Show Rotary Club Heart Hears Talk on Water Re Repel Reuel el Christensen told the Ephraim Rotary Club at Its weekly meeting July 1 of Sanpete Sanpete Sanpete San San- pete County's crucial need for water He said the law had been on Sanpete's side In getting the Gooseberry Reservoir Constructed Constructed Constructed Const Const- but that politics had bad favored certain Interests In Carbon County In unfair opposition opposition opposition op op- op- op position to construction of the reservoir The proposed reservoir site i Is east side of the summit on the road between Fairview I and Huntington Despite opposition Mr Christensen ChristeASen pointed out that there was hope for construction tion of the reservoir If there was unified support from the people of Sanpete Mr Christensen Is chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the Sevier River Water District He has made studies of water re resources resources resources re- re sources in the c central Utah area He recalled that Sanpete had been trying for a great ma mayears many many years to get the Gooseberry Reservoir constructed ashad as ashad ashad had been agreed in a to part tri part agreement made by Carbon County Sanpete County and the Reclamation Service in 1948 1946 While the Utah Supreme me Court had ruled in jn favor of Carbon county factions who opposed construction Interpretations of the court decree left construction construction construction tion of the reservoir up to the discretion of the United States Reclamation Service i If U It It were constructed Mr Christensen said that as much muchas as acre feet of water would be delivered to the mouth of Fairview Canyon The tunnel to con convey y the water Into Sanpete has been constructed constructed constructed con con- and Is presently bring bringing ing water Into Fairview from the Fairview Lakes Mr Christensen explained that the Gooseberry Reservoir water would be beneficial to everyone In Sanpete County He emphasized the fact that this water Is partly needed for future Industrial development In the county Another area where It appeared ap- ap appeared appeared ap ap- water can be obtained to Increase Is through the elimination of water hig-water- c consuming vegetation Among niong the highest water-consuming water plants are salt cedar shrubs The speaker related that nearly all the main streams and drainage drainage drain drain- age of the Sevier River have been infested with this shrub It occurs at varying densities from thick to thin in the meadow areas of the Gunnison Valley Mr Christensen pointed out that In a recent tour sponsored by the Utah Range Coordinating Council on the Great Basin Experimental Range In Ephraim Canyon it appeared that consid considerably more water could be obtained ob obtained obtained ob- ob by conversion of brush to grass In the favorable precipitation precipitation precipitation tation areas Dr Ben L. L Grovers and other associates of the Utah State Agricultural Experiment station Station Station Sta sta- tion had displayed results over the past three years wl which ch showed that by conversion of gambel oak and other brushy plants to grass yields of two to five Inches of water could be obtained for downstream purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses In the valleys below A. A Perry Plummer Range Scientist of the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station exhibited areas that had been substantially converted converted converted con con- from oak brush to grass He explained that It was feasible and economically to convert brush to grass where It was possible to make additional addition water available for downstream purposes |