The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-18
SAYS UTAH MUST
TAKE FIRST STEP
Government Expert Discusses
Irrigation Situation.
ORGANIZATION IS NEEDED
THIS DONE, THE DEPARTMENT
WILL MAKE THE SURVEYS.
~ - LODI Of - ~ wouId b

! IF the people Of Utah who would be
/ benefited by making a storage res
ervoir out OF Utah lake viii form an
organization with which the govern
ment can deal, the interior department
viii make a survey 10 determine the
/ cnsIEee:In pracucability Of the prof.
ect.
II the scheme is found TO be Dracu-
cable from an engineering standpoint
and advisable as business PROPOSE
ton. and legal obstacles are cleared
away there rs every reason 20 believe
that the government viii undertake the
work.
This. in substance, is the situation as
explained by Morris Bien. engineer in
the reclamation service Of the geologi-
cal survey. who has been sent TO Utah
in this connection by Prof. +. II. New
| ell. chief of the bureau. Mr.. Bien dis
claims any authority 10 promise in be-
half Of the interior department but he
nevertheless made these TWO things
clear.
He gave it TO be understood that the
I survey would be ordered just as soon
as the people showed good Faith in the
I determination TO clear away all legal
| obstacles and to cooperate with the
/ government There is still money avail
/ able for a Utah project, and as the sec
rotary Of the interior is DESTROYS of dis
! tributing the Appropriation among all
| parts of the arid region. Utah has an
! excellent chance of securing portion
Of the fund.
Meeting to Be Held Today.
Mr. Bien had a long session yesterday
| with State Engineer A. +. Doremus and
/ Professor SWeusOn, who have been gath
| ering data ON Utah lake. he VIII meet
I today with these two and with senators
| Kearns and SmOCt, Governor Wells, At
/ tOruey General Breeder and other state
/ officials He will leave tonight Tor Ne
Z vada So there viii not be time for meet
ing OF the special irrigation commission
/ created bv the recent legislature
The first thing for the people OF ltan
10 do Is 20 unite on proposition and CO.
/ operate with the government sald Aii-
Bieu az the knutsiord last evening AS
] understand &c. they have agreed on
the Utah lake project and have appointed
a commission 10 cooperate with the gov
eminent. The next thing 10 DO is 70
form am organization of the people 90 De
benefited SO that the government can
deal with one head instead or dlrkeTnE
with a number of small owners OF ldhu-
Then the thing % do rs 10 determine just
] what water has been appropriated. toF
example. 10 must be found Ou- what water
has been I'M the past supplied % the canal
7 companies taking water from the Jordan
} and 10 all others using water from btan
lake. This must become matter OF
I record in court Then the government
can tell how much water 10 viii have 10
dispose of after the reservoir d eulll
The present owners OF water rights Wiz
De entitled ia just what they have had,
but for additional water they must pay
at the same ratio as new users. Ihe
/ government win furnish water at inc
/ exact cost. but the rate cannot be es-
timated until the extent Of existing rights
| is determined All this must be seiueu
I'm advance for the government viii not
undertake any project where there Is
danger of being tied mp by Injunction.
Must First Show Faith.
"As soon as the people show good faith
| on this line and there is every reason 10
believe that there VIII be no legal on
stacles placed in the way, the depart
mnt can go ahead with its preliminary
work 20 decide on the prdcticanlllty from
Z an engineering standpoint Preparations
/ are being made 20 have surveys made ln
Utah this summer, but 30 has not been
1 decided to have the parties work on
/ Utah lake. 10 costs something Ike allNI
or more 90 make such a survey as would
be necessary there and before this ls
begun the department must have some
! tangible evidence Of good taith on the
part of the people who would be bene-
.The deDartlnent will first make care
ful survey 90 determine just what s.
necessary. To may be decided that by
deepening the lake and dyking the lower
end, constructing the area and lessening
the evaporation. the desired result can
be accomplished. Or some other plan
| NAV be found better. The amount o.
water flowing into the lake must BE- de-
/ termined. Perhaps this viii be sufficient,
aaHfH NaT.HHH o. mn II
which win not be done unless 10 Is found
necessary TO furnish the needed amount
of water.
has been determined and its cost has
been estimated. the department ls In
position TO so with a direct propOsluOn 10
the organization of those who would De
benefited. The cost of the water VIII
be known. We viii say. for example
that il would be- SO an acre. Enough
I owners of land must agree 20 take water
al that price 90 make Do certain tnat me
! government will get back It's money Dr.
is then straight business proposition as
TO whether the thing can be made 20
pay. This fund Is ln the nature OF a loan.
The government lends the money 10 build
the irrigation works and sells enough
water rights TO get back the money To
use on some other project IL this in-
stance, as ] understand IT, only aDouL
One-tenth of the area 90 De oeneIlted y
public land. This practically leaves Il
i'm the hands of the present private own
ers IN datcruine whether the work shall
be undertaken provided the secretary
of the interior is willing TO build il.
No One Injured
There has been some opposition from
holders OF land along the shores or me
lake" &c was suggested. Would that DC
likely TO stop the work if III were proved
go begin with" said Mr. Bicn. eve
do not know that it would be necessary
10 raise the level of the lake so that ls
not as vet an objection. If 10 should be
found. however, that the property Of any
body would be damaged Dr. Would Do
fully reimbursed for Do. TT the holders
viii not sell at FAIR price. condtulIld-
ton proceedings viii be besun- but
every effort win Doe made not 20 damaEe
property in any way unless this ls un-
! aVoidable,
.Thp point has been raised that per-
haps the city of Salt Lake might not be
allowed the benefit or ne impro, ei men.
because b. is corporation, was sus-
gcsted ''ls that likelyy
'That Is "a matter for the legal branch
of the interior department 10 oeieI iniIif-
Mr. Bien said. "ln no place ir the Law
! does the word corporation. occur. The
act simply provides that the owner oil
the land 10 De benefited reside on or near
IT, II the point should be- taken up legal
Is. the worst that could happen 10 the
CITY would he that 30 could not get any
| more water from Utah lake than al pres
emit But it has been suggested thdt by
an exchange with the FARMERS seltius
! water from the mountain creeks, the city
| eould receive the benefit OF the added
| supply That appears 10 be reasonable
although IL is not for me 90 pass lude-
ment upon the question: my business De-
that of engineer.
Mr. Bien stated that AT the time the
national irrigation law was passed. there
was about SlOeooo0 I'm the fund. Rive
/ projects have been undertaken-on MIX