Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-29
Another Fake OF the Morninu
"Knocker' is Shown
Up.
ATTY. BRAMEL'S STATEMENT.
Salt Lake is Entitled TO Receive
Nearly 0ne-Half Of the Flow
OF Big Cottonwood.
Rights of Three Companies Amount.
Ing to $3.50 OF Entire Stream We're
Transferred to This Municipality.

The morning "Knocker" has broken
loose again on the Big Cottonwood
water proposition aud boldly declares
IN its usual scarehead manner that
the city is not entitled, under tho
terms Of the agreements OF exchange
entered into with the farmers. to di-
vert drop OF water from tine creek
and turn it into the conduit. It's state
ment Is based upon an alleged report
OF city Atty Hiles who has examined
the contracts OF exchange and has de-
cided that they do not contain a spe-
cihc amount OF water which the city
is to receive from the farmers in ex-
change for canal water and hence on
account Of their indehniteness In that
matter are OF no effect.
The section Of the agreements en-
tered into by the city with the Big
Ditch Irrigation company the Big Cot
tonwood Lower Canal company and
the Hill ditch, conveying their rights
TO the city In exchange for canal water
follows;
The party Of the second part hereby
grants, bargains ana sells TO the party
OF the hrst part all OF the right OF H.,
the party of the second part. to the use
OF AL its portion OF the water flowing
IN Big Cottonwood creek. salt Lake
county. Utah, etc.
1t is held by Former Assistant City
Atty. Bramel. who with Atty. H. \.
Richards represented the city In that
transaction, and by Atty. Ashby Snow
VINO represented the three irrigation
companies, that the above section GER
tainly conveys all OF the rights OF tns
companies to the use OF the waters OF
the creek TO the city subject TO the
terms and conditions OF the exchange.
These rights. as stated by Mr.. Snow
vary according to the flow of the
creek aud hence could not be stated ina
cubic feet per second.
Mr. Snow further stated that the Big
Ditch company are the Oldest water
users on the stream and own not less
IMAM lf-60 OF the entire flow OF the
stream, This amount of water was
awarded 10 tho company by arbitration
over 90 years ago and has been used
since that time TO ilrigate about $500
acres of land. or course the amount
OF water to which the company is en-
titled varies according 10 tho flow Of
the creek. In food seasons II is A
very large quantity and In low seasons
naturally not near as much.
The Big Cottonwood Lower Canal
company. he said, owns ESQ of the flow
of the creek and has used it for years
IN irrigating about 500 acres of land.
The Hill ditch owns $50 of the flow OF
the stream. which IL has used for wears
In the irrigation OF 200 acres of land.
1t VIII be seen, therefore, that the
rights OF these three companies amount
In all TO 1880 OF the entire flow OF the
creek aud as they have transferred
their rights to the city the latter will
consequently receive nearly one-hals
Of the flow Of Big Cottonwood creek un-
der the present contracts of exchanga.
In speaking of these contracts today
former Assistant City Attorney Bramel
said These contracts are exchange
contracts, and do not purport to be
absolute sales and were never repre-
scented as such. Everyone knows thar
Salt Lake City II very unfortunately
situated with regard to water supply
and that II our water supply is not OBJ
tained from the mountain streams fiow-
ing down the Wasatoh mountains IL
%ill not he secured at all. OF course
the city owns all OF the waters of CITY
creek. portion OF Emigration creek
and portion OF Parleys creek. II also
owns waters Of the Jordan and Salt
Lake canal.
1.-THE only water suitable for potable
purposes IL that from the three creeks.
but our experience during the summer
OF 1905 demonstrated that the supply
from these creeks Is not sufficient for
the use of the city, The water COM
mittee OF the former council. after
the best plan TO exchange the waters
OF the canal for the waters OF Big Cot
creek. Now Il must be remem-
bered that the waters OF Big Cotton
wood belonged TO the farmers along the
creek, and have been owned by them
ever since this valley was settled.
For two good reasons the absolute
purchase OF these waters by the city
was impossible. In the first place tho
value OF the water II purchased out
right would be practically the value OF
the land irrigated by that water, and
the total sum would be too much for
the city TO raise or pay. In the second
place the farmers would not sell the
water outright.
Under the present contracts, as boz
fore stated, the city exchanges it's canal
water for the Big Cottonwood wator.
So long as the city furnishes the canal
water 1t will obtain the Big Cottonwood
water, and here l may say that this
plan OF the conduit and exchange OF
water was not new idea with tho
Morris administration. This scheme
aud part Of the plans for the conduit,
| am advised were devised by Mr.. r
T. Kelsey. tho brother OF the present
city engineer, during his inoumbcncy
Of the city engineers office.
Unless q better plan of Obtaining
wator for Salt Lake City ~ devised,
the present water scheme should he
carried ont as Intended"