The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-05
Government Gives Attention to
Montana and Nevada Dur
ing Past Year.
WATER RESOURCES OF
DESERTS INVESTIGATED
Truckee and Carson Streams
May Have Waters Utilized
Within Year.


survey, which has recently come from the
press, contains an account OF work done
by tho survey during the last fiscal year
July l, 1894, TO july /. lSc0-in the various
States.
an Montana, 1876 square miles of new
area were geographically surveyed, 735
miles OF levels were run and lZ} bench
marks were established during tho last
fiscal year. In cooperation with the re-
clamation service. three parties were en-
gagged in topographic surveys In the
kremlin, Box Elder and Lonesome Spec
iIl quadrHnEles, and In parts OF the Big
Sandy, Nirgellc, Laredo, Nandali1 and
Glasgow quadranElcs. and completed work
u the Hiusdalc Special quadrangle. The
dcld work wns done on the scales OF
AS, ,OOj and l;24,0OO for publication on the
scale OF GO, 500. with contour intervals OF
% and feet. Lonesome lake was also
surveyed Tor a reservoir site, on the scale
of 1:2tO00 In addition to this topo-
graphic work two parties were engaged In
running Independent lines or levels, one
of the earth in the Vicinity OF Butte, and
the other to check old work In the vicinity
OF Garrison, the latter work being charge
able partly TO forestry.
Forest Reserve Surveyed.
Some OF the topographic work in Mon
tana was within the Lewis and Clark for
est reserve. one party WAS engaged in
completing the Topographic survey OF the
kintla Lakes quadrangle and beginning
that OF the Marston quadrangle, both for
a
contour interval OF 100 feet. In addition,
FOR the control OF this and aioinng areas,
one level party was maintained Tho
boundary OF the Lewis and Clark forest
reserve was surveyed by Mr.. w. H.
Thorn, United States surveyor who, dur
ing the season surveyed and marked with
iron posts 6l1z miles OF new line, and re-
traced ll2 miles previously surveyed. for
the purpose OF setting iron posts which
hud been omitted the year before. In
connection with this boundary survey Jiy
miles Of public land lines were run,
During the season OF 1901, Mr. Fred
Mclaughlin connected the tTiaugulation
which had been extended eastward from
tho Burnham base with the Missouri
junction of Missouri and MIX rivers In
Valley county Later In the season an
area OF about 1000 square miles In Chou
tcau county was controlled, extending
ham base, In ChouttIu county, south OF
tho BuTnham base. TO connect with the
line Recess ridge OF the Missouri River
triangulauon, and thence westward across
Mnrins river The work was done under
the supervision Of Mr.. H. L. Baldwin,
Jr Eight old stations were rcoccupicd,
including those Of the Missouri River
commission. and is new ones were select
cd and occupied
Ten topographic atlas sheets OF areas In
Montana were engraved and printed by
the survey during the fiscal year lgO}-05.
These Include maps OF the Bowdoiu,
Butte, Assinib1in" Chinook, Harlem.
Havre. Oyando, Saco Wayne Creek and
Nantic QuadraUglcs AIT. w VI. Weed
was engaged during the larger part OF
the year In preparing maps and manu-
scripts Tor report on the Butte copper
district. A week OF his time was spent
In a study Of the recent developments in
tho Leonard ming, which threw new light
Upon certain complicated problems.
Certain bodies of land lying along the
Yellowstone and Zig Horn rivers arc TO
le reclaimed under the name OF the Crow
reservation project. Most OF the land lies
In the coded portion Of the Crow Indian
reservation. Three parties have been nc
yeys. The first party was put In the field
about June l. 1874, and ran a line OF levels
to determine Tie feasibility OF a high limo
canal from the mouth Of the BighOrn
canyon. Toward the. last OF June this
work was completed, and IL was decided
TO make preliminary location Of the
Jigh line c1nal. About the middle OF
July topographic party was organized
and put TO work on the di.-sion sites
and special features requhSg detailed
topography. In August third party was
outntted ard started on a preliminary
canal location for the lands along the
Yellowstone below HuUtley.
Maps of Nevada Camps.
In view II the rapid development of
the mining districts of Nevada and the
consequent demand for information tho
reconnaissance Topographic map or the
entire region. Including the BullfroR
lIawtch' IoHoF, Ida and other districts,
and OF a special Topographic map of tho
Goldfeld district. the principal center OF
activity, A geologic reconnaissance map
of the mining regions was made by Mr.
). II. Ball. who accompanied the topo-
graphic party fer that purpose. Mr.. j. E
Spur spent several weeks In the Tonopah
district, studying its latest developments
photographic work in Nevada was car
rled on In cooperation with the State
through the State engineer, Mr. Henry
Thurten. Gauging stations were main
tHined at Empire, Gardnerville. Yerlng
ton, Golconda Oreana PaiiSade ElburZ
Elko, Wadsworth. Moapa. Vista and
Wabuska. The character and depth OF
the ground waters n the Carson sink. be-
meath the area which 1t is proposed TO
irrigate under the name of the Truckec
Carson project were Investigated by Mr..
Herman Stablcr. under the direction OF
Mr. NJ. O. Leighton, chief OF the surveys
hydro economic section.
The large amount of information avail
able concerning the water resources OF
Nevada made II possible TO reach an early
conclusion regarding the merits of Yari-
fore begun at an carly date on the plans
and estimates for utilizing the waters OF
Truckee and Carson rivers. number OF
reservoir sites on the heudwatcrs OF
Truckee and Carson rivers were surveyed
and opportunities for divcrting the water
were examined. The waters OF Truckce
river arc used for the irrigation OF lands
In the vicinity OF Reno. Below these
lands the river flows through a narrow
canyon and then turns to the north, its
waters being lost In Pyramid and Winnie
mucca lakes. In this lower canyon is now
completed a canal. taking out the flood
and excess waters Of Truckoe river, which
would otherwise be lost In the lakes and
carrying them southeastward TO a rcser-
voir on the lower part Of Carson river
In this same reservoir the excess waters
OF the latter stream can also be used
From this reservoir distributing canals
have been built.
The main canal from Truckce to Car
son river was completed and formally
opened In June. 1905. A large canal and
headworlSs TO divert water from Carson
river to the irriRable land to the south
have been completed great area of
land in Carson valley VIII be under IrrIga-
tlon from this system In 1905. An investi-
cation Of the ground waters In Carson
valley was made during the year Wher-
ever wells had been sunk the water was
taken from them but the larger proper
ton OF the samples were collected from
wells bored for that purpose with hand
augcr In this way data were obtained
by which the alkaline constituents OF the
ground water of the entire area were de-
tcrminsd and map was prepared which
shows tho varintions in concentration of
alkalies in the water,