Show IRRIGATORS FAVOR BEAR LAKE AS BIG RESERVOIR Delegates Discuss Plans by Which More Thana Than Than- a Million Acres of Abandoned Utah Land May Be Reclaimed The first session of oC the Irrigation Congress of Utah which has been held the organization of or the congress six Ix months ago aOh was was' called to order at 1050 this morning In the Assembly hall hail with an att attendance of about seventy- seventy five I IThe The call to order was as made b by President Prest il lent dent nl Abel John 1 Evans n S. S who In tn opening the congress palled called upon Joseph Joeph R. R Murdock Murdock Mur- Mur dock of oC Wasatch county to offer prayer of the Congress Following th the Invocation President Evans remarked that thal the policies of or the congress were not ver very well defined at atthe atthe atthe the time of ot the organization hut but he understood understood un- un that Important projects were vero to be considered and he therefore In Invited Invited In- In an any per persons ons present who had bad anything to Sit say to let themselves elves be heard A. A F F. Doremus said that he believed the congress should at once nce take up ther the the- r reservoir ol problem which a was consIdered considered considered consid consId- ered nt at the mass meeting meeting- on Wednesday Wednes Wednes- da day clay as a ti representative of the Government Government Govern Govern- rn- rn m ment nt F. F H H. N Newell well was present and that it was Important that some sonic one of or several everal projects should hould be decided upon PO so o that work might begin Ho Suggests ts a Plan Mr Ir Doremus also alo favored ored the establishment establishment of some means of communication tion between the tue congress congre s and find the Gov Gov- and thou thought ht a committee with the proper authority be appointed appoint appoint- ed cd for Cor the purpose of or conferring with the Government Go when it was deemed necessary He then moved that the morning session lon be devoted dc to the consideration consideration consideration con con- of the various reservoir sites and the motion prevailed This had the fleet of settling the convention con con- down to business and Prof Proto George L. L of r the thi Agricultural college ge at Logan was asked to discuss the Bear Lake reservoir proposition Prof Views Prof said that he hc had spent some orne time In the consideration of oC the thema ma matter ter and nd all knew w the he Importance Ortance of or orthe the Bear river rl in southern Idaho and northern Utah The watershed he said was as and the water was war now r rising instead of oC falling tallIng His proposition prop prop- was to convert cOn the lake Into a n. reservoir and raise rals the water as s high as possible Bear I Lake ake as 5 a a Reservoir I e h he palf 1 tiaO I about S a or bt situated for the proposed ed conver conversion cOn n. n H He believed belle that sufficient water could l easily be he secured secuNd to tOI reclaim man many mani thousands of acres aCre of arid lands As Asto to the cost or details detail of the work Prof Swend on had not given gh those thoe matters matter attention He He- pointed out though h that the lake lake- was fed by the great Bear river nver riv riv- er an unfailing source of or supply an antha and that tha t this was a most mot Important Item As to the that can b be r reclaimed there are large bodies he said both bolh In Idaho and Utah John Joint B II Milner wanted to know If it the main watershed of oC the Bear ilear river was not in Wyoming and how th the proposition 1 would affect the people of or that State I Prof replied that a large part of ot the watershed was In Utah and that as aJ Hood flood waters vaters would only be stored the people of Y Wyoming would not be Injured InJure in an any wa way No Interstate Questions F. F H 11 Newell the Government Go expert pre present ent was ask asked d for fOI his opinion and replied that he h hardly u bc Interstate question of ot Importance could arise owing to the fact that It would be the flood waters vaters that were stored J J. C. C heelon engineer for tOI the Bear river rl canal canai was vas next heard In support sup sup- port lort of or the Bear Belr lake project Mr tr Wheelon said ald that the people o of Idaho were not Interested in the matter matler to the extent that the people of ot Utah were as there were too man many engineering propositions to take Into consideration in Idaho He did not believe helle that any tro trouble ble would b be ba experienced with the people of oC Wyoming as aa there Is only one tributary to the Bear river whose watershed Is in Wyoming Mr Ir Whee- Whee Ion lon said that If It the lake level le could b bra be ra raised five feet tet several eral hundred thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of nCI acres of or land could be he re reclaimed reclaimed re- re claimed but generally g speaking he did not favor tavor the proposition As to the cost of ot the work he had ht made no estimate call esti- mate Could Reclaim Acres Judge Jacob Johnson of oC Sanpete county was vas next heard In support of oC the Grand river project He said gald that he believed J a million acres of oC a additional addi addi- l- l land could be Irrigated from the waters of oC that stream without infringing In ing upon the rights of those who are arc arenow areno now no using the water He was not I In Informed informed in- in formed however howe a as to just what steps step had been taken but he WUI sas Informed that surveys had been run beginning In Colorado ani in coming westward Mr Newell Again Agnin Talks 1 F. F H H. Newell ell was waR again aln called upon at this time and said mid that of ot diversion would be he about twelve miles mites east of Grand Junction if IC it should be decided to use tiso the thi Grand river water As to the tho co cost t. t Mr III N Newell said that the tho expense e would be tie hea heavy but he could not estimate it at al pl present ent Mr Newell suggested that representatives from rom all of the States Stats should t bo be appointed d to consider interstate rights and that a committee should be appointed b by the Utah congress to confer confer- with the Government Gov relative to matters pertaining solely to this State and ami upon whom te te Government could call for Ot or information The Utah Lake Scheme A. A F. F Doremus was vaa the next speaker and discussed the Jhc Utah Jake lake scheme Mr Doremus said that h he was not pot personally personally per per- supporting any scheme chem but he asked to lo prepare some ome figures relative e to Utah lake which h he hall hail done Two Important things h he said In constructing a rc reservoir was wat r rand and land Utah lake he said ald had ono one of or the the- most extensive ns e watersheds of or oran any an of water In tho State and that t the lake Jake would make mac a splendid re reservoir oh er Utah lake he t said had anarea anarea an anarea area of or acres and as ItH th precipitation pre pre- c wa was fourteen Inches per year tar taron on the the- shed sufficient water ell tell fell to cover coyer coy cov over er I acres of land 1001 with wa water a a. afoot fool foot deep after allowing for tor tho the ua usual 50 per cent which does not roach the Continued on Page Pago S S. S Irrigators Favor Continued from Crom Pace Page 1 I. I lake after afler falling upon the shed shee The present ent of oC the lake he Ime said was acre feet but that the storage sLot stor age ac capacity could be lC Increased feet acre J Ditches Fed by th the River The lands now no being bein irrigated by b the ditches which tap tall the Jordan river which is fc fed by hy the lake lalie Mr Ill Doremus said a aggregated gr about 4 acres but with inci Increased eased stora storage e facilities additional acres ot imd could easH easily be Irrigated aled to say nothing of the thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of oC acres of or land that would be reclaimed by reducing the area of or the lake Attention was also 0 directed to the fact that the discharging ing capacity of oC the Jordan river would ha have hato to be In Increased Increased In- In creased creaMed as the storage torf e capacity of or the lake was Increased The value alue of the entire work to the State Slate Mr 11 Doremus ft figured In the reclamation of land I would be at least I Mentions Another Plan I Mr Doremus also alro mentioned the scheme for or bringing 1 the waters of the Strawberry valley in the Uintah reservation reser reser- I ration over Into Inlo Utah lake but did not discuss the matter In detail At the conclusion of Mr 11 Doremus's address the congress cons adjourned until 2 o'clock In the at afternoon |