Wadsworth semi-weekly dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1903-09-29
SOME DETAILS OF
THE BIG GOVERN
MENTAL CANAL
Some Land Open for Entry
Next May
Wadsworth Viii Be Center of Ex-
tensive Agricultural District
and Churchill County's
Population VIII Be
Increased by
10000.

e. l.. bingham OF the Keno jour
nal. who visited Wadsworth and the
scene Of operations last week. says:
The government canal will head at
what is called the Sixth crossing. four
miles beyond Clark's station. The
dam will be of sufficient height to pre-
vent the onward passage Of water. 1t
will be for diverting and not for re-
straining purposes. 1t will follow the
contour Of the hills on the south side
Of the river to a point about two miles
beyond Wadsworth. where 1t reaches
the elevated plateau that is the water
shed between the Truckee and the Car
son rivers.
The ditch will follow the canyon for
about ten miles and II presents some
difficult engineering features. There
will be three tunnels. one OF which will
be 400 feet long. These tunnels will
all be cemented for their entire length.
The canal is to be Ia feet wide at
the bottom and 50 feet at the top. 1t
will carry l3 feet Of water in the cen
ter. This stream will flow at various
points. according to the nature of the
ground at a velocity of from two to
three feet per second.
II Is calculated that II will take about
a year to finish the canal. The water
will be carried to a point on the Car
son river and the two streams brought
together. where a reservoir will be
built at a cost Of a million and a half
dollars.
From various points along the canal
lateral bitches will be run, following
the higher ground and putting nearly
all the land capable Of successful cul-
tivation under irrigation for a distance
Of 40 miles.
The first canal will be taken out a
few miles this side Of Wadsworth and
will be carried across the canyon by an
inverted siphon. which will run north
ward nearly 10 miles to the Pyramid
reservation, comprising approximately
$1,000 acres. The larger portion Of
this is now sagebrush land. but is very
arabic when placed under water and Is
In a thermal belt. where even citrus
fruits are possible.
These lateral bitches will cover every
portion Of ground in the region that is
capable Of cultivation.
While the work of tho main canal
will be completed in about a year, and
a small portion Of the land that can be
watered directly from the canal will
probably be ready for entry some time
about May lst next. That will be but
q beginning. The shheme eontem-
plates reaching far out into Churchill
county TO lands now far remote from
any water supply and it is prohale that
the government will continue to extend
its laterals for the next five years at
least.
Many inquiries have been made ask
ing when these lands will be open for
entry and Engineer Taylor is authority
for the statement that it will probably
be some time next spring before entries
can be made.
The reason why the lands are not
ready for entry now is because the
lands have not yet been s%ubdivided into
the smaller fractions and it would be
impossible to tell where the entries
would fall. Most Of land has been sur
veyed into townships but only some
into sections. The lines for the smaller