Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-23
BIG PROJECTS ARE
PROVED SUCCESSES
State Enterprises in Piute and
Garfield Counties Give
Satisfaction.
IRRlGATE FINE FRUIT LANDS.
Engineer Joseph Jcnson Tells of the
Work Being Carried on in South
crn Portion of Utah.

The two big irrigation projects in
Piute and Garfield counties, the first
works of their kind to be constructed
by the State of Utah, are moro than
fulnlling the best hopes of their propos-
ers. according to Joseph Jcnson, chief
engineer. who arrived in Salt Lake City
today on his way home to Springvllle,
where he will spend the Christmas hol-
idays with his family. Mr.. Jenson Is
stopping at the Kenyon hotel.
''The Garfield county reservoir Is near
Hatchtown. ON the sewer river, u
Mr.. Jenson, ''and the work of construc-
tIon is almost finished now. 1t was
started two years ago last August. rms
reservoir has capacity OF 15,uOO acre
feet. and will irrigate 1000 acres oi
land. The state has selected about S'ouo
acres which IL Will thus reclaim, aions
the Pangultch bench, and sell with gooo
water rights in parcels OF lto acres y,
less to new settlers. The land should
be ready for occupancy In the spring
OF 1910, and we look for. crops by next
year. The land is quite fertile, though
xhc climate is not the best Tor iruit.
But ii Is good for field crops. and alfal-
Ia and wheat will flourish there:
IA canal 19 miles long has already
been constructed. and Its head is ABOUT
IL miles below the reservoir. The Wa
fer viii be stored in the reservoir
throughout the year, and during the IT.
ripptlon season the gates will be opened
and the water will flow down the sewer
river to the farm lands.
"The approximate cost of this prof.
ect Will be about $140,0OO and 1t is well
worth many times that amount TO the
state as IL Will attract many new set
ft,e rnnnifipS Will TnD-
idly spring up when this land Is placed
under cultivation.
GOOD FRUIT LANDS.
"The Pluto county project is much
larger than the Garfield work, as the
big reservoir dam which we are build
ing 10 miles south of Marysvale. on the
Sewer river Will have u capacity or
70. coo acre feet, and Will furnish plenty
OF water to irrlgate more than 22.OOO
acres of private and state lands in the
Sewer valley. This is all fine land,
and the state has q little over one
half OF the total acreage. or from 10000
to $4,000 acres, which will be thrown
open for sale in small parcels.
1.-THE land to be irrigated by the Piute |
project Is said to compare quite favor
ably with the best Embarrassing lands
In the west. Just across the river, |
Grand Junction company lS pidtilhi6
from 10000 to 1900 peach trees and |
spending a lot of money on private de- |
velopment work This land in the state |
project is the same kind of land and i
lust as good The state will probably |
sell the land, with good water right, at |
$45 per acre. which only covers the ac-
tual cost of the water and nominal |
charge for the land itself that is not i
less than $3.50 per acre.
"Thc whole Piute project will cost |
about S400, 900. and 1t cannot be COM
pleted in less than n year, or possibly |
a year and a half The dam Is earth
filed, 80 feet high, about $50 feet long |
OIL the bottom. and 500 feet long on the |
crest. A tunnel has already been cut |
solid ledge of rock, around
the end OF the dam. for the purpose OF |
tapping the reservoir. The head gates
have been put in, the Sewer river has
been turned into the tunnel, and the |
work for excavation for the core tunnel |
across the gulch is In progress now.
The Garfield and Piute projects arc
the first two Irrigation works of their |
kind to be built under state supervision.
They are being carried to a successful |
finish rapidly. and all connected with |
the work are pleased with the progress.
These projects will reclaim lands which |
hitherto have been utterly barren and |
useless wastes, and I am convinced that
their success Will encourage the state
10 do more work OF this kind In other /
localities"