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Show I Irrigation and Its Progress in Utah By A. F. PARKER, Consult! ng Engineer J . u I. OF TnE STATK OF UTAIT-Totiii UTAIT-Totiii area of the Stats of Utah 54,-393,600 54,-393,600 acres. Less water areas, lakes and larger bodies only. 1.579,980 acres. Less purely desert areas, of no value, val-ue, 2,627,220 acres. Total waste lands. 4.207,200 acres. Total lands of more or les value, GO, 186, 400 acre.". Irrigated lands in 1910. 973,789 acres. Lrv farmed landa, I8S.6SS acres. Lands under crops In 1920, 1,207.311 acres. Fallow lands. 1 7 8.7 64 acres. Unimproved farm lands. 1 .."24.721 acres. Total farm lands In 1 920. 2.910,-786 2.910,-786 acres. Grazing lands, partly mountainous. 3.812.681 acres. Other lands, waste and roughly mountainous, 2.04 3.285 acres. , Total lands under private ownership in 1920, 8.766,662 acres. Lands In forest reserves, 7.414.696 acres Other public lands, 34.005.052 acres. Total public lands available, mostly, most-ly, for grazing. 4 1 4 19.748 acres . Total lands of the state, of more or less value. .".0,186,400 acres. Number of farms In the state, 26.-298. 26.-298. A study of the foregoing figures shows that our agricultural resources are only about one-third developed, I further, inasmuch as all lands, Including Includ-ing such as are only partially Urinated, Urinat-ed, are classed with irrigated lands, the actual development la really considerable con-siderable less than one-third A large proportion of tho Irrigated lands has only a water supply during the spring floods; such lands have no water supply sup-ply for growing the late and more profitable crops. There is compara- tlvcly little land that has a full, all- tho-scason-throuKh water supply. The present development can only be termed a pioneer development, btit is as much as private capital and community com-munity resources is able to accomplish What remains to bo done needs the aid and support of the state riJi,i the federal government The development of the resources of the Colorado river, through storage of flood watr. will reclaim large areas of Utah's lands This, however, is a matter of such magnitude as to require federal aid and financing Other areas, where irrigation ir-rigation Is moro fully developed and the farming lands well colonized, many of the communities may be ahle to carry out the necessary works, but state aid will bo of great benefit and In some cases, government help may be desirable. There are ways to organize or-ganize and secure such assistance. IT AH FAIL I N ti IN KI .1 L M ATIOV ' It was reported nearly, If not quito 20 years ago, that Utah hail then 1.-' 1.-' 000000 acres In all that could le ultimately ulti-mately irrigated. Increase in irrigation irriga-tion has been offset by loss by waterlogging. water-logging. The tabulated figures given herein, agree closcl with the estimates esti-mates of 20 years ago. Less than a month ago In en address ad-dress to the Rotary club of Salt Lake, the president of tho Denver & Itlo Grande Western Railway, Joseph H. Young, declared that "I'tah has not only failed to keep pace with its neighboring states m the development of its agricultural lands, but Is actually actual-ly going backwards." He felt, he said, that he had 'he right to utter confident ial criticism because he is a native of I'tah and has been more directly interested In the state's progress than In an other state. Furthermore, having the vantage vant-age point of distance, he has observed, he said, simultaneous efforts toward development In all the western states. The comparison of results, he said, was regrettably unfavorable to Utah There are living In eastern and western west-ern states, and even In Canada, thousands thous-ands Of people who would have been living In Utah had the lands of this state enjoyed the facilities which they should have and which they must have. Hundreds of people have moved mov-ed away from Utah because of the ;ck of water for Irrigation purposes." There seems to be a general awak-i enlng throughout the west, and It Is i good to note that this Includes Utah, to a realisation of the Importance of reclamation and. one gathers from reports re-ports found so frequently in the press,' the signs point to real, oonstruotive effort It Is to be hoped that signs art not misleading. THi VVEBER-PROVO DEVELOP-Ml DEVELOP-Ml VI The waters of the Weber and Provo rivers are ?o Interrelated that a full development of Irrigation necessarily Includes both streams, and eight counties coun-ties are included or affected. Tho water supply of the Weber river riv-er hns