Show i I I I t i TRY THE UTAH LAKE SCHEME SCH E AE t Government Favorable Toward the Reservoir Re Proposition t L NEWELL KEWELL HERE TOMORROW 4 UPON HIS WILL DE DB DEPEND DEPEND PEND a I TAH foremost among all all allI UTAH U I the states state sta in I the progress made toward securing a federal leral aid In re to reclaiming claiming tae t arid tends fan Already the Utah lake Jake storage proposition tion has Bas beEn practically a accepted by b the the depart department de ment stent ot of the Interior kt is it baa IMS I been accepted for tor investigation as to its engineering e Work has bt been n commenced comm iced in ascertaining the practicability of the scheme at this point Government Engineer George Geor e SW fa Is employed 09 this t is phase of the matter getting together the data that win will tiDally finally determine dE the accept acceptance Dee ance or rejection of the proposed reser reservoir reserVOIr reserVoir voir site This important information was given given given en out yesterday ata at a meeting of the irrigation commission at which Attorney Attorney ney fey F p s S Richards who recently went to Washington Washinton In jn behalf of the Utah lake scheme made his report of what he had accomplished and what he bad had recommended to the government t His report was most pleasing and flatter flattering flattering ing tag He stated that Utah alone of all the states seeking benefit from the reclamation fund hal hai gone before the interior deportment department with tiong tieng a to v what hat should be done in or order order der to property properly use the fund The other i states he says are going before the department with questions as to what they must do instead pf pt making mal ing sug suggestions stations themselves For this reason I the commission of Utah has been high highly highly ly h praised by the federal authorities and an their proposition has been the first to receive attention Ii i To Test rest the The work of ot testing the practicability ity I y of or the plan is being pushed as rap idly as possible F H Newell will ar ax arrive rive here Wednesday night to look over the situation and receive the report of Engineer er Upon this report wm will depend the final recommendation of the department of the interior In his brief brI presented to the Wash Washington Washington ington authorities setting settin forth rec recommendations and the legal phases p ases of the whole situation Mr Richards laid special stress upon the importance of or not interfering with any vested rights also the relation between Salt Lake City and the various canal com companies companies entitled to water from the res ron reservoir reservoir His recommendation in regard r ard to the vested rights right was ws 11 with a view vie vieto to preventing any of these rights being taken from front their possessors by the government Mr Ir Richards also provided for a pos pen possible possible sible contingency by recommending ing that t if It the Utah U tah lake proposition p ion were w re 4 r any apY neaon reyon ft found id be Wit i USe Mr attention be g s1 vea en 1 13 some other proposition without bin hin hindrance drance to the th 4 of the lake Jake I i scheme schema In line with this recommendation I lion tion the commission commission Instructed State f Engineer Doremus to communicate with the county clerks cl of each county re requesting requesting questing information from froin them in re regard regard regard gard to any feasible site that th they y might be able abl to recommend This information in information I formation will be kept for or use in case the lake matter mattir Is turned down which is not anticipated j I Richards legal Adviser Adir s I In view of the manner in which Mr Richards presented the matter to the government the commission voted to I retain him in Jn the position of legal ad adviser advisor 1 visor to 10 the organization so long a s his i services should be required require A A resolution tion was also aleo adopted thanking ag him I Ifor for his bis work or in behalf of the commis i ision sion aba at Washington W on j I One of the matters discussed ls by the commission relative to the Utah lake proposition was WaB the means of I ing the water supply in the Ute lake Jake In to case the site be decided upon In this con coo I the feasibility of turning the I water of the Duchesne and ad Strawberry rivers into the t e lake WAS most strongly I talked Ti matter will wUl be e laid before Mr Newell Newel when Ie he arrives for his consideration I Attorney Richards in his report stated that he was most mOISt cordially re received received calved by all aJl tile the officials at Washing Washington S StoA ton toA nut and was wal congratulated upon the thern push and energy manifested by Utah i j jIB IB in conclusion the report rep rt stated i Aid is Assured As urel f During my sty sojourn I had bad a very v satisfactory Interview with the t th director direct r of the geological i survey who had bad judt 1 returned from Salt River valley An Ari Anzona i izona zona Koca Wo We w discussed the Utah lake take proposition very fully funy and he was ex cx exceedingly exceedingly I I kind and complimentary com y in I expressing his bis views concerning c the course we bad d taken in bridging the I matter matt r to the d attention at t ef sf the depart department I ment meat I also had a lengthy le and ant satis saIls satisfactory satisfactory I factory interview Inte w with the assistant aSt a at attorney attorney t torney tomey general genera of if f the interior depart department Je art ment meat and nd his assistant during durin which I explained to tem ein the l legal J gl phases bases of or I l our question and ad was assured ur d by them that they th y would be greatly gre t aided in ar arriving riving rAving at a correct t slon by rea rca reason reason I I son of our Out consultations co I f The secretary and other oth officials whom I met that are interested in the i I administration of the th Irrigation law assured me that it was desire of the I I government t to 0 give the th kw such a lib lAb liberal eral construction as would enable the I I greatest and best possible ble results to tol flow from its it administration lion I feel confident that If ti th engineering tea fea features tures of the Utah tJ lake Jake project prove peeve ve to tobe tobe tobe I be satisfactory saUs after the preliminary work has bec be a done the legal difficulties which have bave Appeared to be De in the way can be overcome I tI I Legal LegI