The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1912-11-27
next LEGISLATURE TO ACT
Will go to the Limit of State
Jurisdiction In Lake Tahoe
Matter.

IN come to the attention of the next
legislature Is the status of the me-
eotIations between the government
and private corporations with refer-
euee TO the diversion of more water
from Lake Tahoe into the Truckee
river for the purpose of assisting
irrigation projects. Ii is probable
that no further action than the pas
sage of resolutions can be taken as
the matter is one largely of federal
control, but In view of the activity
of California In bringing influence
to bear on the national officers, a
corresponding and perhaps antago-
nistic effort will probably follow on
the part of Nevada.
In California there Is well-de-
fined notion that Lake Tahoe be-
longs to that state and an equally
clear opposition TO the diversion of
the waters for the benefit of Nevada.
Much of the opposition is based on
the claim that any changes are apt
to injure property surrounding the
lake by raising the water level. This
claim, however. is regarded as an
exaggerated fear and merely an ex-
euse for opposition which is based
primarily on state selhshness.
Fallon's Interest.
AT the present time the welfare OF
the reclamation projects near Fall
Ion is involved In the problem of get
Ding more water from the lake dur
ing the dry seasons. Nevada is ma
teTially interested in the solution.
In the beginning there was a plan
whereby a corporation headed by W.
P. Harmon was to build a dam on
the bank OF Lake Tahoe and divert
a large amount of water. The COM
pany was to get the benefit OF the
power generated and the govern
ment was 10 get the use of the water
for irrigation.
When the Truckee-carson recla-
nation project was started 1t was
thought that the Truckee would fur
nish sufficient water. Later The
Carson river was linked in the plan
and even then there was not enough
water. The Harmon dam promised
to solve the difficulty,
California Opposes.
But California interests got busy
and succeeded in having the work
on the dam stopped and the con-
tract held up. The government then
went TO work on the big dam on
the Carson rtver--the Lahontan
dam--and II will when completed
take care OF a great area OF land.
The water from the Truckee is need
ed, however,, at the present time.
and win be- useful in further recla-
nation wcrk. but there is decided
opposition to It's use from the Cali
fornia sijde OF the lake.
DuriVs the last summer ihe
ranchYs near Fallon were in great
dansskr Of suffering the loss OF their
cropa, through water shortage. Con-
side( oDle damage was done, SO much
so a.t the secretary OF the interior
hasl xranted an extension Of time 10
meY current payments When the
sitI ,tlon was most critical the gov
eri{ = ant entered into an agreement
VIII the Truckee River General
Electric company, which owns the
eli es near the lake, for the purpose
Oh securing an additional flow OF
to meet the emergency
4 To Deepen Channel.
II For. the purpose OF preparing the
|channel 70 meet the need or deliver
linz a large quantity of water IN
I,,mes of drought, work of dredging
land deepening a channel was unoer
way some months ago when an ih-
,unetion was secured stopping 'he
work ana the eh''N
In a state of suspense -
AT the present time the con'ro-
vo,ov heween the Californians ana
tho rich land owners who m i've
around the lake. eenters on 'n'
question whether the contract .:.'' p'
tween the government and the power
oon,nany tends to expose them ts
danger or not. The agreement i'se'
70 stated by Secretary Fisher 10 "
evidence Of the absence OF danger
The same paper is claimed by Tn
opposition to further their 0O'e'''0'
oe.es,ss.sess.sssss-