The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-20
MONEY NEEDED
FOR IRRIGATION
Future Development Depends
on the Legislature.
SMALL SUM is REQUIRED
GOVERNMENT READY WHEN
WATER USERS ORGANIZE.

The irrigation possibilities of the
state of Utah depend upon an appropri-
alton from the legislature to the state
arid land commission to carry on the
work Of organizing the water users so
that the government can proceed with
its work which is now at a standstil,
and also that the state irrigation com
mission may continue its work of 10
eating irrigable territory through the
state that Will be beneficial ultimately
to the commonwealth
This statement was made yesterday
by State Engineer A. F. Doremus,
Chairman of the state arid land com
mission. who. with Attorney Franklin
5. Richards, legal adviser of the COM
Vesugate the Utah lake project and
later laid before the United States
reclamation department the larger
Utah irrigation scheme which embOdies
practically the storing of the waters OF
the Utah and Bear Lake basins aad the
waters of the Duchesne river.
The preliminary Investigations have
already been completed by the govern
ment and favorable reports have been
nled. The government has accom-
plished as much as is possible under
the irrigation law, and il now remains
for the land owners to signify their
Willingness to use the water and accept
the contract formulated by the govern
ment so that the work of construction
can be started.
Up to the Water Users.
The commission" Mr.. Doremus con-
tinued, has asked for an appropria-
ton of $4,000 to carry on this work,
and 1 do not believe that the money
can be expended in a more profitable
manner. Utah is in the center of
great arid land area, and no other state
has presented such an enormous prop
osition for the reclamation of it's arid
lands The government has investi-
gated the projects and found them pos
slble. The largeness of the scheme. and
the mum Der of areas in the surround
ing country which can he reclaimed,
attracted the attention Of the Washing
ton officials and they sent their en-
gineers here The preliminary inves-
legations have already been completed
and favorable reports have been sent
back The government is now waiting
for the water users of the state to or
ganize so that the national officials can
confer with them and go on with the
construction work.
Congress created the irrigation fund
and II has accumulated until it is now
more than S27, 600, 900. This great sum
was realized from the sales OF public
lands. and is to be devoted to reclaim
ing the great areas of arid land
throughout the country. The state leg
islature created the state land COM
mission to look over all the water
sources within the state to see If there
was any possibility of improving the
irrigation systems of Utah. It was
soon found that there were immense
sites for reservoirs and that consider
able money could be used to advantage
in retaining the lands of the state not
already irrigated. Every farmer
throughout the state is crying for more
water, and I consider it a serious mat
ter if the lawmakers permit the irTi-
CATION researches to drop now. The
government would never have consid-
cred the projects in Utah If the arid
land commission had not presented the
plans and invited the Washington au-
thOrities to participate. When they saw
what results might be obtained here.
they set I'D a branch station in this
city, and within the short time they
have been here they have expended
more than $4,000 in their investiga-
tiOnS.