The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1921-10-19
Spanish Springs
Awaiting Funds
L. 5. X. 5. Ready to Start Work as
Soon as Appropriation is
Available

!
Spanish Springs reservoir, according
10 John r. Richardson, manager OF
| the Newlands Project. This would
take care OF the unemployment ques-
ton in western Nevada, ii is said,
and at the request OF Congressman
Arentz his information Will be trans
mitted 10 the heads OF the unemploy-
ment conference with view To secur-
ing favorable action by congress in
securing funds to carry on the work
and also to Secretary Fail for his
approval of the project, which he has
already viewed and which he fayors,
1t is understood.
All plans for building the dam and
the construction of the canal to carry
the water into Spanish Springs Valley
are practically completed and this
data is available at the reclamation
service headquarters in Fallon.
The money for starting construc-
ton, however, is not available and
Richardson points out in a letter 10
State Engineer Scrugham why the
money is not available at this time
and also declares that Director Da-
Wis of the reclamation service is IA
vorable TO the extension of the New
lands Project. Richardson S letter is
as follows:
Il am greatly surprised to learn
of the impression you gathered re-
garding MIR. Davis attitude toward
Spanish Springs development. l
know he has been very anxious for
good many years to have the New
lands Project completed. l feel very
sure ii all obstacles were removed
and money was available in the recla-
nation fund that there would be no
difficulty about securing his approval
OF the project.
The sundry civil bill approved
March 4, 1921, appropriated for the
reclamation service $20,277,000, of
which the Newlands Project was Civ
en- Sl,4SS,000, OF which S750,00O
was provided for beginning eonstrue-
tion of Spanish Springs reservoir.
The sundry civil bill, which contains
this appropriation, has the following
provision:
Under the provision OF this act
no greater sum shall be expended,
nor shall the United States be obli-
gated TO expend. during the fiscal
year 1922, on any reclamation pro-
jeet appropriated for herein an
amount in excess of the sum herein
appropriated therefor, nor shall the
whole expenditures or obligations in
Cured for all OF such projects for
the fiscal year 1922 exceed the whole
amount in the reclamation fund for
that fiscal year.
owing TO lack of repayment and
to the unexpected small yield from oil
leases the reclamation fund.has been
extremely short, with the result that
this project, instead of being allotted
$1,4SS,000 for the fiscal year 1922,
was only allotted s530,000, of which
100000 is required for drainage
work now under way and for the cur
rent operation and maintenance eX-
penses. Therefore the amount of
money actually available in the recla-
nation fund and allotted 10 this pro-
jeet for Spanish Springs is very small.
However, | am of the opinion that
this allotment could have been in
creased had all other obstacles been
removed. There has been such a
keen demand for reclamation service
money that it is pretty difficult to
get money allotted unless all obsta-
cles to speedy taking up of work are
removed.
The elevation of the saddle be-
tween Spanish Springs Valley and
Warm Springs Valley as shown by our
surveys is 4693.90. A wash boring
put down at this point indicated that
the bed rock was eighty-eight feet
below the surface. The approximate
elevation of the water surface at the
tail race of the Washoe power plant
is 1870 feet above sea level"
Going further, Richardson in an
interview, said that the few minor
differences regarding the reelaiming
of the lands in Warm Springs Valley
and lands north of Reno could easily
be adjusted with the assistance of
the state engineers office and the
governor when the Spanish Springs
reservoir is started.
He said the matter of carrying wa
ter in Warm Springs Valley was a
simple one as tunnel could be driv-
en- at a comparatively small cost to
do this. The surveys now made pro-
pose to take the water out of the
Truckee river at a point between the
intake of the Orr ditch and the Wa
shoe power plant, necessitating the
condemning of one power plant on
the river, according to Richardson.
The intake of the Orr ditch is about
two miles below the Washoe plant.
Richardson also said he was in ia
vor of building an auxiliary reservoir
somewhere up in the mountains, as
has been suggested, if it was found
necessary in order to store sufficient
water for all purposes.
The Spanish Springs reservoir,
which would store 100000 acre feet
of water, would cost about $4,000
600 with the intake and outlet can
ais. The dam would be 120 feet high
and would contain 100000 cubic
yards of earth. The outlet canal
would travel in practically a straight
line from the reservoir to the Truckee
river, emptying into the river at
point about two miles below Sparks.
1t would be so constructed that it
would also act as drainage canal