Show WATER FAMINE LIKELY State Engineer Says Lack of Snow on Mountains Nay Cause Scarcity of Water Next Summer Unless there is a heavy fall of snow In the next two months there will be a scarcity of water for Irrigation purposes pur-poses next summer The Llntah range which usually is covered with deep snow at this time of the year is almost al-most barren and farmers on both sides of the range aro much discouraged over the outlook according to State Engineer En-gineer A F Doremus who returned yesterday from a trip to Summit county The matter Is assuming a serious aspect said Mr Dorcmus On the highest part of the mountains there Is scarcely a font of snow usually there are several feel packed down hard In the canyons and gulches The plateau near Tvamast where snow is generally abundant at this lime is as bare as a floor and the cattle are feeding upon It Of course It is not too late yet There may be plenty of snow in I the next two months but that which falls before the first of the year Is usually relied upon to furnish the water for the summer As the last two years Irive been dry the streams are quite lo rand r-and the prospect of another dry year makes tho outlook very gloomy for the farmers The December snowfall bulletin of he weather bureau contains the following fol-lowing The precipitation of December 1901 was slightly below normal and as a result of the temperature being excessive exces-sive a large part of It was In the form oj rain The snowfall with the exception ex-ception of a limited area was therefore there-fore below normal The localities receiving re-ceiving an excess of snowfall were parts of Utah county and the eastern east-ern portions of Tooele Juab and Millard counties Over the Great Salt Lake and Green and Colorado rivers watersheds water-sheds the depth of snow In the mountains moun-tains was generally less than last year at the same time and considerably less than the normal The mountains of Wayne Iron Garfield Washington Kane and San Juan counties had practically no snow in them but the snowfall in that section generally occurs oc-curs during the latter part of the winter Over the Sevier lake watershed water-shed the depth of snow was greater than last year but somewhat below the average The snow as a rule was not very well drifted but was quite solid as a result of the rains There was practically no snow in the valleys at the close of the month The ground was fairly well soaked In the Great Salt lake watershed but was very dry in the Green and Colorado rivers watershed On the whole the depth of snow In the mountains shows a marked deficiency and heavy snows will have to occur during the next three months if the water supply for the coming crop season Is brought up to the average |