Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-05-11
.RE.CONQUEsT OF NEVADA
BED OF GREAT LAKE THAT
10000 YEARS AGO WAS
= s COVERED
WITH WATER WILL BE REDEEM.
ED TO AGRICULTURE ~
o. GOVERNMENT. 4# ~:

records, as indelibly carved in sand
stone and granite, showing the shore
lines of ancient lakes, proclaim thai
it has not but that at one time vas
body of water, as great in area as
Lake Erie, covered portion of thu
state. Today, however, the aridity Of
the country is unquestioned and the
300, 900 acres, to part of which Uncle
Sam is about to apply water, viii
practically double it's we'll irrigated
area and it's agricultural population.
Nevada's ancient inland sea i.
known as Lake La Hontan; it was ont
of several great prehistoric lake.
distributed over the Great Basin. of thu
arid region, among them Lake Bonnie
vile of which the Great Salt Lake wa:
the deepest portion. Its area was nine
times greater than the Great Salt, o.
almost as large as Lake Michigan an6
much deeper.
The contracted remains of Lake La
Hontan in Nevada are found in Pyra
mid Lake and a number of other small
enclosed lakes which were the deepest
portions of the ancient lake. Since
these large prehistoric lakes were
land-locked and did not overflow, 1t
follows that the rainfall which fed
them was much heavier than it is to-
day.
Drowning Out the Mormons.
Should the conditions revert, many
of the important points situated in
the Great Basin would be hopelessly
flooded, such for instance as the
Mormon 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 biologists count-perhaps
10000 or 10000 years old. Fossils
have been found showing the presence
OF primitive man along their ancient
shores and entertainments, which in
many instances, are as perfect in con-
tour and as distinct as if the waters
had receded only few years since.
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.
Great Government Irrigation Work.
This first irrigation work of the ma.
tional5 government. which is to be cele.
brated by the turning of the water in.
to the gigantic bitches this month, is
the largest project which has been
definitely outlined and approved under
the irrigation act-known as the
Truckee-Carson project. When com
pleted it will involve the expenditure
of approximately nine million dollars
and will reclaim 100000 acres Of
desert land. That portion of the sys
tenn now completed consists of a cana
81 miles long to take water from the
Truckee river and convey it to the
Carson river, where large storage
reservoir is projected. Just below
this reservoir site, the waters Of the
two streams will be led out upon the
plains by two canals, with combined
capacity Of 1900 cubic feet per second
Some $4,000 acres are to be irrigated
| this spring, for which 200 miles o,
small distributing bitches have beer
I;dug. j, #Et +.
The secretary of the interior has
set aside $2,740,0OO of the "Reclama
ton Fund" for the initial work, and BY
the time this has been expended about
100000 acres will be under canals, and
the settlers will be returning in annual
payments the original investment
The money thus received will be used
as revolving fund for the completion
OF this project. The land has been
divided into farm units of 80 acres
and the cost of reclamation will be
$26 per acre. Work is being com
menced this spring on regulating
gates at the outlet of Lake Tahoe
located in California, but whose waters
will be used to reclaim the fertile Ne
vada soil. Future plans involve the
draining of Carson Sink, $4,000 acres
in extent, which overf1ows in years Of
heavy rainfall, and the reclamation Of
lands in the upper Truckee and Car
son valleys. As these large areas are
gradually brought under irrigation 4
greater water supply win be required
and nine additional reservoirs will be
constructed, with combined storage
capacity Of over a million and quar-
ter acres feet Ian acre foot equals one
acre, one foot deep).
Fruits, Vegetables and Grains YieIe
Abundantly.
The soil under this project is very
fertile opI Ionsd,,o,,. x,..sx a =. 49,.