The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-11-27
UTAH'S WATER SUPPLY.

The United States Geographical Sur
vey has Just published report en-
titled "Water Supply Paper 393,' as
a result Of an investigation by Everett
Carpenter and W. B. Heroy. The re.
port relates to the area included with
in Boxelder County and part of
Tooele County, and some small tracts
in southern Idaho. The report is de.
signed to aid the cause Of irrigation
in these and similar districts.
Underground waters are now prov
ing of great importance in the exten.
sion Of agricultural area, and this
report suggests means by which such
waters can be utilized in Boxelder
County and adjacent territory.
Now that most of the regular flow
has been appropriated in the Western
States, agricultural expansion is being
accomplished by the construction of
reservoirs to conserve the overflow
waters, by making the same amount of
water irrigate more land than former
ly through scientific methods, by the
development of dry farming on large
tracts near the mountains where there
is more rainfall than on the desert. and
by developing underground waters, us.
ing for this purpose artesian wells or
pumping plants.
Ihe report deals with the topography.
geology, rainfall, vegetation, soil, and
other natural features of the country.
the source and disposal of ground wa.
ter IN the area, the artesian con-
dltIons, springs, non-fowing wells.
and the quality of the waters found
IN the various valleys. Twelve val
leys and particular regions are de-
Scribed. separately. The following
comments on Boxelder County indi.
cate the nature OF the report:
Owing TO the lack OF Irrigation SUD-
plleS large part OF western Box
elder county has remained without
permanent Inhabitants. and hence
there has been little incentive 10
drill or dig for ground water, develop
ment having been practically limited
10 the areas along Etna and Ma
other places good water could prob
ably be obtained by moderately deep
wells.
Tho Piiocene strata which rests on
the western slope o. the Grouse Creek
mountains are IN part porous. and
they appear 20 extend beneath the
unconsol!datcd lake beds that occupy
the central part OF Grouse Creek
valley. Some OF the water that falls
as rain sinks into these porous strata
md probably finds It's way beneath
the central part OF the valley. There
arc. therefore. prospects for obtain
Ing successful wells in the area that
Hes between the junction OF Etna
and Mahogany creeks and the Twin
Mounds. ana perhaps farther south.
Owing 10 the nneness OF the grain
OF these beds the Yield OF such wells
win probably not be large, but will
DO sufficient for farm supplies.
The LOFTY Pilot mountains receive
q large amount OF rain and snow. and
much OF the resulting water doubt
less finds its way iuto the loose
gravel at the upper limits OF the ailu-
vial slopes and travels slowly to
tho lower levels. where IL Is IN part
delivered as springs and I'm part
wasted by evaporation from the des-
ert. This water could Oe recovered
before IL reaches the desert by mod
erately deep wells sunk on the lower
part OF the alluviaI slopes Although
there have been no Developments II
ts not improbable that n strip OK land
one-halfl to ihree-fourths NILE wide
and ter miles long. lying iust above
the line OF Surines could be success
LhIlv irrigated by pumping from wells.
In this strip the denth 20 water IS
pTobabl less than fifty feet and al
thouch VI u not Tar above tho desert
lt appears 20 be undsrlain hy coarse
material that would yield water.