The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-21

would rise as it did during the wet cycle
Of the EOS and '70s.
Dryer weather than that Of the past
sixteen years had never been known In
Utah, although 1t was Appropriated be-
tween 1927 and 1894. period OF thirty-seven
years. II was inferred that the next six
teen years would not average less in pre-
| cipitatlon than the past sixteen years. and
the people OF Utah might reasonably expect
wet cycle like that Of lSe5-so to begin at
| once. the recent severe winter indicating
that possibility
And the wet cycle did come. For two
! weeks Utah experienced the greatest rainy
F., spell in its history. The precipitation broke
all previous records. The mountains were
full Of melting snow. every stream was
flooded
So Section Director Murdoch FASTENED
to the lake to take the regular monthly
! reading on June 2. He confidently ex-
pected to find q rise in the level but again he
was surprised to find that the lake, in spite
of the heavy rains, had fallen two inches
during May This fact seemed to seal the
! lakes doom
Three causes are assigned for the fall
in the lake--evaporation, irrigation and the
theory that the lake has a subterranean
outlet. Each Of these theories has advo-
Gates and also dissenters.
As to the effect Of irrigation, it began in
ls<s. which was the year succeeding the
advent Of Brigham Young. From the first
the land OF the valley was titled and farm
ing was in operation all during the years
that the lake rose rapidly and maintained
it's high level
This however, would not necessarily
indicate that irrigation Is not responsible
for the low water since there was not enough
artificial watering Of the land to make q
material difference in the lake. But there
has been a steady growth in agriculture
in Utah, and the report of 1900 showed the
amount of land irrigated in the basin to be
600 square miles. which is q little more than
double that under irrigation ten years
previously.
James Tarvin. who has watched the lake
since 1853, said to-day:
THE amount OF water used in irrigating
in the State Of Utah is 2.Ss acre inches for
ten days, or $3.50 acre inches for 100 days.
the irrigating season. Now the present
area Of the lake d.75O square miles) Is nearly
three times that Of the land under irrigation.
and with the precipitation at normal the
loss Of twelve acre inches Of water by means
of irrigation should produce a fall OF four
inches in the lake level the first year
This decline, with the rainfall continu-
ing normal. should then decrease every year
until balance is reached between the area
Of the lake and the amount Of water it re-
ceives when no further fall would result
from irrigation.
so. since the total deficiency in pre-
cipitation for the past sixteen years Is
1890 inches, and since springs. streams
and artesian wells are also drying up,
am forced to believe that 1t is the dry win
tiers rather than the increased irrigation
that form the chief factor in the lowering
of the water level OF this mysterious body
OF salt water; and, this being the case.
the recent heavy storms and copious snow
falls are giving joy to the hearts OF the
people OF Utah. For in that plentiful
downpour seems to lie the only hope for
the redemption OF the lake
Owing to the frequent and great fiuct,a-
tons in volume incident to climatic varia-
tons and other conditions OF change,
the lakes area is inconstant, and the re-
corded surveys Of the water surface show
great discrepancies.
Al general teTHis us pIeScht oAioieio"o
have been recorded a. follows: Average
length. rs miles; greatest width, so miles;
extent OF surface, 2,l26 square miles.
The rivers which feed the lake all enter
1t on the eastern side. They depend upon
the supplies furnished by the Wasatch
and Uintah mountains. OF these streams
the most important are the Jordan, which
brings down from the south the surplus
waters Of Utah Lake, the Weber and the
Bear.
Besides these there are several small
streams locally designated as creeks,
which deliver a moderate contribution
during high-water seasons. Generally,
however, the lower portions Of the creek