The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1904-02-19
MILLIONS FOR UTAH
IRRIGATION SCHEME WHICH WILL
BENEFIT THREE GREAT
VALLEYS.
Scheme Has Been Practically Ap
proved by the Reclamation Depart.
ment In Washington, and u 10
Believed the Work VIII be
Undertaken.

State Engineer Doremus has 70
turned to Salt Lake City from Wash
ington with an outline OF tho Utah
Arid Land Reclamation Fund commits
sion's mammoth irrigation scheme, by
which II is proposed to provide 1000
600 acres Of fertile lands in the Great
Salt Lake. Utah lake and Cache val
legs with an abundant supply OF water,
and which scheme has been practl'
cally approved BY the reclamation do
partment in Washington Tho only
proylso remaining to be settled is that
the tests OF actual surveys and meas.
urements OF the proposed water sup
plies shall prove the practlcability OF
the project. and there Is hardly doubt
entertained by either State Engineer
Doromus OF the government engineers
who have examined It that tho scheme
is entirely practicable.
The scheme as presented by tho
state engineer is, in brief, as follows
The building OF dam from fifty to
100 feet in height 10 convert Straw.
| berry valley into reservoir having
sufficient capacity to hold all the wat
era that can be practically diverted
into It from the several branches Of
| tho Duchesne river.
The excavation of n channel thirty
TO fifty miles long, following about tho
| 7,600.foot contour by which TO inter
cept tho said waters OF the Duchesne
river and convey them into the Straw
| berry valley storage reservoir.
The construction OF tunnel about
three and one.half miles long through
/ the crest Of the Wasatch mountains.
/ by which the water stored in tho
| Strawberry reservoir may be released
and discharged into the head waters OF
the Spanish Fork river and conveyed
with the water OF said river into Utah
valley.
The construction OF a distributing
| channel on about the 4.S00.foot contour
from near the mouth of Spanish Fork
canyon in a general southwosterly d.
rectlon 10 or near the town of Goshen,
and similar channel from near tho
mouth OF Spanish Fork canyon on
/ about the 8O0.foot contour In a gen.
eral northorly direction to some suit.
/ able point IN Salt Lake valley; also a
branch from said channel crossing tho
/ Jordan river nj point at or near tho
Jordan Narrows. for conducting the
water on TO the high lands west Of the
| Jordan river.
The construction OF such channels
opbanlmentA damai etc, as may. ho
necessary to convert Bear lake into n
| reservoir for all tho surplus waters
/ OF Bear river and It's tributaries, In.
/ GLIDING the local streams Of Bear Lake
valley and for subsequently releasing
| such stored water into the channel OF
Bear river.
Tho erection OF one or more dams
OF about 100 feet In height for the pur.
| pose OF lmpoundlng the food and win
ter waters OF the Blaclifoot branch OF
the Snake river, In the several basins
or valleys at or about an elevation OF
6,l00 feet above tho sea.
The excavation Of tunenl twelve or
fifteen miles In length In which to
conduct the stored water OF the Black
foot over the divide and into the chan
mel OF Rear river, at a point near Soda
Springs, In the state OF Idaho.
The construction OF n channel TO d.
vert tho commingled water Of Black
foot and Bear rivers and conduct them
on or about the lS00-foot contour
along the west side Of Cache valley for
distance OF twenty TO thirty miles.
with n possible extension TO Malad ana
Blue creek In Salt Lake valley.
The construction Of n canal TO divert
water from Bear river at a point in tho
canyon through which said river runs
In passing from Cache valley into Salt
Lake valley and extending in gen
eral southerly direction along the base
OF the Wasatch mountains on or about
the 4.500-foot controur TO a connection
In Salt Lake valley with the similar
channel herelnbefore described as ex-
tending northward from the mouth OF
Spanish Fork canyon.
The construction by either the gov
eminent or the waterusers OF such
dams on the Ogden, Weber and Provo
rivers and on all the smaller local
streams as may be necessary 10 con
serve and regulate the waters OF each.
together with such channels as may BIO
needed TO properly distribute the
same.
The execution OF such work as may
be needed for conserving and utilizing
the waters OF Utah lake. according to
the plans already partially developed.
The utilization Of the ombankment
OF the Lucin cutoff OF the Southern
Pacific railroad as a dam to restrict
! the area Of the Great Salt lake 20 that
portion lying south OF the cutoff, thus
reducing the loss OF water through
evaporation and insuring the perma
nency Of the lake, but on smalles
scale; regulation Of the reduced lake
to be effected by means OF slulce gates
placed In the embankment and through
which any excess Of water may be dis.
charged into the abandoned portion Of
the lake bed. While included in the
: general plan. II Is not expected that
this will be made part Of the reclama.
ton works, but is suggested an Incl.
dental thereto.
A
House Does Some Lively Work In