Show A centennial story of southern utah lets guard what Is left by W earl Rhin rhinehart chart district conservationist CHAPTER sixtus johnsons story the following story on oil the economic status of kanab valley was collected and written by aletz hamblin Hem blin kanall utah there are many acres acre of good fertile soil in and near kanab that I 1 could be irrigated and would pio duce very well ell if water were available few of the young people are making their homes in kanab because there is for them here even those WIP wac have maintained here in past years are finding it more difficult each year at the present time it is in estimated that only tons of hay are raised in the vaclev many barns used to be filled each year y ir less and less is raised each year at the present time about sh shares a res of water are used this consists of the water or natural flow during about six months 0 of the year during the other s i x months the water is higher ond and just goes by without doing eny good As has been described iw fore it often goes by during summer months when the gardens and fields are burning up this water when settled in a bucket is about half mud often when the banks cave off large amounts of dirt are ca carried aried by the water and deposited without even breaking up this is not common now but when the creek was small and the floods spread out on the land near and through town these large balls of mud were deposited upon the 1110 j ground it is esti estimated maled that acres in and near acab kanab L could be irrigated to advantage at present about acres are being culli this amount is getting gettic 1 1 r boss each year the creek is cutting into the fields the water is becoming less certain and less in ill quantity and less is nl icca upon the land ille vater at the s sim same im e time s raisin raising in aale as is many say the wat batir ar is not worta anything out nut to lo delit relit at ha 00 a share the water will bring more than nn bt raised iv by it the leopla ae it t ale ab ie to assume a large le debt tt iipp maj wing the water system th y ari are ar i liler merely cly hanging on nt at vie lie present I 1 time and something will wiil lia hd e 0 w o be done even to drnka it possible lor iori them to stay with wit the present tco I 1 status if 11 improve turi Is come they will have lo 10 be in ii the I 1 nature of grants and the local contributions will have to be meile in labor much aluch timi could profitably ise be spent in such work as is needed to make proper fewer men are needed on oil the range all the time and this throws dozens of men in the community to loaf unless they have a plot of ground and some water to t maice a living from if this is s jot pos silIe le then hen they must travel to some other other community in search of work with all of the water that can be preserved stored and irot brot to the community as needed will not more than maintain the people here with labor and commodities they need they will never flood flood any market with pro produce luce it is is a matter of maintaining where lierpo they are now located and with the natural resources that are here except for being developed large projects that tha t are ahre ired are im possible impossible for the people locally to assume the responsibility of they have shown their willingness to do what they were able to I 1 by building and rebuilding the dams year after year as they 11 icy have washed away A few projects of the proper type and dimensions would save all of the water for use check the erosion now so damaging and would increase increase the feed on the range the crops in the fields and make the people more secure and stable in the homes and local industries frontiers Fronti els are scarce and fussing around w with it h small projects that sap tho the lifes mood blood out of the community and yet are inadequate will not solve selve the problem nor keep the people from moving from place to place the prosperity of the people means the prosperity of the nation and the government will do well to help maintain the stability of the people where they are lo cited it is expensive for the thousands to move from place to place trying to make a i better adjust mit when with the proper care ani improvement pro of natural resources they could remain at home colne holne and maintain economically |