Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-18
IRRIGATION OPENING
DAWN OF NEW ERA FOR AGRICUL.
TURE IN NEVADA.
Huge Reclamation Ditch Opened Up to
Flood Waters Congressional
Committee Present.

0VAAxuASk0S 3ASSCAAes
RENO. New, June 17.-With the opening
Reno. constructed by the government under
the reclamation act, a new era has been
opened for Nevada and the entire west
The main canal runs from Derby, fifteen
miles east of Reno, on the Truckee river,
to a point ten miles above Leeteville. on
the Carson river. a distance Of thirty-one
miles.
The entire system. as projected, will not
be completed for nine or ten years. and
will cost about nine million dollars. After
the initial work is finished and the first
section Of land Is placed under irrigation.
the remainder of the project will be carried
out with the proceeds of the sale of gov
eminent land adjacent to the bitches, and
the sale of water to the settlers who are
expected to take up the land.
Congressional Committee.
The congressional irrigation committee
and guests went to the opening in spe-
cial train. The train ran first to the di-
verting dam on the Truckee river. twenty
miles east of Reno. Where the main canal
begins at this dam the party was taken
in charge by Engineer L. H. Taylor, who
has represented the government through
out the work The gates Of the dam were
lowered and those Of the canal were raised.
The great flood poured into the huge ditch.
Inc reclamation project in Nevada was
formally dedicated. When the gates of
the river dam were lowered the bed of the
stream below was dry In an instant and
the party caught many large trout that
were LETT f1oundering on the rocks
Inc party followed the canal to the Car
son river. where the main canal ends and
where Is situated the great storage reser-
vo!r by means Of which sufficient water to
1rrlgate thousands Of acres in the Carson
sink Will be impounded The committee
had been accomplished Some of the mem
beis admitted that they had never realized
the extent of the work until they saw the
great ditch with Its dams and tunnels and
iaterals. In an thirty-one miles long.
One Of the Difficulties.
One Of the chief difficulties that govern
ment engineers will have to contend with
Is the wind, which drives sand into the
ditch so rapidly that 1t threatens the use
fulness of the canal If not cleaned out
every few weeks. The only remedy that
has been found is series of fences to hold
back the powdered silica.
The initial irrigation system will be used
to distribute water over about $1,000 acres
of land. During the next two years the
system VIII pe EXTENDED 10 cover 10000
acres more. This Will increase the total
distributing system to a length of 1000
miles.
Arrangements are now making to con-
struct regulating dam at the outlet of Lake
Tahoe. As the demand for water increases
tve or six other dams on the Truckee river
and its tributaries will be constructed and
four reservoirs will be built on Carson river
One of the reservoirs will be eighteen miles
in length and will have a surface area of
11,CC0 acres.
Land in Irrigated Area.
The obtaining of government land in the
newly irrigated area will be simple. The
charge has been fixed by the Secretary of
the Interior at maximum Of $26 an acre.
This sum will not represent the purchase
price of the land, but perpetual title to
the water. The land itself will be home
stead. Applications for the land are now
making to the land Office at Carson City.
The water right of 500 an acre will be pay
able in ten equal installments and title will
not lapse until two payments have been
passed. which will give the homesteader
the opportunity of passing hard year.
The government will charge no interest
ON deferred payments, but will probably
offer an incentive for prompt settlements.
The charge of S26 acre is set to cover
all cost of constructing the irrigation sys-
tenn nd maintaining it for a period of
set too high, the last payments will not be
required. In any event, there will be no
additional charge.
Disposition Of Plant.
At the conclusion of ten years the plant
will be turned over to the water users as
ISOLATION that is to be organized after a
plan to be Endorsed by the Secretary of
the Interior The government will continue
to hold the title to the sources of suppIv
! and will remain in a position to straighten
out affairs Of Encouragement over results
| on the part of the water users association.
The government is sparing no expense to
build the system that it will need no
extensive repairs, and for this reason has
| erected rock and cement walls where mere
earth would have sufficed for a few years
The soil of the great Carson plain is one
| of almost unknown depth, and was deposit
| ed by water courses In ancient times. The
constituents are varied, owing to the many
points from which they were brought In
addition to ease of cultivation and great
depth. the soil possesses remarkable fer
tility.