Show WATER RESOURCES OF UTAH GEO B HOLIiISTEK RESIDENT HYJ5BOGBAPHER The development of Utahs valuable resources makes the study of Its water supply of growing Importance A cll mate favorable to agricultural pur sults abundance of fertile soil In Its valley sections tho presence of high mountains which furnish numerous streams and at the same time contain deposits of valuable minerals and building material form a combination which brought Utah early Into prominence promi-nence jOt j-Ot all Its resources Its water supply holds and will continue toehold a position of preeminent Imr tthnce it is a mineral of tar greater value than gold or sliver for upon It depend all liven and Interests i Owing IT the aridity of the climate hc lands must always depend for their value in agriculture upon tho presence i of wate and the cultivated areas will ever be definitely limited by the availably I avail-ably supply The success of the ml rung operations also and the mncl I mum development of the States rich mineral deposits are closely associated with tho water supply first on account ac-count of the need of convenient food supply to be had from Irrigated tracts near the base of mining operations nnd second from the power furnished by the streams which Is yearly becoming be-coming more valuable as a factor In mining development Finally the water supply is assuming prominence ras a source of power for manufactur Jng and city uses and the generation Qf clcctrlcty for municipal lighting and traction Since the recent development In longdistance transmission of clcc trlelty the value of the streams even Ithe smaller ones has been notably increased in-creased Systematic examinations and measurements of the available water L6upjly are being made by the United States ooioxlcil survey the work In Utah being under the direct charge of Prof Geoige Li SwenJsen of Logan PRESENT WATER INTERESTS The leading watersupply interests fin Utah at present center about several sever-al distinct regions vis The Utah Hake drainage Bear river the basin of the SelPr river that of the Ulntah Ogden and Weber rivers and the country which may be watered from Grand rIver Of these the first two I sections containing the greater part Jof the population of the State are perhaps per-haps of the most importance The streams draining Into Utah alley al-ley and Great Salt Lake viz Provo Driver Spanish Fork American Fork City creek Parleys creek and Mill i creek art of special Importance as Jon them depends not only the supply for the irrigation of rich valley lands but the generation of extensive power and the supply of Salt Lake City and other nearby communities The power utilized on Provo river and the new power plant on American Fork give excellent examples of the value of the streams In this direction while the t largest power plant In the State is located in Ogdcn canyon Tire second section whose streams have received the attention of the kgoologlcal survey Is that drained by Bear rlvC specially the tributaries which enter the fertile Cache valley Logan river Blacksmith Fork Cub river Bear and Little Bear are all being systematically gauged Bear river Is assuming additional Import Fanee on account of the new canal to idlvcrt part of Its water to irrigate a tract of land on the east side of Cache valley Blacksmith Fork Is also a ntrcam of much importance and a knowledge of Its flow is of value as It provides water for six irrigation canals and one large power canal For the first twentylive miles of Its coiuse i this river like many other of the I Utah streams descends rapidly through a precipitous canyon and af L I fords excellent waterpower facilities Another stream In this section which is being measured by Prof Swendsen and which Is of great Importance IB Logan river Its entire supply of water 160 to 170 cubic feet per second being used for irrigation during the Howwater season The drainage area of Sevier river forms a section by Itself With r proper storage at the foot of the van I rous valleys through which It passes there would be water sufficient to Inl gate a considerable acreage but it I is necessary to obtain a better knowledge of the Hood how Less accurate Information In-formation has been obtained regarding this section than any other referred tc VALUE FOR WATER POWER As has already been Intimated the peculiar value of the Utah streams for water power lies In the fact that they descend from lofty forestclad mountain moun-tain ranges with rapid fall and Jn many ll3HtaflCC near centers of population where their powers cnn be readily utilized util-ized It Is partly In connection with their development for this purpose that the measurements which are being con jducted are of value for from the rc suits of these measurements are com putcd the medium and lowwater vol tunes of flow an accurate knowledge lof which Is most essential to engineers and Investors who are Interested In the construction of power plants The fourth section receiving the attention at-tention of the survey Is the drainage basin of Ulntah river lying in the east Tern portion of the State The streams of this area rise In the Ulntah and Wa fBatch mountains from which they 1 emerge In canyons Into fertile valleys c M09l of thla1 land Is now occupied by the Ulntah Indian reservation but owing ow-ing to need of more water In arid lands ndJncent ot the reservation efforts have ben made for some time to secure the supply from streams within the boundary boun-dary The matter being brought ho tore Congress a special investigation was made by Mr Cyrus C Babb of th j amount of the water supply and amble lands of the reservation AB a result of this InveKtlgatlon I the total supply lln August when the rivers are low and hc1J1 much water Is reauhed for lr rlgnliiIn as at any other period was Kouriqjtb be l for the While Rocks Ulntah Hake and Duchesnc rivers CIO cubic feet per second or sufficient water to serve 182200 acre Tho total area occupied by the Indians Is