Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-07-11
(CoMMUNICATED.)

In addition to the lands now irrigated
there are about 6S5, 900 acres Of good
agricultural land in the district.
Nearly $4,000 acres of this lays in
such a position that water can either
be stored for them, or the water now
flowing past can be used on them at
once without storage. There are no
good large storage points in the dis
trict, and it will be found necessary,
in many cases, to use bitches to carry
the water to be stored tn the points
where reservoirs can be made. These
small reservoirs can be made Of earth
by plows and sorapers with no OK
pense but in time and labor, and for
the few pieces Of lumber needed for
gateways. It has been practically
demonstrated that for dams, for reser-
voirs earth is as safe and good a
material as can be used; the only pre-
caution needed being to have the top
OF the dam of a sufficient height above
the water level, and the base broad,
with the waste way out into the hills,
or bluffs, entirely away from the dam,
and SO arranged that the OVERLOOKING
stream cannot come near to under
mine and wash it away. The small
reservoir points can be found general
ly about q Lnile west Of the foot of the
mountains on the east side; although
some are close to the mountains, and
some are in the canyons in the noun
tains. On the west side of the valley
the ground ia more even than on the
east, the fall to Huntington creek not
SO great, and better storage points
can be found; but, what moro than
counterbalauces this, the mountains
are lower and the water supply far
less. The best reservoir point ON this
side, and the best in the valley, is on
Miller creek. On this side also,
owing to the lighter slope of the
ground, the water that sinks and
flows underneath does 80 near the
surface, and quite large tracts of land
can be seen where some agricultural
productions can be raised without
irrigation. One Of these places is on
Smith Creek, about q mile below the
Oliver Rife ranch, where the under
ground stream spreads out over O
thousand acres of land and sub-irri-
gates it all. Only rye grass and sage.
brush grows upon that tract at pres
emit, but experiments elsewhere have
proven that where rye grass grows
without irrigation, alfalfa can also he
raised without irrigation; and also
grains have been successfully grown
upon the same kinds of land with
only the moisture from below and
light rainfalis we have in this State
TO mature them.
MOUND VALLEY.
Mound Valley is situated north Of
Huntington, and, also, extends from
the Ruby mountains west, being
about twelve miles square. The main
stream that hows through the dis
triot is Smith Creek, which rises in
the Ruby range, flows southwesterly
for six miles, then northwest FIVE
miles whore Huntington creek joins
II, and thence north. Where Il turns
northwest several streams join it, and
q valley abouttwo miles in diameter
is formed in which are a couple Of
small mounds about twenty feet high
and two hundred feet In diameter,
from which the district derives it's
name. Flowing into this small valley
from the south is south smith creek
which rises in Hastings Pass-the only
psse through the Ruby range except
Secret Valley-and from the east is Gil
bert Henry and McCutcheon creeks.