the adj
vantage Of Utah county to decrease the
area of the lake. as by so doing the
broad extent of the marsh land would
be reduced and the cultivated areas ex-
tended By storing all of the water
possible in mountain valleys and keep
Ing II from reaching Utah lake until
the time of the year when IL is needed,
a double benefit would result to Utah
county, in making available a larger
summer flow of the streams and in
keeping to the minimum the area Of
flooded valley below.
The efforts of the department at the
present time are being directed toward
arranging some scheme by which the
vested rights viii be harmOnized, the
rights of all preserved, and the surplus
water made available for disposal, so
that the proceeds may repay the cost
Of the work, in case it is undertaken by
the government 1.-The scheme is be-
lieved to be feasible" says Mr.. New
ell, but it viii require great care, per-
severance and tact on the part of those
having IL in hand" He refers to the
fear on the part OF those now drawing
water from Utah lake, that any inter
ference with tbs level of the lake may
disturb their water supply. but when a
plan is eventually worked out he be-
lieves these fears can be allayed.
Bear River Project
Next in Importance to the complete
control Of Utah lake is the fuil utiliza-
ton Of the waters of Bear lake" con-
tinues the report. Water is taken out
of Bear river by number Of canals
in Utah. Idaho and Wyoming, through
which the stream runs. The regula-
ton Of the river ard the best use OF
its waters involve interstate problems
From studies heretofore made, it is ev-
ident that the key to the whole situa-
ton is the control of Bear lake II
has been determined that the main
source of supply of Bear lake is upper
Bear river. for while the river proper
does not flow into the lake, there is a
channel which drains the lake and
empties into the lake. Investigations
now being conducted are intended tC
device a means of practically utilizing
Bear lake as a storage reservoir fol-
impounding the waters that are now
annually going tolwaste in large guam
titles IT is found that a rise Of threS
or four feet ia the lake will not ma.
terially affect the surrounding coun-
try, but there is some doubt as t
whether the lake. II thus raised, could
be prevented from overlooking into
Mud lake, from which IL is separated
by a low sand bar. In fact, it ha'
been determined that some work viii
be necessary to make this sand bal
sufficiently imperviOus to prevent thu
water Of the main lake escaping
through into Mud lake. The fnstalla
ton of n cut-on wall is looked upoI
as necessary.
Use of the Water.
There are no lands in the immediate
vicinity of Bear lake that can be ben
Gifted by the stored water, and TIT
only outlet from the valley into 10
cality where benefits are to be derived
is through Bear river The presen
channel is unsuitable, being winding
and otherwise inefficient, and it is be
lieved from preliminary examination