Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1922-10-04
People From all Parts
Of State Present at
Dedication

Ali Nevada was present at the
opening Of the Topaz reservoir.
The completion and successful op-
Grafton Of the greatest reclamtion
undertaking yet attempted in this state
was appropriately celebrated last Sat
urday by a monster barbecue, ar
ranged Jointly by the Ycrington Com
mercial Club, the Lyon County Farm
Bureau and the Walker River Irri-
CATION District. For the success OF
the barbecue credit must be given
chiefly to Tom buchanan, County
Agent of Lyon County, and for the
success Of the great undertaking it
self credit is due to the people of
Lyon County, who struggled for years
to secure legislation and conditions
favorable to the plans originated
years ago, and who courageously
voted loan Of nearly million dol
lars on their lands to provide neces-
sary funds.
Mrs. George Friedhoff, chairman OF
the Women's Homemaking Club, play
ed an important part in arrangements
for the comfort Of the women visitors
during the day, and Mrs. George
Plummer was likewise looking after
the welfare Of the guests. The Smith
Valley Civic Club had large tent
as rest room for the ladies'.
A. NJ. Boycc. Yerington butcher,
came in for a great deal of attention
and appreciation, for he was the man
in charge Of the barbecue feature.
That ne was the right man for the
job was agreed by the hundreds who
partook OF the meat that had been
cooked for a period Of twenty-five
hours under his supervision. Tom
Buclunan, the agricultural agent for
Lyon County had whole lot to do
with the efficient and satisfying. man.
ner in which the multitude was fed.
The registration booth was in
charge of Smith Valley high schcool
girls, pupils of Principal Mary Belli'
Of Carson. At an cary hour in the
afternoon nearly thousand persons
had signed the register provided for
their signatures.
Fearing that the drinking water
supply at Topaz would be inadequate
for the days needs, w. H. Church
yard, of Yerington, hauled to the celc-
bration place 1900 gallons of the best
water obtainable. The county officials
sent truck load of ice. and couple
of tons of bread were also brought in.
Topaz Lake, with its 4s00 acre feet
capacity, is the first of the four pro-
posed reservoirs to be completed and
used. AS temporary arrangement
and in view of the comparative low
cost, use in conveying flood waters
of the West Walker to Topaz lake was
made of the ,two-milc canal planned
and partially constructed years ago
under the direction of the late Thom-
as B. Hickey. The reservoir outlet
is a tunnel 2l0O feel long. 9l-2 feet
high and ol-2 feet wide, of modified
horseshoe shape. with reinforced con-
crete walls ten inches thick. Leading
from the tunnel outlet to the river
2l-4 miles distant is a canal. Storage
water is released from the rcscrvoii
bv means of double set OF foul
gates each, the raising and lowering
devices for which are in galvanized
iron sheeted building fifty-eight fee
above the tunnel. Early in the sum
mer when the water was permitted K
flow through the tunnel to clear up thu
lake the rate was $50 second feet
Engineer Beemer stated that tn
amount of water now in the lake i
approximately 10000 acre feet.
Under the plans approved am
adopted the storage capacity OF TO
paz Lake will, as needs require, b.
increased to $1,000 acre feet by tn
building Of an embankment $500 tee
long and 80 feet high at one point, B.
constructing new canal 4l-2 mile
long. also a small embankment nea
The tunnel shaft. The leyel of tn
lake will be raised twenty feet.
To visitors was pointed out, fc'
-,ds from the present tunnel shat
the "Rickey shaft, from which year
ago a tunnel had been driven 400 fec