The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-10-21
GREAT SALT LAKE FIVE
HUNDRED YEARS AGO


g ent behavior and past history of the
. q eat Salt Lake is attracting more
and more attention each year, and
is now the object of a special inves-
tigation by the United States Geo
logical Survey. The United States
Weather Bureau precipitation record.
beginning in 1868, present compar-
ativeay accurate record of the levels
70 of Great Salt Lake dating back to
the year as5s.
In qSSe the lake stood at #. In
1868 tho. water rose to IA It,, droP-
ped to. rs It. In 1873, and rose again
to II. it,. In 1877. The lake then
gradually lowered until the water
: stood at. "a #. In 1ees and e.2 #. in
1905. Since 1896 the wafer has
gradually risen, reaching the eft.
mark in May, 1919. The lake is now
failing.
Many millions Of dollars have been
: spent in the construction of resorts
and railroads 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 lake ten years in
advance, the information would be of
inestimable value. 1t will 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 one
should have precipitation records
dating back one hundred years or
more.
Taking for example a forest tree
which is some distance from a flow
ing stream, and one which receives
no moisture from artificial sources,
it is believed that the annual growth
of this tree would bear a direct re-
lation to the amount of precipitation
which fell during the winter just
prior to the growing season The
amount of growth made during each
year may be determined by measur-
ing the thickness of the trees annual
rings. The temperature during the
growing season would have its effect
upon the growth of the tree, and it
is therefore expected that the data
obtained from measuring the thick
ness of annular rings would give re-
liable records for successive years
where there is little variation in the
annual precipitation 1t seems rea-
sonable to believe that the high nor
NAL and low year can be determined.
The forest service has extended it's
assistance in this interesting investi-
cation by cutting a big tree from the
Big Cottonwood drainage area, which
lies about ten miles southeast of Salt
Lake City, Utah. This tree is be-
tween four and five hundred years
old. A section will be cut and pol
lshed in order that the thickness of
the smaller rings may be easily meas
ured. A thorough study will be
made of the first sixty annular rings
and comparison made with the 60
year record OF tne levels OF Great
Salt Lake. If definite relation can
be determined showing that certain
amount of precipitation produces a
ring of certain thickness, this rela-
ton can then be applied back to the
center of the tree and an estimate
thereby secured for the annual preci-
pitation for period of four hundred
to five hundred years. An effort will
be made to complete this study dur
ing the next three months.
Any information concerning the
progress of this work can be secured
by writing or calling upon E. c.. La
Rue, district engineer, Water Re
source Branch, U. S. Geological Sur
fvey, Salt Lake CITY