Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-09-07
WATER SUPPLY
OF MUDDY VALLEY
Truth About the Proposition Of
Establishing a Reservoir in
That Section.
is TOLD BY ONE WHO KNOWS.
80 Much silt + Washed Down That
\ Dam Would soon be
Practically Useless.

The following inquiry has been re-
celved by the News"
Recently. in the columns Of the
News there appeared an account OF
the organization Of a company which
purposed establishing large reservoir
on the Muddy river and announced that
there were great possibilities IN an ag-
rcultural way IN that country. The
impression has been so long eXtant
that there Is an extremely limited sup
ply OF water IN the Muddy country.
WIN you please tell, through the coi-
umns OF the News where the m
habitants OF the Muddy valley get their
water what land there Is available Tor
agricultural purposes, and the price
per acre, IL you know.-SUBsCRlB-
Err"
Mathonlhah Thomas. who Is attorney
for the Muddy Valley Irrigation COM
pany and has been representing the
Nevada Land q Livestock company IN
It's interests IN the Muddy Valley dis
trict. and has visited the valley sew
eral times, stated, when shown the
inquiry. quoted above that the Muddy
river is a natural stream, IN places not
over six TO eight feet wide and little
over 30 miles in length from the heaa
to the point where 10 merges with the
Rio Virgin The head waters consist
almost entirely OF several warm springs.
These springs are approximately about
six miles up from Moapa.
There is some fairly good land In the
neighborh5od Of the SPRING.. which is
called the Upper Muddy. Technically
the Upper Muddy extends southWard
from the springs and TO a narrow cam
yon about 81 miles from the springs,
which canyon Us commonly known as
the Narrows. Above the Narrows the
land is largely impregnated WIZ NJ
kali. and while much OF IL Us being re-
deemed the best crop that can ee
raised there now is alfalfa. Not far
from Moapa lies the Moapa Indian
reservation There is some good land,
a large part OF which, however is
occupied by Indians. Some splendid
cantaloupes and garden truck are
raised in this part Of the Upper MUD
dy. The largest amount. however
lies below the Narrows. about four
miles from which lies the ranch Of the
Noapa Improvement company which
Is controlled by Salt Lake capitalists.
This Moapa Improvement company
ranch has furnished the now famous
Moapa cantaloupe for the market this
year The Muddy valley, as u has
been known for many years, Is what Is
now called the Lower Muddy.
SOME OLD TOWNS.
It was to this territory that Presi-
dent Brigham Young sent the saints
I'm the early days on the famous Mud
DIV mission There the towns OF 81.
Joseph. Overton and ST. Thomas were
established The remains of the old
ST. Joe town. as It is called, are plain
lv visible From here the beauuful
valley stretches for nearly 20 miles
to the mouth Of the river 81. Joe
town is now known as Logan. over
ton and ST. Thomsa stu retain their
ola names. The people for many
years have been struggling under ad-
verse conditions. but with the advent
OF the railroad the Muddy valley began
10 offer possibilities 10 newcomers.
several Of whom have gone into the
valley within the last three years.
WATER SUPPLY.
For many years the water supply for
irrigation and culinary purposes was
had from the limited amount OF water
coming down through the Narrows In
the Muddy river. Within the last
year the Nevada Land & Livestock
company purchased over 1000 acres
Of land In the valley and appropriat-
ed 1000 inches OF water, which was
about one-half the stream. The se'-
tiers in the Upper Muddy had been
taking more water than the settlers
I'm the Lower Muddy believed them en-
titled 10. This led 10 several visits
into that country by the then state
engineer. Henry Thurtell, who instltut-
ed accurate measurements OF the wa
ter and has recently determined tho
appropriations and claims OF all the
settlers, on the entire stream from the
head waters TO the lowest user on the
Muddy below st. Thomas. The settlers
are now establishing weirs and ara
reconstructing their bitches. the Ne
vada Land q Livestock company II
constructing canal on the line OF the
old Mormon canal and hundreds OF
acres OF hitherto waste land viii be
brought under cultivation, and IL Is ex-
pocted that before long there viii be
hundreds OF acres OF lucern and grain
planted
EXPENSIVE RESERVOIR.
The establishment OF the reservoir
along the Muddy viii be fraught with
great expense and the evaporation in
that district Is so great that Il would
take an enormous supply ~ water 20
keep the reservoir filled During the
last two years there have been
several floods down the Muddy, which
have wrought considerable damage.
There has been tentative scheme for
some time 20 establish a reservoir in
what Is known as the Narrows 70 catch
the Hood waters which come down tn 4,
Meadow Valley wash, There IS not
sufficient water in the river. IN my
judgment. at the present time 10 justi-
~ the construction Of a. reservoir. be-
cause the inhabitants OF the lower val
ley are constantly using the water
summer ana winter.
Mr.. Thomas says: From April 10
october 10 the season for asparagus
| peas, tomatoes. cantaloupes and ths
| like. From October 10 April. rough
! ~ speaking would be the season for
hay, grain and similar crops. Last
| year the settlers Ia the lower valley
] had lettuce and radishes I'm December,
/ IA fact had radishes, lettuce. onions
and the Ike practically through thf
entire year Peas are raised and ready
| for market there when we sull have
| frost an the air and 10 the ground
I The season In several weeks earlier
/ there than here. s0geral N the sat
| tiers have already planted from 20 "a
| 80 acres Of asparagus. The MUDDY
/ valley promises 20 be- not alone fame
/ for its Cautal0upes. but for rs aspaT.
| agus. peas and early vegetables Land
/ that could be bought IN 81 Thomas