The Placer herald., 1871-04-22
Won SCHMIDT AND LAKE TAHOE.

in Sacramento and San Francisco in reference
10 Won Scmidt's scheme oftapping Lake Ia
hoe (as he calls it), and supplying these cities
with this pure, fresh water. A deep inter
est is also being felt by our people on Iowa
Hill and Forest Hill Divides, in this county,
about this water scheme, which, by some
means, they have been led to believe would
pass through that portion of our county, and
be for sale for mining purposes. As TO the
legal right of the Scmidt company to divert
the waters of the Lake, we will only say
few words. Lake Tahoe or Bigler lies in
two States, and SO does its natural outlet, the
Truckee River. This river is a medium or
highway Of commerce between the States
and by the grants Of the Constitution comes
under the jurisdiction of Congress. So far
as the Statgs' power is concerned it has al
ready granted the use of the river from the
Lake to the Eastern boundary of the State,
distance of some twenty-five miles, to the
Bonner Lumber and Boom Company for
twenty years. We mention these stubborn
facts for the public to consider and not for
the purpose of commenting on them now.
Won Scmidt's project, as far as revealed to the
public, is in brief about this: He proposes to
erect dam across the Truckee, four miles
below the outlet at the Lake and there taps
the river, not the Lake, and turn 137 ,0G0,-
900 gallons of water, per day, through a
tunnel four miles long into fork of the
North Fork Of the American river, and let it
find its way down the channels Of these
streams 10 Auburn, where he will take it up
and carry it to Sacramento and San Fran
cisco. The fall of the Truckee from the
Lake to the point selected for the dam, .judg-
ing from the descent Of the railroad, should
be over one hundred feet, and consequently
Il dam at this point cannot be raised to a
hight that will raise the Lake or prevent a
single drop Of water from flowing from it as
it low does. Thus the scheme does not pro-
pose to economise the waters of the Lake or
check its flow through its outlet at food
seasons Of the year, For four months in the
year, say July, August, September and Oc-
tober, there is not enough water in the river
to ell the demands of those living on its bor-
ders and having riparian and statutory rights
10 its waters After the waters of the Lake
have mingled with those of the American for
distance Of near one hundred miles, to Au-
burn, they will be as muddy and foul as those
Of the Sacramento at Sacramento city, and
this, instead of the pura, mountain lake wa
ter, is what the people Of Sacramento and
San Francisco are to 6uy from Won Scnlidts
Company. We understand Yon's plan to
be this ana this only, and th4t Of the 49,
000,0Q0 gallons daily, San Francisco is to
have 120 ,0O0 000 and Sacramento II Geo.
900, AID this Of as muddy, n.sy wac- as
Sacramento nov uaes. Oar people ie.ween
he North and soath Ta-i.s of tie american
river need : vast body Of v-4ter frcm this
great lake, 4tl heir claims stand fsst in
equity as beng the co-up H.e Of contiguous
territory, af.ec the r'pat-u and statutory
rights of the poopIe aioro the natural outlet
of tie Lake, and Nevada have been protected
from damage. If the people of Sacramento
and San Francisco are to have pure mountain
lake water, as they seem to expect, then the
: water Of the Lake must be kept out Of the
muddy mining streams, aud be conducted in
pipes or closed and protected bitches for at
least 25O miles. All the water that our
vast dormant mines in the territory above re-
feyrcd to require, and all that Sacramento and
San francisco will ever need, can be had from
this great lake and through the same tunnel
without injury to any one on the Truckee or
in Nevada, if proper means are employed to
husband the vast waste Of water that flows
But to accomplish this and save and protect
the rights Of all, the plan must be changed
A dam constructed at the outlet Of the Lake.
the source of the Truckee river, and so ar
ranged as TO permit enough water to pass to
supply all the demands of the people on the
river and in Nevada now claiming rights to
this water, would raise the Lake and retain
enough water to supply all, and more than
all the miners and cities spoken of. Such a
dam would, at once. create a vast reservoir
@" over 1J0 900 acres of surface and supply,
out of what is now waste water only doh 6
damage by its escape at flood seasons Of the
year, vastly more than all the contiguous ter
rtory and cities below would ever require.
1t is a matter of measurement to ascertain
/ the amount of useless water that escapes
during the year down the Truckee river and
when that is done we venture the assertion
that this waste water will exceed in quantity
ali that can be utilized or proftably used