Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-30
Embraces Watersheds Of the Pa.
want and Canyon Noun
tain Ranges.
AN AREA OF 100000 ACRES.
To Help Towns Of Fillmore, Scipio,
Oak city, kanosh. Meadow and
Other settlements.
Especial h the oNews.")

Especial to the "News")
Washington. u C., May 30.-~An-
other forest reserve has just been es-
iablished in south-central Utah, under
the name of the Fillmore forest re-
serve, a northern extension OF the
Beaver forest reserve. about 81 miles
In length, embracing the watersheds
formed by the Pavant mountains and
the Canyon range in Willard SEWER
and Juab counties.
The reserve which is from one 10
Is miles in width and contains ap-
ploNimatolN 400 900 acres. consists OF
q rough mountainous country rising in
places as high as 10000 feet from tho
SEWER Desert on the west and from
the SEWER Round and Juab valleys on
the east These valleys vary iu glU-
tudes from about 500 10 s 500 feet
above sea level III both ranges the
country Is cut up into q succession Of
high, rocky ridges and deep canyons
with only three points, throughout the
entire 81 miles. at which wagons can
cross the mountains.
CHARACTER OF RESERVE.
owing to the steep slopes. tho light
loose character OF the soil and the
large quantities OF gravel and bouldera
deposited I'm many places when this
section was a portion OF the bed 81 old
Lake Bonneville, removal ~ the forest
and ground cover is sure 10 be fol-
lowed by extensive and destructive
washing and Outlying on the slopes
and IN the bottoms OF the canyons.
The tract is valuable only as q water.
shed and for stock grazing purposes
and. TO a limited extent, for the pro-
duction Of timber for local use. There
is no cultivated land. and there is prob
ably none that can be successfully cul-
tivated, owing 10 the severe early
frostS The stream beds are generally
narrow and too rocky 10 be tillablc
DAMAGED BY SHEEP
The forest and grouad cover ON
these mountains are ~ the utmost inn
portance i'm regulating the water flow.
lrreparable damage has resulted IN the
Pavant range from the destruction Of
the grasses and small herbs and
shrubs through severe oyergrlzing.
chiefly by transient sheep. The pr0tec-
tive cover having been DESTROYED or
greatly impaired on these steep slopes.
the loose, thin soil has been badly
washed. In many OF the canyons o.
the Payant range deep gorges have
been cut and immense volumes of
boulders gravel. and infertile mud
have been poured out upon the valleys
below, covering much valuable farm
ing land and filling bitches and canals.
Where the snow formerly lay until
July and August. sustaining and re gu
lating the stream flow II now melts
and runs of early In the spring. form
ing destructive floods, 10 be followed
by drouths equally injurious. In thi.
way, the capacity Of the streams foI
irrigation has been very greatly dc.
creased IN some cases as much as Sd
per cent and the population Of such
/ towns as SctpiO, Holden. Fillmore and
kanosh has actually diminished Much
valuable agricultural land has been
ruined by deep washes cut by floods.
such damage is confined almost en-
iirely To the Pa"ant range. where over
grazing has been most severe. and has
been i'm proportion 10 the size of the
streams
THE BENEFITED TOWNS.
The towns Of Fillmore. scipio. oak
,,.ii,l Ia,..1 AZ 'OIu'
s,t., -. ", p,I" .nI'hlS upon wa, "
r,V'n " SUI nv, inches lo' Hoine'''0
~ mr scutldL use OF water
n,oH - Uoutn's sIou,us lor sheep' '7-
pH'"il u. t"t ra,anV range mas re-
s s III We poliu'ioI. OF thr Nat Fl
'nuPP.s' any az loou lHile ea'H spiins
~. VIII ,o,nes apSoluttlE uuH, I''
~, nu,, Si'NltSs ne 'esu'y1u ll"'i
~ 'iiu',,o j. .SiSy'"lS al rH'l'oie
0' LII, iioiuth ht',l han9sh;
W. = Huun' n' Ia.'u wien van p' H-
.lsa',u Ilo', N'ls NdC' IePeuuS aI'n-
et"'' up"i. ''S dHipuit OF WAFER aNaiI o
"oc ana .r ~ uis' Iputiol lHrough ne
"n''t ~ q" u'' 'n,Iu plaVllCtlIF
uH.,IlIlteu III tN'e,l Is almost Nulueles'
NItHoul Nd'el' ,TiVugu eesliulhk y
pehs nl"ue ll u'lIl]lns " Ior airy mnd
''UUpS' su,H az ~ "'u Nusdl;
40 ieFS 1lau SIN HeltiVoluls loNus
uepellu hl.ostlhtr uPoH NE reserve Io'
nateI Io' llilsd'lls purposes, VIM
I'VE I'o'' '"Nl's purify "epe''u upon H.
FOR IRRIG ALTON ONLY.
Most OF the streams OF the Canyon