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Show TEE TESTAE EASTS FARMER .n. riiiy LANDS, LANDS PARTLY REGLA1ED AND LAND FOR VHICH THERE !S AT.TPLE WATER IN THE UINTAH Editor's Note: The following article is a full and complete report of the Dry Gulch fact3 finding committee on reclaimed land in the Uintah Basra. The cammittf a c'V sists of the following men: J. p. May, chairman, Ray E. Dillman and W. G. Gentry. Following is a list of the reclaimed lands in Duchesne and Uintah counties, otherwise knopn as the Uintah Basin, in Northeast ;rn Utah. Many of these items are giv-- ) en per proof in the state engineer's office, while a number are clos? estimates given by those acauaint-.e- d with each case. Due caro has been taken so that no overdraw! ij would result. The figures given conservative as a whole, although some few items may, on closer examination, be slightly too large. A second list, containing lands which are partly reclaimed, and one large area on which no work has been done is also included, one large item of land. Dead Mans bench, is practically all of the land in the second list on which no work has been done. Of course, there are a number of small items, such as the Castle Peak land, bench land, on which no work has actually' been done, although even in the last two cases mentioned considerable work has been done which we may use in the reclaiming of these lands. Those who are critical may stat with some reason that the total of lands reclaimed is not fair because considerable of it is not actually farmed, that is, it is not ideal farm land. However, we have not included all land for which water is now provided and thi3 will off- set and apparent over acreage. Lands reclaimed are not all in crops, largely because we are too far from a railnad, or, that which equals the same, farmers too few. In making final proof, rough land as well as nonproductive land has been to a large extent eliminated. These two counties are only two of the eight counties in Utah which depend entirely on the Coloardo river water. It is quite impossible for us to more than roughly estimate the land3 reclaimed and yet to be (reclaimed in these other six counties. To give a total of 250,-00- 0 acres of lands now reclaimed in the other six counties and the same amount in the six counties, which will yet be reclaimed seems conservative. Our total of lands in the Basin reclaimed and the lands in the other counties which are reclaimed, will make a larger total than that credited the Colorado watershed by prominent men. That is 700,000 acres reclaimed and reclaimable. Excepting for this rough estimate of the lands in the other six counties, our figures and remarks are confined to Duchesne and Uintah counties, with the mere mention of the lands in Colorado which are a part of Dead Mans bench. Nearly all of the lands are to 5.500 feet in elevation, insuring good growing seasons for. will demand reservoirs on both the White ana Yarnpc Colorado and will ccst for fn;t-cla- ss water right much lees than estimates made by government engineers. The next largest pi..;-r- ; is the south My to., be;mu area in three sections: PI as a t valley, Castle Peak and the Lex: . bench. The total of these area.; may be increased to 75,000 acre; but we have taken a lower that more costly sectic-a- RECLAIMED LANDS EN TEE TJINTAE DASTN (Duchesne and Uintah Counties) ac.1-- - . re vvou. 1 not injure the entire project. Federal reconissance suit-- on Dry Gulch. Irrigation. Company 54,000 acres the South Mytou and Dead Mans Uintah and Ouray Agency, partly owned by white people 77,243 aerm benches, made possibly ten years Cedarview Irrigation Company . 2,292 acres ago, call for one- second foot for Boneta Western Irrigation Company . 1,900 acres each 70 acres from April 1st, to Boneta Southern Irrigation Company acres 1,100 continuous flow. September 15th, T Farmers' Irrigation Company . 7,960 acres Federal seem to believe engineers Farnsworth Canal and Reservoir Company - 9,474 acres that a second foot for each 70 Lake Fork Western Irrigation Company 3,560 acres acres for this long growing season, Ditch Timothy's (Lake 23a acres is necessary in the Basin, because Fork) , eaQ J . 1,100 acres this is the amount used in warmCompany rLU(s011 Ditch Company 300 acres er climates and lower altitudes. 160 acres The maximum legal use for water . 1,500 acres in Utah in three acre feet, per Uintah Independent Ditch Company 6,500 acres annum. When the soil is deep and Big Six Ditch . 1,159 acres the altitude about 5,000 feet, this T. N. Dodd Irrigation Company 1,984 acres j maximum is not necessary. Marimon Ditch acres portant sections in the Basin now Durriigan Ditch 120 acres productive which are 5,000 to Filings East of Duchesne to Antelope, on north sode of Duchesne 6,000 feet in elevation and where rivr grouped 2,200 acres the soil is of fair depth, possibly T Filings-Easof Duchesne to Antelope, on north side of Duchesne two acres feet per annum is amriver grouped 2,200 acres ple. Antelope section south of the Grey Mountain Ditch 1,400 acres In fact, the maximum flow frem Grey Mountain and Myton Canals 6,500 acres April 1st to September 15th is not Taylor Brothers Comal 4,500 acres demanded in Eastern Utah, 1 Midview section, nor"h side of river acres for one crop, that is, for except 1,300 j sugar Filings between Midview and Upalco on the Lakefork 2,350 acres beets. For all other farming, the season may be made one month - Tm-3- 00 t Le-La- nd . 4.-6- 00 It is apparent that by decreasing the "season about one month and less water than requiring one-thi- rd the Federal engineers have estimated, the surveys made on the Duchesne and White rivers ar quite unfair. For instance, the south Myton bench project, per government survey, would cost rlout $147.50 per acre for the waer. Considering the factors a noted, this cost may be cut down to about $100.00 per acre and still provide ample water and allow a large amount of return flow water which has not been included. This Colorado riverland and the water is the biggest proposition boLre the State of Utah. Utah needs this vast area, mu.-- of p i? isolated and held back by lack of transportation. For instance, the following figures in U. S. Agri year book, 1924: Utah has 1,189,000 acres of land in crops; New Mexico- has 1,413,-00- 0 acres of land in crops; Arizona acres of Iana in has 1,604,000 Colorado has 7,081,000 acres crops; of land in crops; Wyoming has acres of land in crops 1,774,000 and Idaho has 2,8 42,0 0C acres of land in crops. It may be noted that Utah ha3 approximately two acres per capita of land actually in crops. The lowest per capita acreage of crops of any of the intermountain states. The of increasing question Utahs farming area is largely a matter of providing transportation Into the Uintah Basin, the matter of getting facts relative to the water supply and to the land area that may be reclaimed. This should be done by the state, in cooperation with the government, if possible, and in charge of engineers seeing out of Utah's eyes. Considerable of the land yet to must be provided be reclaimed qu-sti- on ul-tural PARTLY COMPLETED AND NEW IRRIGATION IN THE UINTAH BASIN Ashley Valley Development Company Uinta-and Ouray Agency South Myton Bench Pleasant valley, Leland bench, Castle Peak ipaj-io- r Brothers' Canal jj0po irrigation District PROJECTS 8,000 acres 15,222 acres 60,000 10,000 7,700 25,000 2,500 13,500 250,000 acres acres acres acres acres acres acres TOTAL of partly complete and new lands for which, there 391,923 acres t is ample water -- TOTAL of reclaimed lands sea- tion, insuring good growing The average sons for agriculture. elevation from Cedar City to Lo. gan is 5,000 feet. best are the lauds Basin These drained of any farming area in country. Alkali the not her while and its problems, inter-mounta- in 277,839 acres as in all irrigated districts it is a very minor factor. Dead Mans bench project is actually about 500,000 acres of good land, and part of this runs easterly into Colorado, hence the area giv-i- n in our total is for th Utah part of the bench. This large project -- (Continued on page seven) |