I am from Nephi, Utah, where we used to advertise that we were "Little Chicago" as we were the point throughout the world where folks came to sell or purchase flocks (thousands) of sheep that were sheared to make wool into clothes for kids and especially military guys. The shearing sheep sheds still sit silently not for from the West Juab County Sand Dunes(now run loosely by the Feds), or so the rumors run Then the world's wool buyers would start the bidding for the wool, then most of the sheep were let out to pasture in the Sagebrush as their winter feeding grounds, then in the Spring herding them back to Sanpete for some to be cut up and wrapped for human consumption, except for me! Sheepherders were all true blue American's and often knew each other including the Ingram Family in Nephi; Rob Garrett; Ren Harris of Nephi and Lyle Boyer of Coalville. A sheep with a bell on it or black wool count as a hundred. So if you travel any of the County roads, it is posted as an open road, so you will be held accountable for the wreck and the Judge could order you take the wounded sheep to your mansion! And take a deer expert with you if you drive up Nephi canyon as that is where tons of traffic speed a hundred times faster than Bish Belliston, and we heard the deer and Elk herds are about gone, as vehicle drivers and continued deer hunts(even for blind people) have nearly wiped out all our wild animals, but at least not the wild animals at Juab High! Yesterday I traveled out to Willow Creek(Mona) to Burraston Ponds. I felt sick when I saw what has happened to it but it is about gone dry, and it had litter scattered everywhere, No fish there but Carp, although in the summer the State Fish and Game fed thousand's of fish there. It reminded me of several years ago when Mona Reservoir was dry, but the Fishy Folks of the State planted thousand's there and it went dry. That water goes down to Goshen, which filed claim on it by the town folks. So some farmers own the water rights, but much of it is taken by the LDS church, Several years ago, I had a chance to interview the daughter of the original owners of that area, and that was owned by Richard James Burraston and is wife Emma Price Burraston, But even then, the ponds ethically belonged to the Indians, and those folks lead the Escalante Expedition through Utah and offered food and fluids to those explorers.When I interviewed the daughter of the Burrastons, she showed me the contract with the State of Utah and the ponds. The print clearly shows the land and water were a gift to the people of Utah for becoming a State. The small print showed honesty and integrity which we don't find with politician's.The contract says if the State ;acks the care of the ponds, it is automatically given back to the heirs of the Burraston kin, which includes a heck of a lot of thee Ted and Killer Gee family as they are in Nephi and the Carbon area. So, stand up and shout, and remember Bob Steel bodly fought the Feds and won. Many of us oldies learned how to fish at Burrastons and walk back to Nephi with a sack full of pop bottles and buy all the Snickers for a week. I would hate to see people not able to enjoy this great area of water, but the deep wells the State water folks have been given a free hand(according to rumors), the Gov. of Utah and Legislators; Fish and Game folks may have President Trump kick their ass for us. A gal thought the no water was because of the drought. I said folks blame the Governor and local politician's who abuse we the taxpayer.
