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Show Recent Snow Measurements Show Heavy Blanket Covers Most Sections Shortage of Water 'Scare' Is Apparently Unfounded Surveys of Watersheds By Officials Show Snow and Water Storage At Highest Point In Eleven Years. Propaganda relative to the water situation in the watersheds east of Ephraim and in the entire range north and south, the watersheds of Salina canyon, and the condition of the Sevier Sev-ier River watersheds, has been circulated circu-lated throughout Sanpete and Sevier Valleys with evil results, and in many instances beet growers and others have been reticent as to just what to do in planting crops. Much of the propaganda is unfounded, as recent surveys show the water conditions better now than they have been for a period of ten years or more. In fact, in many of the mountain recesses re-cesses the snow is several times heavier, with a promise of more water wa-ter for irrigation than since the floods of 1922. True, the reservoirs are only about normal but the run-off from the mountains has not shown yet, due to the backward and cool spring. With the coming of warmer weather, experienced watermen assert, 4he flow will be greater and there is little doubt but what the reservoirs will show above the average. Much concern is held for the Piute reservoir. Official reports from that section are to the effect that the Sevier Sev-ier watersheds which feed the Piute and Otter Creek reservoirs are better than for several years past. Thus far, however, the little run-off has seeped into the ground and as a consequence the raise in the reservoirs has not been as great as in years gone by. The snow in the Virgin watersheds, according to W. M. Burch, forest ranger ran-ger of the Dixie National forest, is now nearly four times as deep, with more than four times the water con-I con-I tent as it was April 1, 1931. Ranger ! Burch, in his report of the April 1, 1932, measurements, stated that the snow depth was 42.8 inches, with a water content of 16.4, as compared with measurements of 1931 at the i same period, which showed 11.1 inches of snow, with but 3.6 inches of water. The Escalante watersheds, a continuance con-tinuance of the range to the east, and feeder to the Piute and Otter Creek reservoirs, is as good, if not better, than the Virgin side of the range. This particular section is heavily wooded and due to the fact that cool weather has prevailed, the run-off has not as yet been noticeable. Facts and figures of the snow, with its water content, as submitted by Ranger Albert Albertsen of the Fishlake National forest, in the Gooseberry snow course in Sheep hollow, hol-low, southeast of the Gooseberry Ranger Ran-ger station, shows a wonderful report. re-port. Ranger Albertsen of Salina and Ranger E. L. Cox of Richfield, completed com-pleted 26 measurements March :i0. In the 26 measurements taken. omr the course, the snow showed an average aver-age depth of 47.65 .inches, wit ' .in average water content of 12.25 h '"s. This, the report states, is 22.96 inches inch-es more snow than was found on the course in 1931, and 25.72 inches mere than was found in 1930, the first ye lr the coure was established. The water content of the snow ;t 6.37 inches more, or more than twice the amount found in the snow in 1931, and is 3.92 inches more than w:n found in 1930. The snow is also 16.23 inches deeo-cr deeo-cr this year than the average for the v Continued on last page) Shortage of Water Apparently 'Scare' (Continued from page 1) three-year period, and has a 3.43 inches inch-es greater water content. Last year, approximately 75 per cent of the south exposures were bare of snow, i-.hile this year there are no breaks 'n it whatever from approximately me mile below the Gooseberry ranger station and up. The trip to the point .-.here measurements were made, according ac-cording to Ranger Albertsen, was made with great difficulty. After teaching Gooseberry valley by car, rses were used as far as Brown s crossing. From the latter point it was necessary to use snowshoes to the snow course, and it was the first time n throe years that measurements had been taken that the officials could lot reach the Gooseberry ranger station sta-tion on horseback. While it is realized that the ground under the snow is exceptionally dry, and will take considerable water to soak it up, it is believed that there will be a heavy run-off and plenty of high water. Individuals and corporations, who have reservoirs within the national forests along rivers and streams that are fed from the forests, Ranger Albertsen Al-bertsen impressed, should watch their dams and spillways very closely as scon as the high water starts, so as to avoid any danger of dams going out and causing floods to fields and -vons in the valleys below such reservoirs. reser-voirs. The MantI National forest watersheds, water-sheds, according to J. W. Humphrey, supervisor, is now showing a record blanket of snow with a record water xntcnt. Official measurements at everal stations on the west and east sides of the mountain during the last 'ays of March, indicate a bountiful storage of snow. The recent measurements measure-ments showed both snow depth and water content to be far above the 11-vear 11-vear average, with the water content 'he greatest yet recorded Supervisor J. W. Humphrey, Ranger Ran-ger Wells Thursby and J. T. O'Niel, forest clerk, who made the measurements measure-ments in the Manti forest, report they "cund a snow depth of 56.84 inches at the Great Basin Experiment station, with a water content of 18.24 inches The 11-year average is 49.81 inches of 'mow, containing 14.46 inches of wa-'nr, wa-'nr, which is 7.03 inches of snow and 3 78 inches of water less than th 1932 measurements. The next best record for the 11-year period was in 1927, when there were 58 inches of snow, with a water content of 17.81 inches. Measurements at the Meadows, bove the experiment station, showed 75 86 inches of snow on the ground, with a water content of 24.01 inches. Tlecords for ten years give an average !f 64 inches of snow and 19.46 inches of water at this place', showing the 1932 covering to contain 11.86 inches "f snow and 4.55 inches of water thrn the 10-year average. A 1000-foot snow survey course located lo-cated just north of the Alpine station, near the top of the mountain, gives n average of 76 inches of snow ith 26 50 inches of water. In th '-"od of Reely creek, just over the to the iv.ountam, the snow survey "curse cf 30 stations gives an average -f 74 inches of snow and 26 inches of water. |