The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-01-13
THE HUMBOLDT
RIVER SYSTEM

journal containing useful informa-
tion for tourists and intending set
tiers published by the Southern
acific and circulated broadcast thro-
ughout the world, appears the follow
ing article on the Humboldt valley:
The Humboldt --.ver System.
The Humboldt river from the source
of its longest tributary to the sink
where its waters are last by evapora-
tion, is nearly 1000 miles in length
It's drainage area covers 1880 square
miles. About 175,000 acres of land
along the river and its tributaries are
under cultivation. The upper valleys
at the source of the river have an
elevation of approximately 5000
feet, descending to about 5000 feet
at Elko, $500 feet at Battle Noun
tain, 4,300 feet at Winnemucca and
1000 feet at Lovelock. Some of the
richest farming districts of Nevada
are along this river. Near Wells is
the Pacific Reclamation company's
Carey act project which is opening up
for settlement 30,00O-acre tract of
good land suitable for growing alfal-
fla. grain and general northern farm
crops. The town of Metropolis came
into existence on this project. The
water-supply is derived from a storage
system of the flood waters of Bishops
creek and its tributories.
South of Wells is Glover valley, not
properly a part of the Humboldt river
system, however, but contiguous to it,
about thirty-fve miles long and from
FIVE to ten miles wide Although the
elevation of this valley is 5000 feet,
and the winters are somewhat severe,
there is five months growing seas
on, producing good crops of alfalfa
and grain. Some splendid apples are
grown here, and the valley is worthy
of attention from those interested in
climate producing an apple of the
longest keeping quality. The average
annual precipitation is fifteen inches
About Deeth on the Humboldt, and
including Marys river valley, Star
valley and Lamoille valley, is an ex-
tensive agricultural section contain
ing about 10000 acres of alfalfa and
natural grass lands, and very much
larger acreage which is susceptible of
reclamation. IT is possible that ex-
tensive tracts of lowlands in these
valleys, possessing a high water
table-natural moisture within short
distance below the surface-can be
made to grow the "dry- farming va
rieties of wheat and cereals without
irrigation. The Fort Halleck irriga-
tion district recentlv organized under
a new state law, is constructing an ir-
rgation system to reclaim about TO-
900 acres near Lamoille valley, at an
outlay of about $225,00O. Throughout
these valleys are a number of very at
tractive ranches.
Elko, the county eeat of Elko coun-
ty, is the center of the greatest cattle
and sheep ranges of the state, and
with considerable of farming section
in the immediate vicinity 1t is a
thriving town of about 1000 popula-
tion, with the outlook for an import
ant future. 1t lies on both the South
ern Pacific and Western Pacific rail
roads and is the business center of a
prosperous tributary territory From
Elko north extends a great stock-rais-
ing, mining and agricultural country,
clear to the Idaho line, the import
ance of which from the agricultural
standpoint is not yet more than dimly
realized. Here are the. valleys of the
Owyhee, Bruneau and Salmon rivers,
whose waters ultimately reach the
Columbia and the Pacific. This is a
country, as yet, of vast cattle ranges
and far from railroad communication.
1t is well watered and with great pos
sibilities for ultimate colonization.
From Palisade south for fifty miles
is succession of long narrow val
leys, through which extends the Eure-
ka & Palisade railway, the latter con-
tinuing on to the famous old mining
camp of Eureka, still on the produc-
ing list ond once the greatest lead
camp of the world. Only about 5000
acres of land are under cultivation on
Pine and Hot creeks in these valleys.
Practically all the farming is a side
issue to stockraising.
Along the Humboldt, between Pali-
sade and Oreana, a distance of about
100 miles, some $4,000 acres are under
cultivation, chiefly in natural grass
meadows and alfalfa. Much of the
soil is river-bottom silt, susceptible
of easy drainage in many instances, in
other cases not requiring any and
naturally highly productive. Here,
again, farming is secondary to stock
raising, with large ranches almost
universal. On Spring creek, for ex-
ample, is tract of about $4,000 acres
&C level arabic sagebrush land, only a
small part of which is under cultiva-
tion but practically all of which is
feasible of reclamation. This tract
is part of great stock range. In
this stretch of country along the
Humboldt it is safe to say that there
is room for 1000 farm families to ac-
quire independence, where today the
land is owned by perhaps a hundred.
South from Beowawe extends Cres-
cent valley, nearly forty miles in
length by ten miles in width. In many
places there is a high water table,
suggestive of possibilities for So
called "dry farming" where the sub
surface moisture supplies most of that
required for crops. The land is level
a,I orab1a Tho naScihsEttap for