f t > 400 acres so that there would be a surplus of water af Itcr providing for the Indians which would Irrigate ItJSOO acres The land without the reservation which most I needs this excess of Water supply lies J In two strips on the eastern border ant comprises about 25000 acrea Sugges tlors arc made In the report or the r reservation supply for tho location ant I construction of a i canal which would earn the necessary water to this traqt raScBldcH the holdings of the Indiana within the reservation there are about 96000 acres of rich arable land In trie e iTJlntah valley which cannot be TC 3 claimed with the present method of usIng Us-Ing the water supply but which coulc 11 mil tx Irrigated IC some adequate IS tern of storage of tho flood waters was employed While the present work of the geolog r flcal survey In the measurement oC streams Is yielding useful results It 1 3 mIght still be extended to Include a 0 number of probemn which would tone 1 iKrcatly to enlarge the waitar supply or Lt the State DIVERSION OF GRAND RIVER One of the piano for tile further USe of water which is of Interest to Utah which Is now being agitated by representative repre-sentative men of the State Is the proposed pro-posed diversion of a part of the water of Grand river It Is thought that by the construction of a highline canal leading In the canyon above Grand Junction In Colorado water could be made available for Irrigating a portion or the fertile lands In eastern Utah as veil as those across the line In western Colorado As the reclamation of this section for agriculture would be of great value to the State an Investiga lon of the matter by competent en jineers should be set on foot SUBSURFACE FLOW In many cases where the bed of a stream seems to be dry there Is a flow oC water to be found beneath thcjgrav I cIs which form a thick layer over the solid rock beneath By constructing dams with a foundation upon the bed rock It Is often possible to retain these subsurface waters and make them vallable for use There are a number oC canyons In Utah where the streams arc apparently dry in summer which might repay Investigations of this na Lure turBEAR BEAR RIVER BASIN STORAGE As In many other sections of the arid Vest where Irrigation Is extensively practiced the need Is being felt upon ome of the tributaries of Bear river for the construction of reservoirs to make available for use the large winter tIow which now runs to waste Measurements Measure-ments of Logan Blacksmith fork and Little Bear rivers show that they de tlons and devoting these to agriculture agricul-ture The portions thus cut off maybe may-be drained In part into Jordan river or kept dry by pumps operated by some of the electric power developed in the canyons By reducing the area of Utah lake the loss by evaporation will be diminished di-minished and a greater amount for Salt Lake county Most of this will flow out by gravity In the canals already al-ready constructed and with the power available additional amounts can be pumped to the hlghlecl canals should Utah lake be lowered materially FLUCTUATIONS OF GREAT SALT LAKE Closely connected with the largest and best use of Utah lake Is the question ques-tion of the shrinkage of Great Salt lake a matter which the geological survey has been urged to take up and for which estimates have been prepared pre-pared The long continued decline of the lake surface Is causing apprehen slon among those whose Interests center cen-ter In that locality This is a work which should be undertaken both for practical and scientific reasons as It will be of great advantage to determine whether the shrinkage is In any way connected with the grazing and agricultural agri-cultural development of the section the cutting of the forests the Increase in Irrigation or other like causes Probable Prob-able effect upon climatic conditions should be considered ARTESIAN WATERS Still another direction In which Investigation In-vestigation may well be pursued Is the search for artesian waters especially In the western portion of the State It is possible that water from the streams and lakes and also from the irrigated lands may find its way by percolation out under the desert sands ThIs is a question which can be decided only by l a study of the geological formations of the district but from the Increase of valuable land which would result from the discovery of water from this source It Is an Investigation whfch should be fM 11 I S 3 I utI ml w 1 i D41fl It r I iiI ii-I I J o u T A Jf 3 1 I J < cirr I > MILES 0 10 2O 30 40 30 60 X 1I I IL 1 N J 1L 44t Ic jrj hl Kyi I I I i f 2 I A s I i I TI2 i p t t > s I I > > t L1 I Ii I i If Jta L4 UI NNJS I I l I I I i tj t t 1 S j I I 5 Cc pi4I I J I e I I < r cnf rf rjj i M iikiE I I 1 i I t 7 f 7 I I 4t I I II I I 0 I II I I t I I Ii i LIt I I I I I It i I I Ji I I i I uj II I 1 J f I tL p 4 1 v c1 o c r I i 4 H 0 I t I 0 r I i t H The Relatively Small Portion of the State Which Has Been Taken Up From Government Lands and Is Under Cultivation Cultiva-tion These Being in BlackPrepared by the U S Geological Survey liver a discharge of 2500 cubic feet per second during the Hood season while In the months of July August September and October the total discharge does not exceed 320 cubic feet per second I the great excess of the flood season could be saved for use a large additional addition-al acreage In the valleys of these streams could be opened up These problems should be made the subject of Investigation The most complete development of the resources of Utah Is bound up with the best utilization of waters to tow Into and out of Utah lake The situation situa-tion is very peculiar and somewhat complicated by the apparently conflicting con-flicting Interests of Utah county In desiring de-siring to keep the lake down and Salt Lake county to keep Its waters up A preliminary study of the whole matter of water conservation was begun In 1880 by the United States geological survey but not