Lovelock tribune. (Lovelock, Nev.) 1898-1912, 1907-03-29
So Far LOyelOck Valley Escapes Ser.
lOuS Loss.
CARSON SINK TOTALLY INUN.
DATED.
Government Irrigation System Und-
or Sever Test From Truckee
River Flood.

| The floods of the past ten days
have been something Unprecedented
in the history of the Coast, and while
the people of this valley have beer
grumbling about stormy days, muddy
roads and inclement weather, they
should turn their thoughts to the
conflict against floods and storms
which are devastating the fields and
homes of others, both to the East
aid West, and be thankful our trials
are no worse.
1t is reported that the headwaters
of the Humboldt are raging hi CHER
than ever kno xn before. and it will
be wise policy, for the ranchers
and ditch owners here to make haste
to strengthen their dams and head
gates before the full force of food
water gets down | ere. The whole of
the Lower Paradise Valley is under
water and the Humboldt at Golconda
is spreading oyer the entire bottoms.
But the worst damage so far re-
ported is from the Truckee and Car
son rivers. The foods have passed
Reno and Sparks and the Carson Val
ley, leaving scene of desolation and
devastation behind and is now, through
the Government Irrigation bitches,
reaching the towns, ranches and
homes of the Carson Sink.
A prominent reclamation official
gave out the following statement to a
Reno paper: Between February Goth
and March 18th, lis inches of light
snow fell on the summit of the Sierra
Nevada mountains. The warm winds
of Sunday and Monday melted this
snow very rapidly and caused the
greatest flood ever experienced in
Nevada in the memory of the white
man, with perhaps the year 1862 ex
cepted. All previous records were
broken as evidenced by carefully kept
gauge readings. The flood of 1890
which is vividly remembered and Oft
IN alluded to by the farmers of this
section was pigmy in comparison to
the present flood, as the gauge read
ings kept at Empire, in Carson valley
show the food of 1890 to have reach
ed 5000 second feet in volume, while
the present flood practically trebles
this, gauge readings taken on last
Tuesday showing that approximately
10000 cubic feet were passing thro-
ugh the chute some eight miles above
the Carson dam.
THE Truckee River has also ex.
ceeded all prior performances, as is
demonstrated by the records. The
first of the week the flow had attain
ed a size that gagged 1900 cubic
feet. while the largest flow ever pre-
viously recorded was only $500.
when such tremendous food oc
ours, the only thing that can be done
is to cut the channels where the least
! ~stance is offered and loose the
! ars.
The situation in this valley was
rendered exceptionally dangerous by
/ the new railroad ill between the S
/ Line canal and Old river. This fill is
about 1000 feet long and acts as a
dam, preventing the Carson from
spreading out over the bottoms near
the Old river channel and following
! the line of least resistance, which
would eventually have taken the wat
er back into the river and on into
the Carson Sink.
Instead Of this 1000 feet being a
channel, the water is restricted to a
channel, l25 feet in width, between
the river abutments, which together
with the fill acted as a dam, backing
up the water three feet, as shown by
levels taken by an engineer. AL
though the canal banks and levees
had been raised two feet in anticipa-
tion of such food the backing up OF
the water was more than the EN-.
hankments would stand, with the re-
suit that both broke. Once turned
loose, the water tore around the rail.
road track, which it speedy washed
out, after which it crumbled the can.
al and following the points of least
resistance, found its way into Fallor
and down across the valuable farm,
south and east of town.
''The South Fork ykes, built oil
stronper than were the dykes washe,