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Show WATER USERS' ASSOblATIO N MEETING t ; , . - Report on Sevier Dam tjpking Water in Turns Petition to Cnd Board. '' i i the whole face of the daui. While the earth filling In the trenches will probably prob-ably aettle some It ought to be a impervious to water as it was before. The following petition to the State Land Hoard was then drawn up and numerously signed: Went Delta. January 4. 1913. To the State Land Hoard. Uentlemen: The undersigned settlers set-tlers respectfully petition your honorable hon-orable body to Intervene In behalf of certain settlers on this project, to wit: All persona who while on Carey Act land have contracted for water rights with the old Oasis Land A Irrigation Company, or such of these parties as remained here and suffered from either or both disasters of 1909 and 1910. We do not Intercede for speculators, specu-lators, but there are a considerable number of good settlers who came and settled before these washouts occurred, oc-curred, and having exhuasted their resources on improvements and the planting of crops and lost same without with-out any remuneration worthy of mention, men-tion, were left practically destitute and unable to move away. A large percentage of these settlers have had a hard struggle, and beside other indebtedness, in-debtedness, are owing the holders of their water contracts two and some three payments, with all accumulated Interest and all overdue payments drawing an advanced rate of Interest. These people were lured here by glowing glow-ing literature portraying a soil and climate of wonderful merit, and encouraging en-couraging the belief that settlers could easily make a good living and their land payments, but the experience experi-ence of these settlers has been decidedly decid-edly the reverse. Most of them were o badly broken up by the water failures fail-ures that they have been compelled to work for a living instead of plant-Ing plant-Ing crops for themselves. It is quite evident that many of these settlers are facing inevitable ruin unless some favorable action (a secured In their behf, therefore w-pectfr.lly ask that all such payments due the company com-pany from this class of settlers be relieved, together with all Interest whatsoever upto and Incudlng January Janu-ary , 1913, to be taken up after all other payments have been made, or placed on the latter end of the contract. con-tract. The above petition Is to be rrlcu-lated rrlcu-lated until all those who defilre to sign It will have an opportunity of doing so. There was a large attendance at, the meeting of the Water Users' Association As-sociation in the Rock school house In West Delta last Saturday night. The first matter brought by the Association As-sociation was the report of the com mlttee appointed to formulate a plan for taking the water by turns next season, as Is proposed by the Delta Co. The committee recommended tTiat it be taken in turns out of ten days each that is, ten days with water wa-ter and ten days without and that each farmer' take it the same number num-ber of days, regardless of the amount of land be farmed. Considerable op-poult op-poult Ion developed against this plan, especially In regard to each man having hav-ing only th? same amount of time to water his land, regardless of tit amount of land. The opponets showed show-ed that a man couldn't water 160 acres la ten days. The supporters of toe proposition said the owners of more than 40 acres would have to hire help to have It done. The opponents objected ob-jected that it would be difficult to hire men at the particular time thejr were needed, especially if a large ninn ber of farmers had to hire help at t? j' same time. After a lengthy dlscussli the report of the committee was vc ed down. A motion was then carrl that the matter be referred to an irrigation ir-rigation expert of the Agricultural College for bis advice. The report of the committee appointed ap-pointed to Investigate the work on th Serler bridge dam was then read t was as follows: '. To the West Delta Water Users' Asti' soclatlon: We, the undersigned committee sp- ( pointed to investigate conditions at the Sevier Bridge dam, respectfully submit the following: On December 13, 1912, we visited the ' dam and remained there about four hours while work was In progress. To the best of our Judgment, nothing has been done that will materially benefit or make stronger the structure struc-ture it was before the work began. On the north end of the dam a con- ' Crete core has been put In, beginning " near the top o fthe dam and extending downward diagonally over the relief 1 tunnel toward the upstream toe of the 1 dam, a distance of about 120 feet. ' On the south side about 150 feet of lie concrete core had been put down In the same diagonal direction extending from the top of the dam toward the upstream toe of the dam. u Extending from the lower end of the ( concrete core .on the south side an p excavation had been made about 40 (. feet In length, but on account of the failure of the only steam pump on the ( Job the water could not be controlled and the excavation wag abandoned. At the time