2 



Jordan River by means of small canals. Subsequently the Brighton and North Point 

 and the North Jordan canals were run upon the first terrace above the river, and 

 following these were the South Jordan and the Utah and Salt Lake canals on the 

 second and third benches, respectively. 



As is frequently the case, the irrigation on the benches caused an accumulation of 

 seepage and alkali on the river bottom land, so that much of it has been abandoned. 

 The largest and most seriously damaged area, however, is just south of Twelfth Street 

 road, and comprises a strip of land varying from half a mile to a mile ajid a half in 

 width, and extending 10 miles west from the river. Here the seepage and surplus 

 waters from the outer extremities of the Utah and Salt Lake, the South Jordan, and 

 the North Jordan canals have collected to an alarming extent. Indeed, the damage 

 has gone so far that a chain of lakes has formed, presenting a water surface of fully 

 1,000 acres. The area affected is not less than 10 square miles. 



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The seepage and waste waters from the canals account in great measure for the 10 

 square miles of good land which has already been ruined by seepage and alkali. It 

 has been shown that the water is of good quality, and the lands of the upper benches 

 are naturally free from any great excess of alkali; but the continual seepage from the 

 canals during the growing season for a great many years has transported a quantity 

 of salt to the lower levels. 



The necessity of careful construction of the canals, especially those on gravelly 

 lands, and the desirability of preventing the waste water from flowing over the lower 

 levels is sufficiently obvious without further comment. 



The application of water on the lowlands west of Salt Lake City, where there is 

 a large amount of alkali in the lower depths, has been attended with very disastrous 

 results to crops. The salt has quickly risen to the surface and, even where the sur- 

 face foot was originally free from alkali, the crops have been completely ruined in 

 the course of two or three years. 



******* 



Attention has already been called to the necessity of underdrainage for protec- 

 tion against injury from seepage waters and alkali and for the reclamation of injured 

 lands. Irrigated lands in the Salt Lake Valley are worth at least from $60 to $100 

 per acre. Land immediately adjacent to Salt Lake City, especially if held as subur- 

 ban property and if free from alkali, would be worth much more than this. There 

 is plenty of good tile clay in the vicinity of Salt Lake City, and tile could be manu- 

 factured for the farmer at a reasonable cost. It is estimated that it would cost from 

 $10 to $20 an acre to underdrain these lands which, under the present conditions 

 have a merely nominal value. 



Lands in New York, Ohio, and Illinois, worth from $50 to $75 per acre, have been 

 very extensively underdrained in order to increase their productiveness, to hasten 

 the maturity of the crops, and to insure the crops from injury by drought. It would 

 certainly be a reasonable proposition to protect these valuable lands and to reclaim 

 in the same way what would be valuable land. Money so invested is in the nature 

 of an insurance against loss of crops from seepage waters and alkali. 



During the course of this investigation particular attention was given to the possi- 

 bility of reclaiming the vast tract of 125 square miles between Salt Lake City and 

 the Great Salt Lake. The levels of the railroad surveys and of the canal companies 

 were freely consulted. At Salt Lake City the level of the Jordan River is about 20 

 feet above the level of the water in the Great Salt Lake. The distance across is 

 about 14 miles. There is a slight ridge, however, running a little west of north 

 about a third of the way across from Salt Lake City. From the crest of this ridge 

 to the Great Salt Lake there is a uniform fall of approximately 3 feet to the mile. 

 This would be ample for the main drainage canals, as the irrigating canals have only 

 about one-half this fall. Furthermore, there are many draws, already 4 to 8 feet 



