IQOi 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



79 



brief description has already been given 

 of two of these, viz., the Arizona and 

 Montana works. 



The boundary hne between the States 

 of Nevada and CaHfornia Hes on the 

 eastern side of the high mountain range 

 known as the Sierra Nevada, and as a 

 consequence the streams which flow east- 

 ward head in Cahfornia, receiving the 

 greater part of their supply from the 

 high snowy summits, such as those 

 shown in the accompanying view of 

 "Job's Peak." The cultivable valley 

 lands shown in the foreground of the 

 picture are, however, in the State of 

 Nevada. These lower valleys are ex- 

 ceedingly fertile, but require irrigation. 



reserv^oir sites are across the state line, 

 they are helpless in the matter. Also 

 the lands to be benefited belong for the 

 most part to the government, only a 

 small percentage of the lands of Nevada 

 having passed into private control. 



The Truckee, Carson, and Walker 

 Rivers are the mo.st important of the 

 streams coming from the high moun- 

 tains. The flow of these has been 

 measured as it leaves the foothills, and 

 sj'stematic surveys have been begun to 

 ascertain the location of reservoir sites 

 and the cost of controlling the waters. 

 It has been shown that nearly 290,000 

 acre-feet of water can be stored on the 

 Truckee River system, at a cost of 



SCENK IN MASON VALINE Y NEAR WABUSKA, NEVADA, SHOWING LAND THAT CAN BE 



RECLAIMED BY IRRIGATION. 



It is a comparatively simple matter 

 to div^ert the streams coming from the 

 mountains and irrigate these low lands, 

 but the volume of water diminishes rap- 

 idly during the late spring and early 

 summer, and although there is more 

 than enough early in the year for the 

 irrigation of all the agricultural land, 

 yet by the shrinkage of the streams 

 during the latter part of the crop season 

 the fields suffer from drouth. 



If the state boundary extended along 

 the summits, or water parting, it would 

 be comparatively easy for the people in 

 Nevada to go up into the mountains and 

 build reser\'oirs for holding the floods, 

 restraining the.se until the waters are 

 needed in the summer; but, since the 



$356,000. The main line canals to take 

 out this water will cost $1,150,000. The 

 stored water supplementing the annual 

 flow of the Truckee River will sujiply 

 upwards of 170,000 acres of land. 



The Carson River system embraces 

 seven proposed reservoirs, the total ap- 

 proximate cost of which is $980,000, 

 storing over 300,000 acre-feet. The 

 final report has not yet been completed 

 on the Carson system, and there are a 

 number of alternatives as regards the 

 use of various reservoirs, but it is evi- 

 dent that large areas can be reclaimed 

 at reasonable co.st. The character of 

 the land to be irrigated is shown in the 

 accompanying view of a portion of 

 Mason \'allev. 



