The muck soil area in Sanpete County, where these investigations were conducted, comprises approximately 6500 acres, 4209 of which are included in the San Pitch Drainage District. This region is located in the south end of Sanpete Valley and west of the towns of Ephraim and Manti. During part of the year the lands involved were subject to overflow by the San Pitch River. Water covered most of the area early in the winter, and during the spring months high water kept it submerged until June. Before the neighboring communities were settled by white people, this area was probably submerged the greater part of the year. As the surrounding region was developed, most of the water from the San Pitch River was diverted for irrigation purposes, which resulted in an annual decrease of water which reached the swamp
