Lovelock tribune. (Lovelock, Nev.) 1898-1912, 1911-06-08

Ine ElkO Free TroSS COHIiHuOo
to see grave danger to Elko Coun-
ty water rights in the attitude OF
water appropriations along the cours
of the lower, Humboldt to the grant
ing of any new water applications
at the head of the river. In the
last weeks issue of that paper a
number of facts from the Elko Coun
ty point of view are printed as foil
ows;
"It is an established fact that
for unnumbered years the snow wat
er from the mountains in this coun-
ty have gone off with rush ant
passed on down the Humboldt vail
ey, at last reaching the Humboldt
sink or lake where the waters we're
practically lost by evaporation and
sinkage. The amount of water is
greater during the early summer
months, and usually in August and
September there is little or no flow
in certain parts of the river.
1.-The same condition exists in Ell
ko county in regard to the smaller
streams, tributary to the Humboldt.
The streams are swoolen out of banl
in early spring and during the hot
summer days there is usually no
flow into the Humboldt. III fact
the Humboldt river itself gets so
low that there is no flow past Elko.
"But during the past few years
since the ranchers on the upper wat
ers of each stream have been irri-
eating more EXTENSIVELY, the water
is seeping through the soil ano
comes out lower down later ON In
the year, giving the ranchers low
er down the stream, water When
most needed-after the flood wat
ers have gone.
For instance, years ago before
the Mary's river valley was irrigat-
ed, the lower portion of the river
Invariably went dry. 1t was alway
expected. Then when the water OF
the upper, part of the valley and all
along down, was turned son, 1t fill
tered down and the ground formed
s. natural reservoir, with the result
that now Mary's river has steady
constant stream all the year round.
due to the holding back of the
flood water which is put In the
ground early in the season and hl-
ters down through the soil, coming
out later.
The fact that the ground itsel1
becomes a vast reservoir when irri-
gated on the upper streams, has
been acknowledged, werever irriga
tion is used The man below Is
benefited by irrigation above him.
1.-The water is not lost in Elke
county, but the loss comes aftt
leaving this county, the greatest loss
being in the Battle Mountain basin
There are nearly three times the
amount of water flowing through
Palisade canyon as reaches Oreana
which is ,about eight miles this sid
of Lovelock. These figures are tai
ell from the government reports ant
consequently cannot be disputed.
The following data has been com
piled from the reports of the U. S
Geodetic Survey for seven years. al
shows the amount of water, in acre
feet flowing in the Humboldt ris<
past Palisade, Golconda. and ore
ana during these years:
1903 1905 1906
Palisade, 23S,441 100000 2sO,oOt
Goiconda, 122,9S0 $4,000 $4,000
Oreana, S7,757 73,O2O 2O7,Oo'
Between Palisade and Golcon
da, there are two large streams thai
flow an average of 10000 acre fee
of water into the river each, (Rocl
Creek and Pine Creek(. while be
low Golconda there Is only one
stream of any size, tLittle Hum
boldt, and most of the waters
that stream are used in irrigatinf
in Paradise Valley.
1.-The following is. the estimated
loss of water in acre feet betweel
paliaade and GOlcOnda. and he
tween Palisade and Oreana: