244 Proceedings of the 



The timber in this region is somewhat different from 

 that occurring in the Uintah Mountains. There are 

 large bodies of murravana and piniis Yc.vilis. Spruces, 

 balsam and the Douglas fir are found at different alti- 

 tudes. This region is very different from the Uintah 

 Mountains topographically. Sheep grazing has never 

 been permitted here, and there are few parks. It is 

 essentially a forest region. Let us first, therefore, con- 

 sider the importance of the mountains in respect to the 

 water supply for irrigation. 



No better natural reservoirs can be found anywhere 

 in the Rocky Mountains than the many lakes located 

 at the sources of the larger streams rising in the Uin- 

 tah Mountains. In addition there are many basins 

 or ancient glacial lakes that contain vegetation well 

 adapted to hold the moisture and thus release it in 

 the form of springs. The flow of water from these 

 springs is regulated by the amount of water held in 

 the soil or retained by the humble plants growing in 

 forest, meadow, and park. Hundreds of these mead- 

 ows occur in the reserve, their continuity being broken 

 only by stretches of forest. A study of these mead- 

 ows shows a large number of plants important in the 

 conservation of moisture. Through decay these plants 

 form a rich humus which, owing to the peculiar physi- 

 cal conditions, undergo decomposition slowly. Hence 

 this soil is highly retentive of moisture. 



The bogs always carry an abundance of moisture 

 and the meadow, under natural conditions, generally 

 contains water, but under overgrazing or the effects 

 of forest fires the meadows are damaged to such an 

 extent that the water during the summer months is 

 continually diminishing. 



The present diminished water supply is due in part 

 to injudicious grazing. Is the water supply less than 



