INCREASE OF WATER IN SALT LAKE. 67 



years ago they went down there and planted a little settlement ; 

 and they estimated the amount of water there was there, and 

 our people have become very accurate and exact in estimating 

 the amount of water required for the use of every family, and 

 also for the raising of the products of the earth. We calcu- 

 lated there was water enough in that place for twelve families, 

 and we located them there. I have just returned from there, 

 and there is a population of fifteen hundred souls, and an abun- 

 dance of water for all." I could see at once the effect upon his 

 mind. 



Now, this increase of water is a part of the problem that we 

 have to consider. Let us see exactly what has taken place. I 

 saw it stated in a paper within a very short time, that Prof. 

 Henry has made the statement that the observations compared 

 at Washington for the last twenty years have shown that the 

 cutting off of the forests does not affect the rainfall, as has 

 been popularly supposed. Now let us see if we do not get 

 something here that bears upon that point. Perhaps he is 

 right about it, and perhaps we have not looked in the right 

 direction. I am much disposed to think we have not. 



What have the Mormons been doing to increase the amount 

 of water ? Let us look at that question first, and then we have 

 some other aspects of the case to consider. Certainly one thing 

 they have been doing is to cut off the wood through these caii- 

 ons. Not only have they been cutting it off very rapidly them- 

 selves, but fires have gone through there and burned up immense 

 quantities, so that the number of trees around Salt Lake Valley 

 is very much less than it was when the Mormons went there. 

 We certainly cannot then attribute the increase in the water to 

 the trees in the mountains or in the canons. The water almost 

 entirely falls upon the mountains and runs down into the val- 

 leys. The water falls mainly in the form of snow in winter, and 

 this snow finds the streams that flow into the valleys. In my 

 opinion, the increase of water through all that Territory, — and I 

 wish to say here that I am now touching upon a point that I do 

 not feel certain about at all ; the facts I am certain about, 

 because I have seen them ; I am now touching upon theories, 

 and perhaps against those theories which have seemed to be 

 well established, — I say it seems to me that the increase of water 

 throughout the whole of this valley (and of course the increase 