been rather thoroughly studied. It la well established that, when tjie proper works are built there is a full water supply for all lands In Summit. Morgan und Davis counties and for all of Weber county south of the Ogden river, and there Is also a goodly quantity quan-tity of water that may be diverted to the Provo area, where It Ih much needed. The amount that may be so diverted from the Weber. Will vary greuily, from year to year, as the sea-I sea-I sons precipitation vary; but the Weber We-ber areas will. probubl when full development de-velopment Is hail, always have what 'irrigation water Is needed by all its land. The vested fights to water from the stream for power production serious - I Jv Interferes with making full use of tho water that might otherwise be ; available for a full development. It I- u,,.,.ll,i ili, i ., mmv nifiv he found to overcome this condition Wlth-jout Wlth-jout detriment to any Interest; that can only be deternuued by exhaustive , Investigations. This Is but one Of the many problems involved. The extent of tho development that may be realized real-ized on tho Ogden river must be the first matter to be determined; then, If there Is not sufficient water supply !from that source, the supply that ma7 i be developed from Rear river and liarsh lake must be worked out I The whole matter Is further complicated compli-cated and Involved by iho scheme, I now being considered, as reported In itho dally papers, of supplying water for some 30.000 to 70.000 acres of land about the shores of Uear river bay of (the Great Suit lake It Is reported thai this reclamation Is planned to be , ma.de by. first, systematic drainage, and then supplying water to the area, the source of supply being from the Pear river, and perhaps flood waters Of the Ogden and Weber rivers. It Will be necessary to fully Investigate this newly risen phrase of reclamation reclama-tion In determining how to make the I most extensive use of the water. In Uhe Interests o( (he stale tho water resources must be developed to their i ultimate limit, at least, such ultimate limit as beneficial use must be foreseen fore-seen and provision allowed for such 'realization, so far as is humanly possible.- Even If all the works are not; (at onco Installed, a comprehensive plan must bo made and all that Is done must bo a part of such plan. ; Drainage, pumping and other matters jmust all be considered In making a plan THE Mil il W ITER FOR HV RIG vi i Under the laws of the state all Its waters, both on tho surface and below, be-low, belongs to the public, and thO right to Its use is based upon beneflc-I beneflc-I la use; "Beneficial use shall be the basis, the measure and the limit ofj all rights to the ue of water In this: state." Municipal and culinary WB.-I ter supplies have the greatest value, Irrigation water con en next and water for power production Is last In point 1 rights and value. 1'n-seni. water rights make full appropriation of all normal stream flowv. it Is useless to 'try to estimate ths value of such rights, they are well established and I are the basis of our present agrlcul- tural wealth; tho benefits are great and far reaching, old canals and wa-i ter rights should not be interfered With In making further developments, but i after new works are completed and In' use questions of exchange of water and consolidation may be considered I The flood flows of the streams that I now are wasted because of lack of mountain reservoirs, for storage, are sufficient to prold ample Irrigation water for all present Irrigated land, nil new land that maj come under high-lino canals and, Including winter flows, at the same time, fill the necessary neces-sary reservoirs. This Is true up to about July first. After that average date i he norma stream flows and the reservoir supplies possible to be conserved con-served annually, wJli supply all the water needed the remainder of the irrigation ir-rigation season. Thus, the stored water wa-ter Is seen to be of the nature of an auxiliary supply and so the interests Involved warrant n heavy expenditure The State of Washington has under serious consideration, the reclamation of I.7SS,000 acre! Of virgin land, at an estimated cost of over $.1,000,000 or $171.40 per acre, plus colonisation costs ;md long Interest charg" periods. And this Is Indorsed ns a good, sound business venture. The Sacramento Valley Development association. ' according ac-cording to news reports, Is providing for Irrigating J J. 1.0 oft iini mi' bind :it a cost of 117,000,000, or 1164 14 per acre. It Is probable that colonizing and Interest charges also apply