Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-09
Chief Engineer Nevelrs Report
Will Soon be Issued to
The Public.
ABOUT HEADWATER FORESTS.
III, Salt River Valley, Idaho Deserts,
Montana Projects and Other In.
portant Undertakings.
snsolal correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
washington, Jan. 6,-The second an
pual report Of the irrigation reclama-
lion service, under the charge OF Fred
erIck II. Newell is now in proof and will
.oon be issued as a public document
rps report will give a general descrip-
ION NJ the work being done by the
government In the various western
',ates and territories under the national
irrigation law. Actual construction
hos been begun in Arizona and Neva-
Ia ON two great projects which will re-
lain, several hundred thousand acres
~ fertile land and build II UP into
Sanea AGRICULTURAL communities. De-
.oued surveys have been and are being
s,sde of numerous other projects and
nnyerol of these will be taken up dur
sng the coming year. BY the end OF
,sS nresent fiscal year there will doubt
i ~" he something like % or "a million
Sollars in the reclamation fund for this
work , g..
The general idea is, as expressed in
AVA renort. that the irrigation law Is a
safa and carefully framed act and can
Ia worked out to advantage. No
ehanee or amendment to the law is
commended to Congress II after
an actual trial upon two or three pro-
,acts some weak point develops then
Inc government will be In a position to
,nteligently advise Congress what
change Is needed
HEAD WATERS FORESTS.
The forthcoming report Of the frri-
cation reclamation service calls atten-
,ion 10 the great necessity for the pro-
,actlon OF the headwaters OF streams.
zone of the most important matters
IN connection with the permanent de-
yeopment OF the water resources or the
country Is the protection OF the catch
,nsnt basins from destructive influence
os The head waters of many OF the
imnortant streams are already included
,rIthln the forest reserves and some OF
the important reservoir sites are thus
guarded from injury, The forest re-
serve boundaries should be extended TO
include the country from which comes
Inc principal part of the rainfall, This
land usually has no value for cultiya-
ION, l. rugged and suitable only for
the production Of trees.
The belief is gaining ground az
Washington that not only should the
forest reserves be extended to this de-
prea but that the entire remaining
public forest lands should be perman-
enty reserved, and that any timber
cut therefrom should be under gov
eminent supervision, thus absolutely
nsurIng the water supply, both for ir-
rlgation and power as we'll as for mu-
nclpal or any other need, The scores
~ ienuded and bare mountain ranges
IN western states, once thickly covered
with spruce and fir. attest to the bane-
full operation Of our present timber
laws,
GREATEST DAM IN U, s.
The official figures Of the geological
survey show an interesting comparl
son Of the dimensions Of the big Tonic
dam Of the Salt River Valley. Arizona
with other great artificial resrvoil
structures in the country, The Tonic
dam Is 10 rise $50 feet above the chan
mel Of the stream. It's thickness al
the base will be 1873 feet, gradually
taperng TO a width Of 16 feet at the
curb the width of the dam across the
canyon will be 500 feet,
The great Croton dam, which is tC
supply New York with water is 20,
feet above the river channel and l,SO'
feet across. II was necessary In this
case to dig down so feet to insure
good foundation.
The Wachusett dam near Boston Is
i29 feet above the river channel Isl
feet thick at the base and $50 feet wide
TO IRRIGATE IDAHO DESERTS.
The government has been making Z
general reconnaissance OF the irriga
ton possibilities Of Idaho, under thu
national law. and has selected three
ocalitles for more complete study
NThe southern portion OF Idaho, par
hcuarly along the Snake river offer
some Of the best opportunities 70
reclamation in the United States" sal,
Mr. T. II, Newell, the national hydro
rapher There are vast tracts o
irId land along this river which coul'
BE- transformed into great farming
communities through the storage of IL
waters"
One OF the three projects selected b,
ne government for special study 4
NE Mud Lake undertaking, This in
Nudes a large extent Of desert land
ND II Is believed that 100000 acre
an be reclaimed through cana
beading on the North Fork OF tn
snake river near ST. Anthony, Nariou
ral lines have been run out by tn
IoSemment across the desert, showing
nat canals can be carried out az differ
MI elevations and at different costs,
The Mindoka project contemplate
ne reclamation Of about 10000 acre
both sides Of the Snake river sout
the oregon Short Line railroad
no snake Is TO be damned but IN
5ater cannot be raised sufficiently hig
get 1t ont on to the best lands =
nay supplemental piping on a larg
,ae Is proposed to reach the land
move the gravity system, The pow
lot pumping can he derived by suit
Dle water wheels installed near tn
am To furnish the water for thes
"o9o acres storage Is to be provide
me head waters OF the Snake, util
.hs Lakes Jackson, Two. Oceai
.mma, Matilda and Jennie, all &
,9lch have been set aside for rescr
The third government project
.ano Is the payette. Boise, near IN
Ivy OF Boise. The Payett
ner on the north furnishc