The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-26
FLOW OF THE BEAR RIVER
Data Furnished by Stations Conducts
ed by Geological Survey Du-
ring the Past Year.
Especial to The TieraIdl


Washington. y. c.. Dec. 25-Stations
for measuring the flow of Bear river. es-
| tablished a number of years ago by the
/ united States geological survey, have
been continued during the past season.
notwithstanding the reduction in the al
preparation for such work made by con-
gress at its last session.
| Bear river rises on the northern slope OF
the Ulnta mountains, in the northeastern
part of Utah, and after a circuitous
cOurse-ln which it leaves Utah and en-
tiers wyoming, re-enters Utah, appears
again in Wyoming, and makes a long de-
/ tour in Idaho-It- returns again TO Titan
and finally discharges its waters into
Great Salt lake The maximum elevation
feet
The stations are three The upperrnost
one, at Dingle, Ida, was established in
May, 1903; the Preston QdahoD and Col
linston CUtah) stations were established
in 1889
The Dingle station is located in a cut
made by the Oregon Short Line Railroad
company One-fOurth mile east of the
Dingfe railroad station and about $50 feet
south of the track The gauge, which
consists Of an inclined timber, is read
daily by VI. X. Hopkins. The river at
this point freezes over late in November
or early in December, and ice conditions
continue until late in February. Winter
records at this station are of special i'm
portance in connection with information
desired concerning the amount of water
available for storage in Bear lake; and
during the winter of 1904-5 gauge read
lngs were taken once or twice each week
the surface of the water being read after
the ice had been cut around the gauge
and the thickness of the ice noted.
The station near Preston is located
about ten miles north of the Idaho Titan
boundary line and 800 feet below the
county road crossing at the old bridge OF
the Oregon Short Line railroad. six miles
from Preston. The data collected at this.
station are extremely important as show
ing the amount of water that passes from
Idaho into Utah. and they will be Of great
value in the final adjudication of water.
rights on the river. The gauge is read
daily by Mrs. Hannah Nelson.
The last station is located six miles
from CollinstOn, on the Oregon Short Line
railroad, about one-fourth mile below the
electric power plant in Bear River can
yOn. 1t is at the lower end of the canyon
separating Cache and Great Salt Lake
valleys. at G point below all diversions
from the stream. and shows the amount
of unapDrODriated water that is discharged
as waste into Great Salt lake. The gauge
is read daily by D. A Cannon, a watch
man along the Bear river canals. Tn &
river probably never freezes entirely over
at this point, but ice forms along tho
edges to quite an extent during Deem
Der and January.
Owing to the complete control of the
stream by irrigation works the discharge
is subject TO extreme variation at any
period.
The data collected by the geological
survey at gauging stations on important
streams in all sections of the country af-
of ascertaining the amount of water car
ried by the streams and available for IT,
power development or other pur-
poses.