In addition. ad-dition. I'ndcr date of December 7. lf21. n news article says: ''The gross expenditures expen-ditures under the national reclamation reclama-tion act from the date of Its passage In 1002 to, Juno 0 of this year, l? $1 60,000, 00'0. of this approximately $130,000,000 was Invested In construction construc-tion work. The total value of all crops the same period exceeds 400,000,000." In 19:0 the value of crops produced was 168,200.000 grown on 1,164,006 acres, harvested, or nearly $.'iS pvr acre " Tho report of the Columbia basin survey commission, slato of Washington Washing-ton says: "For a number of years tho annual I Irrigated crop In the stato of Wash-! Wash-! Ington. has been greater In value than the entire capital cost of Irrigation construction to date. From a viewpoint view-point of national prosperity. Irrigation Would be Justified If It returned In gross annual output but four or five per cent of Its construction cost-" While thej calculate 4 or 6 per cent Is enough, they are realizing 100 per cent. IRRIGATION DISTRICTS. The formation of Irrigation districts under our new state laws, seems to offer tho best way of attacking the matter of reclaiming our lands The problem, here In this old. well settled set-tled and established community. Is much more difficult to carry out successfully, suc-cessfully, than In newer places. The problems are numerous, complicated and Involved; there are many conflicting conflict-ing interests to reconcile. It certainly seems that such conditions argue for rather small districts; such give better chances of harmony, for the small, local lo-cal community Interests are Identical to a greater degree than In larger districts dis-tricts where community Interests may differ greatly. No Irrigation district should he formed under more lhan one Important Import-ant source of supply; It Is difficult. If not Impossible, to reconcile the Interests In-terests of the people using water from more than one main source, under one management. It Is, however, frequently fre-quently necessary to have more than one district under tho same source of water-supply. Such a situation may be satisfactorily handled by each district under such common source electing representatives from each, forming thus a lody to carry out not only construction con-struction problems, but to administer all affairs arising out of building works, division of water and maintenance mainten-ance relating to water from the common com-mon source. There Is grnve necessity for improving improv-ing ways and methods of applvmg water wa-ter In Irrigation, exchange of water rights and consolidation f canals; all In tho Interest of raising the duty of water. While such action Is necessary, neces-sary, when the proper time comcsj, It Is the pari of wisdom to not consider any changes until reservoirs are built, high-line canals run and drainage and pumping Installed. Not until the new regime, which will be then established. establish-ed. Is It possible to know what If required re-quired When the changed conditions resulting from new waterworks and changed places of water use Is well established, es-tablished, what Is needed to be done with present water rights and mnal I will become evident to all. Then, and not until then, will it bcrom propor and profitable to consider such inal- lT:. I Existing water rights and canals arc I the basis of our present crop production. produc-tion. There la nothing difficult concerning con-cerning tho use of such in tho same v...'. us Is now done, udd'.n.; II.ctI" . ... developed, tho further water supply 1 1 led nd all adn mistered by Indl- Iduals and canals ms at present. In I fact, such old, well established rights Cannot be Interfered with without the consent and rslmbursSITO nt. of the owners is first had. Land titles are I no more sacred nrd Inviolable than i are water rights whi n ben fil ial use its onco establluhod. The present canal ca-nal companies may receive water from districts as they develop additional supplies and, up to the amount of waiter wai-ter allotted, such may be turned over !to each canal as a whole Such now I water supplies may be received at ths ;head of each canal and administered and divided In the Same way and 02 the same parties, and canal officials 'that now handle thn old. normal water supplies. Irrigation dlntrlct affairs should be administered under full I knowledge of all conditions and possibilities, pos-sibilities, due sympathy with the needs, rights and wishes of tho furrners and with the Idea of putting lh- water supply of the state to the greatest beneficial ben-eficial use. |