Show land Commissioners Promise Aid to Big Irrigation Project a The TIle state land id beard bad had its Ita atten aLien attention attention tion called caUd yesterday afternoon by I Representative e A P Mohr of ot Grand county to the feasibility of extending I Ithe the projected ted Men line fine canal from a point on the Grand river in Colorado for Cot a hundred mites or more mOR Into iato Utah to effect the reclamation of upwards of halt half a million lUon acres of or fertile hind tand in inGrand inGrand Grand Representative Mohr stated staled to the Ute board that his biB familiarity with the topography f his county war warranted warranted ranted him bait In to U D the project perfectly but hut he desired the aid aM of the board ia In securing an appropriation or of C M from frem the legis legislature lattice lature to make surveys showing the number of acres that o uld be brought tinder the proposed ed ditch in Utah and otherwise oth revealing the benefits from I Ithe the greatest project yet advanced for tor forthe forthe the reclamation of fertile arid lands hinds in this state Mr Mohr exhibited a map showing the intake of the canal front from the Grand river about eighteen miles east of Grand Junction and taking a circular course westward to the Ute state line From here the big Wg ditch would run westerly j I across the dry bench tends lands that are adapted to the successful ful culture of the finest fruits and vegetables thence south across the Ilio Uio Grande Grands Western Vestern railway near Sagers thence west again In on the south side i of the track a considerable distance to toa toa toa a point south out of Solitude station and Ad then northerly to the Green Geen ryer In Inthe Inthe Inthe the vicinity of the Brown wn cliffs The estimated cost coat in Colorado is Ic 1500 a mile and aud Grand rep representative representative is of oC o i the opinion that the I canal could b be built for fo a corresponding sum cuts In its Jig stward course coone through eastern Utah and for fOl every elery dollar ex cx expended expend pend d in construction he ho believes that an acre of choice land Jand can be reclaim reclaimed ed reaching an aggregate of probably acres The land commissioners loners were ere very much interested in the subject and had bed bedno no doubt that th t the t big canal project whether it is In put through by private capital or through the aid of the stale will m be of vast benefit to pastern eastern m Utah in increasing asing its population and adding addingto to the taxable wealth ft It was Has 88 the opinion opinIon opinIon ion however that nothing could be bedone bedone bedone done beyond urging the legislature to tomake make makO a sufficient appropriation to w as u ascertain ascertain certain by surveys the feasibility of oC the undertaking from fn m an engineering point and the number of acres sue sus susceptible of reclamation This the mem members members bers hers of the board boord expressed ed a willing willingness ness to do and if the surveys surreys reveal encouraging data It is not doubted that the state sm te will have the land to be re cc reclaimed reclaimed claimed ceded cOded to the state under the Ute terms of the Carey act so BO that who whoever whoever ever eer builds the great canal will be as assured cured that the good goe will of the state is behind the undertaking thus assur eur assuring eurIng ing actual settlers upon the land lands to tobe tobe tobe be made fruitful from irrigation |