| Show Board 1 Miracle to Sweeten t Great Salt Lake Water P P Construction of Project Seen as Birth of Industrial Era for Utah S A modern miracle which would transform an arm of Utah's l for industrial and recreational al def dei de- de J Dead d sea into a fresh water Ia lake e f of the Salt Lake City region heads the list Est of projects v L i t L. L M A 3 bv the state board in 1934 for early construction miracle i is s the thc Great Salt Sat whose 5 project Lake board is convinced would th the tion u. snark the birth of oC a new Industrial J SI for Utah era ra The project has been pronounced by Jacob L. L Crane national 1 nf board rd consultant and oth other r eminent ln engineers The F FER E R A is f a survey o of jd Si d of other her features o of th the proposal S have been drawn an and detailed t plans completed i Every indication p points ints to some rome ac ao action 6 tion O on the proposal by the 1935 leg leg- S Not to be confused contused with the Utah jake jike ke project which is purely I a water conservation measure the o of the Great Salt Lake con contern tern tern- plates elates Calls CaUs for tor Dikes S 1 Creation of ot a fresh water r lake Jake by erecting one dike from Irom the mainland to a point near the southern end of ot Antelope island another nother from the north end of or the island to a point within half halfa S. S a mile of ot Syracuse point and a third dike extending north to the mouth of ot the Weber river i 2 Impounding within the i area the fresh water now I f flowing into the lake from the Weber and Jordan rivers from ma er streams and by seepage 3 Use of ol this fresh tresh water for tor industrial indus recreational and agricultural purposes The prop proposed sed dike would be 40 le Meet feet t. t wide on top with a highway running its full fun length Cost of the I project has been estimated at between be be- tween and Mr Crane estimated water could be sold itO to to industry and agriculture for 5 f per per acre foot toot compared with present water w ter prices of 50 to per acre foot foot ri I With the dike thrown up salt saltwater saltwater water ater would be pumped from the J man manmade man made bay into Great Salt Lake t This mis process would continue until the basin filled with fresh water from th the two rivers small streams and other sources k Would Take 6 Years J r In three to six years engineers believe be be- Ii lieve eve the fresh water lake would be bea 1 a reality industry and agriculture jn in the Salt Lake res region ion would reap f the benefits of cheap power and a at 1 t plentiful lt water supply and the gen gen- feral leral feral public in m the area would have havea i a recreational paradise at its us door- door m I While project backers concede that I presents d difficulties lUes they Ire fare confident means will be found to 10 f o tain the necessary funds through h I t a P PW W A loan to the state or in some other manner Self liquidating features lea fea S tures lures of oC the project include the sale ot of fishing and waterfowl hunting bunting privileges sale of oC skins from a musk musk- Jit nt il farm and finally the sale of or water r a fo for industrial and Irrigation pur ur- ur poses pu 5 From the industrial standpoint a Ir fresh sh water lake would fill two requirements re- re without which industry tin JI Utah cannot develop elop Mr Crane pointed out in his report to the plan plan- rung Dg board These are arc cheap power and ind cheap water in m plenty plent l j j ProJect planners see ee in the dc- dc fc t of ot the fresh water lake t establishment on its shores of ol ore refineries for the wash washing ng and other metallurgical pur poses The They also alio cite the possibilities of oJ chemical manufacture utilizing the thc rich deposits in the Great Salt Lake Power b by Steam Power to operate these plant plants would come from steam turbines fed I Iby b by the lakes lake's fresh water With reference to agricultural benefits ben ben- an enormous normous acreage of land west of Salt Lake Cit City could be reclaimed reclaimed reclaimed re re- claimed by irrigation and the lake supply would augment the present dwindling sources in the opinion o ol of project planners I Finally the recreation and seem scenic I potentialities of the project arc almost almos unlimited it is a asserted The plan plans propose creation of oC a wildfowl nesting nest nesting ing and hunting area of square squar miles Fishing bath bathing inS and boating boatin will vIll add to the thc recreational assets and establishment of a summer resort on Antelope island has been sug Upkeep of the dikes would be inexpensive inex- inex pensive if the planning board recommendation concerning the removal removal re rc- moval of ot the state prison to a. a site asit site near the proposed fresh water lakis lake lak is adopted With ample water for irrigation the board pointed out a pr prison on farm larm could be established near the thc lake Not only would the inmates be provided provided pro pro- vided with employment on the farm but pr prison on labor could also be used to maintain the lake dikes repair th the scenic highway and aid in parking and beautifying the area the board suggested Calls for tor Sun Sun-C Surveys The 1933 legislature enacted a law lav providing for lor surveys and other pre incident to construction o of the project Governor Henry Hen Hen- ry H H. Blood vetoed the measure be he cause of its ambiguous text tex and for lor other reasons As N officio ex chairman of the planning plan plan- ning board and the Uta i F FER E R A committee which voted funds to finance surveys Governor Blood h hs has s extended every facility of ot the state in the he investigation of oC the thc projects project's ct's I feasibility If It a sound law is Js presented to and passed by the legislature at the coming com com- ing ng session providing for construe lion tion ion of the project its supporters behove be be- lie hove it will have ha every promise of obtaining executive approval |
