The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-07-12
IRRIGATION PERMIT
WILL BE ISSUED
CONTINUED from Page one)

cipal crop. Winnemucca is the ma
tural gateway of the great range
country which lies to the north and
east of the city, and development
of this irrigation system will beyond
doubt make This a great feeding
center, without any prejudice to the
activities of our neighboring COM
munities."
What the Plans Call For
The plans for the Grass Valley
project call for the construction of
an impounding reservoir in the bed
If the Humboldt river near Nalmy,
about thirty-five miles east of Win
aemucca. The dam for this reser-
soir will be built in the gorge at
Valmy. Its maximum height will
be forty feet and will feather to
nothing at the sides of the gorge.
Its length will be about five-eights
of a mile The reservoir will cover
thirty-six square miles and will have
a capacity of 100000 acre feet. The
dam, according to present plans,
will be built of dirt with a concrete
core. The site at Valmy is de-
scribed as a natural reservoir, an
unusually small amount of con-
struction work being necessary. The
river bed at the point where the
dam will be located is reported to
be solid rock.
The river bed from Valmy to Col
ronda will be used as a canal, ae-
cording to the plans. At Goleonda
the water will be diverted by a
diversion dam already in place and
carried through thirty miles of canal,
which is to be constructed, to Grass
galley. The diversion dam at Col
onda is of concrete and was put in
several years ago by Senator Shee-
ran, Mr.. Taylor and others.
TO Reclaim the Bench Lands
In addition to the storage of flood
waters, it is planned to turn into
the reservoir the vested water for
some 10000 acres of bottom land
which enjoy early priorities on the
Humboldt. This land now belongs
to the men interested in the prof.
ect. The water thus added to the
reservoir will be used for the
reclamation of bench lands in Grass
Valley. Several other irrigationists
with vested rights contemplate oper-
alton through the reservoir in SINH
lar manner, it is reported. The
flood waters, it is contemplated, will
readily care for $4,000 acres. The
addition secured through vested
rights will bring the total to be re-
claimed to $4,000 acres or slightly
more. Diversion of vested water
rights into the reservoir also will
bring material advantage in aug
menting the storage after the flood
season has passed.
1t is the opinion of the men in
terested in the project that the
maximum required of Grass Valley
lands will be three acre feet and
that after the Soaking" necessary
for the first few years, the amount
needed will be actually less. Storage
of 100000 acres for two years,
after due allowance for evaporation
and seepage, they say, the 10000
acres or more to be cared for by the
diversion of vested early rights not
being taken into consideration in
these calculatings. Last year 270,-
600 acre feet of food water of the
Humboldt wasted itself in the sands
of the Carson Sink, according to the
irrigationists. The loss each year
averages into the thousands, most of
which is to be put to beneficial use
on Grass Valley, it is planned
The Soil Is Very Deep
Grass Valley is bench that lies
fifty to sixty feet above the bed of
the Humboldt and borders the So
noma range of mountains. The soil
is very deep and is now carpeted
with short grass and luxuriant
growth of sage. 1t has natural
slope to the river and will never be
troubled with drainage problems, ac-
cording to the projectors of this ir-
rigation enterprise. Waters used on
Grass Valley will find a natural
course to the river, and thus by
percolation and seepage, it is figured
the river below Winnemucea in the
years to come will be augmented
and regulated for the benefit of
water users lower down on the
stream.
There are very few homes in
Grass Valley now, but the govern
ment land there is being gradually
taken up by those anticipating the
construction of the system. Rail-
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