Show GREAT SALT LAK HE AGO investigation to determine the relative annual precipitation in th tha great salt lake drainage area before coming of white race 1 the present behavior and past ill history s ot of great salt lake is attracting more and more attention each year arid and Is now the object of a special investigation vesti gation by the united st states lies geological survey the united states weather bureau precipitation records beginning in 1863 present a comparatively accurate record ot of the levels of great salt lake dating back to the bear in 1850 the lalie lake stood at al 3 feet in 1868 the water rose to 14 34 feet dropped to 73 75 feet in 1873 and lose again to 14 feet in 1877 tile the lake then gradually lowered until the water stood at 24 teet feet in 1902 ard 22 feet in 1905 since ISO 1905 the water has gradually risen reaching the C G foot mark in may 1910 1510 the lake is now falling failing many millions of 01 dollars have been spent in the construction of railroads and resorts over or near the shores of the great salt lake it any data can be secured which will enable one to make a reliable prediction ns as to the behavior of 0 the lake lahe ten bears ears in advance the information would be of inestimable value it willbe will be necessary to determine whether or not there are regular periods of wet and dry years also to determine tile the time intervening ter between two to wet and two iwo dry periods to determine this point one should have precipitation records dating back one hundred bears or more taking for example a forest tree which is some distance aiom a flowing st stream and one which receives no luois stille aiom artificial sources it is believed that the annual growth of tills this tree would bear a direct relation to the mount amount of precipitation which foil fell during the winter just prior to the growing season the amount of growth made during each year may be determined by measuring the thickness of the trees annual rings the temperature during the growing season would have its effect upon the growth of the tree and it Is therefore not expected that the data obtained from measuring the thickness of annular rings would give reliable records for successive years where there is little variation in the annual pre elpi elpidion cipiti tion on it seems reasonable to believe that the high normal and low years can be determined the forest service has extended its assistance in this interesting investigates by cutt ilig a big tree from the big cottonwood CoU onwood drainage area which lies about ten miles southeast of salt lake city utah this tree is between four and five hundred 3 ears old A section will be cut and polished in order that the thickness ol of the annular rings may be easily measured led A thorough study will be made of the first sixty annular rings and a compares com comparison paris on made with the CO 60 year record of the levels of great salt lake if a definite relation can be b determined showing that thai a certain amount of precipitation produces a ling of 0 certain tion can then be applied back to the center of oe the tree and an estimate thereby secured for the annual precipitation pi tation for a period of 0 four hundred to five hundred years an effort ort will be e made to complete this study during the next three months any information concerning the progress of tills this vork ork can be secured by writing or calling upon 11 C larue district engineer r water resources branch U S geological survey salt lake city utah |