Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1922-02-15

prepared by Thomas Z. Buckman
County Agricultural Agent. from data
on file in the office of the Walker
River Irrigation District.)
Shall the water users of the East
Walker eliminate six miles of ditch
seven diversion dams, operation and
maintenance charges on eight bitches
by consolidating into one main canal
and one well constructed dam, is the
question which will be decided by the
electors of the Walker River Irriga-
ton District on March 4. II not acted
upon favorably, the only alternative
left for the interested ditch companies
is to go on as for the past ten or fif-
teen years individually maintaining
eight separate brush dams, liable to be
washed out by flood waters every
year, separately cleaning their1 own
bitches each year, duplicating work
which could be handled more efficient
ly and economically, with less ex-
pense and loss of water by seepage,
and evaporation, if only one canal
were maintained
Necessity is Obvious
The necessity for effecting this con-
solidation is obvious to many of the
water users, for the old brush dams
are in dangerous condition while the
present canals are in a bad state.
The present system causes an exces-
sivc waste of water and considerable
expense to keep it in opcrati i o u.
With heavy SHOWS all along the water
shed OF the East Walker there is dam
ger of the loss OF crops on several
thousand acres of the most productive
lands i'll Mason Valley. their irrigation
depending upon the maintenance Of the
old brush dams, such as the Fox and
Mickey. Last year the most snowfall
at any one time at Bridgeport was
eight inches, this year four feet was re-
ported at one time and there have been
and it does not take much of prophet
to prophesy that all the brush dams
in the East Walker will be in danger
when the flood waters come down.
The plan for the consolidation has been
carefully worked out by Engineer Bee
mer, who states the plan is feasible
and recommends its construction
Many Dams are Used
There are seven separate diversion
dams now maintained in distance Of
one and a quarter miles form the Fox
dam to the Greenwood. The total fall
OF the water over these seven dams
is now about 18 feet. This Is feet is
the vertical fall and does not include
the slope of the river bed between the
dams. The lowst dam. the Fox. drops
the water about eight feet. Within a
quarter OF mile above the Fox dam
there are two other dams, the Sweet
man and the Mickey, whose safety
seems to be Immediately dependent
upon the stability of the Fox dam
About three quarters OF mile above
the Mickey is the Baker dam. where
the present drop of water is about
four feet Within a quarter of mile
above the Baker are the Nelson and
the Greenwood, whose immediate saf-
city seems to depend upon the stability
of the Baker dam. The highest dams
the Fox and the Baker, are the two
most subject to failure in flood but
the safety of any one of these dams
is dependent upon those shove it. The
river bed is composed of deep sand
and soil which will erode rapidly in
flood when the obstruction is re.
moved.
The High Canal diversion, making
the total eight i'll ALL is little over
mile above the Greenwood diver.
sion, measured along the location oi
the High Canal. The canal bottom
~ tho d;uerciou &c uouy IN about N.