Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-06-17
TRUCKEE-CARSON
CANAL OPENED.
First Of Irrigation Systems Con-
Nruclcd by Government Under
Reclamation Act
MEANS NEW ERA FOR NEVADA,
Length is lhir,y.0ne Miles Control
OF Water Sources Remains In
lnilcd states,

Reno, NcNu Juno Il" WIN the orcn'
ms NJ tho TucRoc.rason cnnal below
Reno today the 0rs, ~ the irrigation
systems constructed by tho government
under the reclamation act a new era
wag opened for Nevada and the entire
Wcnl,
The main canal runs from Derby 10
milcs cast OF Reno, on the TrucRcc riys
~ lo point 10 miles above Loyoylllc
on the carson river a distance " Of
miles.
a peculiar feature Of The nrsl fcw
miles Of the canal b. that earth ON.
blankmonls are lcfl In their natural
condition vhilo the rock rs almost IN.
NurIahy cemonlod, This is on account
Of the fact mat Government Engineer
Taylor fears pcrcomllou moro than
erosion sill viii mn the mtorslccs OF
sand ana lpam but would be carried
through crcyicod rock Where the walls
ana bottom Of the dltch are ccmcntod,
ana this condition prevails for miles,
the bottom uaIroWs tu 10 feet on &C.
count 0f the fact that there viii br NJ
ilc friction ana rolardul Of the Wa-
tors II IL estimated that the flow win
pass us easily through this medium ~
whore tho walls are 90 feet apart at the
bottom ana are composed Of earth
one of the chief difficulties that the
government engineers win have 10 con.
tend with IN the wind, which carries In
front NJ It and lts TRAIN whrl NJ sand,
ON % stormy day the doaoW Hand drliis
constantly INTO the dltch 20 RAPIDLY that
II threatens the usefulness OF the canal
" not cleaned ont every foW weeks
Tho only remedy that has been found
f0r this cNll ~ n series NJ fences to
hold back the powdered silica Thrco
tunnels are IN the line of the ditch In
addition to a tunnel spillway These
are lined with cement ana were ann
cut oi construction ON account ot
Squeezing ground,
large amount Of thorough ana
searching photographic work was done
In Nevada both before ana after the
passage Of the reclamation act This
work consisted In measurement Of the
discharge of the principal streams or
the state, together with that " their
various tributaries 10 determine the
character ana extent " the supply NJ
water upon which 10 base estimates for
the work that " now being carried ON.
Drain or waste bitches form an Inn.
port0nl part of the irrigation syMom,
The cost NJ these, together with con-
crete diversion dam on the Carson rly.
cr ana other structures, WIN approSI.
mate half n million dollars
'uhp ipliIul lrYIUttIun NNNtYR, uIII Ia,
used IN dlsrihuto water over about 5O.,
900 acres Of land During the most two
years the syatom VIII be extended 10
cover 100000 acres more This win I'm,
crease the total distribution sygtom
To u length ~ ! 200 mllos
Arrangements are now being made To
construct regulating dam al the
mouth 0f Lake Tahoe, Aa u larger area
of land N brought undor irrigation and
the demand for Walor increases, ave or
six other dams on the truckeo river and
nv tributaries win be- constructed and
-four reservoirs WIN be hullt on tho
carson river one VI the reservoirs win
be N miles In lenglh, ana viii have
surface area " 1000 acres
Tho entire irrigation system ns pro,
| ioctcd VIII not be completed FOR nine
ar ten years. ana win cost about 49,
| 00OOOO After the initial work II Nm.
ighcd ana the FIRST section Of land IN
| placed under irrigation, the balance
" thu project win be carried ont Win
the proceeds Of the sale Of government
| land adjacent "a the bitches ana tha
| sale NJ water 60 the settlers who aye
| expected a. take up the land,
The method Of obtaining the gov,
| ornmont lNnd IN the newly irrigated
aTen win he simple The charge hus
| been fixed by the secretary NJ The m,
| terror at maSmum of SgG AN acre,
This sum VIII not represent the pur'
chase price 10 the land but % prrpetu.
| nj title 10 the water The land itself
WIN be homestead Applications for
| the land are now being made 10 the
land once ~ Carson Guy the wa
| ter right " SEQ mn acre VIII be- pay
able In ten equal Nrlallmonls, ana IT,
| tie Viii not lapse until two payments
have been passed, which win give tho
! homestcadcr the opportunity Of passlng