Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-06-14
Says Proposed Irrigation Scheme
Means Great Things for the
State Of Utah.
HAS GONE OVER THE GROUND.
What Is Now Needed Is a General
Organization to Treat With
The Government

| bh9F 'NAAl'iilhk WIN Npls ~ r. ilblultHt
| A, +. Doremus and r. .. Richards, the
! subcommittee on the Jordan river and
! Utah lake and the Jordan river. Mr..
Friday these gentlemen, In company
| with city Engineer Snow and Reclama-
| ton Engineer Swendsen, took Mr.. Bien
over the lands included In the Utah
lake project on both sides OF Salt Lake
valley, and on Saturday they visited
| Utah lake AN dthe Jordan river Mr..
| Blen expressed himself as being very
| favOrably Impressed with what he saw,
| and stated that the conditions were
| much more favora Bile for the operations
| of the government under tho recama-
| tiun act than he had supposed and that
| he could foresce great future develop
ments in store for the locality whom
| the water supply should be fully devcl-
| opod.
During MIR Bien's visit he has had
| frequent and lengthy meetings with the
| subcommittee. at which all phases OF
| the Utah Lake project have been pre-
| scented and exhaustiyely discussed. The
outln Of he plan which had been
| proposed by the committee We're sub
| mittcd to him and the views Of the wat
| cruisers concerning the proposed organ
| izatlon were fully explained.
Yesterday afternoon there was a
meeting OF the fun committee, at the
| office Of state Engineer Doremus, at
| which Mr.. Bien explained the plan Of
| organization recommended by the sec
| rotary OF the interior, which, In It's main
| features follows that Of the Salt River
| Valley Waterusers' association. Mr..
| Bien pointed out the fundamental and
| controlling features Of the proposed
| plan OF organization and answered nu-
| merous questions that we're asked by
members OF the committee concerning
| the matter,
One Of the most important features
! Of the meeting was the announcement
by Mr. Bien that, In the opinion OF the
| officers OF the reclamation service, tho
| Utah lake project should be included I'm
| the greater plan which had been pre-
| scented by the state arid land reclama-
! ton FUND commission, and was now be-
! ing Investigated for tho storage and
! utilization Of the waters OF Duchesne
| river Bear lake and the intermediate
! streams, and that one association Of
! waterusers should be organized to man
age and control the waters Of this en-
| tire region, instead Of having separate
| organizations for the Utah lake project.
| as originally contemplated. While this
! requirement viii change the plans Of
| the committee somewhat. the work that
! II hos already done win still be avail
| abl,. and II hopes that the plan viii he
| successfully carried out In harmony with
| the wishes Of the department.
This VIII impose on the state arid
| land reclamation fund commission the
| work Of interesting the waterusers of
| Utah salt Lake. Davis. BOxelder We
Der and Cache counties In a general CO.
operative movement to effect the deslr-
ed organization.
NOTHING NEW IN IT.
As enormously supposed by some Salt
| Lake newspapers, there Is nothing new
| in the idea that the Utah lake project
! VIII be Included in the general grand
scheme for obtaining a sufficient sup
ply Of water for this state. The facts
are these
The national irrigation law. common
| ly known as the reclamation act, was
passed IN June. 1902 In October Of that
| year the Utah state Irrigation congress
was held in this city, when propositions
| for several projects for the Increase and
| utilization OF the water supply In diff
| ferent parts Of the state. were consid-
| cred, the first on the list being the
| Utah lake scheme. In the following
| spring the Utah Arid Land Reclamation
| Fund commission, organized under the
| laws Of the state, assem- bled, and the
| Utah lakS proposition was taken up as
the first for consideration. The matter
| was submitted to the government Off
| cials and steps were taken by them TO
ascertain the feasibility but the COM
| mission say that the project alone
| would be insufficient and that other wa
tersheds than those now available
| would have to be utilized
THE GREATER PLAN.
Engineer Doremus and Atty. f. s.
| Richards formulated a plan which was
| submitted 10 the commission and sub
| sequently II was submitted to the gov
| eminent officials, This plan took IN the
| great scheme which has been explained
in the columns Of the News" for the
| bringing i'm Of the waters Of Bear lake
| and the surplus waters OF the Snake
| river In the north and the waters OF
the Duchesne through the mountains
! into the Strawberry Valley. 10 make OF
| that a great reservoir 10 increase the
volume Of Utah Lake.
Atty, Richards appeared before the
| authorities at Washington and
thoroughly explained the plan during
last winter and this spring and the
work Of Inspection is going on IN regard
| to the whole project. One of the i'm
| portant subjects to be considered has
been the maintenance OF the different
organizations so that each canal com
| pany would retain its Individuality
| while gaining the benefit Of the general
| plan, Mr.. Beln has made Il very clear
| that the government cannot deal with
| all the different water companies hav-
Ing prior rights and therefore II Is
| necessary 10 effect a merger so that
| business may be conducted between the
| government and water users I'm that
| bat an, Is u n,I,
| viii be represented and each one will
! regulate its own affairs the same as
before. They viii constitute what Is
termed 'canal divisions" This will be
following the Salt River Valley plan IN
Arizona. Each division VIII bear It's
own expense but one organization will
transact business with the government.
NO NEED FOR ALARM.
There need be no apprehension on this
point, for all prior rights viii and must
he respected and while the general
| plan Is for the benefit OF the whole re-
! glon. each locality VIII manage lts own
water arrangements maintain its own
| rights and bear It's own expenses. The
| including Of the Utah lake proposition
! with the others ls not, by any means.
| anything new. as imagined I'm some
quarters; nor will the movement for
general organization to treat with the
government, intefere with or hinder the
work which IL now In progress under
government auspices.
In his tour along the Jordan 10 Utah
lake Mr. Blen was very much graft
fed with the prospects and with the
preliminary work that has been accom-
plshed, He predicts great things for
Utah's future II the plans now IN con-
temptation are fully carried out.