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Show lake if By JOSEPHINE ZIMMERMAN Herald Staff Writer With this week's snow and rain, Utah Lake reached 3 feet above Compromise Point this morning, according to a report from the gauging station at the Saratoga Pumps near Lehi. The National Weather Service Over Compromise Three-Fee- f River Services Center is now predicting the lake will go 3.25 feet above Compromise Point, the highest level since 1952. A Daily Herald article pub- lished May 28, 1952 quoted T. Frank Wentz, Provo River commissioner, as saying the lake had reached 3.7 feet above Com- promise Point. The previous high level was 3.44 feet in 1922. Rising lake water has already flooded thousands of acres of farmland around the lake. Ralph Hatch, hydrologist with the River Services Center, said the lake has risen rapidly because little evaporation has taken place, and precipitation has been higher than normal. "Some areas have received up 200 percent of the normal May precipitation already," he reported. "Evaporation at this time of year is very important in keeping the lake at a lower level," Hatch said. He explained that with the to saturated ground conditions. would probably be 2.95 feet above Compromise Point," he said. Hatch says outflow through the Jordan River is still high with between 75,000 and 80,000 acre feet a month going out. He most of the rain that falls now will go into the lake, adding to the precipitation that falls in the lake and causing the level to rise extremely fast. Hatch said personnel at the Saratoga station had told him a south wind was blowing when estimates that rate at 215 percent of the normal outflow at this time of year. the measurement was taken. "Without the wind, the level Landowners Ask Provo Help By ROGER D. PLOTHOW Herald Staff Writer Lake Landowners The Utah Association has asked Provo City for assistance in its fight to widen the Jordan River to more quickly drain a swollen Utah Lake. Three members of the Provo City Council met Wednesday with three landowners who are asking for political and, if necessary, financial assistance. "We need your backing for political clout, and we may run into litigation and need some money," said Phil Edwards, a farmer near Utah Lake and a member of the Jordan River Dam Commission. A suit, if necessary, would include many defendants who, landowners believe, are respon- J Phil Shurtleff Photo Water from fast moving Provo River is helping push level of Utah Lake to over three-fee- above compromise. t PROVO, UTAH, THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1983 - PRICE $6.00 A MONTH 25 Champions from the Utah Special Olympics this weekend will pack up their medals and go to an international competition this July in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Utah Summer Games start at 10 a.m. Friday at Brigham Young University Track Stadium and 8:30 a.m. Satruday. More than 3,000 volunteers and specators are expected to help 1,500 athletes finish the competition. The first stipulation for participating athletes is that they must be mentally retarded. Jim Murphy, executive director of Utah Special Olympics says he still needs volunteers to help athletes during the day. Anyone wanting to help during the competition, where every athlete needs at least one volunteer support, should show up at the track stadium Friday morning and check in at the volunteer table. "We just want to fill the stands with spectators," says Irene executive secretary for SpeNiel-so- n, cial Olympics. The tournament is free to the public. More than 400 host families have volunteered to house the visiting athletes Friday night. The Utah Special Olympic staff promises that the games will continue, even in bad weather. Should it snow, the athletes will perform in the BYU Smith Field House. Teams will arrive between 10 a.m. and noon Friday. From 1 p.m to 2 p.m., the Olympians will parade in uniform during opening ceremonies at the new BYU track. City officials, Miss Utah, and celebrities are scheduled to attend. The official lighting of the torch begins the competition which dash, starts with the 200-met- er run, standing and the wheelong-jum- 400-met- er high-jum- p p, lchair events. Frisbee, soccer and volleyball sports skills will follow. Friday's festivities end with a dance for the athletes from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at months if a the BYU Cannon Center. Saturday morning competition begins at 8:15 a.m. with a mile run and the 50 meter dash will follow. "It's the big one. Everyone loves it," says Nielson. A hurdles and the relay comes next. The afternoon will wind up with a soft-ba- ll throw and more sports skills. Between 4 p.m and 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Utah Special Olympic will hold its closing ceremonies and officially retire the torch. About 40 of the schools have chosen their own princess to represent them at these games. Local beauty parlors have offered to arrange their hair for the opening ceremonies. 400-met- er er Markey Wants Waff fo Resign - (Related story on Page 19.) WASHINGTON (UPI) Rep. Edward Markey, says Interior Secretary James Watt should resign in the light of the recent disclosure that he sold some national coal leases for $100 million under value. Markey, who chairs the House oversight subcommittee that has jurisdiction over the Interior De- said Wednesday the sale was more "than just a fire sale, it was arson." He also called for a Justice partment, Department investigation into the matter. A new General Accounting Office report says coal leases in the Powder River Basin on the Wyoming border were sold for $100 million below market value in the largest federal coal sale in U.S. history. Montana-- "Although these prices were only $3.5 million less than Interior's original estimates of their value, they were roughly $100 million less than GAOs revised estimates of fair market value." the report said. The congressional watchdog agency recommended Watt postpone further regional coal sales "until his department strengthens its procedures for determining the fair market value of federal coal." Markey told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference Watt "ought to resign. He's become a financial burden to the American people." He added that Watt "will cry politics all he wants ... but the loss of $100 million