The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-07-03
Underground Water
Supply in Some
Sections Of Utah
BY Professor L. NJ. Winsor, Of the
Utah Agricultural
College

Utah is rapidly growing agricultur-
ally. However, this growth is great
~ retarded by the scarcity of water
in the mountain streams. There is
available for rrgation in Utah more
than ten million acres of land OF
this area but scanty two million
acres is actually under irrigation,
and this includes pasture lands and
swampy, water logged soils. Hence
1t follows that there is ample room
for expansion of the irrigated area.
The problem for Utah Is: How SHALL
she supply the necessary water for
this immense tract of land?"
The natural flow in most of our
streams has long since been appro-
priated. Future development of the,
gravity systems will be confined to
the use Of flood waters in the early
season or the construction of reser-
voirs and canals in order to conserve
these waste waters for use when most
needed. This latter method is ex-
pensive and will be accomplished on
ly as land and water becomes suffi-
ciently valuable to justify the ex.
pense.
The water already appropriated can
be used to much better advantage. 1t
is estimated that with only a reason
able use of the water, applying 1t as
needed only, and in the right way,
following the irrigation with cult
walton, this alone would result IN
doubling the present irrigated area.
By rearranging the irrigation sys-
tens in various sections, SO that the
water now held on the low lands,
which are wet already, can be used
on high and dry soils, at least one
third can be added to our irrigated
area. These various resources Will
be developed at the proper time.
One other source of water supply
which has been given very little at
tention, with respect to its use In
irrigation, Is the underground waters,
which may be developed in one way
and another. The state Is traversed
by great chains of high mountains
and broken ranges are distributed
here and there over other sessions
Of the State. These mountains are all
covered during the winter months by
heavy deposits Of snow, and In the
other seasons by much more rain
than falls in the valleys. The total
precipitation is much greater than
the run off In our streams. A great
deal of this moisture finds its way
into the deep soils and eventually
feeds the underground streams and
bodies of water beneath our valleys.
Another source Of supply for this I'M
derground water is that furnished by
over irrigation on the higher portions
of the valleys. Within the Great Ba-
sin the margins Of the valleys are
porous, having In most cases gravel
and sand as the sub soil. This abb
serbs great quantities Of water and
carries 1t into the low lands until q
layer OF heavy clay or other impervl-
GUS material Is encountered. II the
underground stream happens to strike
below this layer the water is carried
deep into the earth and serves as the
source of supply for artesian water
in the lower elevations Of the valley
II this underground stream strikes
above the impervious layer then the
water is brought near the surface,
as to have q damaging effect by way
OF water logging an otherwise pro-
ductive soil. In practice we find all