The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1920-08-20
RECLAMATION
PROJECT URGED


In order to afford relief for the
water users of Western Nevada. who
are now dependent upon Lake Tahoe
storage, and TO make possible the irri-
cation of at least $4,000 additional
acres of land in this section of the
state, Gov. Boyle and State Engineer
Scrugham have proposed to the irri-
CATION service the construction of a
large storage reservoir near Reno to
be used for the storage of flood waters
of the Truckee river that ae now GO
ing to waste each spring and winter.
Ii is estimated that such reser-
voir and its main canal system can
be built for approximately $4,000 900.
one-half of which cost, it Is proposed.
shall be advanced by the state of Ne
vada and the remainder by the federal
government, all of which would ulti-
mately be repaid by the present users
and new settlers upon future reclaimed
land. says the News.
The irrigation service has already
indicated favorable attitude toward
the project, but has not yet given def
mite assurances as to the amount of
money that the government would ad-
vance In cooperation with the state.
Two sites for such a storage reser-
voir are being considered and have
been given preliminary examination
Lennon valley. directly north of
Reno. and Spanish Springs valley, ly-
ing north of Sparks, both of which are
capable of large storage.
Lennon valley, according to E1gi-
neer Scrugham, is capable of several
times the storage capacity of Spanish
Spring valley, but as the latter. If
damned. would contain at least 500 :
600 acre feet of water and could be
converted into reservoir at a much
less cost than the former, 1t is be-
lieved to be the better selection. En-
gineer Scrugham left this afternoon
for Spanish Springs valley to con-
tinue a reconnaissance of the site
there. Later a complete survey of
both sites will be made which will he
participated in by L. II. Taylor of
Reno and b. G. Mcbride of Elko. who
VIII assist the state in the matter.
An outstanding feature of the pro-
posed plant is that the point of diver
sion from the Truckee river. ;he en-
tire length of the canal and the reser-
voir itself would be located wholly
within the state of Nevada. thereby
freeing this state and its water users
from the interference and litigation
that has been conducted by California
interests of the Lake Tahoe section
for many years. The construction of
the proposed reservoir, Ii is set out.
would practically free this section
from its dependency upon Take Tahoe
as a storage point by causing the flood
water Of the Lake Tahoe watershed to
be impounded after they enter the
river and flow into the state of
Nevada
the matter this morning State Engi-
neer Scrugham said such a storage
unit could be constructed, with Span
ish Springs valley as a site, for ap-
proximately 100000 that a reser-
voir at that point would have a stor-
age capacity of about 100000 acre
feet of water and would make possi-
BILE the reclamation of at least 10000
acres of land which is now arid,
10000 acres of which would be in the
vicinity of Reno. The reservoir, he
said, would be capable of holding at
least two-thirds of the average an
nual food waters of the Truekee
river, which are now going TO waste
and would practically eliminate the
present conflict with California inter-
ests which would not be affected in
any manner by the project.
Both Spanish Springs valley and
Lennon valley have been considered
in the past years by government and
state engineers as potential storage
sites. the former being the largest in
this section, but expensive of con-
struction.
1t has been estimated that Lem
mon valley would have a storage ca
pacity OF approximately two million
acre-feet of water, but as drainage
from 1t would have to be effected
either by long tunnel or by pump
ing. The expense of its development
Is claimed to be a formidable OBJ
stacle.
Both Gov. Boyle and State Engi-
neer Scrugham, who have gone deeply
into the matter, say that, II adequate
assistance can be obtained from the
federal government this state will be
able to invest in the enterprise at least
one million dollars made available by
the last legislature for soldier settle
ment upon farm lands.
AS both the state and federal gov
ernments have made provision for
participation in reclama-
ton undertakings the management
and construction of such a project