Show Vast Tast Quantities Of Water Wasted Says State Engineer Legislation that would give the state power to effect a greater con conservation of surface and under- under groundwater in Utah and appropriations appropriations appropriations to advance ance the small sOlan res res- reservoir reservoir program were recommended Thursday by b State Engineer T. T H. H Humpherys Humph crys in his biennial report Activities Act of the Utah water stor stor- age commission and the engineers engineer's department during durin the biennium ended June 30 1940 are covered in inthe inthe inthe the report which is being submit submit- submitted submitted ted to Governor Henry H. H Blood Authority to enforce the law with respect to control of wells and to prevent waste of surface and under under- underground underground underground ground water wil be asked of the 1941 legislature le by the state engi engi- neer He will ask also for authority to institute suits to prevent unlawful unlawful ful diversion of water from any source An average saving of acre feet of water has been effected by bywater bywater bywater water users of the state as a result of an educational program conduct conduct- conducted ed by the time state engineers engineer's depart depart- department department department ment since passage of the under under- underground underground underground ground water as five years ago Mr Humpherys Hum reported An additional saving of acre feet can be made he said by tightening the regulations relating to Ito wells when not in use and by byre byre- re repairing pairing leaking wells wens A A. A survey conducted con u te by the state sta e engineer revealed that approximately approximately approximately acre feet of water wasted from wells of the state from November 1938 to October 1939 the biennial report stated Persistent violators who refuse to close their wells brought about loss of of f acre feet of the wasted water the engineer charged Losses because of defective casings cas cas- casings ings and improper drilling of wells wen were acre feet and could be prevented Mr Humpherys explain explain- cd d. d Curtailment of the remaining acre feet lost would be impossible impossible impossible sible without permanent loss of the wells involved he said The value of the water wasted luring during he survey period is set at in the report the esti- esti mato being made on a basis of 50 an At lease acre feet of these losses could be pre pre- prevented vented tented at a cost of 5 an foot acre-foot the thc report asserts Assistance in repairing wells is proposed for water users by Mr v through a pro pro- project project project plans having hating already been drawn by the time engineer and officials of the federal agency An appropriation of to aid in financing the project is rec rec- recommended mended in the report This water is the cheapest of all allwater allwater allwater water available a to users of Utah and the repair project is designed to extend to private as well as public wells Mr Humpherys said In proposing legislation le to cor cor- correct correct Teet faulty fault well drilling one of the principal causes for loss of under under- underground underground ground water the time engineer said that the fI the he law la should 1 lIld be amended to place glace well drillers dr under a moderate bond bont to assure compliance with reg reg- regulations I Importance of advancing the time I small reservoir development pro pro- program I gram ram as fast as possible is stressed by y Mr rr I in his report The small reservoir program pro lam has lecome one of the most vital problems problems problems lems now confronting the state he said He pointed out that data gathered by the engineers engineer's staff and the time Utah water storage commission has as been used by the U. U S. S bureau of reclamation in 10 making investigations investigations investigations of projects under the fed fed- federal federal federal eral Casc Case Case- Vh eler small reservoir program l ro ram I The report cites that the Newton I reservoir in Cache county recently approved for construction under the act was the first project in the na- na nation I tion to receive such approval ff l The storage commission the en en- ineer and the bureau of reclamation tion Jon on have cooperated the past two Vears rears on investigations of proposed in Rich Cache Weber Davis Utah Carbon Emery San San- San San-I te Duchesne sn Uintah h Daggett Sevier Millard l 1 Juab Salt Lake and I Washington counties of to fi finance fi nance trance al of the engineers engineer's off office CHice cc during the next biennium are recommended to the legislature in inthe inthe inthe the report and an additional is recommended for use of the water storage commission to aid in financing cooperative investigations of water projects with the bureau burean of reclamation Included in the engineers engineer's would be for small reservoir investigations with the re remainder re- re remainder remainder i being divided as follows Underground water administration office administration 60 water adjudication revolving fund