Show Moab City Buys Acre Somerville e Property Assures Simple Ample Water Wafer Supply for Future Needs Meeds Vast Water Resources Now Available for City System Moab City in one on-e of the largest argest real ral estate transactions trans actions In many years ears in th the Grand county area Saturday purchased the acre Lloyd Somerville ranch in upper Moab valley together with all nil Improvements livestock and water and grazing g rights righta The Tho principal target of the purchase was the acquisition of spring water developed d on the property which includes nearly all aU Water developed from springs In the tho valley and assures city consumers rs ample water for any future Total purchase price of 01 the property which is now partially cultivated was waa Officials stated that a cash earnest earnest ear ear- nest money payment of was made Saturday when the papers papers pap pap- papers ers were drawn up with the tho payment down ment balance of to be paid within thirty days The balance of will be paid at the rate of per year I plus five per cent Interest tc to the sellers Mr and Mrs Lloyd Somerville The property In addition to Its real estate Includes forest grazIng grazIng grazing graz graz- ing rights for head of cattle and Taylor Grazing rights fo for head Livestock Included In Inthe Inthe inthe the purchase Include cattle ant miscellaneous livestock Also miscellaneous ranch and farm tann equipment will go along with the ranch Under terms of the sale proceeds from the sale of cattle and grazing permits will go towards towards towards to to- wards the principal amount o othe of the s sate sale le Final contract for the sale I Is being prepared this week and an Inventory and complete survey of the property Is now being con con- ducted The council stated Tuesday thano that tha no immediate plans for disposal of th the the- property have been made Arrangements have been made mad for the care of the cattle through the remainder of the summer and the cultivated portion of the ranch proper will be taken on a share shar basis by Delb Delbert rt Oliver it was wa I reported No decisions have as ye yet been heen reached for disposal of an estimated worth of ot cattle and permits nor the disposal o of all or any of the lands However it Jt has been the general of opinion of those concerned that tha most of the land exclusive of a portion surrounding the spring area will be sold Mayor l W W. Corbin and the city council have tentative plans to appoint a land lam board t to advise the council in the disposition of the land Involved L The appointment of this board will probably be made at the next regular council meeting it was learned Wednesday Spring water now developed on the property has been estimated estimated esti esti- mated at between four tour and five second feet However engineers are confident that thai with proper development de de- de- de development work this flow can be Increased many times Stressing the importance of obtaining add add- water officials pointed out that during the month of May Moab Moth users required gallons of water while only gallons were developed during the month from present city sources At the present time less Jess than two second feet of water are available for storage in city tanks This so far has been sufficient for Moab's use but with the Increasing increasing in In- creasing use during the summer months officials were doubtful as to how long a free and unrestricted use could continue A good portion of the water being used in the city system during the summer months is s de de- de e- e in wells drilled during the past several years year In Justifying Justi tying the purchase of ef the unlimited Somerville Somerville- water for the amount specified in the ranch sale city council members member pointed pointed point point- ed ad to the cost ost of developing well wen water It was reported that the total cost of developing three- three quarters of one second foot of water from wells well in Moab Mesh had been in the neighborhood of 30 and that did not include perpetual pumping costs casts and maintenance on the units It was felt that with the he e in inclusion inclusion In in- of the S Somerville 0 e r v III e springs Into the system pumping from the wells as well as from the Spring could be discontinued discontinued dis dis- dis continued and md these units placed on a standby basis The elevation of ot the newly acquired spring property property prop prop- erty will make it possible to operate operate op op- erate crate the system on a gravity- gravity flow basis basla thus eliminating the peed for pumps Until the possibility of purchasing pur put chasing g the Somerville property came Arne Into the picture city officials officials of of- were at a loss as to where whereto to look for additional city water The situation at least for the present was under control central they believed with proper storage facilities fa ta- duties and possibly restriction on water use However any large population increase se would have created crested problems that could not Continued on Page 8 SOM SOMERVILLE RA RANCH CH i iC C Continued from Page Ige 1 I have bave been coped with under present pres pres- ent nt conditions condition The Pack Creek Water Pro Pro- ct proposed by the Bureau Buteau of Reclamation has been n looked to toas toas toas as a possible solution However at earliest estimates this project pro pro- could not be completed inless In Inless Inlets less lets than five years The acquisition acquisition tion of sufficient spring water on the Somerville ranch to serve any growth will make It Unnecessary to utilize any of 01 those waters stored In the Pack creek project for culinary purposes thus releasing the area for boatIng boating boat boat- Ing and fishing This has been said by many to be a very Worthwhile Worthwhile Worth Worth- while Item as the recreational potential of the project lists very high Spring water developed In Moab valley has consistently been bem classed classed class class- ed as very good quality It Is soft very different from the poor quality water developed In Inthe Inthe inthe the city's wells and has a very low mineral mineraI content The quality of 01 the water has hac been a deciding factor In Moab's listing as an approved water system by the state through the years City Engineer er Davis Holder stated Wednesday that the Inclusion aloft sion of the spring property In the city system in no way alleviated the need for additional storage facilities However with the new new- constructed ly-constructed flow lines from the Somerville property a small part of which the city has held for some time proper storage would mean ample water to meet any emergency In commenting on the purchase Tuesday Mayor Corbin stated With this water in ample storage stor stor- storage age the City should be In good shape for many many years The following Moab residents had this to say about the project when contacted this week State Representative George Durck Burck One of the best financial moves any city council ever made It Is a very feasible project because because be be- cause It Is about the last available available avail avail- able water There Is no question In my mind that the city can be reimbursed for the purchase through other uses as the property prop prop- property erty has many potentials Chamber of Commerce President dent Ray Itay Branscom Branscum I am ant happy to congratulate and commend the city for its Superintendent of Schools liden Helen lid Hel en 1 M. M Knight The City's pur pur- m chase of the Somerville property is a good thing Council members used some foresight In looking to the water needs of Moab Chamber Manager F. F M. M Pimp Pimp- ell The City administration has made a move that guarantees Moab one of the greatest essentials essentials essen essen- for fot ed growth The Tho purchase of this ranch making available the die water rights certainly displays the foresight of the city administration and they are to be complimented and congratulated con con- for their action District Agriculture Inspector L L. L B. B Perry This Is the best move the city has made In fifty years It leaves the way open for the recreational development of the Pack creek project which conservatively should mean yearly to Moab businesses ItIs It ItIs Itis Is the cheapest municipal water any city could ever hope to obtain obtain ob ob- tain tale without even considering the ranch property |