Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-04
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
BLAINE INVITED TO VISIT GEN.
ERAL HARRISON.
Senator Stanford on the Sugar
Question-A Southern Senator
Discusses the Negro.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE nroonD-Uslos.l !
STORAGE RESERVOIRS.
What the Geographical Survey Has Ac-
complished in Arid Sectiops

WASHINGTON, January 3d.-The Secretary of
the Interior to-day sent to the Senate the report
OF the Geological Survey on the subject of irriga-
ton. The sum of 100000 was appropriated last
september to begin the work of surveying
sites ior storage reservoirs etc. Director Powell
says the work was begun as soon as possible
but owing to the lateneSs of the season could
not be prosecuted in high attitudes
In Montana about 1900 square miles were
surveyed on the continental divide AT the
headwaters of the Columbia and Missouri riv-
eIs many sites for reservoirs were surveyed and
considerable bodies of water available for irri-
eating purposes noted.
In Nevada work was begun early in Novem-
Der near the headwaters of the Truckee, Carson
and Walker rivers. Some 5000 square miles
have been surveyed, and the work will be con-
tinued as the weather permits.
In Colorado the season was too far advanced
to enter the mountains, and work has been
prosecuted in the foothills about 400 square
miles having been surveyed along the South
Platte, and 900 square miles along the upper
Arkansas. The Arkansas unlike the South
Platte, is well adapted for storage basins in the
high mountains.
IN New Mexico 5000 square miles have been
surveyed in the region drained by the James
river and other tributaries of the Rio Grande
rising in the Texan group of mountains.
Attention is called to the hydraulic branches
OF the irrigation survey and the difficulties en-
countered for such as determining the rate of
evaporation at different attitudes, deposits of
sediment in streams, volumes of running water
rainfall, strength of current, etc. No scientific
lection OF sites for reservoirs and the lands to be
serveyed. Wherever natural bodies of water can
be utilized this will be dOue. Director Powell
cites, as an illustration, Lake Tahoe. OF this
the report says:
g This is lake filed from catchment basin
OF 300 square miles, and having surface of l25
square miles. This storage lake, constructed by
nature, has only to he tapped and gateways con
strpcted, and it can at once be used;
and the, water. which is gathered
through the non-irrigating season NAV,
through the irfigating season be discharged
again into its natural channel. In addition.
the waters which fall from the heavens during
that season can be carried down to diverting
dams in the valley below, and turned into irri-
eating canals to be spread over The lands. In
the total area available for irrigation to which
the water of the Truckee may be carried, it is
probable that an acre-fooS of water (that is, an
acre of water one foot deep, will abundantly
lrrigate an acre of land through one season. and
it is possible to store in Lake Tahoe 10000 acre
feet, which can be ma@e to irrigate 90 600 acres
OF land. This can be done by providing for the
discharge OF four feet of water from the surface
OF the lake through each irrigating season, and
providing for the conservation of the same
amount annually contributed by the Clouds"
The report advocates the establishment OF re-
seryoirs, as far as possible, in the elevated
mountain regions.