and flood control A total of is for cooperative projects and invest invest- investigations investigations with federal agencies and would include Cooperative sur sur- surveys surveys veys with U. U S. S geological survey surface water division in- in investigations with ial survey water division 10 cooperative snow surveys with private state and fed federa era agencies and for pro pro- project project for repairing wells Other amendments to existing water as proposed by b the engi engi- engineer engineer neer in his report would 1 Give I Give the engineer authority to t o conduct informal proceedings in i n agree I settlement of water disputes agree agree- agreements ments reached to be confirmed by b court decrees I 2 Grant 2 Grant the authority to issue temporary well drillers drillers' permits pern ts before final approval of I water appropriations this on con con- condition condition condition the well will be closed if it interferes with existing rights 3 Simplify 3 proofs to be filed on small domestic and watering stock-watering developments 4 Clarify 4 Clarify the fee schedule with reference to special office work fil filing fil- fil filI filing I ing of well drillers' drillers reports assign ments power of attorney and mis mis- miscellaneous miscellaneous miscellaneous I documents 5 Extend S-Extend Extend d for two years ears the time For filing of underground water claims and validate those filed since the expiration date previously set by the 1939 legislature which came on March 22 1940 6 Clarify 6 Clarify the law l w dealing with construction of water works before I approval of applications and during of actions to review i iI I 7 Make 7 Make water assessments a lien I or charge upon the water right affected af af- affected affected and transferable along with the right 8 Permit 8 Permit the appropriation of ot water from the time Great Salt Lake for manufacturing of salt and other minerals in solution upon payment of revenue to the state 9 Authorize 9 appropriations of water to be diverted in Utah for use usein usein usein in any an bordering state only if that if-that that state has a similar provision in its laws I I I I 10 Require lo-Require Require preparation and fil filing fil- fil filing filing ing with the state engineers engineer's office plans and specifications on dams constructed before the engineers office was established water Stock ing ponds of less than 10 acre feet rapacity would be excepted unless and ird for life and property Added costs and work in the en- en engineers engineer's en en- engineers engineer's engineers engineer's office resulting from passage pass pass- passage passage age of the underground water laware law ire are reflected in the biennial report Water Vater applications for the time bien bien- biennium biennium biennium I almost doubled those of the time preceding year two-year period and tripled those of the 34 bien bien- biennium bienI biennium prior to enactment of the un un- underground underground underground law the report shows There were 1137 applications dur dur- during during during ing the time past biennium for 1936 3 and for 1932 I In further reviewing activities of of the past two years Mr Humpherys cites the fact that two projects pro pro- projects projects have been employed to collect data for use in adjudicating rights stopping wastage of water and for use is js assuring the orderly appropriation appropriation appropriation of waters throughout hout the time state The cost of the projects f was of which were state funds the report shows This work must be pushed dur- dur during during ing ng the the- biennium for only after it has las been fully completed can applications applications applications to appropriate underground water be promptly approved or re- re rejected I thus promoting new net devel- devel developments developments where possible and prevent preventing preventing ing ng them where existing rights will wilt willbe willbe be adversely affected Mr Hum Hum- Humpherys I said Too much cannot be said of the time Full cooperation Darrell J J. J Green- Green Greenwell GreenI Greenwell I I well state administrator and his liis associates gave to o the state en en- engineer engineer in the time investigation of underground under under- underground underground I en-I ground water of the state The Time average number of workers engaged in the engineers engineer's depart depart- department department department ment during th was the report shows There was an average of 90 persons employed on the project 27 water com com- commissioners commissioners commissioners missioners who were paid by the water users of the various streams and 22 state-paid state During Durin the biennium was wal wasI I expended exl ended for administration flood control and for the various cooper cooper- cooperative cooperative investigations in These were state funds and were matched by federal funds amounting to Snow surveys cost the depart depart- department department department ment and other agencies co co- cooperating cooperating co- co operating in the undertaking spent the report shows |