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Show 50 a pumping station at the mouth of the Jordan River and dredging intake channels which brought Utah Lake water to the pumping station. 28 The Office of the State Engineer was also involved in preliminary work on the Strawberry project, one of the first projects undertaken through the Reclamation Act of 1902. In addition, studies were conducted concerning the feasibility of a canal to divert the Grand River ( now the Colorado) to supply irrigation water to Grand and San Juan counties. Also considered by the office was a proposal to utilize Bear Lake as a reservoir, this was one of Utah's earliest proposed interstate projects. In his 1901- 1902 biennial report, the State Engineer urged Governor Wells and the legislature to take advantage of the national reclamation legislation which had recently been passed. Also, he requested that Utah's lawmakers continue to refine the state's water law. The legislature responded by establishing the Arid Land Reclamation Fund Commission and in redefining the duties of the Office of the State Engineer during its 1903 session. The State Engineer also stressed the importance of improving the existing systems of water collection and distribution throughout the state. As measurement activities progressed, the State Engineer's Office became increasingly concerned about the large amounts of water wasted through inefficiencies of the storage and delivery systems then in use. Recognizing that data gathered by the United States Geological Survey and the local ditch companies were inadequate, the 1903 legislature directed the State Engineer's Office to determine and record water rights of the state's river systems. Maps and documents showing these determinations were also to be prepared. The law mandated that all streams be measured and the rights determined. The State Engineers's Office was instructed to begin work on those river systems which were most heavily used for irrigation. The Weber River was selected to be the first area of activity. Its water resources were heavily utilized by farmers and there were a considerable number of disputes concerning water rights on the system, the litigation of which was very costly. Indeed, this litigation retarded water development because people were reluctant to invest in water projects with a long- term payoff when water rights were clouded. This litigation was, in part, the legacy of the 1880 water law which had allowed relatively easy appropriation of water resources without a supervisory system to provide protection for existing rights other than a court action. Because of the confusion and the cost involved, this litigation had been cited by the previous State Engineer as one reason for embracing the Wyoming system of water law. 30 The Weber River study revealed that 1,175 canals were served by the Weber, about three times the number expected. In 1904 measuring devices were installed in almost all canals in the system. Under the terms of the 1903 law, the few companies or individuals who did not install the devices were referred to the state attorney general's office. It was concluded that a substantial ^ State of Utah, " Third Biennial Report of the State Engineer to the Governor of the State of Utah for the years 1901 and 1902," Public Documents, p 10. 29The State Engineer, in his State of Utah, " Third Biennial Report to the Governor of the State of Utah for the Years 1901 and 1902," Public Documents stated that: " The Bear Lake Project, while of great importance to this state, is not wholly a Utah proposition, at least so far as its location is considered." Much of the land which might have been reclaimed lay in Idaho. Consequently, the benefits of the project would accrue to both Utah and Idaho landowners. 30Wyoming used a system of water law which owed much of its structure to Elwood Mead ( see Chapter 4, p 39). Wyoming recognized state ownership of water resources, priority of appropriation, and relied on state supervision and control. |
