The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-18
USE OF STATES
WATER RIGHTS
Legislation to Adjust Condi-
tons Relative to Power Com
panieS Will Be Sought.
ANNUAL REPORT IS FILED
Utah Conservation Commission Will
Ask Legislature to Adopt Certain
Recommendations.

legislation tending TO adjust the re-
latlohs or power companies and irriga-
tYIs IN the use Of the states water
rights viii be sought by the Utah con-
serFatton commission Of the coming leg
stature The commission filed its re-
port Tor 1910 with Governor william
Spry last night after a lengthy con-
ference in which legislative needs so
FAR as they pertain TO natural resources,
. were threshed out.
40 Definite recommendations to be
mace were decided upon. the matter be-
ing carried over until December q
when special meeting will be held for
that purpose. TO was announced how
ever, that the question OF water rights
and matters pertaining to preservation
OF watersheds would be given prime
consideration.
The report OF the commission is brief
ana OF an informal nature. In it the
preliminary report published a year ago
lor the benefit or the National COnser-
walton conference at Washington is re-
viewed, and the aims and mission OF the
commission are set out. In word.
tnese are TO lind out Just what the
natural resources Of the state are, and
/ how best to use them.
Valuable Data.
The commission has been working on
a serise Of large maps Of Utah drawn
I 70 the scale OF an eighth Of an inch to
a mile, large enough to show the sec
/ ton lines Of all the land in the state
ana to be used to show the details per-
/ tanning to land. water. forest and min
erals These maps will also show loca-
/ ton OF towns and cities. ali boundaries
/ OF such. as well as reservoirs and can
I ais, wagon roads and bridges. railroads.
! etc. They will also show the owner
I ship OF the land, whether government
| state or private. Surveyed or unsurveyed
/ the character Of soil. elevation. temper
aturcs. rainfall. irrigability or non-ir-
/ reliability OF agricultural lands. These
I maps are being drawn by Harry =.
/ POLL Much Of the data used has been
/ secured from the Agricultural college
experiment station, state engineer. land
vey and the Knight Power g. Develop
ment company. from counties Of Utah
and from other sources.
Expenses Are Heavy
| Many county commissioners have
! been indifferent. however. in furnish
ing the commission Information. some
either falling or refusing to give data.
such refusal being based on the ground
OF expense. The maps viii be finished
I'm February, 1911.
] The commission aims to give the cit
liens, the investor and the homeseel Sers
accurate and reliable information about
| the natural resources Of the state.
The expenses Of the comm fssion up 20
May 81 1910. were S2.239.43. and eN-
penses from May 81. to December l.
were S2.005.f5. with unpaid vouchers on
hand Of S521.92. The total expenses TO
I December I. 1910. amounting 70
I S4.f7f.50. Unpaid obligations will raise
this TO $500. this being the expense Of
/ the commission for the first eighteen
months OF its existence.
| Seeing a field Of work ahead so large
the commission feels that the appro-
priation OF $4,000 a year will not per-
init it to do the work that should be
done. and an increased appropriation
viii be sought on these grounds.