The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1913-07-02
OUR WATER
SUPPLY
Lake Tahoe Has Begun To
Recede One Month Earlier
Than Usual.
Work In Progress at Lalontan VIII
Preclude Any Recurrence of
Our Present Trouble.

The project water situation is none
too good. But 100 second feet of the
Truekee flow is finding its way into
the Truekee canal at Derby, the res
idue of $50 second-feet being drawn
from Lake Tahoe by the power COM
panies, while the Carson flow last
week was but so second feet The
capacity of the Trrckee canal is 1900
second feet. The difference between
what is running through the power
dyelopment stations and that reach
ing the Truckee canal, except seep-
age. Is taken up BY the farmers Of
the Truekee meadows.
The Tahoe lake level. according
to card received by Project Engin-
eef D. ". Cole Monday had reeeded
one-half an inch in the week preced-
ing tending to show that the lake s
maximam seasonal heighth had been
reached for the present year and that
the water would continue to reeede
This recession of the waters of the
lake Is occurring this year about a
month earlier than usual. owing to a
scant fall Of snow in the mountains,
which is practically exhausted now.
The negotiations for the use of
Donnor lake as an auxiliary reser-
yolr. extended over too long a period
and the late permission, granted only
last week for the impounding Of wa
ters within the basin. came when the
waters that might have been stored
had passed away In the run-of. This
is decidedly disappointing to the pro-
jeet authorities who had hoped TO
materially swell the project supply
through the use OF Donnor lake They
will make no effort to build tenn
porary dam at this late date. as It
would be totally useless.
The situation as analyzed is this.
Water will run through the project
canal systems all summer. but in lin
tied amount and only by rotating. L
viii be dealt out sparingly and there
viii doubtless be suffering of crops
ggaln this year but for the last time,
for the progress OF the work at La
! 1ntan Ia satisfying and sufficient 10
r1rrant az this time the positive as
tsrtion that practically the entire
food rnn-oif OF the Carson watershed
viii be stored next year.
Word has been received from the
foundry IN Pittsburg. Pa. that the
lest of the iron gate material has
been completed and was shipped on
June 24th. In the meantime. the
iron work is being placed in the bot
tom of the gate channels at Lahon-
tan and excavating machinery was
started last Friday. II is now running
In full swing, raising the embank-
ment at the rate of from six inches TO
foot daily. In anticipation of
full operations the force was inereas-
ed from 100 men on June 18th to 203
on last Saturday and there will be no
abatement OF work throughout the
year. The structure will be COM
pleted to it's full heighth by next
spring, or before the 1914 run-off oc-
ours and the embarassments that
have characterized the last two seas
ons will thus be obyiated with the
advent of the 1914 irrigation season.
In this connection It will be in
terestlng TO know that the reservoir
will store 100000 acre feet, which
Will Just about be filled by the aver
age Carson river seasonal flow. On
on seasons, though. like last year and
THIS. the flow will scarcely half fill
the great basin. The entire flow of
alst season from the watershed. ae-
cording to figures at hand was but
l12.O0O feet. and this year II was
even less.
This is the dryest season since the
project was established. The average
annual run-off from the Carson alone
100000 acre feet, while 1t Is
uoubtful II much more than 100, 200
acre feet will constitute the present
seasonal flow.
Having two dry years in success