The daily sentinel., 1905-08-04
Observation-Disclosures

when a man files on his land he
should be prepared to make his ap-
plication for water right" is the way
Commissioner Richards puts his
view of the water question on the
Uintah reservation. State Engineer
Tanner takes very much the same
view of the matter.
Water rights mean as much to
landseekers as will any holdings they
may get, and their requirement is
main topic among the thousands
of homeseekers from the Rocky
mountain west. Even the easterners
now on the ground are beginning to
ask questions, where less than
week ago they looked dazcd when
water was mentioned.
As n matter of fact, Commissioner
Richards has nothing TO do with the
land. It then rests with its holders
to get their irrigation supply, and
this they will do from the state.
As matters now stand, here are the
conditions:
The government has set aside land
on the reservation for reclamation
purposes. It has, however, made no
reserve of water. The Indians have
their water rights. Other parties
have made applications i'm the state
engineers office. OF these. the al
ready published Mces 3 application
looks toward selling water to set
tiers. II asks for 252 inches from
the head waters of the Duchesne riv-
er. The Strawberry valley project
has an application for another big
stream from which a canal is to take
water outside what is now the reser-
walton. a Nernal irrigation COM
pany already has water from the
reservation. One or two other ap-
plications ask for smaller grants, to
take water to outside districts All
of which leaves the Meese application
practically the only one where the
petitioner wants to sell water to the
homesteaders.
The Indians have taken most of
the land where individual irrigation
is easy This leaves for the settlers
land where cooperation or compan-
les must do the work-land where
long canals will do most of the sup
plying.
The above conditions are de
scribed by men of standing and state
officials who know the reservation.
State Engineer Tanner says that
with the projects to take out water
from the reservation, enough water
will remain, if properly controlled,
to supply all tilable land.
as much as Utah IS water is, he said,
and went on to cite instances and To-
calties where litigation and con-
licting interests have resulted in too
much water for some and too little
for others.
with these conditions-the exist
ing application and the quantity of
water-in mind, Mr.. Tanner was
asked:
How can the settler make sure of
his water right2'
BY putting in prompt applica-
tion," was the answer.
"Supposing, however, the settlers
land lies in a district covered, say.
by the Meese application, how does
the settler stand with reference to
Meese?"
so far as time of application is
concerned, the first man has prior
right, and Meese has already ap-
piled, he answered. But he went
on, 'in this case you cite as an ex-
ample the Meese application is made
for a certain quantity of water, and
the application of course specifics, as
It must, the land which the applicant
proposes to irrigate with that water
Now supposing a number of land
holders i'm that district have put in
their applications for water rights,
and. for good reasons do not want
to buy water of the party whose pri-
or application covers their territory,
then Meese cannot carry out his pro
iect. His application falls through.
On the other hand, if these land
holders go to work and arrange with
Meese to buy water from his canal,
he can carry out his intentions, and
his application. so far as that point
is concerned, is perfectly good"
Then settler would do well by
himself to look up the water ques-
tion and be prepared when he files
o LIZ