The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1904-02-12
THE GOVERNMENT CANAL.
How the Great Dam on the Carson
River will be Constructed.

base, $40 feet long at the top, So feet
thick at the bottom, is feet thick at the
top, and 10 feet high. This dam will
be built of Portland cement concrete, OF
which there will be required for this
work 10000 cubic yards. Extensive
borings with diamond drills are being
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, forming, when filled 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.
From this reservoir of magnificent
extent large distribution canal, great
er in capacity than that from the True
| kee. will be carried to the eastward
through the broad Carson plain to a
distance of about twenty-five miles.
This. through the medium of numer-
Gus laterals, is expected to serve with
water LOG, 900 acres of extremely fertile
soil, adapted to the production of
wheat, barley, potatoes, alfalfa and
the other products of this climate.
Within this area are now numerous
farms, some of considerable extent, all
of which are prosperous, but in a de
gree handicapped by scarcity OF wa
ter during the summer With the con-
servation of the flood waters of the
non-irrigating season, this will be en-
tirely remedied. The effect of the
coming change is being anticipated in
the generally increased activity of the
region and the influx of investors from
distant points.
Going back to the Truckee end of the
canal, now under construction, 1t is
proposed under the present surveys to
carry portion of the flow of the main
canal through a pressure pipe across
the Truckee to large lateral having
elevation to cover mesa land to the
extent of %, 900 acres lying to the north
and west of Wadsworth. This lateral
will have 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-
stitutents of a first-class soil, besides
which its elevation solves for all time
the problem of subdrainage, a detail
of agriculture in irrigating countries
which if neglected or impossible of
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 its ramifica-
lions about 10000 or 1900 acres of fer
tile mesa land. Other outlying dis
tricts are expected at later dates to
be brought within the irrigation area
one line having been surveyed to the
fertile farming lands far to the east
ward. about the town of Lovelock.
AS indispensable adjuncts to a great
ideal scheme of irrigation, Lake Tahoe
and the Truckee river possess all the
natural features sought by the engi-
neer. The lake has an area of 133
square miles and total drainage area
] of $40 square miles, all receiving the
rains and SHOWS of the high Sierras.
To this may be added the flow of the
Truckee below the mouth of the lake,
the drainage of an additional Zoo
square miles flowing to it through less
err streams from equally well-watered
areas By slightly raising and con
siderably lowering the present surface
of Tahoe, a perfect control of the wa
tiers of perhaps the most superb natura
reservoir in the whole world will b'
established. Other sites below Taho,
and within the precipitation area trib
utary to the Truckee have been secur
waters of their area.
The building of the dam at the Car
J son river will follow the completion o
, the Truckee-Carson canal so the cana
can be used for transportation b.
ed, and when needed will be improv
, ed for the further storage of the fioo'
barges of heavy material for construc
E ton. Very large quantities of Port
e land cement will be required, one con
| tract for 80, 900 barrels having alread.
r been let This is to be used in tn
diverting dam at the Truckee. 1t j
expected that much of the cement re
quired at the later stages of construc
ton will be had through local manu-
facture, excellent raw material beini
found near by from which good ce
,0,anf 20 ha;no, Y,roduoa1