Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-08-17
WATER STORAGE.


Lyman Bridges.
CARSON, August I3.-The Board Of Com.
missioners for the reclamation Of desert lands
and the storage Of water met to day at !
o'clock, present Evan Williams, l.. A. Blake
slice, John Bradley and II. Springmeyer.
The Attorney General presented his an
swers to several questions propounded to him
at the last meeting as to the legality Of the
act creating the Office Of the commission from
members Of the Legislature. He held q, tn.
Office was not one Of profit to the members
they could legally act as commissioners.
Chairman Williams called upon Colonel
l.. Bridges, who said that he found very fine
reservoir sites in Hope Valley. on the head
waters OF The west fork Of The Carson, also
at Horseshoe Bend by making a dam r,ooo
feet long that would make an immense restr
voir.
He said that the forks Of the Carson emp
tied into a long valley, in this Safe, and he
thought q reservoir could be built in that
valley for $500 900. He said that zoo, 900
acres Of land could be reclaimed by such
system and when the General Government
shall build = reservoir in Hope valley, the
system would be complete to furnish all the
water needed for power and irrigation PUT
poses. He said there were sites for eight
reservoirs at the head Of the Carson; that the
dam necessary would he zoo feet long At the
base, goo feet on top and 100 feet high.
He estimated the cost Of the dam At $7oo,
600. He said it would store water over an
area Of five square miles and it would be fifty
feet deer.
Mr.. Williams stated that the committee
would not entertain any proposition to build
dam that would cost $500, 900, and asked
# some other kind Of material could not be
used
Mr.. Bridges said that clay dam with a
solid front could be built much cheaper.
Nj. Bridges also stated that our people had
received much credit for voting an sppropri.
alton for the storage Of wafer. and he believed
that the General Government would take
hold Of the matter with much greater interest
from that fact, and he thought there was no
doubt Of getting material aid. He said that
the system W. uld cover FIVE counties, name
iy: Douglas, Orm,by. Lyon, Churchill and
Wa.hoe; that he would tap Lake Tahoe a,
bo.h ends and take the water through the
natural outlets down the Truckee and q
tunnel through to Hope valley rom the south
end OF Lake Tahoe.
General +. D. Ed wards, under the instruc
tons Of the Board. presented an elaborate
report, showing Nevada's resources il the
water was properly stored. and the vas
amount Of land susceptible Of reclamation
He quoted largely from the State Surveyor
Generals report, showing the area spproxi.
ma,ely classified as follows:
Water area, I,o8i. 900 acres; forestry,
200, 900; agricultural lands. 10000. DOC
acres; mineral lanis. 100000 acres
salinas, borax, nitre, sulphur deposits, alkali
fats and deserts, 3,6s6,ooo acres; total,
7,738,ooo acres.
lie showed approximately the number ol
acres that can be reclaimed by proper water
storage in the several counties Of the State
HIS report showed the number of streams
and rivers in this State to be IS. and thu
number Of lakes and ponds to be Gas. and
irrgable lands about 10000. 900 acres
The Board adopted the report and will
present it to the Congressional Committee
when they meet here on the 10th inst.
The Board then adjourned to meet the
Committee from Washington.