The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-04
DRAINAGE IN UTAH
IS MAKING SUCCESS
c. G.. Elliott, Chief Government
Drainage Engineer, in Salt
Lake Investigating.
SHOWS SPECIFIC RESULTS
IN NUMBER OF CASES
Will Spend Much Time Over
looking Workings of Utah
Experiment Station.

United States department OF Agricul-
ture is in the city for a few Gays, at
the Kenyon. Mr.. Elliott has come from
Washington, D. c., and Will be IN the
State for a week or more looking over
ibe vayious localities wherein drainage
expariosnts and Investigations are be-
ing conducted by the Federal Depart
ment Of Agriculture IN cooperation
With the State agricultural experiment
station at Logan.
Five years ago the United States De-
partment of Agriculture took up the
agricultural lands by drainage. From
small beginnings the work has steadily
expanded since that time until now
examinations of localities suffering
from lack of sufficient natural drainage
have been made in more than half of
the States of the Union AS result
of these studies and examinations, plans
and recommendations for remedial
measures have been prepared, which,
when carried out by those financially
interested, have produced beneficial re-
suits. in some cases so extraordinary as
to be far beyond the belief or even the
hopes OF those involved.
The Office of experiment stations has
some of the most able and experienced
drainage experts Of the country on It's
staff Of engineers. Mr.. Elliott, who
has charge of the work Is recognized
as the authority on this subject In this
country. He has for over thirty years
given his entire time TO drainage, hav-
ing been associated with such work
since the very beginnings of drainage
Tor agricultural purposes IN this coun-
try He is the author OF several books
on the subject. and before becoming
associated with the Government service
he published n drainage journal, IN
addition 70 carrying on his extensive
private drainage engineering Practice
Investigating Everywhere.
The work of The Federal Government
in Investigating drainage problems eX-
tends all over the country In humid
regions as well as in the arid States,
But in no other State, probably, Will
greater benefits result than will be pro-
duced in Utah by adequate drainage TO
remove excess of water and alkali from
the fertile lands With wisdom and
foresight the State Legislature per
ceived the Importance OF this ques-
tiou, and three years ago appropr1ated
$4,000 10 be used by the Utah agri-
cultural experiment STATION In !nVestl,
cations of use Of irrigation water and
the reclamation of alkah land, provided
that the United States Department of
Agriculture would devote an equal sum
to the same work. to be done in coop |
Grafton with the State authorities.
The appropriation made by the Fed
eral Congress for this work is too limit |
cd to permit the office of experiment |
stations TO take up the actual construc-
lion of drainage work on any extensive |
scale. Like other branches of the De |
partment of Agriculture, its work IS |
rather advisory and educational. IT Is |
readily apparent that the preparation
of the best plans for securing drainage
in any given locality. including the |
30 he hn 1ocn
size Of the work. in order to secure
the desired results at the least expense,
is 9 matter requiring careful judgment
pnd long experience. In the early his
tory of drainage much work was done
which produced no proportlonately |
valuable benefit because improper meth
ods were used; and likewise much USE |
less expenditure was incurred because
the fundamental principles and laws
relating TO land drainage were not un-
derstood and followed. No two locah-
ties are exactly alike in their condi-
tions ard needs, but the general laws
relating to drainage are universal, and
il is only their applications which vary.
So far as it's funds permit, it is the
province of the office of experiment sta
fions to furnish the advice and assist
auce necessary to insure that any com
nunity intending to take up drainage
work shall proceed along right lines
lines which will secure the desired relief
Mt the minimum of expense Where
unknown and ,:utr;cl con iitions are to
be net, such experimental work as
seems necessary is undertaken
Drainage Of Utah,
On account of The generous support
given 10 the work by the Legislature,
it has been possible TO devote the entire
time OF one engineer TO drainage In
this State, and G.. F. Brown of this city
has had charge Of the work since its in
cep:ion. the report of the work ac-
romptished during the first two years is
included In Bulletin 80 of the Utah ex-
pertinent station at Logan.
There is scarcely locality where ir-
rIgatioD IS practlced IN this State which
does not include considerable area of
land once proftably cultivated, but now
either wholly abandoned or ONLY in
differently productive from acumula-
lion of seepage water or alkali. This
state of AFFAIRS works great hardship
upon many farmers and in some in
stances has so reduced the value of
their land that they are poorly able TO
TO undertake work involving much ex-
pense in bringing about betterment
likely TO be undertaken whenever there
IS doubt about the success of the pro.
lect- These injured areas arc TO be
found from Cache county on the north
10 Washington county on the south, un.
der a great variety OF climatic and soil
conditions. In some cases the locations
are remote from railroad facilities and
supply. points, and in every case local
investigation or experiment is neccs-
sary TO ascertain the requirements Of
The particular section
Hyde Park, Cache County.
strip of land. estimated at 1000
acres, lying between Hyde park and
Logan near the foot Of the main ir-
rlgated bench, had become, in a large
part, too wet for cultivation, and 10
some some cases produced only water grass
This land once had the reputation of
beng the most valuable land in the
valley, but, fields formerly used for the
growing OF wheat, beets, and alfalfa,
clover on account of the sub irrigation
winch aad rendered the Land unfit for