The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-11-29
Will RECLAIM HUM
BOLDT VALLEY LAND

Plans for adding 100000 acres to
the irrigable land in Humboldt county
and for giving every water user alog
the valleys of the Humboldt river and
its tributaries a share of the greatly
increased water supply were explain
ed here today by f. c. Mcclellan. an
Elko civil and mining engineer. says
yesterdays Reno Gazette.
For three years Mr.. Mcclellan. an
old-timer of thirty years residence in
Nevada, has been working on the
scheme. 1t is to be a Carey act pro-
ject and is designed to save from
waste a total of about 3O0,O00-acre
feet of water. This waste arises large
ly through evaporation in two lakes,
one near Battle Mountain and one
further down the river. BY eliminat-
ing these two lakes, the engineers con-
nected with the enterprise expect to
greatly benefit an enormous acreage
through the drainage of the land.
Suit was filed some time ago against
owners. by claiming rights to the sur
plus waters desired for the project,
became, defendants with him. The
proceedings are now in the stage of
paving the way for the company,
known as the Greater Humboldt Cor
poration. to secure 100000 acres of
government land on which to put the
excess of water. Surveys to deter
mine what lands would be available
through access to the lines of di.ch-
es are now being made.
In its essential features. the scheme
involves a canal across the Battle
Mountain basin, to convey the river
water around the lake formed the
construction of four dams to form
storage reservoirs on the North Fork,
South Fork, Maggie and Rock creeks.
and the securing of land on which to
put the surplus water. When this
land is secured it is to be bonded at
half its value, probably at about $50
per acre, to provide the money for
$3,000,000 project.
About fifty water users in the Hum
boldt valley, Mcclellan says, have
Joined in on the proposition. There
are about $50 all together. 1t is de-
sired to work the project out through
the land owners in order that they
may share in the profits if the plan is
successful, rather than with the aid of
outside capital.
1t is estimated that 100000 acre
feet flow into the Battle Mountain
basin and that SO per cent is lost in
a smaller lake further down the river
Mcclellan plans on saving 100000
acre feet of water. half of which is to
be diveded among the land owners
who enter into the company and half
to be sold for the benefit of the pro-
ject.
Beginning at Beowawe the drop is
seven feet to the mile and at Argenta
it changes to five to two feet to the
mile. From that point the river forms
a lake, three to five miles wide and
forty miles in length. 1t is here that
the greatest loss of evaporation oc-
ours.
Mcclellan says that those who have
entered into the project are princi-
pally above the proposed canal, while
those in the Lovelock district, where
water is occasionally lacking. are not
yet taking it up. He expresses belief
that the project will be of great bene-
fit to the land ownrs both directly
and indirectly, both in supplying
more water to those who now irrigate
from the river and in bringing cash
return for water that now goes to
waste.
He hopes to settle the question of
water rights among the users without
litigation. as he declares that there is
enough so that the land owners may
be generous with each other.