Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-30
Reclamation Projects Approved.

l,451,OUV $Jl ,oSO,uVO
The President iss-also greatly gratified at
the rapid progress that is being made by
the irrigation bureau. Six of the projects
in the above list have been begun; contracts
have been let and thousands of lahorers
are already employed intArizona, Coloradoh
Idaho. Nebraska, Nevada and New Mexico.
The other propositions will be undertaken
as rapidly as possible.
In Nevada work commenced as early as
September, 1903, h bnilding dam in
Truckee liver to take the food waters from
the mountains and the overflow of Lake
Tahoe and dump theme into Carson river.
Another dam will be built in Carson river
to store these waters until they are needed
In the dry season. when they Will be dis
tributed by means, of canals and bitches
over an area of about 100000 acres, mostly
desert land belonging to the government.
The cost of this Improvement will be 81
100000, or $26 an acre, and the land i'm
proved is now subject to homestead entry
in tracts of forty. eighty, 12O or 100 acres,
according to its situation. About 10000
acres can be cultivated during the coming
summer. 1t is expected that the waters
will be turned on In April and settlers are
going in very rapidly.
The laws allow enough land to each set
tier to support a family. No cash payments
are required; no combinations, but the
settler must actually live on 1t and cultl-
vate it for five years and pay $26o an acre
each year for ten years, when he Will re-
ceive title to the land and own the water
rights, without additional payments. Pri-
vate land which receives the beneft OF the
water must pay at the same rate-$26O per
acre for ten years After ten payments
the owner of the land will have the water
rights free of cost for all eternity. The
land is good for alfalfa, sugar beets, pota-
toes and all the root crop and fruits of the
temperate zone. It is only twelve hours
from San Francisco by rail, fifty miles
from the capital of Nevada. and is sur
rounded by mining settlements In every
direction.
Old Forty-Mile Desert.
Part of the land reclaimed will be the
old Forty-Mile Desert, or Carson's Sink.
which was a horror of early emigrants-
the worst spot on the overland trail; and
was lined the entire distance with the
bones Of men and animals. Thousands OF
poor creatures died there from thirst ana
exhaustion Farmers who pillow there now
turn up in almost every furrow gun barrels
which were driven into the earth TO marx
graves and have since eeen Dulieu ueep -
the drifting, sands. AS an illustration Oh
the perversity OF nature, the engineers VINO
have been laying out the proposed lrrlga.
ton system have found an abundance Oh
cold, pure water a few rect peioW the SUIT
face wherever they have mace 1orins ing -, a.,
of this desert will be redeemed and when
the present proposition is fnishd the works
will be extended to the Humboldt ana
Walker rivers, which Will prlng severai
hundred thousand acres more un ha. ~ ,,n1
the most deseiate spot In Nevada. Ihese
rivers carry plenty of water rom the
mountains but it disappears as soon as y
reac aches the sand The engineers propose
to catch it. before 1t reaches -fhe SINKS
and store vst in reservoirs. to De tapped
when needed
Down near Phoenix Ariz;. the engineers
under DIR. Newell are building one OF the
greatest dams insthe world. 1t is 10 DC liV
feet high, 30 feet wide. 100 feet thick ar
the base and 90 feet thick at the top. IRIS
enormous structure extends across mar
row gorge where the Salt river mas Dur a
rowed its way through the mountains. ana
it will create ans artificial lake thirty-two
miles long. five smiles wide and 2oO Ieet
deep. More than a million dollars mas al
ready been spent In preliminary surveys
and construction. the fonndations for the
dam have been laid. and BIDS FOR me S,,l ma.
sonry work willAke opened on the sth OF
February next Thes entire cost OF this res
ervoir will5be So 900, and It viii reclaim
an area Of 160.6e0 acres Of desert around
the capital Of Arizona, which Is now given
over to cactus, saGebrssh and tin cans
There is very lHtae government land: al
most every acre has BEEN already taken up.
but the owners Win pay for. the work 70
ten annual instaliments OF " an acre al
the end OF that tiHnc they Will own the res
ervoir and the whole irrigation system
while the money iwill@ee turaed back INTO