Show I IRRIGATION TION IN TIlE THE P PA 1 II NT f VALLEY VALET u na Irrigation was first tried out Inthe in inthe inthe the Valley in the year of 1860 when Jacob Croft John Jom Lovell Cropper Bros Dros Wm Vm Hawley Geo Lovell Chris Overson and o other her early Mormon pioneers came over from Fillmore the county seat and the first capital of Utah and settled on the Sevier river near the present town of Deseret They built a fort there to protect themselves against possible attacks from roaming Indians Indians Indi Indi- ans and started the construction of at ofa ata a dam up the river some distance from Deseret This dam was made of brush rocks and dirt It was a crude affair was repeatedly washed out and finall finally was abandoned Early day irrigation in the Pah- Pah vant Valley was very difficult on account account account ac ac- ac- ac count of the inability of the tho early settlers to obtain the proper kind of material for dam construction on the ground and not having the wherewith all to import same and I finance construction These rhese earthen I dams washed out repeatedly in the I spring when the high water came Not until men with money became interested did Irrl irrigation become successful successful successful suc suc- and profitable in the valley Later Gilbert Webb constructed a dam at the same point for these settlers and for other lands This da dam later w went went nt out but the move the tho the represented d the formation of first irrigation company in the valley valley valley val val- ley The Deseret Company which later ente entered entered d Into an agreement with what is now known a as the Abraham Irrigation and right of waters of the river was adjudged between the two companies as follows follows Deseret Irrigation Co 7 4 Abraham Abraham Abraham Abra Abra- ham Irrigation Co 3 The Deseret Co then located the site of the Sevier Bridge reservoir Next came the Melville 1 Company which acquired a a half interest Inthe in inthe inthe the reservoir site up to the foot 60 contour Later these two companies sold one-half one Interest in the reservoir site of the old Oasis Company which was the pred predecessor cessor of the Delta Land Water Company Next came the SevIer Land Water Water Water Wa Wa- ter Company onto the scene and joined the others in the construction of the big Sevier Bridge Dam which Impounds the flood waters of the Sevier river as well as the natural flow All chances of ot overflow and washouts caused by floods have now been eliminated for the big reservoir reservoir reservoir reser reser- voir is capable of containing more water than any runoff yet known and conserves water enough to water the acres of irrigable land which is under water in the valley As supplementary sources of supply the Deseret Company has a 1 large lare reservoir reservoir reservoir re re- lying Just west it it Delta which forms a fine lake and the Sevier Land Water Vater Company has what is known as the Fools Creek Reservoir in the mountains east of Delta During the past season the water supply furnished by tho the Sevier river and controlling factors such as the storage reservoirs has been ant The start of the season was conditions climatic retarded due clue to ma magress made the he progress progress pro pro- start was but once the within the gress of all rowing owing crops crop hindered w s s fast a and not drainage w ws fr frosts The past storms killing lolling by br storms or been bas proba probablY irrigation season has p encountered encountered ever ei successful one the most Sevier river river dram drainage drainage drain drain- within the weather conditions conditions con con- age both as regards produced tonnages and crop the The following t facts apply for period from tram October 1916 1 to September September September Sep Sep- Inclusive In n connection connection con con- 30 1917 supPlY of the with tho the water lower rivers to the 1 The surface Inflow was about Sevier Bridge Dridge reservoir acre feet amount amount of water 2 The total during reservoir stored in the above about the same period was acre feet teet seasons Comparison with other surface average a The mean or run-off run of the river at the present location of the Sevier Bridge dam years ears is estimated estimated esti estimated esti- esti during the past twelve f feet ct The mated at acre record during the highest year on 1907 when the for same period was location was t. run-off run at th the same W the lowest feet about acre during 1915 or about acre feet teet rr Ii i. i M I li I I t h BIRDS BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE BIG nIG SEVIER BRIDGE hA DAM I. I b On October 16 1917 there remained holdover ar-holdover of about acre feet of stored stored water ater T in th the Sevier Se Sevier Sevier Se- Se vier Bridge Dridge reservoir reser which will be beheld beheld beheld held In reserve for future seasons c On November 13 1917 the elevation of the water surface in the above reservoir had risen toy she the 60 foot contour or equal to about acre feet of ot stored water This is the elevation at which the reservoir was was assumed as full prior to 1917 7 when the dam was completed completed completed com com- to a higher elevation hi tn order to stord stor about acre feet at atthe atthe atthe the 8 80 O contour d At the present time the Sevier Bridge reservoir is the largest one in the State State- altho the U U. S. S Reclamation Reclamation Reclamation mation Service has completed a damand dam damand damand and reservoir on Strawberry Creek capable of storing acre feet of water but having a mean Inflow from the sources of at supply of only acre feet per year e An acre foot of water will cover an acre one foot deep A second second second sec sec- ond foot Is a cubic foot of water flowing at the rate of one oneS foot per second of time A second foot toot atwater of at water when allowed to run for a 8 continuous period of at 24 hours would cover an acre practically two feet In depth The big dam as It now stands IsI is I complete unless the companies Interested in interested interested In- In in it see fit as years go by to increase its capacity to care for foran foran foran an Inci increased eased run-off run which has been found to occur as Irrigated countries grow older and produce more mols- mols tuie ture The dam Is an immense earthen structure with a con concrete rete and steel core running its entire length and its face ed with stone It has J been passed on b by competent engineers engineers engineers engin engin- and pronounced to be one of the best and safest structures of its kind ever built J I |