The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-06-28
AN OBJECT LESSON IN IRRIGATION.

national irrigation law are about tc
receive practical demonstration. The
law was passed three years ago, and
since that time various projects have
been investigated by the federal au-
thorities who have charge Of the work
of reclamation. One of these, the
Truckee-Carson project in Nevada,
has been under construction tor some
time past, and last week a part of the
system that has been completed was
bitches that will irrigate about 80. 900
acres of land.
A bulletin issued by the geological
survey, in speaking Of this project,
says that before another three year
period has passed, 5000 Q additional
acres will be brought under water and
made tributary to the same general
system. Already the government has
spent $1,000, 600. The entire project
cOntemplates al expenditure of 49,.
O00, 900. The irrigable lands within
vi AZ CIV CutSOu
rivers, outside of 80, 600 acres already
under cultivation in and about Reno,
as a result Of private rrigation enter.
prise, comprise a total area of about
AGO, 600 acres.
The Truckce-Carson project. which
is the official designation of the UNDER
taking which has produced the town
of Hazen, and will soon be the creator
Of some 1000 farms, is one Of fourteen
''principal projects" to which the gov
nme ha, set its hand. The others
are in various less advanced stages Of
progress. The problem involved in
this Truckce-Carson project was to
find some way to save the water, Of
two rivers OF Importance, the Truckec
SHOWS of the lofty Sierra Nevada
mountains, Oh the northwest border Of
Nevada and California, and plunge
into a mysterious pit on the borders Of
the desert. This pit, in which the wa
tiers disappear into the bowel, Of the
earth, just when they are most needed
to irrigatc the plain, is known as "a
"sink.'
10 divert the waters of these rivers
and lead them into canals and storage
basins for distribution over the Hat,
dry areas about the "sinks,' is the
task to which the government engineers
set themselves two years ago. Since
then l37 miles of canal have been con.
s,ructed. The main canal taps the
Truckec river a few miles below Reno.
1t carries the waters south to a natural
reservoir site which the engineers dis
covered on the lower Carson, some 80
miles distant. Into this same reser-
voir the waters of the Carson are also
to be diverted and stored. From this
reservoir it IL bat Il short distance to
the wide, Hat lands about the Carson
''4iuk,' and the way is down a gentle
incline, which lends itself to the con
.truction of d network of distributing
canals.
iAltDG dtt Va t.iLlE III III
Guided IN the general scheme. farm
boundaries have been Laid out, and
the plat, are ready for the formal
approval of the secretary of the in
terror. About seventy five per ceut
of the irrigated land belong to the
govcrnmeu, The remainder is in the
hands of the Central Pacific railroad
and some private individuals.
The farms have Il soil adapted to
raising apples, pears, grapes. peaches.
berries, wheat, oats, potatoes. sugar
bcels aud alfalfa. The government
has 4 particular interest ia this first
OF its irrigation projects, and wiil try
to SCI thal tho best kind Of settler,
have a chance 70 AXE up the lands.
No one can get more than 50 acres
of the irrigated land for a homestead
and The purchaser j. required to stay
on The land and improve it, There
arc some fees 70 pay aud ii will take
u year To make the farm bitches and
raise a crop. The pruportieuate cost
of irrigutiou i, paid back by the set
TIER in tea annual installmeuts, with
out interest. It is estimated that the
payment to the government in ter
years will be 5000 and that the farm,
Judging from the value Of other irri,
gated land, will incl be worth at leas'
SIS, 5000. If the settler at the end of ten
years can show that he has reclaimed
at least half of his entry for agricul
supply are his property perpetually.