The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-29

Forest Service Taking Deep Interest
in Conserving Water Sup
ply of Utah.
WORK or REF0RESTATION
IRRIGATION PLANS ARE ALSO
CONSIDERED.
lsneciaI to The Herald.)

washington. D. c., Jan. 28-The Uintah
forest reserve has been further enlarged
by the inclusion OF several additional
tracts on the northern and western sides
of the reserve, containing an aggregate
area Of about AS, 900 acres. The reserve
as it now stands, embraces 2,28O,00O acres:
Heretofore it protected only a small
portion OF the northern Slope OI Sne III a.!
tab mountains. AS now enlarged, II IN
Guides this plateau-like slope, which bears
an exceptionally heavy and uniform stand
of lodgepOle pine. In reference TO TINS re-
serve the forest service states:
The region is one that is greatly IN
need of protection, having suffered Sc
verely in the past from fires, as well as
from careless numbering methods ana
overgrazirg. all of which have resulted
IN serious injury to the water supply. For
many years the stream flow from TINS
slope has proved inadequate for the land
under ditch. while further settlements
have continued to increase the shortage.
Reservoir sites being rare in TINS region
the most practicable means OF maintain
ing and increasing the present supply or
voter available for irrigation is by re-
tarding the run-off, which can only be
satisfactorily accomplished by permitting
the burned-Over lands to reforest. rms
work Of reforestation will be greatly IA
Cilitated by placing the lands under gov
ernment protection.
Reserve Was Needed.
The reservation OF IllS area, COtlSe-
uuentIy, meets with the approval Of the
majority Of the persons dependent on its
resources.
THE addition on the western boundary
OF the reserve comprises a tract OF ABOUT
go, 900 acres, extending from Daniels creek
south to Soldiers creek on the western
slope Of the Strawberry divide.
Its inclusion within the reserve IN
s1lres protection to the headwaters of
Daniels. HObble, Diamond, Soldiers ana
other creeks tributary TO Provo river and
Spanish Fork creek, both or when are OF
Importance in connection with the I tan
lake irrigation project, now under con-
sidertion by the United sites reclalna-
ton service.
in the state. deals with the supply Of
water for valuable lands in southern Salt
Lake and Utah lake valleys, and involves
the complete control OF the waters enter
ing Utah lake or it's outlet, Jordan river.
As the streams feeding the lake flow en-
tirely from the Wasatch mountains on
the east and are chiefly tributary to the
Provo and Spanish Fork, the necessity
for conserving the headwaters of these
two streams is apparent. Placing this
portion Of the Utah lake and Jordan river
is. in fact essential to the success Of the
irrigation project.
Utah Lake Supply.
The statement made by the arid land
reclamation fund commission Of the state
% Utah regarding the Utah lake water
supply is interesting in this connection.
The commission states that the Utah lake
project Is one which should receive the
benefits Of the national reclamation fund.
T is the natural and only source Of water
supply for the irrigation Of a large area
Of semi-arid lands situated near Salt
Lake City, that with sufficient water will
become the most valuable and fertile land
In the state Salt Lake City itself is also
dependent upon Utah lake for the in
crease Of its water supply, which is al
ready inadequate to meet the wants Of
the present inhabitants Of the city
LAS q further protection TO the drain
age area Of Spanish Fork, the Mant
forest reserve has also been enlarged to
include a tract embracing the area lying
between Soldiers creek and the northern
boundary of that reserve.
This extension of the Mani reserve
also protects a portion Of the Fish creek
water supply, which forms an important
part Of the irrigation system Of Pleasant
valley and Of the settlements along the
valley Of Price river.
This reserve has been further enlarged
by slight expansion Of its southern
boundary to include a portion of the wa
teIEhed Of Salina creek. and by the addi-
ticn on the east Of a small tract contain
ing a stand of good timber which 1t is de-
sirable to embrace within the reserve
'HFhe reserve, as It now stands, contains
about $4,000 acres.