Desert Lake, Utah
Encyclopedia
Desert Lake is a ghost town
in Emery County
, Utah
, United States
. It was inhabited from 1885 to about 1910.
to an area they called Desert Lake, and built a 500 feet (152.4 m) embankment dam
to impound a 300 acres (1.2 km²) irrigation reservoir
. In 1896, the dam broke, causing significant damage. The LDS Church provided $1000 to rebuild the dam, and also to extend a ditch to Cleveland.
The 1900 United States Census
reported Desert Lake's population at 127. Six years after the Census was taken, in 1906, the Desert Lake area was surveyed. An LDS church, a general store, several frame homes, and a school were constructed. The general store also served as the town's post office.
A problem throughout the valley occurred as farmers irrigated land, which dropped the water table
and caused alkali
in the soil to rise. The alkaline soil eroded adobe
structures and caused many crops to fail. As the alkali in the soil concentrated, the residents of Desert Lake moved about 6 miles (9.7 km) away and founded the town of Victor
. A few log homes make up what's left of the town of Desert Lake.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Emery County
Emery County, Utah
Emery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 10,860, and by 2009 had been estimated to decrease to 10,629. It was named for George W. Emery, governor of the Utah Territory in 1875...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was inhabited from 1885 to about 1910.
History
In 1885, several families moved from the town of Cleveland, UtahCleveland, Utah
Cleveland is a town in Emery County, Utah, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 508.-Geography:Cleveland is located at ....
to an area they called Desert Lake, and built a 500 feet (152.4 m) embankment dam
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
to impound a 300 acres (1.2 km²) irrigation reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
. In 1896, the dam broke, causing significant damage. The LDS Church provided $1000 to rebuild the dam, and also to extend a ditch to Cleveland.
The 1900 United States Census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
reported Desert Lake's population at 127. Six years after the Census was taken, in 1906, the Desert Lake area was surveyed. An LDS church, a general store, several frame homes, and a school were constructed. The general store also served as the town's post office.
A problem throughout the valley occurred as farmers irrigated land, which dropped the water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
and caused alkali
Alkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
in the soil to rise. The alkaline soil eroded adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
structures and caused many crops to fail. As the alkali in the soil concentrated, the residents of Desert Lake moved about 6 miles (9.7 km) away and founded the town of Victor
Victor, Utah
Victor is a ghost town in Emery County, Utah, United States. It was inhabited from 1910 to 1920.-History:Victor was established in 1910, when a burst dam treated the soil near Desert Lake with alkaline water, preventing farming. Residents of Desert Lake, a town located near the lake, had to...
. A few log homes make up what's left of the town of Desert Lake.