The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-04
WOULD RECLAIM
IMMENSE TRACT
Of FERTILE LAND
Plan to Organize Irrigation
District in Davis, Weber
and Morgan Counties.
NEARLY FOUR MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS REQUIRED
,esuRANcEs ARE THAT EAST
FsN CAPITALISTS WILL
TAKE BONDS At PAR.
lsDeciaI to The Herald)


y,.,.syffle July 3.-Three million sew
an hundred and fifty thousand dollars is
-. estimate made on the cost of one
q t5e greatest irrigation projects ever
.+,empted In Utah. which is about 10 pc
I,,..ched by Davis, Weber, Morgan and
c,,,,r1it county men. The promoters
- for eight years been working on
-. bi5 nropositiOn, and it seems they
& NV about to see the fTuitiOn Of
+Leir dreams Of retaining an extensive
~ region and making II productive
Tbs main uart Of the tract that II Is de-
-,gnad 10 irrigate is in Davis and Weber
-+,,nties extending from Beck's Hot
Savings four miles from Salt Lake
ritv 10 the Ogden Hot Springs, fifteen
niles northwest Of ogden.
Those who are familiar with the to-
r,praphv Of the two counties lying
north of salt Lake will know that all
long the foothills throughout the fifty
miles that separates the two hot springs
there extends a tract of arid, or semi
arid lands. with only here and there
srots where the mountain streams have
hen turned out of their deep channels
AS they emerge from the canyons and
made 10 water comparatively small
areas of the uplaTds For the most part
The streams from the precipltous noun
fsins are too small 10 allow of their be-
ing used on these dry benches, and such
AS do furnish a fair volume of water in
the early part Of the season, fall short
when irrigation is most needed in the
induction Of the more valuable crops,
such as tomatoes. fruits and sugar
beets. This condition as to the higher
lands is true throughout Davis county,
with the exception of Centerville and
part Of Pennington, where water IS
more plentiful
Rich Land idle.
Lying north and east Of Kaysville and
Layton there is a large tract Of choice
land for which there is not now, and
n5yer has been, any irrigation water.
Yet this land is perhaps as rich and pro
ductive and valuable as any in the
state, if only water can be had for it.
The same is true Of the bench lands
south Of ogden, extending as far as the
Weber river. In all. there are approx
mately $4,000 acres of arid and semi
arid lands in the two counties, every
acre Of which can be brought under the
canal system that seems now in a fair
way 20 be constructed.
Something like eight years ago lead
ing men of Davis, Weber, Morgan and
Summit counties, all of whom were di-
rectly or indirectly Interested I'm the
waters Of the Weber river, met for the
purpose OF organizing to protect the
rights Of water claimants on the stream,
Water was becoming more valuable and
the alleged entertainments of canal
companies on the rights Of older users of
the waters threatened to precipitate
endless litigation unless some action
we're taken. The outcome of the meet
ing called to consider the matter was
the formation of the Weber Reservoir,
Power & Irrigation company, which was
later incorporated for the purpose Of
storing the food waters Of the Weber
al one or more suitable places, and thus
furnishing an abundant supply for all
CT the lands below the reservoirs. Spleen
aid sites were secured. the best and
argest being between Echo and Coal
vile IN Summit county. In the one To-
cation there is said TO be a chance to
Store $4,000 acre feet of water, enough
TO lrigate $4,000 acres Of land.
Outside Capital Needed.
ms company was composed entirely
OF local men, none Of them capitalists,
ana the stock was, for the most part,
subscribed in small blocks by the farm
e's OF the four counties. The company
proceeded to secure reservoir sites, make
surveys and get estimates, and after
5Ependlng about $4,000 In this work il
was seen that the project was entirely
700 great 10 be undertaken with only
'edl capital The estimates ran well
up INTO the millions of dollars for the
.onstructlon of the works. and with
,.ese nsures before them the cOmpany's
e-lceIs saw the futility of proceeding
.uIlier along that line, and commenced
~ negotiate for outside financial help.
n. TINS work T. L. Allen OF CoaIville has
os5h me leading spirit, and he has for
more more than five years devoted practical
y an or MS time to the difficult and del
80 - TASK or getting eastern capitalists
-.tJ5IsSJed. In his labors he has been
I Iyy assisted by President ]. H. Grant.
~ IN, y o. NJ. Barnes, Heber J. Sheffield
y. laws county and by the other off,
GERS Of the COMPANY.
e. 1e story Of the long struggle. with
~ periods of rosy hope and battling
'uIasements, In which the capital
EnRNf..-I