The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-02-06
WORK PROGRESSING
RAPIDLY
On the Giant Ditch Which viii
Carry Water toBarrenl Land
in Western Nevada

A special to the San Francisco
Chronicle from Wadsworth states that
the irrigation work being carried on
under direction of the United States
Geological Survey. begun in Septem-
Der, 1908. Is being pushed along with
satisfactory speed. This work is being
done by the government under two
contracts, the e. b. & A. L. Stone
ompany having the desert section of
co. Construction Company the Truckee
river section Of about thirteen miles.
The canal is to be twelve feet wide at
the. bottom. fifty-two feet at the top
and will carry thirteen feet of water,
with flow of / 400 second-feet, or 56,-
900 miners inches. This canal, which
takes it's water from the Truckee river
at a point eleven miles above Wads-
worth, follows the south bank of the
riser to this place, thence eastward
through Ragtown Pass--a low divid~
between the Truckee and Carson rivel
at point about six miles above Rag
town. At this place the natural con-
dltions are highly favorable for the
purpose, there being a deep. narrow
gorge at the lower end of a broad, long
stretch Of compas atively level river
country
The dam to be constructed will lie
practically 1870 feet long at the base
$40 feet long at the top. S6 feet thick
at the bottom. is feet thick at the top.
and 1i0 feet high. This dam will b.
built of Pol tland cement concrete, o.
which there win be required for .thi
work 10000 cubic yards. Extensiv
borings with diamond drills are bel g
made at the dam site to insure the sta
bility of moorings for the dam. above
which will. be stored the flow both OF
the Carson river and the canal from
the Truckee, formffg. when filled 70
high-water mark. body of waite
about seventeen miles in length a d
OF val ying width. The discharge 81
these streams during the late winte
mountain rivers.
From this reservoir OF magnificen.
extent a large d lstributien canal. great
or in capaciy than that from the True
kee, will be carried to the eastward
through the broad Carson plain to &
distance Of about twenty-five miles
This. through the medium of hume.
Gus laterals. is expected to serve Will
water 100 900 acres of extremely fertile
soil, adapted to the production o.
wheat. barley. potatoes, alfalfa ano
the other, products of this climate
Within this area are now numerous
farms some of considerable extent, al
of which are prosperous. but In de
gree Handicapped by a scarcity OF wa
ter during the summer With the con-
scrvatien of the flood waters of thu
non-irrigating season, this will be en-
tireIy remedied. The effect OF the
coming change Is being anticipated in
the generally increased activity Of tbs
region and the influx Of investors from
distant points
Going back to the Truckee end OF the
canal. now under construction. 1t !.
proposed under the present surveys te
carry a portion OF the flow of the mair
canal through pressure pipe across
the Truckee to large lateral having
elevation to cover mesa land to thu
extent OF $4,000 acres lying to the north
and west Of Wadsworth. This latera
will have length of more than twent,
miles and will end at or near Pyramic
lake, the natural recipient Of the flow
of the Truckee. The land served By
this lateral and its sub-laterals Is o.
superior fertility. being made up of th'
detritus of volcanic and eruptivs
rocks, containing all the mineral con
stitutents of a first-class soil. besides
which Its elevation solves for all time
the problem OF subdrainage, detail
OF agriculture in irrigatfng countries
which IL neglected or impossible O
execution frequently leads to the seri
GUS Impairment or ultimate abandon
ment of an otherwise valuable farm
To the eastward and not far from
Wadsworth another lateral will be con
structed to cover with it's ramifica
tions about 10000 or $4,000 acres of fer
tile mesa land. Other outlying dis
tricts are expected at later dates K
be brought within the irrigated ea-
one line having been surveyed to tn
fertile farming lands far to the east
ward, about the town of Lovelock.
AS indispensable adjuncts to grea
ideal scheme OF irrigation. Lake Taho'
and the Truckee river possess all tn
natural features sought by the engi
feer. The lake has an area Of ~
square miles and total drainage ares
OF SID square miles. all receiving tn
rains and SHOWS OF the high Sierras
To this may be added the flow of tn
Truckee below the mouth of the lake
the drainage of an additional leo
square miles. flowing to 1t through less
er streams from equally well-waterel
areas. BY slightly raising and con
siderably lowering the present surfac
oi Tahoe, perfe~* ~>ntrol Of the wa
- - -