brought to a conclusion conclu-sion owing to the apathy of the people Steps arc on foot however to induce the survey to take this up systematically syste-matically a one of the great projects worthy of national attention If the people of 4he State continue to demand this It is probable thatthe conservation conserva-tion of the waters of the region can be thoroughly Investigated The project pro-ject Is I n worthy of attention n some of those which have already been under un-der survey and brought to the attention of Congress There are numbers of reservoir sites In tho mountains within which the Howl waters should be held and the streams Mowing Into Utah lake con trolled so as to make available the largest possible amount for power and 1 powe Irrigation The Lake Itself should prob probably prob-ably bt drawn down somewhat and levees built showing oft shallower por undertiiken An excellent locality for study and experiment of this character is the large volley lying 1 west of Utah lake formerly known as the Crlttemlen reservatlon eraton The accompanying map shows the relatively small portion of tho State which has been taken up from Government Govern-ment lands and Is under cultivation cultvaton These portions are marked In black At present something like a millionand a half acres are under Irrigation about onel hundred thousand acres mostly north of Great Salt lake where the rainfall Is the heaviest are planted In grain without irrigation the total amount of cultivated land Is estimated at 1 per cent of the area of the State while the best authorities hold that nearly six times as much land as is now Irrigated can be brought under cultivation ton when the water supply is fully tlllzcd The may also shows the large amount of valuable land occupied by the Uinta Indian reservation which will eventually be available for occupation occupa-tion torloccupa I In a State as rich In water resources a Utah and as dependent upon them upn for agricultural advancement and the development of power too much emphasis em-phasis cannot b placed upon the necessity ne-cessity of a systematic and thorough study of the streams by frequent fcasurementa Not only will these measurements furnish a reliable basis for further development of the streams for irrigation and power and for needed pwer neeed municipal supplies but It will also I provide the necessary data for the legal protection of those already enjoying the use of water rights which can not be obtained In any other way en The wok will be taken up and pushed In proportion to the interest manifested by the people of the State and that one canal may draw Its full supply so long as Its owners can make any pretense of not wasting the water even though the crops of their neighbors neigh-bors are burning up The Utah system while it recognizes the rights of early appropriators modifies the harshness of the doctrine of prior appropriation as enforced in the remainder of the West Appropriators are divided into classes All those obtaining rights to water from a stream up to the time that the stun of all the heights equate the average flow of the stream for seven years are placed In one class and ace on an equal basis have primary pri-mary rights In times of scarcity whatever water is furnished by the stream Is divided among the holders of primary rights pro rata according to their several rights Those farming under the llrst canal cannot ruin their crops with too much water while the crops of their neighbors burn up Thero is a forced economy all around which it usually beneficial to the lands rather than harmful Those appropriating water above the average flow for seven years obtain a secondary right and are shut off entirely when the supply falls below the average In this way priority of right Is recognized but a willful use of excessive quantities of water Just because the user has an early right Is checked while the provision provi-sion prorating only up to the overage flow prevents new appropriate from coming In and taking a part of what belongs to others Another respect In which Utah has le the rest of America Is In the adoption adop-tion of what Is Imown as time distribution dis-tribution A natural stream or n canal is divided into Irrigating streams of n volume which can be economically I no extra expense would make the distribution dis-tribution as even as is practicable in handling large volumes of water The decree of the court settling water rights On the Jordan rendered In June ltOl eems to be slalsfactory The only criticism heard Is that the court gave the small canals along the river more water than they shofild have This Is J undoubtedly true but It works no particular hardship on the larger ca nala as the excessive quantities of water used by these small canals returns re-turns to the river almost Immediately and helps to make up tho volume required re-quired by the lower canals 4 4 S The records of the discharge of the river and the How of the several large canals show that the Water Commissioner Commis-sioner appointed by the court and by the County Commissioners has divided the water with substantial accuracy 1 Is not practicable to keep the flow of the several canals exactly equal everyday every-day but the Water Commissioner has come near doing this and hay regulated the flow so that the average discharges dis-charges for the lowwater season have been practically uniform With the experience ex-perience of the past year and bettor measuring devices which are to be put In during the coming winter even greater accuracy can be secured next season A great help to the even distribution of the water supply both from the river and from the canals would he a telephone system covering all the area watered by the river Such systems have been put In in Colorado at no great expense as in some instances the current Is carried on the wire fences already billt With such a B Ser S-er and I gauging station on the river at the gaugng the water could be |