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Show BIG LUCF.RN FIELD ON THE KNIGHT RANCH, NEAR PAYSON, UTAH COUNTY STRAWBERRY IRRIGATION PROJECT. "Uncle Jesse Knight" of Provo, may be justly styled .he father of the I Strawberry irrigation project. As far back as July 1900, he explored the Strawberry valley, took measurements measure-ments of the altitude of the passes on the western range to find out if the waters which emptied into the Strawberry Straw-berry valley, could be brought (by J means of canals) across the range in to the Utah valley. It was found, however, that this was not feasible. He could see then that the only way to get those waters, which were running run-ning to waste into the Duquesnc, ' thence into the Colorado and out to the Pacific ocean, could only be harnessed har-nessed by piercing the range with a tunnel. In January, 1904, a mass meeting of the citizens of Provo and of near-j near-j by sections, was held for the purpose of considering the best method of conserving the waters of Utah Lake and its tributaries for irrigation pur poses. Chief Hydrographer Newell of the National Reclamation Service ONE OF THE FLOWING WELLS ON JESSE KNIGHT'S RANCH was present; also Chief Pinchot of the National Forest Reserve Bureau; ) III H-l I ! Ill.ll - III HIIIMM.IWII I - PORTION OF soo ACRE WHEAT FIELD ON KNIGHT RANCH. p State Engineer Doremus, and other distinguished persons. For a year, however, prior to this time, considerable interest had been taken in this subject. At this meeting, meet-ing, Mr. Knight expressed himself tn the effect that far the better plan would be to construct a tunnel through the Strawberry range and bring those Eastern waters into Utah valley. However, the matter did not assume any definite proportions then But shortly thereafter State Senator Henry Gardner, of Spanish Fork, took up this matter, and he, with other in terestcd parties, made some preliminary prelimin-ary surveys. This primary work led up to the formation of the Strawberry Valley Water-users association, members mem-bers of which comprise the land owners own-ers of Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Salem, Sa-lem, Payson and Santiquin. And in connection with this movement the government took hold of the matter. It soon became apparent that this was the prime feasible scheme to get an abundance of water into Utah valley, val-ley, and secondarily into Utah lake, and therefrom into the Salt Lake valley. val-ley. Mr. Knight showed his faith by his works. He listed under the Strawberry Straw-berry proposition over twenty-two hundred acres of land just north of Payson, comprising his large ranch in the south end of Utah county. Thij is perhaps one of the most fertile tracts in the west. It has for a number num-ber of years produced wonderful crops of alfalfa, wheat, and 'uxuriant pasturage without irrigation. There arc several flowing wells of the purest pur-est water spreading their cooling streams on the surface. "Uncle Jesse," however, is not so much of a farmer and ranchman as he is miner, as everyobdy knows, but he does have an eye to the upbuilding of this country in a permanent way. Some two years r n he decided to cut up this large ract of land into small parts, and give any man who had a little money an opportunity to get a imall farm, or a large farm, to the extent of one hundred and sixty acres; but he will not sell it in very H large tracts to anybody, for he wants H to see the land improved by inten- H sivc farming. H A portion of the tract has been set H apart for a townsitc and some day H we may have another flourishing vil- H lagc in the County of Utah. H The work and the experiments thus I far made on the Strawberry tunnel, H nil tend to insure the success of the proposition. The government is now H doing some work on canals and lat- I crals at the south end of Utah valley H At present the reclamation service is H putting in a large power plant at the I mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon fo I the purpose of generating power to I continue the large bore through the I mountain. It is fully expected by I those who arc capable of judging that I the summer of 1910 will find the wat- H ers of eastern Utah irrigating th: I old farms, and hundreds of new farms I in the county. Perhaps the canal H now in the course of construction will H be used next year for the distributing H of the high waters on some of the up- I lands. To this end the engineers of H the Reclamation Service arc now turn- H ing their attention. H |