of our visit it was being R refilled with earthen substance resem- ,( bllng sand and murk, evidently the same soil that had been talten out of ( the excavation. We also observed Cl that this earth had been frozen and many large pieces of frozen earth were used in refilling this excavation. f( We regard this work as an Injury, rather than a benefit to the dam. pi No concrete had been put In along fl the upstream toe of the dam where a In our Judgment It Is most needed. u Those with whom we talked com- a plained that proper machinery and oj ther equipment necessary for such a ob bad not been provided, and that D tucb as had been furnished was so ( ate in delivery that It waa Impossl- D )l to do much before freexlng wes- her set In. The work recently done and also he information we gained suggests ( i desire to avoid expense rather than o do a good Job and complete it In ti ;nod time. We were advised that Mr. w fnow while on his last visit st the w; lam gave orders to have everything N- o readiness to clear the ground on 0f Ive days' notice. In point of strength we do not re- 0Q ard the dam benefited by the last rork done, and la our Judgment it tB bould not be permitted to retain fo sore than 45 feet of water. (S'gaed.) L't A. WATT8. la 8. II. THOMPSON. C. CONNELLY. M The Water Users' Association then cr i t -ffled the following letter to the t:a Land Water Company: ,' West Delta, Jan. 4, 1913. p ihe Delta Land & Water Co., y-j 8alt Lake City. JCenUomen: We enclose you a copy f 'the report of our committee appointed ap-pointed to examine the Sevier bridge 4m. While we do not wish to cre-ite' cre-ite' any uneasiness among the setters, set-ters, we feci st liberty to call your attention to the decided contrast be-tweirn be-tweirn this work and the preparations f Jr same and the work outlined In your letter of December 22nd, 1911, which !jHn reply to Inquiries from our As .'Tiiaflon on this subject. There Is l.-obably no danger of the dam giving away with a reasonable amount of water In storage, but we may probably prob-ably tdlsagree as to the amount. How-ever, How-ever, thero Is too much at stake to JatSfy an unnecesxay hazard. We knovr full well that you are well equipped with engineers' reports and ep'nlons favorable to your Interests, but we also feel sure that you could supvtr some quite unfavorable If you eAred to do so. - Certain members of our Association at a meeting of the Land Board fj.ily. 1910, when the subject was I -:ht up in connection with the .-i:t of the diversion dam near Del-t Del-t t ;rd engineers of many years' ex-1 ex-1 rkijee render an opinion that the in was not absolutely sale with r-re than 36 feet in storage. . , inclusion, we wish to state that the conservation of more than 45 feet f water In the Sevier Bridge rener-rolr rener-rolr while It remains as it is. We s ill also take a decided stsnd against the appropriation of water to any lew project from this reservoir what-loever what-loever until the settlers on these ands have been supplied with their ightful portion. iVEST DELTA WATER USERS' ASSOCIATION. AS-SOCIATION. The following is the extract from Ur. Snow's letter, to which the ibove communications refers: "Quite likely the discussion or this ubject that has taken place among he settlers Is the result of garbled nformstlon that has gone out about he purposes of the Delta I -a ml & V'ater Company and Deserct and Mel-Slle Mel-Slle Irrigation Companies, repetlng lie enlargement of the dam and the ustallatlon of a concrete core on the pstream toe. Should we enlarge his dam we propose putting In ap loxlmately 250,000 cubic yards on he breast or downstream side, this 1 i order to preserve a 2 to 1 slope oif lie upstream side and provide a 20-xt 20-xt crest or roadway. For your In- ' ?rniatlon will say that it Is the de 1 Ire Of the companies Interested to I nake safe doubly sure' and they 1 ould have Installed a concrete core 1 lis fall except for the fart that we untinued to keep the water in the ' mats so late that lnsu..klent time ' as afforded us to build this core be- ' re freezing weather came on. It is ' ie Intention, however, of the com 1 inles to bsve the reservoir practl-illy practl-illy empty by September 1st, 1912, 1 ad all material on the ground ready 1 i put this work under way quickly id complete It In te least number 1 ' days. With this concrete core car- 1 ed down and Into bed rock and well ' eked Into the rock walls on either de should completely shut off this ' ider seepage, If such It proves to f .- I We think the report of the commit- 1 Is a conservative one, nor do we lev that the settlers Deed be alarm-I alarm-I about the condition of the dam. ' e think It is quite as strong as It " is before ay work was done on It. " one ever questioned the strength the dam to resist any pressure that b u ever be brought against It. The b !y possible danger there has ever en Is the undermining of the dam rough seepage or springs. When we nslder that the plank lining of the aches Is virtually water tight and cl driven down to bed rock It would w as If It should rut off all seep- w e. and will be sufficient until a eoa-lpi rt core or steel piling is put aros lo |