292 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



June 



enter the valleys below. Through these 

 canyons flow the waters which come 

 from the melting snow to the valley 

 where it is used for irrigation. 



On the eastern slope immense, pre- 

 cipitous ledges of rock, in many places 

 hundreds of feet high have been ex- 

 posed and yet left intact by the erosion 

 of centuries, while on the western 

 slope the grade is gradual toward the 

 base of the mountain sides. 



Upon the higher elevation of the re- 

 serve, especially within 8,000 feet to 

 11,000 feet, falls, during the winter 

 season, from November until March or 

 April, great quantities of snow which 

 melts during the months of May, June, 

 and July and furnishes life to the 

 mountain springs and streams. The 

 water from this snow is used by the 

 farmers for the irrigation of lands pro- 

 ducing wheat, oats, barley, rye, corn, 

 potatoes, beets, and alfalfa. The snow 

 is piled and packed by the winds upon 

 the north slopes of the canyons within 

 the reserve and particularly at the alti- 

 tude heretofore mentioned. 



The approximate acreage of irri- 

 gated lands is 55,000, and upon such a 

 small main watershed, have been 

 grazed during the months of July and 

 August, each year for ten years pre- 

 ceding the year 1904, approximately 

 300,000 sheep. 



This grazing was in excess to the 

 producing power of the lands, and for 

 each year for ten years past, and pre- 

 ceding the year 1904, the watershed 

 was being made a desert waste. 



The rains falling upon the denuded 

 and over-grazed lands became torren- 

 tial floods which swept their way into 

 the hamlets and towns situated in the 

 valleys below, and carried with them 

 immense quantities of rock and debris. 



Creek beds were changed and cut 

 deep into the mountains, the laterals 

 taking water to the farmers' lands 

 were destroyed, and the work of man 

 in many places swept away. 



These floods, each one in its turn in- 

 creased the taxes of the people, until 

 the town of Manti decided that relief 

 must be found. Manti turned its face 

 toward the Government of the United 



States for help, and succeeded in se- 

 curing it. The Government said the 

 Manti city watershed must be protect- 

 ed from devastation by stock. The pol- 

 icy announced was set in active opera- 

 tion, the vegetation began once again 

 to come forth upon denuded areas, the 

 rains falling upon the protected canyon 

 area was to a marked degree held back 

 in the mountains, the floods began to 

 grow less, and the taxes of Manti City 

 for years levied and collected to com- 

 bat the floods were reduced, and in the 

 year 1904 it was almost unanimously 

 conceded that the Government had 

 solved the vexatious question and re- 

 stored a new hope and life to the 

 troubled town. 



The people of other towns, both of 

 San Pete and Emery Counties quickly 

 noted the effect. This moved them to 

 turn to the Government for the same 

 class of protection. Therefore, Presi- 

 dent Roosevelt expressed the majority 

 voice of the people of San Pete and 

 Emery Counties, Utah, when he estab- 

 lished the Manti Forest Reserve, and 

 since the date of the establishment of 

 this reserve the people's petitions have 

 been further answered by the proper 

 Department in making rules of protec- 

 tion against overstocking the main 

 watershed. 



During the year 1904, the first year 

 of Government management of graz- 

 ing upon the reserve, it was almost 

 universally conceded that upon seven- 

 teen creeks originating within the re- 

 serve and carrying the water supply 

 for irrigation of lands in San Pete and 

 Emery Counties, the work of the De- 

 partment wrought great benefit in 

 maintaining a continued and improved 

 water supply. 



Within the eastern part of the re- 

 serve are immense coal deposits, and 

 in many of the canyons veins of coal 

 varying in thickness from 6 to 12 feet 

 appear upon the surface. The coal de- 

 posits can be traced without fault for 

 a distance of over 35 miles, and at coal' 

 mines in several places the neighbor- 

 ing residents of the reserve can be 

 seen, during the fall season, to drive 

 into the mine with teams unhitched, 



