The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-24
POSITION OF SOUTH JORDAN CANAL co.
AS SEEN BY THE STOCKHOLDERS

To The Salt Lake Herald:
In order that the position Of the South
Jordan canal may be more thoroughly
understood by the people of this state, I
shall ask for little space in your valu-
able paper, and also the indulgence of
the readers Of your paper. provided you
can see your way clear to allow the space
for this letter.
The stockholders Oc -he South Jordan
canal have been severely criticised in the
newspapers of Salt Lake CITY for what
some people choose 10 call stuDbOrnness,
end they have styled US 'obstructionists.
Now, the real facts in the case are these:
not wish to Obstruct the proposed i'm
provements upon Utah lake and Jordan
river. and they have never attempted
such a thing, or do they intend to do so;
put the company mas acquired certain
rights in the lake which they are de-
Lermined TO protect if they can. In the
hrst place, the court decreed all OF the
water that the lake viii discharge st what
is known as compromise point, which is
sos cubic second feet and upon the testt-
mony OF experts II decreed the capacity of
the several canals using water from the
Jordan river TO be SIS second feet, but in
order TO get the amount OF water neces-
sary 60 ill the canals TO their full ca
pacity it would necessitate raising the
lake one or more feet above compromise
point, which the companies have never
attempted to do. nor under the present
SO. But aside from the primary uses OF
the water along the Jordan river, the five
canal companies, viz, the East Jordan
Salt Lake City, North Jordan, South
Jordan, the Utah & Salt Lake Canal 4
Irrigating companies, have never since
tho establishment OF these canals. made
beneficial use of all Of the water which
Utah lake would discharge between COM
promise point and what is commonly
known as low water mark, that is, the
point where water would cease 10 flow
That this is a fact think no one who IS
acquainted with the circumstances will
attempt 10 deny. and with the exceptions
or four or five years the lake has reached
compromise point. Hence there has been
no lapse Of the rights of the canal com
panies through their Inability TO make
beneficial use OF the waters Of Utah lake
between these two points as before stated.
with the exception OF q few years the
lake has reached compromise point; be-
SIDES a great deal OF water has usually
run to waste down the Jordan river into
the salt lake, and as there is no better
way Of judging the future other than by
the history Of the past. I would ask all
reasonable minded people If there Is any
thing in the history OF the past that will
warrant the belief that the same humid
conditions VIII not prevail in the future
that have prevailed I'm the past. and that
the lake will again reach compromise
point, notwithsta nding the fact that
great deal OF the water that used 90 flow
into the lake is now used for irrigation
purposes in Utah and Wasatch counties.
In order 20 meet this new condition the
i've canal companies to farther Increase
the storage capacity of the lake and TO
secure a maximum amount Of water
through the frrigating season, have spent
with a capacity of 400 cubic feet In order
that water which has heretofore run TO
waste down the Jordan river may be
stored for beneficial uses.
Our position is simply this: The South
JORDAN Canal company is entitled to one
NTH or all the water which Utah lake
VIII discharge between low water mark
snd compromise point. and one-fifth OF
the water developed by the pumping
plant, and that may hereafter be deVeI-
oped by increasing the capacity of the
pumping plant and under the new cond:-
lions that would be created by the carry
Ing out OF the government scheme, We
would get at no time more than one
fifth of 800 feet. Hence the stockholders
claim that their rights and privileges are
worth eighty second feet OF water de-
lIvered to them free OF cost, and that they
would be willing to accept eighty second
feet II the stockholders deserving more
water would subscribe for fOrty-fiye ad.
ditional second feet, which would insure
the South Jordan canal 125 second feet
which, with 1000 acres Of land to irrigate
would DO one second foot per seventy acres
for the entire amount of land under the
canal wit n ~ per cent for Seepage and
evaporation in transit. which IL none too
much for the actual needs OF the farmers
residing under the canal now. II the South
Jordan canal accepts sixty second feet in
lieu or its primary rights II means that
sixty second feet would be the maximum
amount OF water that the company would
get az any time for their primary rights.
and that the additional amount that NAV
hereafter be developed would be divided
pro rata among all the canals. whether 1t
De new canals that may be taken out
upon higher level or by the extension of
the present canals beyond their present
corporate limits with no assurance of any
additional water beyond their sixty sec
Ond feet which We accept in lien of orr
primary rights. Therefore VIC claim that
the present canal companies should have
a prior claim upon all the wafer if il
would ever recede to the point where IL
would not furnish any more than what is
necessary TO irrigate the land under the
suffer in periods of drOuth. which we
may hereafter expect it should be those
who acquire new rights I'm the proposed
reservoir. Now, If the community will de-