The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-07-22
RANCHERS
WANT TAHOE WATER

Fernley ranchers are anticipating
shortage OF water, which will pre-
vent them from producing :. third crop
of alfalfa In view of this they are
vitally interested n tn. present Lake
Tahoe controversy, including the
meeting which Secretary of the In
terror Lane has called for July 23, at
| which he proposes to give hearing
to all interested.
W. A. Prs of Fernlo.. one If the
directors of the New ads irrigation
district, made the following state
u ent concerning the COZ ,oversy:
The ca ifornians whc obse'. TO
Nevada using Lake Tthoa waters Tor
irr sation ucder preteasn that dar.
age will be Gene to Lake Tahoe as a
summer resort, will be at this meet
lag, no do lot, in full forca. and viii
| erdeavor o show that suf. a me-
on the part of Neva la's would ne
| G,llmental t. their interests AS q
r., tier of &C.. the limits of rise a2d
IA" which the Newlan1s reclamation
projects desire to esrab.ish will do
practically 20 damage to Lake Tahoe
as resort, because those limits cause
rise and fall of only six feet, and
Lake Tahoe itself during seasons of
drouth and excess precipitation rises
and falls more than that
Furthermore, the limit to which
they propose to low the water is no
more than the lowest natural level
before the outlet was damned. Dam
ming the outlet has raised the level of
the lake The reclamation authorities
proposed rise and fall is nearly the
same as the natural rise and fall of
the lake before the dam was built.
"The Californians opposing the
move do not seem to have clear ';n-
derstanding of the use Nevada in
tends to make of the lake. They seem
to think all the benefits of the lake
and its use as a summer resort viii
be destroyed, when, as a matter of
| fact, nothing of the sort will occur.
1t is doubtful whether the summer re-
sort patrons will ever know that any
control of the lake is being exercised
or that the existence of a certain
number of farmers a hundred miles
away is depending upon small por-
tion of the lake's waters.
This feeling among Californians
seems to have been worked up as a
regular matter of propaganda by large
hotel interests of the lake, who desire
to sell their holdings to the govern
ment at an exorbitant price.
Congressman Kent, through his at
titude in the matter, has brought the
criticisms of certain Nevadans upon
himself as a prominent leader in the
fight against Nevada. Just why he
should take this stand is not apparent
to us. He poses as a liberal-minded
man and as a friend of the people in
general, but he seems to have gotten
off on the wrong foot in this matter
He refuses to investigate conditions
here or to infrom himself as to the
real condition of affairs.
1.-The water users of the Newland!
project have sent Judge French o
/. Reno to Washington to represen
them at this meeting, and have asket
Nevada's senator's and congressman
, to be on hand and to see that Nevada''
! case is properly presented. They art
| expected to ask that Secretary LAM
have condemnation suits instituted
against the riparian owners arount
r Lake Tahote who refuse to allow thu
lake to be used as reservoir.
J 1T is to be hoped that Secretar.
} Lane will render a decision Favorable
/ to Nevada water users. When tn
lake is properly utilized as a storag
reservoir, $4,000 acres of the best lam
! under the Newlands project, which in
cludes the Pyramid lake reservation
: a portion of the Fernley district. tn
e Triangle and Lahonton benches. coul
be opened for settlement and waite