Gardnerville record. (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1898-1902, 1898-11-29
Economical Storage.
Water Duty, and ectiOn OF
Reservoir Sites.
Concentration Of Energy and Cap
ital Needed.

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ital Needed.
It has been demonstrated that land
values in the arid belt are contingent on
the water right that goes with it, or even
the possibility of water for it. AS the
chance or probability of securing water
for land becomes more evident, the value
rises in proportion. Too many, however,
water rights convey no real conception
of value. Water rights vary in value as
does land, from variety of causes. The
cost of utalizing water is the first thing
to be considered, for it would not pay to
apply fifty dollar water on five dollar
land, where by reversing these figures, a
good investment appears for the irrigator
or investor.
The duty OF water is the term used to
express the relation between the quantity
OF water used in irrigation and the area
upon which it is employed. II given
stream flowing at the rate of 10 second
feet irrigates throughout the season 1000
acres, it is said that the duty OF water is
100 acres to the second foot. A second
foot OF water is the quantity represented
by stream one foot wide and one foot
deep flowing at the average velosity Of
one foot per second.
In considering the storage OF water in
Nevada, the main thing to beware of is
the cost of the storage. A careful selec-
ton OF the reservoir site is Of more i'm
portance than the cost of constructing
dams. The eye can not be depended up
on at all, for all the valleys in the noun
tans look level, with the immense noun
tains raising up round about. and the
spirit level has many surprises for the
inexperienced irrigator. Surveys are ex-
pensive, but good engineer is actually
indispensable in the selection OF reser-
voir sites The fall OF the land regulates
tho height OF the dam, and every foot in
height increases the cost of storage i'll
proportion. II is estimated that there
are over seventy places where water can
be stored in considerable quantities in
the Alpine water shed, while there are
less than dozen which might be termed
feasible from an economical standpoint.
This is the main drawback to water stor-
age in Nevada. There are SO many
places all over the State which seem TO
be good reservoir sites. but the engin-
eers figures make it impracticable. This
would not be so were intensive farming
practiced az in the citrus belt of Cali
fornia where the product Of single acre
has a market value OF several thousand
dollars. The conditions that confront
the irrigator in Carson Valley, demands
first cost of water right and erection OF
dam not to exceed $500 making land
irrigable cost including incidental ex-
penses, twelve dollars per acre, which
when put in cultivation is easily worth
fifty dollars.
The location OF reservoirs is another
thing which determines their usefulness.
A pond or basin though perfectly level
and fat has no value, il it is below the
timber line, unless it has continuous
source of supply to compensate for the
rapid evaporation which is bound to take
place except at high attitudes, where the
snow fingers in the summer time.
Outside capital will not invest in water
. orage projects for Nevada, because
hey nrgae that there is money enough
here o do il, and by people who are ac-
quain ed with every detail of the propo-
siiion, and that their failure to under
.e il, shows a weakness in the project.