The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-05
MAY PURCHASE
WATER RIGHTS
Council Discusses the AdviS-
ability of Getting Control of
Three Small Lakes.
DEMAND BECOMES URGENT
SUPPLY FROM CREEKS is CON.
STANTLY DIMINISHING.
DEMAND BECOMES URGENT

Realizing that the city should secure
for all time every available water right
available to it's use, the council water
works committee has begun negotia-
lions TO purchase the half-dozen small
mountain lakes at the head of Big Cot
tonwood canyon in the vicinity Of
Brighton. Among these are Laky Mary,
Lake Minnie and Lake Blanche.
Although the ACCESSIBILITY of such pro-
cedure was preached over year ago
by Chairman Mulvey of the committee
and l.. c. Kelsey, city engineer, Moth
ing has ever been done until recently,
and it was not until yesterday after
noon that any definite proposition was
made to the owners of the lakes, j. w.
Barnes and H. B. Cole. The city's Of
fer was $1,000. but the owners wanted
$500, and the committee will continue
the negotiations in hope that a COM
promise may be reached. Present at
the meeting yesterday afternoon We're
Mayor John S. Bransford, Franklin S.
Richards, special counsel for the city
in all water right matters; l.. c. KEEL
sey, city engineer; A. F. Doremus, as
sistant engineer; Deputy Auditor Ste
vens and Councilmen Mulvey, Martin,
Tuddenham and O'Donnell of the wa
ter works committee. The meeting was
lowed by a general discussion of city
finances, which even the 'reformers"
admit are in a precarious condition.
Reservoirs Out of Lakes.
It is proposed to make reservoirs out
of each of the lakes which the city is
endeavoring to secure. These lakes are
fed from innumerable mountains
streams and springs, and most of the
TO- t. D.
voirs this water could be stored dur
in the summer season. and in case of
shortage in the city during the winter
could be diverted into Big Cottonwood
and brought to the city by the conduit.
1t is impossible to state before sur
vey is made just what size reservoirs
could be built, but 1t is known that the
amount that can be stored would equal
the present supply of the city during
the winter months. Engineers admit
that the time is not far distant when
the creeks which supply the city will
diminish in size and that it will not
be many years before Salt Lake will
have to face the water problem again,
Notwithstanding the building of the
conduit The prospects of a diminish
ing water supply and great increase
in population make it necessary now to
secure all the available rights, and the
water committee is bending every en-
ergy in that direction.
Little Cottonwood Next.
Another step in the enlargement of
the water supply will be the securing
of rights in Little Cottonwood creek.
Negotiations to this end have been
pending for some time, but nothing of
a definite nature has been accom-
plished. When the Big Cottonwood
conduit was built it was so planned that
an extension from it could be run along
the mountainside four miles to Little
Cottonwood and thus enable the city
to care for whatever water rights it
should secure them at a comparatively
small expense. The proposition of con-
trolling rights in Mill Creek has also
| been under discussion in this connec-
| ton.
The providing of water for the city
| for all time is one of the most serious
problems which has confronted the va
rious administrations for several years
past Mayor Morris was the first to
grapple with the question in an en-
lightened way, and it was through his
efforts that the Big Cottonwood rights
We're obtained. Salt Lake at present
has an ample supply of the purest wa
ter in the country.
Needed to Fight Fires.
But water is not alone needed for ir-
rigation and domestic purposes, but for
fire fighting and fire protection, and as
the supply of water increases the in
surance rates decrease. For this rea-
son local insurance men say that when
the new water supply mains being laid
on Fifth South street are ready for use
there will be a material reduction in in
suranee rates throughout The business
district In line with this idea of Civ
ing the city both good water and cheap
water, as we'll as water available for
fire fighting. the city engineer proposes
that a 100000 gallon reservoir be con-
structed at the high line intake in City
Creek canyon. By thus constructing 1t
and connecting the high line with the
Twentieth ward and brick tanks, ample
protection will be afforded the entire
city in case of fire, and a general re-
duction in insurance rates would result.
Job White is up in Montana again.
He does sell a pile of those duplicating
hooks Montana address, The Butte,