Show SOIL STUDIED BY 1 U S reclamation BUREAU surveys will show if states acres can benella by upper colorado river water projects SALT LAKE CITY with the U S bureau of 0 reclamation pushing to completion its soil roll surveys in utah and continuing a series serie sot 0 surveys on the green and upper colorado rivers to determine possible location ot of dam sites for water and power development stati should know shortly whether the colorado river great dasin basin project offers the opportunity to secure state these needed resources tor for th A this Is the comment ot of F it richardson secretary ot of the colorado river great basin water users association following assurance from commissioner john C page th that at both surveys are being has toned by his department the department has been active making soil surveys in our state tor for nearly a year mr air richardson pointed out under the direction of 0 edwin 0 nielsen Nl elsen associate engineer in charge of 0 U S bureau 0 ot reclamation investigations much ot of this thia work already has been completed I 1 understand that it Is quite possible mr nielsen and his staff will finish this survey before the end of the current year the soil survey and the survey planned on the colorado and green rivers have been ordered in connection with the program to dettar mine the possible developments ot of water and power resources tor foi the benefit 0 of the upper basin states I 1 far reaching importance I 1 we believe mr air richardson R acha adson said thit that th it it if there Is a possibility 0 of more water tor for utah acres and more power tor for utah industries we must discover IL it and then take steps to develop it many ot of the major developments of recent years were once thought impossible and impractical there are those who say that damming of 0 the green river at tor for instance split mountain Aloun tain echo park or flaming gorge and conducting water to areas west ot of the wasatch mountains would be a project too tremendous to undertake but when we realize that such a project it if it pan can be accomplished will benefit more inore than halt ou our r counties dl direct ire band lr chef entire state I 1 feel that we owe it to ourselves e es 0 to o find out it if such a plan can b be put into action apparently the bureau ot of reclamation cla mation agrees with the association tor for the survey work already is assured the entire reaches ot of the green and arper colorado rivers are to be explored lor for water and power possibilities the soil survey work now under way throughout the state under mr Niel nielsene sens direction is of 0 tar far reach ing importance mr richardson pointed out through this survey the amount ot of irrigable land which would benefit from rom such a project will be determined preliminary estimates place the land in this classification at acres approximately equal to the area now under arri irrigation aaion in the state this ahls figure alone mr richardson said presents an idea ot of the benefit such a project would bring bour state with the western states constantly increasing in population here herc will continue to be an increase ang ng market for or aerl agricultural cultura I 1 products grown in the west the only way we can produce more goods from rom the farms arms is to increase the acreage on which they can be produced great importance under mr air nielsene Niel sens direction approximately pro men were engaged in making soil surveys last summer it is understood that a similar force orce will be placed in the field in an attempt to complete this work this year in addition to this survey reconnaissance nals sance surveys have been conducted to determine probable routes for or bringing water from rom the colorado river basin to utah acres preliminary lines for or instance have been run to two of 0 the discussed dam sites one of these Is at echo park at the colorado utah line another Is at minnie maud where the green river separates carbon and uintah counties the geology of 0 the possible tun riel bel sites through the wasatch range has been studied the foundation possibilities of 0 the various dam sites have been and are being explored with drill rigs and the capacity of 0 the various reservoirs is being determined the history of 0 the streams flow since records have been kept Is bein being plotted to determine the amount of 0 storage capacity needed to assure an ample water supply our association Is pleased that the bureau of 0 reclamation Is going forward with this work mr richardson said representatives J W robinson and a member of 0 the house irrigation committee as well as the entire utah congressional delegation have done a consistently flue duo job Congress in to help belp push this work along mr richardson also expressed the hope that all citizens of 0 the state of 0 utah would realize the tremendous importance of 0 such a 2 project to them in my mind this without a question of 0 doubt would be the greatest single factor actor in permanent growth that could ever happen he said 1 I sincerely hope that the surveys will prove the projects economically feasible it they do utah must assure itself that it can and will protect its rights to the water of the upper colorado river basin bashi necessary for or this development |