Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1906-01-20
TALKS
Soil Expert Thomas H. Means
Tells of Many New
Departures.
Water Will Be Had On Fifty ThouS-
and Acres Soon.

Thomas Ii. Means, the government
soil expert who will have charge of the
distribution of water in the the Car
son project, favored Standard repre-
sentative with many interesting facts
in condection with our irrigation en-
prise In speaking this week OF various
matters pertaining to the work, Mr..
Means said:
"The one fact which the reclamation
people want to impress upon the settler,
both old and new is, we do not want to
conduct our future operations in this
section upon any fixed rules, established
on foreign precedent, but we wish to
meet the actual needs as they are
presented. Due consideration will be
given to the former processes en-
ployed in the tilling OF Carson Sink
soil, and in no cases will the reclama-
tion department undertake to cut down
the usual allotment OF water, formerly
enioved, unless waste is plainly evident.
Data to hand, would indicate that the
average amount of water employed in
the irrigation of the old lands in this
section has been between two and a
hall and three feet OF water for the en-
tire growing section, and it is our pur-
pose to duplicate this amount, to be
distributed at least every ten days.
Especially, it must be understood that
the soil OF the Carson sink is quite
varied, embracing some OF the best un-
der the sun and some of the poorest in
rare cases, and that their needs will not
be uniform.
attention should be called to the
fact that of all government projects
now under course OF construction but
two are not settling up as they should,
namely the Yuma and Carson projects
We attribute the reason to the lack OF
systematic advertising and called at
tention to the delinqueneies Of the local
interests who should before now have
orgaDizel a board of trade Tor the dis
semination of information and prepared
an exhibit of local products, for the
benefit of the new settler. At Mime
doka every acre of ZOO has been
taken, towns have been builded and
everything is in readiness for the sec
tion's agricultural exploitation, except
the water which will not be distributed
until next year, while the Carson
project will be favored this year with
water for 90, ,o0J acres, the majority OF
which is still open to settlement. The
reason assigned for the contrast, Is
created by the wonderful amount of
advertising done for the Minnedoka sec
ton, mostly through the agency OF rhe
railroad companies.
"Within thirty days from date the
entire lateral and canal system will be
carrying water, every ditch will have
been tested, and unless something un-
foreseen happens, that length OF time
will be instrumental in placing $4,000
acres of virgin Soil at the disposal OF
the settler.
"At the present time it is not known
whether or not the water of Lake
Tahoe will be used in the Carson Sink
during the coming season for irrigation
purposes, but the government will ex-
haust every resource to attain that end,
and the present outlook would point to
the completion of the Tahoe storage
dam sometime within the next few
months Iii this is accomplished water
will be had throughout the growing sea-
son OF next fall, in abundant quantities,
but il the various Injunction suits instl-
tuted by private interests are successful,
the water supply of the season will be
confined to that furnished by the water
sheds of the Truckee and Carson rivers.
The recent heavy snowfall in the Sierras
would warrant the assertion that this
will furnish more than has been usual
ly enjoyed by the old settlers residing
in Churchill county, who formerly de.
pended solely upon the surplus waters
of the Carson river.
"There has been Il great deal of mis-
apprehension as regards. the water
charges. In this connection 1t should
be stated that in no cases will water
charges be inflicted upon lands that are
non-irrigable. Within the next few
weeks, government expert will visit
every Iarm unit in the Carson project,
for the purpose of determining the ex-
sea amount of land that can be con-
veniendy put under water, and the
settler Will DC asked to sign a contract
with the government for just enough
water to cover this acreage and no
more. 1t is expected that this work
will be completed within the next