Salt Lake Telegram | 1934-04-25 | Page 1 | King Starts Utah Drouth Relief Move

KING STARTS UTAH DROUTH RELIEF MOVE Confers W With th Hopkins in Effort Effort Ef- Ef fort to Avert Water Shortage FOLLOWS BLOOD REQUEST Will Introduce Legislation if Necessary Senator William n. n King Wed Wed- afternoon wired Governor Gover- Gover nor Henry II Blood telling him he had contacted relief and agricultural aK- aK officials for tor a survey of Utah and promising efforts to obtain re lid lief Senator William H. H King Wednesday Wednes Wednes- day asked immediate federal action to avert what looms as the most serious seri serio ous drouth in Utah Ulah history a special dispatch to The Telegram from rom Washington Wash Wash- Ington D. D C. C said His action was in response to an urgent request Tuesday by Governor Henry H. H Blood that Utah be declared a drouth area and that a federal survey sur vey be ordered leading to pumping lakes storing water and well wells The dispatch said Senator KIng asked Henry L. L Hopkins federal relie re re- lie administrator and Henry A. A Wallace Wal lace lace secretary of agriculture to cooperate cooperate co operate in an investigation ot of Utah conditions and decide what measures can be taken to relieve both agricultural tural and physical distress incident t to lack of water the dispatch said will WUl Introduce Measures I. I It If their reportS Indicate ad additional congressional action is necessary to meet the situation Senator King will vill prepare and introduce required mea meas ures he announced Since administration of all federal relief has been placed in Mr Hopkins Hopkins' hands he hc took Over the Utah inquiry and will vill ask for an immediate report from Robert II H. Utah re- re liet lier director the dispatch said The department of it agriculture recent recently re re- cent established a drouth investigation investigation tion bureau to survey conditions in certain areas designated by Secretary Wallace No section ot of Utah is in in- eluded Senator King learned He will request Mr Wallace to order a survey sur sur- vey by the bureau of Utah conditions Uncertain as to Status The senator said he was uncertain whether existing legislation would authorize au agencies to undertake under under- take relief relict on the scale requested b by Governor Blood BesIdes asking that thal Utah be de de- Continued on Pu Pase Two T ORUTH RELIEF ACTION BEGUN King Starts Work in Effort Ef Ef- Ef fort to Avert Serious Water Sho Shortage age l i Continued from froni Page Pace One dared a drouth area Governor Blood II requested request d his propOsed survey be made immediately to avert a situation that is extremely serious It If not terri tern tying Citing that farmers farmers' and ranchers may be forced from their lands by lack of culinary as well as irrigation water he suggested unemployed men be wed used to build canals ditches and temporary ry reservoirs that could not be financed by individuals Meanwhile State Engineer T T. lL H. Humpherys ordered pumping operations opera opera- at the head of the Jordan river increased sevenfold and instead ot of the 80 second feet of water the five association canal comp companies nIes have been drawing from Utah lake Wednesdays Wednesdays Wednesday's Wed Wed- draft was second feet or 1250 acre feet Will Meet l Present Needs He explained this draft would pump the lake dry In 30 days but that five or six days under the increased sch sched d. d ule will meet all present needs Canal companies and other users arc cooperating coop coop- crating la in conserving available water I he said Mr Humpherys and E. E O. O Larson fede federal reclamation engineer inspected inspect inspect- ed Utah county lands irrIgated by lake water Wednesday accompanied by the Utah lake conciliation committee The committee planned upon its Hs n to correlate on water rights supply and need held necessary to obtain a a stipulation to lake rights and begin work on the Deer Utah creek lake project V Stored Water Price Booms in Ogden OGDEN 25 Even lP-Even while showers were f falling in Ogden today the boom market in stored irrigation water continued and Ogden city sold feet acre to the Weber River Water Waler Users Users' association for A few weeks ago this association ofer of of- ferd er d for the water The corn com missioners rejected the bid Later other Irrigation comp companies nies put in bids for part of the water which Is stored in the name of the city in Echo reservoir reservoir reser- reser voir In Weber canyon As the sen lierl ot of the tho drouth situation became be be- came more generally known the prices offered rose until the climax was reached today D. D D. D Harris secretary and manager manager man man- ager of the association negotiated the deal for tor the water users V