The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-08-04
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS
ON PROJECT DURING JULY
Statement of Manager Cole Showing
Progress and Conditions of This
Section In Past, Month.

son Project during the month of
July has been prepared by the Pro
ject Manager for publication.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
Weather and Water-July wealth
er was standard western Nevada
weather, steadily warm with only
few sand squalls; few light
showers and generally good crop
growing conditions.
The hot days carried practically
all the snow off the mountains and
kept the streams up to a good stage
Tahoe reached its maximum eleva-
| tion 6229.12 on July IL; Lahontan
reservoir reached the maximum of
4132S July 7th with about $4,000
acre-feet OF storage Truckee canal
continued uniform flow of 400 sec
ond feet in the early part of the
month and gradually decreasing with
fall of the river until only about 1876
feet was available.
The Government took over control
of Lake Tahoe outlet works ca July
1st and the rise of t,-c lake to its
maximum thereafter afforded about
$4,000 acre-feet of storage available
for the project this season. Draft
from this storage was commenced
when Truckee river at Derby fe'l be-
low the required stage. A few days
of acute water shortage at Fernley
intervened while the stored water
was being brought down from the
lake. an interval of SO hours being
required for this purpose. The riv-
or was regulated during the remain
der of the month so as to give the
minimum required water for Fern
ley, Hazen and Lahontan irrigation
and power.
Lahontan reservoir furnished
abundant water for the main portion
of the project with depletion of
about u feet in depth.
A somewhat rigid rotation of wat
er delivery was necessitated at Fern
| ley during the last half of July. On
the remainder of the project the
abundant supply was distributed un-
+ der the various schemes of rotation
adapted to each community or ditch
system. The water service to farm
ers appeared to give general salts
+ faction. A few breaks in laterals
occurred as usual caused by gophers.
Maintenance Work.-The mainte-
nance force was employed in clean
ing drains in various parts of the
project and particularly was engaged
in taking care of laterals where the
growth of moss was SO troublesome
as to reduce the carrying capacity
very seriously The maintenance
force also did some work in conjune-
tion with the county on highways at
points where they had become inn
passable on account of seepage from
canals.
Crop and Business Conditions
The first cutting of alfalfa was great
! " inferior to the standard first cut
ting. The principal cause was the
stunting of growth by the spring
frost from which the plant did not
fully recover. Second crop has made
a fine growth and will yield heavy
except where grasshoppers have in
terfered. Serious loss from this pest
resulted in a considerable portion OF
the project The grain crop is par
ticularly good has not yet been har-
vested and is being damaged to some
extent by grasshoppers.
Dairying continued as usual with
gradual increase in number of cows
fed and milked. Price of butter fat
was well maintained under the fay-
orable influence of the California
market which in turn was influenced
by demand from Australia.
Business generally on the project
continued in a depressed state. Some
activity was latterly shown in con-
nection with the establishment of the
Nevada State Fair at Fallon site
having been donated by the w. w.
Williams heirs and preliminary prog
ress made toward the necessary
buildings to be placed on the land as
provided by recent act of the State
Legislature providing for the hold
ing of the Annual Fair at Fallon.
Current Events Mr.. Elwood
Mead, Chairman of the General
Board of Project Review, visited the
project on July and 10 calling at
Lahontan and going through the ir-
rigated section to some extent; lat
terly attending meetings of the Pro-
ject Board of Review.
The Project Board of Review was
in session from July to July IL in
elusive and again from July 10 to FL
inclusive, when its work was com
pleted. the report and proceedings
being forwarded on Saturday, July
gath.
The annual report to Congress, the
estimate for fiscal year 1917, adjust
ment of estimates for 1916, and var
ious loutine estimates and reports
were forwarded during the month.
~. rONsTRUCTJON