The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-11
MEETING OF IRRIeAToRs.

of organizing the Utah Irrigation and
Drainage Congress, and placed the ad-
ministration of this organization, for
the time being, in the hands of an eS-
ccutive committee, Sixty delegates ct
tended from different parts Of the
State. and the burden of the addresses
was that irrigation water should be
conserved. used sparingly and made
to 20 as far as possible in the tilling
Of land. The consensus of opinion was
that very much moro land could be un-
der cultivation in Utah with the water
that we have than is cultivated now
if there were proper methods adopted
and moro limited use of water prac-
ticed
President John A. Widtsoe of the
Utah Agricultural College, who is emf
nently qualified to deal with the ques-
ton, spoke of the dosirability Of
"Making the Most OF Utah s Irnga-
tion Waters To this end he pleaded
strongly for more careful and eco
nomic application Of the irrigation wa
ters OF the State He claimed that
farm lands are for the most part over
| irrigated, and that this leads to ruin
OF much OF the land, making the canals
and reservoirs which would servo that
land useless. He held that water is
the most precious thing we have in
this State. and we should guard II care
fully. He held that the two great
things before the assemhlage and be.
fore The State at large are to get the
largest WELD with the least amount of
water. and so make our agriculture per
mauent.
lie dealt also with the matter Of
seepage Of canals and illustrated his
point by saying that eff our fore
fathers could build amid hardships and
without help from the outside these
canals, we, in these days of civiliza
tion, should be able to cement them
and prevent sccpage.' There is no
question but that seepage is very
great waste and drain upon the re-
sources Of water for irrigation; and |
when President Widtsoc suggested the
idea of cementing the canals he struck |
should be cemented, they should be
covered. for it is desirable to save all |
the waste, and the waste by evapora-
tion, while not to be compared with |
that of seepage, is yet In many cases
an important loss. So that doubtless
the tendency will be In canal-making
to make covered fumes so as to save
waste both from above and from below.
DR., Widtsoe dweH earnestly upon
the necessity Of conserving the water
that We have, and condemned those
who waste or over-uee It, He holds
that only from ten to twenty inches
Of water are required to raise crops
on the average Utah farm, but stated
that some farmers use as III as five
or six acre feet of water. the differ
ence between that and what is need
ful showing tremendous loss OF the
most valuable thing that we have. He
urged that the time has arrived when
he State needs laws by which water
will be so distributed that all of 1t
,ould be beneficially applied and none
lef 10 SO W hdcIcs ulo, VI |
course, would contemplate the storing
If all the flood waters in the State,
ind in many cases it would contem-
,late also the lining OF the reservoirs
With concrete so as to prevent the loss
~ seepage that is so much complained
# in canals.
In all this there can be no doubt but
hat DR.. Widtsoe is on firm ground
md is leading the farmers Of the State
o better views, not only of irrigation,
,ut Of the rightful claim to water.
That is water is not the absolute prop.
rtv of any ono, but only so much OF {
he water as that person can benefi-
iallv Use. This, IN a general way, is !
he doctrine of the courts. but it has
,een much neglected Of enforcement in /
he matter Of agricultural use. When ]
he time comes, as we Judge that il :
must come, when the ideas of Dr. |
Nidtsoe will be put into perfect ef
ect, no one will be allowed to "hog" 6
water, but every farmer will be al
owed such water as is needful to raise
rs crops. but no more; and when that 7
imc comes Utah will certainly be a +,
'astly greater agricultural State than
I is today. I
Mr.. j. c. Wheelon, general superin- c
endent OF the Bear River Canal Com
amy. continued the discussion so we'll s
'egun by DR.. Widtsoe, saying that the +
'tate had been reckless in giving away '
IS water rights. and that 1t was time |
o draw in. He cited the case of p
eigbbors of his in the Bear River re- Y
ion who several years ago complained
hat there had been too little water, I
'ut through systems of measurements h
nd records these same neighbors now n
ind that they have not only abundance I
{ water for their own use, but have 9
gater TO sell. y
Mr., George Austin. General Agricul. b
ural Superintendent of the Utah-Ida-