Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1904-03-05
Will Back Water for Severn
teen Miles
When Completed 1t win Irrigate
and Make the Desert Bloom
Like the Rose.

system now being constructed by the
government in the upper and western
part Of the state; ''The canal is to
be twelve feet wide at the bottom,
ffty-two feet wide at the top, and
will carry thirteen feet of water,
with a flow of 400 second feet, or
Sc, 900 miners inches. As a part of
the irrigation scheme a dam will be
thrown across the Carson river at a
point about six miles above Ragtown.
The dam to be constructed here will
be practically 1870 feet long at the
base, $40 feet long at the top, Sc feet
thick at the bottom, 16 feet thick at
the top and 10 feet high. This dam
will be built of Portland cement, of
which there will be required for this
work 10000 cubic yards. Extensive
borings with diamond drill are being
made at the dam site to insure the
stability Of mooriugs for the dam,
above which will be stored the flow of
both Of the Carson river and the
canal from the Truckee, forming,
when filed to high water mark, a
body Of water about seventeen miles
in length and Of varying width. The
discharge Of these streams during
the late winter and early spring is
that OF swollen mountain rivers. The
minimum discharge Of the Carson is
not known TO the writer but that OF
the Truckee below Vista is given by
L. H. Taylor at 300 second feet or
1000 miners inches.
From this reservoir of magnif-
cent extent a large distributing
canal, greater in capacity than that
from the Truckee, will be carried to
the eastward through the broad Car
son plain to a distance of about
twenty-five miles. This, through the
medium OF numerous laterals, is ex-
pected TO serve with water 100, 900
acres of extremely fertile soil, adapt
ed to the production Of wheat, barley,
potatoes, alfalfa and other products
Of this climate.
Going back to the Truckee end Of
the canal, now under construction, it
is proposed under the present sur
veys to carry a portion Of the flow of
the main canal through a pressure
pipe across the Truckee TO a large
lateral having elevation to cover
mesa land to the extent of %, 900
acres lying to the north aud east of
Wadsworth. This lateral viii have
a length Of more than twenty miles
and will end at or near Pyramid lake,
the natural recipient of the flow Of
the Truckee. The land served by
this lateral and its sub,laterals is of
superior fertility, being made up Of
the detritus Of volcanic and eruptive
rocks, containing all the mineral CON
stituents Of a first class soil, besides
which its elevation solves for all time
the problem Of sub.drainage.
"To the eastward. aud not far from
Wadsworth, another lateral will be
constructed to cover with its ramif.
cations about 10, 900 to II, 900 acres
Of fertile mesa lands, Other out
lying districts are expected at later
dates to be brought within the irri.
gated area-one line having been sur.
veyed far to the eastward, to the
fertile lands of the Lovelock valley.
Lake Tahoe will be used as great
natural storage reservoir. This lake
has an area of 1913 square miles anC
a total drainage area Of $40 square
miles. To this may be added the
flow Of the Truckee river below the
mouth of the lake, the drainage of al
/, additional 1000 square miles. BY
! slightly raising and considerably
lowering the present surface Of Tahoe
/, q perfect control of the waters o
| perhaps the most superb natural res
t ervoir in the whole world will bt
: established.