The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1902-09-19
Preparing for National Irrigation.

House Saturday afternoon to listen TO
Director Walcott of the Geological
Survey and Messrs. Davis and Taylor,
connected with the same bureau, dis
cuss the possibilities and probabilities
of irrigation work in Nevada under the
law passed at the session of Congress
recently closed. Seldom, indeed, if
ever, has meeting OF greater import
ance been held in this State. The feel
ing manifested was one of deep inter-
est throughout, and the remarks of
the various speakers left a very fine
impression upon all who heard them.
Professor Thurtell of the Nevada
State University was selected as chair
man. He briefly stated the purpose of
the meeting and then introduced Rep
resentative Newlands- Mr. Newlands
sketched in outline the Irrigation Law
just passed by Congress, and then took
up the visit of Director Walcott to our
State, describing the trip recently
made by his party through the valleys
of the Truckee, Walker, Carson and
Humboldt rivers. Of this party Mr..
Newlands was member by invitation
of Director Waleott, and could there
fore speak from personal observation
and knowledge He said that the plans
In contemplation were on a grand
scale; that the preliminary work was
farther advanced in Nevada than in
any other State, and that the officers
who have charge of the practical work
are greatly impressed both with the
possibilities OF the State and the ne
cessity of making an early beginning
here.
Mr.. Newlands urged the heartiest
cooperation on the part of our people
and then gave way to Mr.. Walcott
who spoke at considerable length. He
began by directing particular attention
to the section of the law which pro-
tects all vested rights, for the purpose
of showing that those who have al
ready appropriated water need have
no fear of losing any part of what they
now have. He spoke of the law as
placing the great question of irriga.
ton in the line of settlement, and then
went little more into details
Mr.. Walcott said that there were
feasible reservoir sites in all four OF
the great river valleys. That in the
Truckee valley there were from 50,0CC
to $4,000 acres of additional land that
could be reclaimed, and about the same
In the Carson valley. Altogether in
the four valleys he thought that ,000,.
600 acres more might be irrigated
which would mean an increase of 90.
900 in population, the upbuilding Of
cities, and general growth Of the State
on many lines of development He
emphasized the fact that the appropri-
alton is a continuing one, and that il
is not necessary to make annual calls
upon Congress. That the work can be
commenced at once, so far as the law
is concerned, and carried right on year
after year by the Executive Depart
ment. But Mr.. Walcott said there
must be earnest cooperation on the
part of the people, As some of these
waters have already been appropriated
and used, steps must be taken to ascer-
tain how much they amount to COM
pared with the total supply, the pur-
~ 10 10 10. MI he
waters which now go to waste. Tie
people themselves must settle tn s
question, which they could do by the
appointment of committees authorized
to ascertain and adjust the rights of all
parties, concerned. He suggested tie
advisability of having a law enacted
somewhat like the Wyoming statute
on the same subject. MIR. Walcott
spoke feelingly of his first visit to Ne
yada, in 1880, the interest he had
always taken in the State, and every
person present felt that our long neg
lected commonwealth has a friend IN
the head of the Geological Survey.
Mr.. Davis spoke earnestly and in
structively upon the general subject of
water conservation, saying that tie
government should do the work fer
the reason that it can deal with tie
matter more Complementary and con-
sequently more effectively and cheap
ly. That is to say the government can
study all the different water basins,
and do the work as connected whole.
Private individuals or corporations
must of necessity, do the work piece
meal, and the construction of small
inadequate reservoir might easily pre-
vent the building of the other neces-
sary for a complete conservation of
the waters. Mr.. Davis laid stress on
the circumstances that in the matter of
preliminary work Nevada stands at
the head of all the States, from which
the natural conclusion must arise that
we will, at least, be one of the first in
Il q