Phases s Explained Mr Jr Richards also presented to the commission a copy of the brief which I I be he laid before t 1 fore the secretary of the thU in interior explaining all aIl the legal phases ses of the Utah Fah lake proposition and malt mak making m k king ing ins recommendations as a to what wh should be done Jn fo a this OilS document he lie sets forth that Utah tah lake is the natural and aDd only source of water sl lY for the irrl irrigation gation gatton of a large area W semiarid land situated near Salt Lake Lak City crt that with sufficient water w ter will wIH become the most valuable and fertile land J in the state II and that Salt Lake City Cit itself Is also dependent upon Utah take ahe for the fhe In Increase increase crease of its water supply sup lY After mentioning at length the de defined defined I fined rights of or Salt SeIt Lake City and arid the he several canal companies comp in the waters aters flowing from Utah lake Mr Richards submits that tbt in so far fa as the canal companies are concerned the important question affecting them is how the gov government nt will recognize their claims claim as vested rights Mr Richards brief con continues continues on It would seem that inasmuch as the Continued on Page as B 6 TRY T TIlE UTAH LAKE SCHEME i Continued From P Ge I 1 national Irrigation law expressly pro protects protects and recognizes vested rights I which have accrued under the laws of the state with a broad and liberal con construction I of the statutes the canal companies might their addition additional al water rights by having the tha go govern ern ment do all the work and let the city and the canal companies pay It the e benefits they derive This would sim simI simplify I the matter In every particular as all the water would then go to the cana s for distribution among the stockholders and the payments will wUl be made bi b the COmPanies end and directly to the go government The canal les being an all sol solvent so vent and their unencumbered there can be no question as to their give any reasonable security that may be required Question of Consolidation SIt It is also desirable to know whether it will be necessary for the canal porn com companies panics d desiring to perfect their add addi water rights to effect a consoli dation of their interests Into one corn com pany or whether the government would deal directly with each ech company for forthe forthe the water taken by it Of course the city being a public corporation could not effect a merger with ith the canal corn oom as they are private When these vested rIghts are dis disposed disposed posed of there would still a vast vasti i I quantity of water In Ute reservoir de depending pending of course upon Its s e and I capacity to b be used In the reclamation of large areas or of land which have hae never yet been irrigated and which are ge de dependent pendent upon the water ot Utah laKe for irrigation It would then be A fm pIe matter to organize a water u users rs association bringing in aU all the land landowners owners and making the water appurtenant tenant to the land tinder the laws of Utah the water which is owned by the thA canal and irrigation companies and by the city is not appu appurtenant tenant to any par Pir particular land Water in Three Classes s With such an interpretation of th the law Jaw as is here sugg suggested ted the would consist of three classes water representing the quantities that have heretofore b been en eni i Used by the city and the canal compa companies axes nies and for which the government I would not be entitled to receive pay pey additiOnal water ac acquired acquired by the city and canal compa les under their several appropriations for h the government would receive pay par remainder of the water in the reservoir which would go members of the water users tion and become appurtenant to the lands upon which It is to be used and for which the govern government ent would b paid Iri Ir summing up Mr RIchards submit ted the following to the secretary of the interior this commission receive official recognition and such arrange arrangements ments be made that the officers of the department In immediate charge of the work will consult the commission when whenever whenever ever concerning d details of interest to Utah the recommendations or Of the regarding the prime importance of water storage In Utah lake be given glYen due weight and that work upon this important matter be taken up at the earliest practicable date it if In the judgment of thosE in charge of the matter the work connected with the Utah lake is of such magnitude or Involves such corn that rapid progress be made then attention be also given giyen to s same me other or more simple project but without prejudice or delay to the wor Utah lake physical aset as gards the amount of water now able and utilized and as to the amount of water which might be available ble un under under der the best possible conditions be as ascertained ascertained the extent be estimated to which lands now arid and without water may in the future be Irrigated Claims and Rights Bights of City I the claims and rights of the city of Salt Lake to waters not now available in years of drouth and to Increase its water waler supply as herein hereinbefore hereinbefore before stated be recognized and plans ans ansbe be made by which lake water may be exchanged fOr the water of mountain streams to be used for fot municipal pur purposes purposes poses and domestic use of the of the city while the lake water is utilized to the largest possible degree in the extension of irrigation It may be under the national law of June 17 1902 that existing canal and irrigation corn oom panics can be dealt with as representatives tives thes of individual irrigator and rest real dent land owners and whether in SO dOing a merger of the companies is neo necessary essary Eighth That the waters now claimed by these canal and companies but not avaIlable In years ot of drouth may be secured to the compa nl riles s through the payment of the work necessary for this purpose if this can be done It be determined what kind of security will willbe b be required by the government to in inI insure sure such payment t I the amount of water which may be utIlized for the tion of lands now without such water I supply and the conditions under an association of water users may be formed to reclaim these lands may b be determined The report and this recommendation to the government were heartily en endorsed endorsed by the com |