Show A OF IRROA TION TION The Re Real RI l Great Difficulty fi in n Utah Uth Intelligently I Pointed Po Out OutTo To the c Editor of The Herald Heral t the The he reports recently published showing tie the desperate d pr condition of the f the south end of Salt St Lake Lak county emt ooin b u many man thousands of acres acrea acre of their crops cp have been b b en practically prat y burned bur out for a lack lak of irrigating lter are re compelling attention to the causes it Not only are the crops ruined but the land la are Naturally N they are casting about to discover COver d the cause and nd a remedy In past put years they have Had nad an abundant supply and the tends lands have been bean improved until they have become very v ry valuable There is a disposition to attribute att te their troubles bles tp t the greater use of the flowing water along g the streams stream tributary to e Utah lake Jake and an effort to is to tobe tobe tobe be made to prevent this an idle threat t reat It J fe Is aJ proposed ed to divert water from the upper Weber and Duchesne Ducheane to Increase c the available supply Evert if the physical conformations of the would permit the occupants occupants occupants pants of those valleys would certainly prevent such s n eh cha a diversion lon Risking a probable contradiction I undertake u ke to say ay there is no real oc occasion occasion casion caslon for the condition that tha t now exists exl ts in Sn this valley except that proper foresight has not been exercised to prevent If it If given the opportunity I will prove the assertion to the parties in interest re Throughout the arid region from frail ta tile the desert deport d rt plains east of the Rocky mountains to the Pacific coast there has bas been and is likely to be In Inthe Inthe inthe the future a great variation in the annual the resultant water supply There has ha been a succession lon of yrs when hen the supply of water has bas been excessive far beyond immediate requirements then have followed periods when there thra has been deficiency The minimum supply in the dry years is of course the limit of ot dependence depend nce It is 18 to be noted that the whole effect of at either the one or the other is not Immediate The saturation of ot the t wet years will exert Its influence for a year Yeat or ce two tWit after alter the light rainfalls have occurred and the conditions QS have hv In like manner continued a year after the rain and snowfall has baa been apparently In sufficient t quantity for every necessity neCee This is the condition at the present prompt time timeA timeA A few artificial reservoirs have been constructed eted within the state and seme water has been impounded In them but hardly enough to make an im impression Impression impression in the general results result The natural lakes have not been generally utilized for storage except Utah lake and ud as to that there thele has been more Ill ilI tempered discussion than Intelligent action I have had the opportunity and interest to study stud the conditions which af feet the supply from that source and from fron which the farmers of this county derive the chief benefits and I am confident that If it property properly utilized there is enough to amply Irrigate three times the area at present in cultivation I am free to confess however that before such a result can be accomplished there t re must be a material change of sentiment and policy among those who are re responsible responsible responsible for the present unfortunate situation and Who will win control the fu ture policy polley If the comparatively few first appropriators 4 are to insist upon a B supply far beyond their actual needs and If the courts will sustain their extravagant demands because the preponderance of or evidence by parties In interest as to the duty dut of water and favor the allowance of ot a vast volume to waste as an ja t vested right then we shall continue to see crops on the bench I lands for water and large areas abandoned to the former arid te while at the same time the river is discharging a great stream Into the lake I and thousands of at acres of ot the lower lands are practically swamped by seep age i I recognize the magnitude of the difficulties to be overcome but they are no insurmountable I fully tully appreciate the overpowering selfishness which I actuates most human beings but the legislature 1 and the courts have the pow power er ci and it is their then duty to control that Let Le It be Impressed deeply on the mind mindo of 01 o every water user that an appropriation of pt public water only allows for Its use and permits no DO waste and also abo that the general welfare of the com corn community community is paramount to individual greed reed Let these two underlying principles principles ples plea be fairly recognized recognised and the first step stef towards remedying the existing conditions will have been taken This city is ill demanding and receiving Utah lake Jake water to supply farmers in the lower tower valley avowedly In exchange for Parleys and nd Cottonwood canyon water It Is delivered to farmers who are careless In its use and indifferent to the waste With a given number of feet turned tamed into a lateral it will be he found OK ot investigation that a half or often more of ot It has bas disappeared before It reaches land half balf a mile away Dip Dig DI three or four feet below the surface In the lower bench lands and you find over oer large areas that the soil sell Is so saturated with th seepage that it is positively po l injuring all permanent growth Go to the tb lower lands and you will discover that the thu saturation extends to the surface and in many cases they are ruined by water standing on 00 the tho th surface The last legislature recognized the need for remedial legislation and for an intelligent control of this most Important resource and an irrigation law fa w was passed In the last days of oC the session but so emasculated that It is al most a dead letter A state engineer was 8 appointed under that law but it gives him little authority beyond drawing his salary It provides for the ap of water commissioners but the county commissioners generally have Ignored Its provisions and have bave failed to make the appointments Mr Doremus appears disposed to give all the assistance as In his power when called caned upon and it is a hopeful indication that he is 18 being called caned upon for advice from several directions If he will only onty petal point out the faults of eon construction and the tremendous waste of ot the present system batem and then can induce the farmers and all parties concerned to calmly and fairly consider their own best beet interests as a well as the public advantage he will earn his many man times over There is no occasion to deprive any an present gator of all the water he actually needs and then there will be a large sur stir plus for the Improvement of other areas There should be no occasion for the state engineer to exercise dictatorial authority and the same may be he said as to the water w teT commissioners Rather if the right spirit is cultivated his opinion will be largely sought and his decision of vexing questions will be cheerfully accepted Let the wat water r users recommend their ablest men those who command the confidence of the peo people ff 0 pie generally for tor api as water commissioners to cooperate rate with the state engineer in dealing with this most Important of ot all alt problems pr and th tb good KOCH effect wil wi soon be apparent The management of Utah lake ak as a a reservoir must mu t have early ton tion and in the right temper but the subject ts till too large for or discussion dl in this communication It is the key to the situation c W V G Go o |