under any circum stances ought to call for the resignation of any executive." Appearing at the 60 annual convention of the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Denver, Watt defended his overall policies Wednesday, saying he has accepted public "abuse" to restore stewardship of national resources. Watt said President Reagan knew changes were necessary in the Interior Department. The question was, Watt said, could the president find someone who could make those changes. Snowy Mountain Stops Center Escapee By CLARK H. CARAS Herald Staff Writer Two juveniles at the Utah County Youth Detention Center assaulted a guard this morning at 7 a.m., stole his keys and escaped into the mountains east of Ironton, according to Malcolm Evans, director of the center. One of the boys, dressed only in and tennis shoes, was gym-shorcaptured by Provo Police officers soon after the escape. According to Capt. Max Littlefield, the other boy was still on the south ridge of Slate Canyon at press time. Littlefield said one youth was captured by two officers who had hiked the mountain. "Our big concern was that once he stopped running he would go into hypothermia. One of our officers took his coveralls off and put it on the boy," he said. Evans said the boys were 16 and old. The boy still on the mountain was dressed only in and had no jeans and a shoes. million figure. Requests to the state engineer to work on the problem have been fruitless, according to the landowners. "We've been to the state engineer, and he's been congenial, but we don't get anything out of it," said Edwards. Meanwhile, Provo City crews have been working on dikes constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers near the airport to control some minor erosion, according to Mayor James times faster during summer stretch of the Jordan River is dredged and CENTS' Special Olympics Start in Provo By MARA CALLISTER Herald Staff Writer age, and extensive property damage all contribute to the $100 Edwards. To avoid flooding in the future, Edwards and other members of the Utah Lake Landowners Association want to widen and dredge the Jordan River so water from Utah Lake will flow out freely once the lake reaches the legal compromise level. The landowners believe the lake could be drained up to three tralh 109TH YEAR, NO. 243 sible for the water covering much of their farmland, he said. Nearly 10,000 acres of prime agricultural land near Utah Lake already is are under water, Edwards says, including much of his own farm. As many as 40,000 acres could be inundated by this spring and summer, he says. "People say it's an act of God, but I don't believe it," said widened. Edwards claims water users in Salt Lake County have allowed the lake to rise during the past several years to assure they will have plenty of water. "It's a build-u- p by people with selfish interests who don't give a damn about Utah County," Edwards said. "Now, we can throw the gates wide open at the outlet and it still won't take the level (of the lake) down." The additional water running into the Great Salt Lake won't cause flooding in that area, since it take 10 inches from Utah Lake to increase the level of the Great Salt Lake by an inch, Paul Taylor, an association member, said. The flooding in Utah County could cost the county as much as $100 million, says Taylor. "We were given that figure by someone who is counseling us, and it may not be too far off when you consider all the damage," he said. Landowners say loss of revenue due to flooded parks and marinas, road dam- le WAC Denies BYU Track, Field Protest Western Athletic Conference commissioner Joe Kearney today denied a Brigahm Young University appeal of a ruling Saturday denying the Cougars the WAC track and field championship. BYU's John Bestor was disqualified from competition under the 'honest effort' rule because he hadn't run the 1500 meter race in Thursday's decathalon competition. Bestor competed despite being disqualified while a call was made to the NCAA. He won the pole vault, finished second in the javelin and gained 18 points. He was stripped of his points after the NCAA recommended the decision be made locally, saying there was no precedent. WAC coaches voted 2 with one abstention to disqualify Bestor, but said they would reverse their decision if it could be demonstrated that they had acted in 5-- error. Thursday: at Snow Canyon Park Body Found - ST. GEORGE (UPI) The State Medical Examiner's Office scheduled an autopsy today on the body of a man discovered in that of Craig Johnson, an State Park Dixie College student from Lindon. The medical examiner hoped to determine a pos-tiv- e identity and the cause of Wednesday. Officials believe the body is Johnson disappeared April 30 Snow Canyon death. Sixers Pound Milwaukee Basketball used to be a game of lightning-quick- , search-and-de-stro- y missions, played on fast tracks by greyhounds in short pants. Strategy in pro basketball? In the past, it was simple: Score more than the other guys. nt So much for the nt past. Wednesday night in the trum, the Sixers beat the SpecMil- in a wicked waukee Bucks, and often brutal game of vintage, defensive pro basketball. Details appear on Page 6. 87-8- Provo Tabernacle Story Unfolds Restoration measures are in on this the 100th year g anniversary of the of the Provo Tabernacle. In commemoration of the centennial for the proud, old edifice, N. effect ground-breakin- LaVerl Christensen, editor emeritus of The Daily Herald, has written a hard-bachistorical book entitled "Provo's Two k, Tabernacles." For more on the restoration and the history of the Provo Tabernacle see Page 23 of the Today Section. ts " r O It Was A Record That snow storm that hit Utah Valley Wednesday broke several records, Including total amount of precipitation for May 11th and amount of snow measured for that date. May 1 1 The forecast calls for more clouds and cold weather through Friday with highs in the 50i and lows near 35. More weather information is on Pages 5 and 7. Here's Where to Find It All ' Phil Shurtlcfl Phot Officers watch top of mountain where youth ran after leaving detention center at far lower right. Amusements Arts Business Classified Ads Comics Community Notes Crossword 32-3- National-Internation- 3 32 26-2- 9 3744 34 18 20 al Obituaries Opinions Sports Today Utah-Region- Your Time 2,15 4 35 8-- 23-2- 5 7 16 |