The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-05-20
BULLETIN BY PUB
L|CITY COMMITTEE

ture and Irrigation. In speaking of OPP
! portunities existing for homesteader-
the circular contains the following:
/ 1t is not to be inferred from the
! foregoing that there are no existing op-
portunities in Nevada for new settlers.
In the aggregate, but scattered
throughout the vast area of the state,
so that, save in some instances, they
are not generally known, there are
probably great many. Classifying
these, we have
Opportunities for homesteaders un.
Ter the Truckee- Carson u S. reclama-
ton project at Fallon, Churchill
county;
Under the Pacific Reclamation com
pany Sc Carey act project, near Wells,
Elko county, portion of which is soon
to be thrown open to entrymen, and
possibly the total acreage will be ready
for settlement within two years;
Other private, and especially Carey
act, reclamation projects, which within
two, three and five years will throw
open to settlers large tracts of land
with available water rights;
The breaking up of large landed
estates into small farms, with water
rights; such, for example, as the Dang
berg estate in Douglas county;
The more economical use of water
by irrigators and the conservation of
the flood waters of small streams lead
ing to the gradual cultivation of new
areas, but in small and scattered tracts
throughout the state;
The comparatively recent dicovery
of the existence of artesian water for
irrigation purposes within number of
our valleys and deserts, giving hopeful
promise of the relamamaion of extens-
i've areas through the natural flow Of
artesian wells and from pumped wells,
and, lastly, in few favorable districts
of the state, dry farming.
Irrigation Work Must Precede Coloni-
cation.
Reviewing the colonization problem
in Nevada, as it presents itself for So
hutton, there is no escape from the con-
clusion that irrigation reclamation
works, other than in dry farming Sec
tions, must precede the coming of the
permanent settler. The land, with an
available water right sufficient for its
reclamation, must be offered the colo
mist on reasonable terms, payable in
instalments covering usually ten wears.
This is the established procedure in
other states and must be the practice
here. Therefore, in this analysis of the
colonization situation in Nevada, we
have reached the underlying problem
for solution, to-wit: The WAYS and
means of promoting reclamation enter
prises, small and great. And this. in
the view of this commission, for the
present at least. is it's paramount
work; whilst incidentally aiding and
assisting the colonization of every
tract of land ready, by virtue of a
good and sufficient water right, or
capable of being dry farmed, for entry
by new settler
Opportunities for the Reclamationisi.
That Nevada offers exceptional op-
portunities for irrigation reclamation
enterprises is evidenced by the fact
that, within less than two years, appli-
cations for the temporary withdrawal
or complete segregation, of desert
lands, to be reclaimed by proposed IT.
rigation works, under the Carey act
approximating one million acres, have
been filed in the state land office, and
within the first six weeks after the
new commission was organized with
control of the same, actual and tenta-
tive applications covering nearly two
hundred thousand acres, additional.
have been presented. Nevada is re,
ceiving the lively consideration of en-.
glneers and companies familiar with
Carey act procedure in other states
who are now turning their attention
here as new field for irrigation ex.
ploitation; since the opportunities for
irrigation enterprises elsewhere are
diminishing by reason of occupancy
1t may be proper to add that many of
these professional reclamationists evil
dence enthusiastic astonishment at
what appears to them as their original
discovery of the states latent agricul-
tural possibilities. The fact that Ne
vada lies between parallels of latitude
equivalent to the northern boundary of
Pennsylvania and that of Georgia
with the climatic conditions, other
than humidity, corresponding; that
cotton, lemons, oranges and semi
tropical fruits may be grown success
fully in the southern extremity of the
state, and all ordinary northern crops
and fruits in the north and-where
there is water for irrigation-with
bountiful harvests, appeals to the i'm
business instincts of the reclamation
list. The result is that the state is be.
ing explored today by the irrigation
engineer for available water rights,
with an eagrenesss scarcely less keen
than that of the prospector for gold
Reclamation of Small Tracts.
While the reclamationist is looking
| for opportunities to reclaim large
tracts, only, and is disposed to neglect
those by which less area than many
thousand of acres may be reclaimed.
thre is a field of profitable opportunity
for individuals, organizations and com.
munities, interested as original entry
men or as promoters of local colonial
1 tion enterprises, to undertake small re.
clamation projects in every county of
the state. These may be undertaken,
/ if in excess of 1880 acres, under the
provisions of the Carey act, and in
tracts not exceeding 800 acres (bv
original entrymen) under the provisions
l.