OCR Text |
Show s ftleak Weather forecast Has i Lake Officials gighty Worried By GARY R. BLODCETT Clipper News Editor fRATSALT LAKE -- The ofTlckil 90-"1 90-"1 . weather forecast for northern Utah is I "I hat Great Salt Lake officials didn't i '..'colder and wetter than normal. I BLEAK outlook, if it doesn't i j,'. will be just like a year ago when the Spring prevented a normal runoff until 'I temperature suddenly rose and the ,lMuck runoff hit Wasatch Front com-jnities com-jnities with the worst flooding conditions J - history. In fact, the nationwide forecast calls for x conditions in several areas -- but pre- -b Utah to be potentially the worst. 5 BIT UNUKE a year ago. there is some 3 Junce warning and city, county and state 3 "'officials have been working diligently jprepare forthe worst. Most communities ) bitter prepared for the unexpected re- ord-high runoff than ever before. Snowpack in the mountains of northern ! ah as of Feb. I is reported to be from 150 , went of normal along the Wasatch Front ; ) more than 200 percent of normal in the Cache Range. Of THIS MEANS only one thing -- the flood rf rotential this spring is extremely severe. II At the same time, threat to the continued of the Great Salt Lake has officials wor-J wor-J ed. The lake will definitely rise -- but how -u;h? And how fast? WITH EXPECTED rise of the lake, there x several proposals as to how to combat fe potential damage caused by the rise of ill! it water level. Davis County Clipper and isr weekly newspapers of the Clipper Mshing Company asked their readers to ;spd to the question-- "What should be ,!f ane to control the lake level of the Great iillLake?" The response was very good with letters seived from all parts of the county. We Cj I' yel that all responses cannot be printed M 'J that only parts of some responses can be mi FOLLOWING ARE some of the suggests, sugges-ts, not before printed, from readers -roughout Davis County: Wing Beesley of Bountiful, suggests (.; ia "we think big by facing the problem head-on instead of leaning toward a stopgap stop-gap solution." HE SUGGESTS that the lake be drained into the Snake River. Although because of contour differences between the lake and the Snake River, it would require some large cuts. "But once the job is done, it would take care of the lake level forthe forseeable future." He added, "The cost-benefit ratio may be great, but if politicians want to do something, some-thing, it's a matter of desire - such as the cut between St. George and Las Vegas." ANOTHER BOUNTIFUL resident. Bryce M. Singley. suggests that the water from the Jordan River be used for irrigation purposes before it reaches the Great Salt Lake. Cornelius Delight, of Layton. also proposes prop-oses the reservoir-canal concept which would provide water for irrigation of undeveloped unde-veloped dessert land. They suggest that the water be leased to the users to help defray construction costs. H.D. Candland, of Woods Cross, says he agrees with Mr. (John) Palmer's basic idea for control of the lake by diking and pumping pump-ing the water into a nearby basin. In a letter sent to Gov. Scott Matheson, Mr. Candland suggests diking the area west and southwest of the lake from near Kenne-cott Kenne-cott Smelter to the south end of Antelope Island and along the east side of Antelope Island to the Syracuse Causeway. HE ALSO suggests an east-west dike on which both the railroad and Interstate Highway High-way 80 could be located. This could be constructed con-structed near the present highway. He said 1-80 and all access roads to Antelope Island could be toll roads to help pay for construction construc-tion and maintenance costs. Other readers have suggested diverting streams to undeveloped areas where large reservoirs could store the water during peak runoff; haul the water (from the lake) to remote sites in railroad tankers:. diverting water to other lakes not having record-high water levels; breeching the railroad causeway cause-way to balance the level of the lake: and pumping the water onto the desert. DAVIS COUNTY Clipper thanks those who have responded. We hope something can be done - and fast! |