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Show GREAT IRRIGATION SCHEME FOR UTAH IS I Newell Will Help Push j I the Big Work. ; TRIBUNE SPECIAL. Washington, D. C, Jan. 30. Another informal conference between Senators Kearns and Smoot, State Engineer Doreinus and F. S. Richards with Chief Engineer Newell was held this afternoon after-noon in the latler'9 otllcc, when tho project for the most available plan of irrigation for Utah was finally discussed. dis-cussed. This, as already detailed in these dispatches, covers the Utah. Salt Lake and Cache valleys. The party wasi assured by Mr. Newell that he would aid the State commission in every way, and that at once. SCHEME A GIGANTIC ONE. Tho scheme is a. gigantic one. Involving Involv-ing tho expenditure of 510,000.000 at least, and Which will require a number of years to complete. The Strawberry river proposition Is included, which contemplates running a canal across the Uintah reservation, tapping most of the streams leading into the Duchesne Du-chesne river proper. This will require the eanctlon of the Government, which is practically nssured. Utah county farmers have opposed the matter, but this opposition, will no doubt be withdrawn, with-drawn, as the plant for a high lino canal contemplates the use of water on Utuh county land, the great bulk finding find-ing its way into Utah lake, then being used the second time in the Salt Lake valley. Lauds in Cache valley and the ! ASSURED. northern part of Salt Lake valley will be watered from a canal furnished with water from Bear lake. The proposition as a whole Intends to bring into tho three valleys of Utah J.300,000 acre feet of water. Of this G30.000 acre feet will como from tho Strawberry valley alone. Messrs. RIchnrdB and Newell will now prepare a, brief of the matter for presentation pre-sentation to tho Secretary of the Interior, In-terior, which will be done at once. At tho conference Mr. Newell complimented compliment-ed the work done by tho Utah commission commis-sion in having proposed the plan and pushed it as It has done. SWENDSEN ON THE SITUATION. "The proposed Government Improvement Improve-ment of Utuh lake Is the key to all irrigation irri-gation Improvements likely to be made in Utah the hub from which numerous developments may be later extended," said Prof. George. L. Swendsen, engl-ncor engl-ncor in charge of the Government's reclamation service In Utah, In discussing dis-cussing yesterday tho larger scheme which the Utah commission Is now laying lay-ing before members of Congress and the Interior department. GOVERNMENT HAD IT IN MIND. "The Government hns all along had in mind tho possibility of at some future fu-ture time increasing the supply of wa-td wa-td in theso volleys, beyond that to be : f J S Utah Lake Project Key ? j to Situation. j obtained by the proposed Improvement of Utah lake, by diverting tho waters of the streams on the other side of tho mountains, but it has not investigated the possibilities yet for the reason, first, that the more comprehensive scheme is In no way essential to the carrying out of the Utah lako scheme proper, and, second, that the Utah lake project Is the more urgent, and should be placed in operation as quickly as possible. It Is well enough. I should think, however, that the Government should take up the preliminary work of the greater project pro-ject at this time. It can in no way Interfere In-terfere with the Utah lake proposition, which is now in the hands of tho farmers. far-mers. PARENT PROJECT MOST URGENT. "The principal difference between the Utah luke project and the one upon which the Utah commission is now engaged en-gaged is that the former will provide readily and at comparatively low cost a supply of water for the low lands of tho valley lands which now have insufficient in-sufficient water to be successfully farmed, and some of which have been abandoned on account of lack of water while the latter will affect mainly tho higher lands which havo never "been farmed. This proposed reclamation of new lands is important to the development develop-ment of the State, but It will be readily seen that It Is not so urgent as that the hinds already partially irrigated be pro- (ContLnucd on Pago 13.1 V IRRIGATION (Continued from Pago L) vlded with a supply of water sufficient to make their cultivation profitable, BEAR RIVER POSSIBILITIES. "Having not personally Investigated the plans of diversion which the Utah commission has In mind, I am unablo to form a definite opinion ns to their feasibility, but I imagine the greatest possibilities ln this line are In connection connec-tion with Bear river. The physical conditions con-ditions are such that It would be possible possi-ble to run the waters of Bcarwivcr into Salt Lake City by gravity, and in Bear lake alone flood waters to the amount of 350,000 acre foot are every year going to waste. The waste of 3treams of the Cache valley would run the total amount to fully 600,000 acre foot, which could be saved and utilized by means ot tL storage reservoir, which it would be perfectly practicable t6 construct, I believe, therefore, that the Government will very likely add the Bear river project pro-ject to Its irrigation work ln this valley If the proper encouragement is offered, and providing the Utah lake project Is carried through. Then other extonslons will be added If It Is found that they are feasible that Is, if tho lands to be reclaimed will pay for the improvements. improve-ments. QUESTION TO BE SETTLED. "There Is no question that there Is a great amount of water In the Duchesne. Strawberry and Price rivers which can never be utilized on their own watershed; water-shed; the question is: Can they be diverted di-verted to this watershed at a cost which will make the diversion practicable? prac-ticable? This cannot be determined without the actual measurements being be-ing taken. There will have to be some tunneling done, which we all know Is very expensive work, and It Is possible that the streams will have to be tapped so near their source that the supply of water to be obtained would not warrant the necessary outlay. GOVERNMENT IS WILLING. "But of one thing the people of this valley may be assured, I think. That is that the Government will carry through any feasible Irrigation scheme that the people are willing lo pay for on the terms offered by the Government. Govern-ment. And the Government would not undertake any such scheme unless It was convinced that It would be a paying pay-ing proposition for the people who undertake un-dertake to pay for it. As I say. how-over, how-over, the Utah lake project is the key to all Irrigation Improvements In Utah, and in my opinion it is to the Interest of the farmers that It be carried through without reference to any others. If further extensions are afterward after-ward made, these farmers may be tho gainers they can't be losers. Such extensions, ex-tensions, If they are made, must at least bo self-sustaining." |
