Show v THE WATER RESOURCES OF UTAH Hydrographic Work of the United States Geological Survey in the State In the year 1889 the United States Geological Geological Geological Geo Geo- logical Survey began the study of the water resources of the state of Utah Gag Gag- ing stations were established on Bear River near Colliston and on Provo River at at the mouth of the canyon The behavior I of these two Utah rivers is pretty well known at the present time as a practically complete daily record of the flow in cubic cuic feet fee second has been for y t per kept a period of twenty years With the exception of some scattering records kept by the army engineers very little data had been collected bearing on the water resources of the United States prior to 1889 but in that year a systematic study of the subject was inaugurated by the federal federal federal fed fed- eral survey in several states and the work has gradually increased from year to year until at the time the r. r present investigations cover practically every state and territory in the Union including Alaska and Hawaiian Hawaiian Ha Ia Islands In the study of its water resources the United States has been divided into districts districts districts dis dis- the work in each district being tinder under under un un- der the direction of a district engineer Thus the state of Utah is included in what i. i h is known as Great Basin District which comprises the states of Idaho Utah and Nevada E. E C. C LaRue district engineer has charge of the work in these three states On account nt of the limited federal appropriation appropriation appropriation only a small amount could be al allotted allotted allotted al- al for this work in Utah and consequently consequently conse the work has not progressed as r rapidly as many people have wished However However How I ever these investigations carried on by th the e r government throughout the west have led to the construction of federal irrig irrigation tion works during the last seven years costing upwards of The building of these large irrigation projects would of necessity necessity ne ne- necessity have been greatly if not indefinitely indefinite indefinite- ly delayed had it not been for the longtime longtime longtime long long- time records of stream flows showing the vast amount of water runn running ng to waste each year in these western rivers and also the amount of flow which could be depended depend depend- ed upon Undeveloped Lands of Utah Thousands of acres of rich land in Southern Utah today lie practically worthless worthless worthless worth worth- less because they are without irrigation With lith the development of the available water resources the value of these lands will be increased to several million dollars creating a magnificent asset for the state and the nation The preliminary to such development in every case must be a re reliable reliable re- re reliable liable record of the flow of the streams During the last session of the Utah legislature legislature legislature legisla legisla- ture a law was enacted authorizing the state engineer to operate co-operate with and spend dollar for dollar with the federal government government government govern govern- ment in the extension of hydrographic in investigations investigations investigations in- in to cover Southern Utah As a result the water resources of the state of Utah are now being carefully studied under antler under un un- der the direction of E. E C. C LaRue district engineer for the U. U S. S Geological Survey and Cal Caleb b Tanner engineer for the state of Utah |