The Record. (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1902-1904, 1903-10-30
TAHOE.
THE GREAT NATURAL RES
ERVOIR Of THE SIERRA
NEVADA MOUNTAINS.

|
the Sierra Nevada and one of the larg-
est mountain lakes in America. Its
maximum length from north to south
Is 25 miles and It's extreme width from
east to west IL miles Its area 139
square miles and its altitude above sea
level about 6,225 at mean sslow stage
Its greatest is about $500 feet The
tributary water shed, including its
own surface and excluding the drainage
area of Marlette Lake, whose waters
| diverted from the basin for the supply
of Virginia, New, is 519 square miles.
Its natural outlet is the Truekee river,
which leaves the lake at Tahoe
In the channel of the Truckee, about
800 feet back from the lake, is a crib
dam of timber and stone, which for the
last twenty years or more has been
controlled by the Truckee Lumber
Company, which has used the lake for
flushing logs down the river and for
supplying power 10 its sawmills at
.fruckee when the natural flow of the
stream is insufficient for those pur-
poses. For the last five years the
waters have not been employed for
flushing logs, but they are still used for
power purposes The dam has three
openings, l0.7, 1915, and 9.3 feet clear
width, which are closed by timber
gates. The two wider openings have
in the center vertical posts s inches il,
,idth, which have been deducted in
the widths of the openings given. The
lam has waste way of 81 feet clear
length and feet above the floor of the
gates.
The site selected as the most favor
able one for the location of the per-
manet dam is few feet above the
existing dam. Here, at about the
level of the lowest part of the river bed
and extending across the channel, is a
firm conglomerate which would make
a good foundation. On this it is PLAN
ned to erect concrete dam having a
maximum height of l3 feet and a top
length of 90 feet. II this structure
will be 20 gates or sluiceways, each
having clear width of feet and a
height of feet. These VIII be closed
by eastiron or steel gates working ON
bronze bearings, which viii be opened
and closed by means of screw stems
working in capstain head female
crews at the top. No wasteway will
be required in this dam, as he surplus
water can at ali times be drawn off
through the outlet gates or can safely
pass over its crest II is estimated
hat this dam viii cost s49,73l. But
this estimate makes provision for
ands damaged by flood water. At tie
southern end of the lake, at the mouth
1f the Upper Truckee river, is con-
siderable area of low, marshy ground
much of which is under water at even
ordinary stages of the lake, but is dry
At extremely low stages. A survey
was made of this area, and it was
found that approximately l,24O acres
lay between the 6,225-foot and the
8, ,aSO-foot contours and outside of mar
row sand bar which marks the boln-
dary or the lake proper The higher
portions of THIS marsh are used for
pasturage purposes in the summer and
autumn. The sum Of 81 au acre, or
50, $50 is considered liberal price for
his land.
At the mouth of Taylor Creek, to the
west of Tallac, is similar tract of land
part marsh and part meadow, little
higher than that tract of the Upper
Truckee, also used for pasturage. or
this area, ITO acres are below the 9, 23o-
foot contour. A valuation of 80 an
acre, which is believed TO be fair, has
been placed upon this land.
At Tallae about one acre. of the I'M
proved grounds Immediately adjacent
to the hotel buildings is slightly below
the 6,aa3O-foot contour The damage to
this property is estimated at the cost of
filling in this low ground to height
of one foot above the higher water line
in the reservoir, which would be cheap
er than moving the buildings to higher
land and would really constitute an inn
provement of the grounds.
At Tahoe small area of land would
be flooded on each side of the lake out
let, amounting to about "a acres in the
aggregate. That to the south is unim-
proved and not very valuable; part OF
that of that to the north is used by the
Lake Tahoe Railway and Tranporta-
ton Company. An average price OF
500 an acre, or $3.50, which is thought
reasonable has been placed on this. In
addition $1,000 has been added to cover
probable legal expenses.-Ledger.