The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-24
WATER SUPPLY
IS Inspected
Officials and Others Visit the
Great Pumping Station
at Utah Lake.
NOW AMPLE FOR EXCHANGE
CITY. AND THE FARMERS HAVE
AGREED.

Tie source of Salt Lakes MAGNIFICENT
water system was visited yesterday by a
party Of cEy officials and others .inter-
ested IN maintaining to the best advan-
tase the city's water supply. The source
IS really the great pumping station To-
gated on the shorea of Utah lake. four
drop of lake water in supplying its citI-
fens, but the pumping station is termed
8 the source because If il did not exist there
would be a watsr famine in Salt Lake.
when the MOrmOns first settled the then
haIren valley the people of Salt Lake
utilized city Creek water. Each man had
a little garden of his own and was ap-
poruoned certain amount of the flow.
Ihus water rights were created in these
original users.
The Small Beginning.
A. the city began "a grow the need of a
city water system became evident. At
llrst only a small pipe line was laid from
the creek down Main street to Third
south street The people who owned
water rights were indignant, but their
anger soon subsidized and no attempt was
made to prevent this use. Gradually the
pipe lines We're extended until finally the
water rights owners threatened legal pro-
devise some way to take care of them
Previous TO this time the Jordan river
flowing from Utah lake into the Great
salt lake had been harnessed by the farm
ers in the southern end of the valley to
make a garden out of the desert The
city in 1879 secured the necessary water
rights in this stream and began the con-
struction of what Is known as the Jordan
and Salt Lake canal into the city The
canal branched off from the point of the
mountain and continued its course paral-
lei TO the WdSatCh range and about three
miles from the foothills until il entered
the city at Twelfth South and Ninth East
streets. Then it continued along Ninth
East and finally emptied into CITY Crkek
IN agreement was made with the owners
of water rights on City Greek to take this
water for irrigation purposes and give the
city the City Creek water in exchange,
which was pure and cold and perfectly
adapted for domestic purposes. Thus was
The system OfaeXchange of water rights
first begun and it has made possible the
water system of Salt Lake of today.
Parley's Creek Water Secured.
The canal was finished in 1882 and from
that time on the city assumed almost en-
tire control of City Creek. The pipe lines
were extended into the residence sections
until IN 1887 il became evident that more
water must be secuted The Salt Lake and
Jordan canal was skill an invaluable asset
and after many conferences with the
farmers, who used the waters of Parley's
creek for irrigation purposes it was agreed
that they should Urn over these rights 10
the city in return for an equal amount
of Utah lake water. This contract was
perfected in 1888 and the city seemed Sc
cure Tor many years 10 come.
These old agreements for an exchange
are still in force and the heirs of those
who originally secured the City Creek
water are still prOfiting by the deal. on
the eastern outskirts of the city there can
be found several spillWays in the canal
which furnish water to small lots The
people in the Waterloo district who orig
inally secured their water from Parley's
creek are using this Utah lake water quite
extensively at present to irrigate their
small farms
More Water Needed.
There was little doing I'D to 1900. when
II became evident that something must be
done TO increase the flow in Jirdan river
IN order TO supply the various irrigation
companies and the city with kater dur
ing the periods the laks was low. I'd TO
this time the water had been coming
through the river by gravity, but suc-4
cessien Of dry seasons materially lowered
the level Of the lake and made il almost
impossible for the city to keep its con-
tract of supplying exchange water to the
farmers. Then the scheme of installing
a pumping plant TO pump water into the
river from the lake. when the latter was
low, was proposed. Many were skeptical
but the plant was finally built five
pumps being installed. Just about this
time II was necessary again. to increase
The city's water supply and the Big Cot
tOnwOod project was preached BY Former
Mayor Morris. Again the old canal SUD
piled now during dry seasons by the
incalCulable value. The farmers who
owned water rights in Big Cottonwood
were induced to give up half of that
stream 10 the city in exchange for Utah
AXE water and thus the Big Cottonwood
conduit and the new water supply mains
became possible
Finest System in Country.
Because OF these exchanges Salt Lake
now mas one OF the finest water supply
systems in the country and the very f01n-
dalton OF this system was the place Wis
Ted by the party yesterday There have
recently been installed two new pumps
capable OF pumping rs cubic feet of water
a second and these with the five pumps
originally installed makes the capacity of
lnsurinS perpetual ability to exchange
no matter how low the lake becomes
Al present the lake is high and the
pumps have not bon used this season.
In fact they probably will not have to De
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