Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-10-16
GREAT SALT LAKE
IS SUBJECT OF
INVESTIGATION
Geological Survey Conducting
Experiments to Determine
Relative Annual Precipitation
Now and Before Coming of
White Man.



Salt Lake City, Utah, Ovt. 15.-The
present behavior and past history of
Great Salt Lake IS attracting more and
more attention each year and is now
the object OF q special investigation
by the United States geological sur
vey, The United States weather
bureau precipitation records, begin
ming in 1868, present comparatively
accurate record Of the levels of great
Salt Lake dating back to the year
1850 In 1850 the lake stood at
II. In 1868 the water rose to IA IT,,
dropped to 1.5 II. in 1873, and rose
again to IA #. in 1870 The lake then
gradually lowered until the water
stood at "a IT. in 1902 and 22 fl in
1905 Since / 905 the water has grad
ually risen, reaching the eft. mark in
May. 1910. The lake Is now falling.
Many millions of dollars have been
spent in the construction Of railroads
and resorts over or near the shores
OF the Great Salt Lake. If any data
can be secured which will enable one
to make a reliable prediction as to the
behavior OF the AXE ten years in adj
vance, the information would be OF
incstimable value. 1t viii be neces-
sary to determine whether or not
there are regular periods Of wet and
dry years: also to determine the time
intervening between two wet and two
dry periods. TO determine this point
one should have precipitation records
dating back ono hundred years or
more.
Taking, for example, a forest tree
which is some distance from flow
ing stream. and one which receives no
moisture from artificial sources, il is
believed that the annual growth of
.t,t rai4finn
to the amount o. precipitation which
fell during the winter just prior to
the growing season The amount OF
growth made during each year may be
determined by measuring the thick
ness of the trees annular rings. The
temperature during the growing sea
son would have its effect upon the
growth of the tree. and it is therefore
not expected thai the data obtained
from measuring the thickness of an
nular rings would give reliable rec
ords for successite years where there
is little variation in the annual pre-
cipitation. II seems reasonable to be-
neve that the high normal and low
years can be determined.
The forest ser'ice has extended its
assistance i'm tits interesting invest
igation by cutting big tree from
the Big Cottonwood drainage area
which lies ahout ten miles southeas'
Of salt Lake Ci|y, Utah. This tree
Is between four. and i've hundred
years old A sedion VIII be cut ana
polished i'm orderthat the thickness cf |
Inc annular rings may be easily meas |
ured a thorough study VIII be made |
of the first sixtvannular rings and a |
comparison mad with the 60 year |
record of the lNels of Great SAT- |
Lake II a dcfnitc relation can pe |
determined showing that a certain |
amount Of precipitation produce a |
ring OF certaif thickness. this re-
lation can then be applied back To
the center OF thetree and an estimate !
thereby secured Tor the annual pre- |
cipitation for beriod of four hun |
dred to five hunired years. An e.
fort win be male to complete TINS |
study during the heNt three months