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Show Comp, ( News Eile ? Hox 6310 Lincoln, Neb. 60506 . . . .... .;.,,.- ! 1 , .. Er; w; .-ter h' i -J I County Commission Chairman D. L. Taylor and county 1 Wuipment operator Bob Westwood, inspect new D-7 Cat which tteCounty is now using to clean out the channel of Mill Creek through the community. Cut-bank on right, is the entrance to the historic old Moab arroyo which was nearly claimed jigain by last Saturday's flood. Grand County crews this week are busily involved in cleaning and straightening straight-ening the channel of Mill Creek, to prevent what might be devastating results if another major flood might occur. On the job is a new D-7 Caterpiller tractor the County is considering purchasing. Operated by County road department employees, the Cat is pushing rock and debris from the center channel of Mill Creek, and piling it against the banks of the stream to prevent further erosion. County Road Supervisor J. V. Westwood stated this week that the creek came very near to reclaiming the old arroyo channel through Moab, which was filled many years ago and covered by commercial and residential establishments: establish-ments: The arroyowas caused originally, when irrigation canals built by inhabitants of the Elk Mountain Mission in 1855, washed a streambed some thirty feet deep through the valley after the mission was abandoned due to Indian trouble. The streamflood channel began just east of Fourth East, where irrigation water was first diverted; traveled diagonally through Moab's present residential area and crossed Main Street between Center Street and First South. Before it was filled in the 1930's and 1940's, it was nearly as deep as Mill Creek itself, even though it carried no water. Should Mill Creek jump its banks east of Fourth East, the creek might seek out its old pioneer channel, which could result in hundreds of thousands in damage, Mr. Westwood stated. His crews are doing considerable work in the creek where the old arrqyoused to depart the main channel, to insure that Mill Creek stay in its present channel. County Commission Chairman D. L. Taylor stated that requests for assistance from the Utah Civil Defense agency had not been approved due to lack of funding, but that the County has asked the Army Corps of Engineers for assistance in cleaning, straightening and stabilizing the current channel of Mill Creek to prevent further erosion of real estate along the Creek. "To do the job right will take a lot more expertise and. money than we have available locally, " he stated Tuesday. State Department of Transportation Engineers have also expressed concern over the deepening channel of Mill Creek. If this trend continues without some major flood control work an number of expensive highway and roadway structures struc-tures along Mill Creek will be endangered, as well as real estate and buildings. |