Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-04-20
An Act to Provide for the storage Of
Water

The following is the Reclamation Act,
which passed the Legislature at the last
session, and is the law Of the land:
WHEREAS, The State of Nevada has re-
ceived from the General Government, grant
Of two million acres of land in lieu Of the
sixteenth and thirty. sixth sections, previous
ly granted to the State Of Nevada, the pro.
ceeds from the sale of which are to be placed
to the credit Of the School Fund of the State;
and
WHEREAS, Under an Act of Congress,
approved September 4, IS4r, and an Act
approved March FL, 1864. a grant of $780,
600 acres Of land was made to the State OF
Nevada for internal improvements; and
WHEREAS, The selection of said lands
are not confined to any particular section Of
unappropriated lands; and
WHEREAS, The greater portion Of unap-
propriated lands in the State Of Nevada is
known to be desert, waste and actually val.
ueless and without sale, unless water, for
the purpose of irrigation, can lie brought
upon them, and the land properly and sys.
tema,ically irrigated, crops Of all kinds can
be successfully raised; and
WHEREAS, The permanent settlement,
growth, wealth and independence of the
State and people, as we'll as the sale Of
School lands, depend upon the reclamation
of these lands; now, therefore
The People Of the STATE Of Mtvaaa, repre-
sented in Senate and assembly, do enact as
fol2ozOs..
SECTION I. A Board of Reclamation
Commissioners is hereby created, to consist
Of four members, to be known as the "Board
OF Reclamation and Internal Improvements"
for the storage of water and the reclamation
of the arabic lands of this State. Said
Board to consist Of J. Clarke, of Humboldt,
E. Williams, Of Ormsby, J. R. Bradley, Of
Elko, and H. Springmeyer, of Douglas.
Clarke and Williams to hold for four years
and Bradley and Springmeyer two years.
The State Of Nevada is hereby divided into
seven Internal Improvement and Reclama-
ton Districts, Of which Douglas, Or,nsby,
Lyon, Esmeralda and Storey shall constitute
the First District, Washoe county the Second
District, Churchill county the Third District,
Humboldt county the Fourth District, Elko
county the Fifth District, Lander, Eureka
and White Pine counties the Sixth District,
Nye and Lincoln counties the Seventh Dis.
trict. At the general election in 1890, and
at each general election thereafter, there
shall be elected from the State at large two
Reclamation Commissioners, one who shall
serve for the term Of two years, and one for
the term of four years, from and after
the first Monday in January next succeeding
such election. The office Of said Board
shall be in the State Capitol building. at The
seat Of Government. The Board shall adopt
rules and regulations for the transaction Of
its business.
Sec 2. The Board of Reclamation shall
invite, receive and procure information and
statistics in regard to all public lands within
this State, and the waters running therein,
which are or may become possible OF recla
nation, by means Of condusting upon them
the Incorporated water running through
natural or artificial channels within this
State, and shall report the same, togetoer
with an approximate estimate of costs and
result Of such proposed reclamation, at each
biennial session Of the Legislature.
Sec. 3. The Board Of Reclamation shall
also invite, receive, procure and publish
such facts and statistics regarding the na,u
rsl water courses Of this State and several
including source, supply, water
power, fall and other matters relating to the
value Of said waters, or the most practical
method for utilizing the same, either for
milling, mining, manufacturing or agricul
tural purposes, in order that said information
may be offered for the attraction Of dormant
capital and the encouragement Of individual
SEC. 4. 1t shall be the duty Of the Sur
veyor General, <x-e6feio, to furnish the Board
of Reclamation, within a reasonable time,
maps, pro6les and estimates to determine
the cheapest and most economical and valu.
able route for canals, reservoirs and other
for irrigating and milling pur
poses; and also to furnish maps, plans and
estimates for the purpose Of building reser-
voirs, dams. etc., connected with the storing
and preserving of waste water.
Sec. s. The Board Of Reclamation shall
have the power to divide the State into dis
,ricts, and to appoint Superintendent for
each Reclamation District within the State,
which they may establish and define, whose
duties it shall be to superintend the building,
and maintenance Of the canals,
dams and other like works within bis Dis
trict as so defined.
SEC. s. The work of building and con-
structing any and all canals, dams and other