The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1921-09-14
Alternative
Drains Planned
MIR. Williamson Explains Changes
Necessary TO Provide for
Pasture Irrigation


charge bitches designed to receive
the flow of the deep drains, to act
as outlets, providing free dis.
charge, and to carry the water into
the upper terrace eYaporating basin
OF reservoir.
The most important one of these
is called the Main Discharge
DITCH" and it would receive the
now OF the ''LC," the South Fork,
and the I'VE est Side" drains neal
the point where II was planned to
divert all of TINS fiow into the "Di-
agonal" drain. The Diagonal
drain, below this point, would be
lS a miles long with 20 1t. base
wldtn, average depth of cut about
10 feet and slope of only one foot
per mile. The Main Discharge
Ditch would be four miles long
With 20 IT. base width, average
depth OF cut about five feet, and a
slope of two feet per mile.
The New River Diversion
Ditch was designed to provide an
outlet for the Id" Extension
drain as well as to obviate the ne
eessity for the construction of about
two miles of the lower end of New
River" drain. Since this plan was
prepared, however, construction
work has so far progressed that
most of this two mile stretch is al
ready completed. This cost having
been incurred and an outlet provid-
ed for New River drain, it may
be found unnecessary now to con-
struct this New River Diversion
Ditch" for purely drainage pur-
poses. 1t should be built eventually
in order to divert and conserve the
water of New River for pasture irri-
cation. Whenever it is so construct
ed, the cost of construction of the
two miles of New River" drain will
appear as an item of loss which
might have been prevented by a
little foresight and action at the
proper time.
This discharge ditch as planned
would be 5.S miles in length with a
base width of nine feet, an average
depth of cut of about four feet anC
slope of IL feet per mile, a littl,
sleeper slope than that given the
constructed New River outlet.
The alternative plan should now
be modified leaving out this ditch
for the present and saving its cost
of about $4,000.
The unfortunate condition thai
the power and influence of the pro
jeet manager have been strongly
exerted to smother and discredii
the alternative plan without a hear
ing makes it useless to expect any
cooperation from that quarter OF
even a fair and unprejudiced con
sideration of whatever merits the
plan may have. Having to contend
against this handicap, it become.
necessary that the new plan, in ev-
cry detail, must be better than the
plan to be superseded. The slight
est hint of curtailment of the maxi.
mum of efficiency or safety obtain
able under the old plan would be
eagerly seized upon and beloved
forth as proof positive that the
whole alternative plan was worth.
less. A reasonable effort to ac.
commodate a new idea would allow
a comparison to be made in a friend.
ly and cooperative spirit adjusting
the final to the average of whatever
was found best; and under such co.
operation, it would probably be
found unnecessary to include sew.
eral of the items of cost which have
been included in the estimate for the
alternative plan.
The second terrace levee, with an
estimated cost of $4,000, was in
cluded as an item of extreme safety
1t could well be left in allegiance un-
til and unless it was found neces.
sary. The main discharge ditch,
estimated at $4,000, also might be
found to be unnecessary If the
IL Cutoff" drain were enlarged and
used for the added discharge with
a water surface elevation at its
mouth of practically 3911. 1t may
be found that its use and efficiency
as a deep drain would not be seri-
ously hindered If the discharge ele-
vation were raised to 1913. The
saving would be partly offset by a
cost of something like $4,000 for
the enlargement of the IL Cutoff -
With a friendly attitude toward pas
ture development, II might be found
satisfactory and practical to charge
the cost of the necessary control
levee system to the capital invest
ment of the pasture. These possible
notifications of the alternative
plan would allow saving of sS3,-
600 instead of $4,000 as estimated
The plan might be developed
along these lines IL the project
manager cared to protect the inter-
ests of the people of the district or
took a tolerant and unprejudiced
attitude toward suggested plans or
proposals which he did not origi-
nate. 1t is not to be expected that
the present project manager will
thus qualify if past performance is
any indication. 1t becomes neces-
sary for us to get the best results
we can without his cooperation OF
in spite of his active opposition
but 1t does not seem right or neces.
sary that we should long be com.
PEELED to do business with, or be
ruled by, such an arbitrary and un,
reasonable man.