Wadsworth semi-weekly dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1899-11-28

or worse ground. to build a ditch oyer
than the people of the Steamboat ditch
had to contend with. and we would
have a much longer ditch to build.
We will say that there Is one-haf the
land in this locality to appropriate and
cultivate as the Senator suggests. say
5000 acres. And as he says II
would take from IL to ID inches per
acre to produce crop, according to that
1t would take 200, 900 inches to irrigate
said $4,000 acres Of land and none to
distribute to the old locators when the
water In the Carson is short.
But my experience, and | believe
have paid as much attention as any
person in regard to how much water
the land in this section requires, teach
es that 3-4 of an inch to the acre, If
properly used, is sufficient. only use
about ID an inch to the acre.
At three-fourths of an inch to the
acre, 1t would require Sc, $50 inches to
irrigate $4,000 acres of land, which
would require a ditch ten times as
large as | understand the steamboat
ditch is, and would cost nearly one
million Of dollars to complete 1t. But
say. we only want 5000 inches Of
water from the Truckee to supply wa
ter during the entire dry season. Then
the ditch would cost at least $4,000,
which would be almost twice the
amount that a dam and reservoir
from that dam would cost, and further
that the dam and reservoir suggested
would all be in our own valley and
county. and we would have full control
of all the water that would be stored in
those reservoirs. On the other hand,
If we should spend the amount above
stated for a ditch from the Truckee,
we would be in both Washoe and Lyon
counties, and would be compelled to
pay taxes in each Of those counties.
Besides we would be taking chances Of
interfering with vested rights with the
ranchers and property holders in
Washoe county below where we would
take out or appropriate the water from
the Truckee River, and by reason of
such interfe renee would be brought into
contention over the water, and If we
had damaged the parties who had prior
rights would be compelled to pay such
damage and still be without water dur
ing the dry season, and would gain no
benefit when we would need the water.
But in the other event we would
have the water stored and exclusive
ownership, and the water would be dis
tributed under the law, each party re-
ceiving his proportion according to the
tax he pays.
Now as to the expense in securing
water at a reasonable figure. AS Sem
ator Williams says, the rancher would
never miss it. and would receive five
hundred per cent benefit from the
water supply secured. over the extra
tax they would be out in each and
every year.
AS a general rule, there has always
been sufficient water for every person
and for a great many more until the
first of July. and only q few seasons
that it has been short as early as that.
| can say without successful contra
diction that | have resided on the Car
son River for over 81 years. and that
the Carson has only ran dry nine seas
ons in this locality, and some Of those
seasons 1t did not go dry until the first
Of September. Therefore we only re-
quife a greater supply for from one
to two months. Then why not store 1t
and have 1t our own and each and
every n get his share. and comply
with the .adage that you should love
your neighbor as yourself. and further,