East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-05-04
RECLA|M|NG NEVADA'S BARREN DESERTS


and desert region? Its geological
records, as indelibly carved in sand
stone and granite, showing the shore
lines of ancient lakes, proclaim that
1t has not, but that at one time a
vast body of water, as great in area
as Lake Erie, covered a portion of the
state. Today however the aridity of
the country is unquestioned and the
$4,000 acres to part of which Uncle
Sam is about to apply water, will
practically double its well irrigated
area and its agricultural population.
Nevada's ancient inland sea is
known as Lake La Hontan; 1t was
one of several great prehistoric lakes
distributed over the great basin of
the arid region, among them Lake
Bonneville of which the Great Salt
lake was the deepest portion. It's
area was nine times greater than the
great Salt lake, or almost as large as
Lake Michigan and much deeper.
The contracted remains of Lake La
Hontan in Nevada are found in Pyra-
mid lake and number of other small
enclosed lakes which were the deep
est portions of the ancient lake. Since
these large prehistoric lakes were
land-locked and did not overflow. it
follows that the rainfall which fed
them was much heavier than 1t is to-
day.
Drowning Out the MOrmons.
Should conditions revert, many of
the important points situated in the
Great Basin would be hopelessly
flooded, such for instance as the Nor
mon temple which would stand in $50
feet of water, while 700 miles of
railroad would be submerged.
These prehistoric lakes are said to
be of very recent origin-that is re-
cent by the geologists' count-perhaps
10000 or 10000 years old. Fossils
have been found showing the presence
of primitive man along their ancient
shores and embankments, which IN.
many instances, are as perfect in con-
tour and as distinct as If the waters
had receded only few years sinece.
These lakes included such arid and
fear-inspiring localities of today as
the Black Rock desert. Skull valley.
Death valley and a score of other
places where the bleached bones of
man and animal attest to an awful
lack of water.
Government Irrigation Work.
This first irrigation work of the
national government, which is to be
celebrated by the turning of the wa
ter into the gigantic bitches this
month, is the largest project which
has been definitely outlined and ap-
proved under the irrigation act
known as the Truckee-Carson project
When completed it will involve the
expenditure of approximately nine
million dollars and will reclaim $780,
600 acres of desert land. That por-
ton of the system now completed con-
ssts of a canal 81 miles long to take
water from the Truckee river and
convey it to the Carson river, where
a large storage reservoir IS projected.
Just below this reservoir site, the wa
ters of the two streams will be led
out upon the plains by two canals,
with a combined capacity of 1900 Gu
bic feet per second. Some $4,000
acres are to be irrigated this spring,
for which 200 miles of small distribut-
ing bitches have been dug.
The Secretary of the Interior has
set aside $2,740.OO0 of the reclama-
tion fund for this initial work, and by
the time this has been expended
about 100000 acres will be under ca
nails, and the settlers will be return
ing in annual payments the original
investment. The money thus received
VIII be used as a revolving fund for
the completion of this project. The
land has been divided into farm units
of 80 acres, and the cost of reclama-
ton will be s26 per acre. Work is
being commenced this spring on reg
ulating gates at the outlet of Lake
Tahoe, located in California, but whose
waters will be used to reclaim the fer
tile Nevada soil Future plans in
volve the draining of Carson sink, |
100000 acres in extent, which over |
flows in years of heavy rainfall, and
the reclamation of lands in the upper
Truckee and Carson valleys. AS
these large areas are gradually |
brought under irrigation a greater
water supply will be required and nine
additional reservoirs will be con-
with combined storage ca
pacity of over million and a quarter
acres feet Gan acre foot equals one
acre, one foot deep).
Fruits, Vegetables and Grains.
The soil under this project is very
fertile, and deciduous fruits srch as