June 19, 2007

Nevada's Online State News Journal

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[From The History of Nevada, edited by Sam P. Davis, vol. I (1913), pp. 742-755]

Nevada History:

742      THE HISTORY OF NEVADA

CHAPTER XXXIX.

NEVADA, TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT.

BY D. W. COLE.

Counties—Churchill, Storey and Lyon.

Townships—17 and 18 N., Rs. 17 to 30 E.; 19 N., Rs. 26 to 31 E.; 20 N., Rs. 22 to 31 E., Mount Diablo meridian.

Railroad—Southern Pacific.

Railroad stations—Fernly, Hazen and Fallon.

Average elevation of irrigable area—4,000 feet above sea level.

Average annual rainfall on irrigable area—4 inches.

Range of temperature on irrigable area—0° F. to 105° F.

WATER SUPPLY.

Source of water supply—Truckee and Carson rivers.

Area of drainage basin—3,450 square miles.

Annual run-off in acre-feet—Truckee River at Tahoe (519 square miles), 1901 to 1908, maximum, 703,000; minimum, 112,000; mean, 310,000. Truckee River at Vista (1,520 square miles), 1890 to 1892 and 1899 to 1907, maximum, 2,220,000; minimum, 394,000; mean, 927,000. Carson River at Empire (988 square miles), 1890, 1895 and 1900 to 1908, maximum, 789,000; minimum, 178,000; mean, 434,000.

ENGINEERING DATA FOR COMPLETE PROJECT.

Reservoirs—Lake Tahoe—Area, 125,000 acres; capacity, 750,000 acre-feet; length of spillway, 85 feet; elevation of spillway, 6 feet above stream bed. Alkali Flat—Area, 8,500 acres; capacity, 228,000 acre-feet. Lower Carson—Area, 11,000 acres; capacity, 290,000 acre-feet.

NEVADA, TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT 743

Storage Dams—Lake Tahoe—Type, concrete sluiceway regulator ; maximum height, 14 feet; length of crest, 109 feet; volume, 425 cubic yards. Lower Carson not designed.

Diversion Dams—Truckee River—Type, concrete sluiceways; maximum height, 22 feet 4 inches; length of masonry, 171 feet; length of earth fill, 1,160 feet. Carson River—Type, concrete sluiceways; maximum height, 20 feet 9 inches; length of masonry, 240 feet. Others not designed.

Length of canals (first unit)—104 miles with capacities greater than 300 second-feet; 79 miles with capacities from 300 to 50 second-feet; 502 miles with capacities less than 50 second-feet.

Aggregate length of tunnels—2,830 feet.

Aggregate length of dikes—50,000 feet.

Water power—Estimated total, 8,000 horsepower.

AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS.

Irrigable area—Whole project, 206,000 acres; first unit, 96,573 acres.

Present status of irrigable lands (whole project)—21,979 acres, entered subject to the Reclamation Act, 21,859 acres open to entry, 96,613 acres withdrawn from entry, 102 acres of State lands, 65,447 acres in private ownership (including 10,031 acres of railroad lands).

Area for which the service is prepared to supply water, season 0f 1910 --85,000 acres.

Area irrigated, season of 1910--35,000 acres.

Length 0f irrigation season—214 days.

Character of soil of irrigable area—Sand, sandy loam, adobe and clay.

Principal products—Alfalfa, grain, potatoes and onions.

Principal markets—Nevada mining camps, California cities.

LANDS OPENED FOR IRRIGATION.

Dates of public notices and orders relating thereto—May 6, 1907; November 1, 1907; January 30, 1908; April 4, 1908; June 5, 1908; December 26, 1908; March 1, 1909; September 28, 1009; April 26, 1910.

Location of lands opened—Tps. 18, 19 and 20 N., Rs. 24 to 30 E., Mount Diablo meridian.

744      THE HISTORY OF NEVADA

Present status of irrigable lands—21,979 acres entered subject to the Reclamation Act, 102 acres of State lands, 46,117 acres in private ownership (including 10,031 acres of railroad lands).

Limit of area of farm units—Public, 80 acres; private, 160 acres.

Duty of water—3 acre-feet per acre per annum at the farm.

Building charge per acre of irrigable land—$22 and $30.

Annual operation and maintenance charge $0.60 per acre of irrigable land.

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY.

Reconnaissance made and preliminary surveys begun in 1902.

Construction authorized by secretary, March 14, 1903.

Carson River headworks and main distributing canals completed September, 1905.

Main lower Truckee canal completed June, 1905.

First irrigation by Reclamation Service, season of 1906.

First unit 90 per cent. completed June 30, 1910.

IRRIGATION PLAN.

The irrigation plan of the Truckee-Carson project provides for the storage of water in a number of small reservoirs on the head-waters of Truckee River, in Lake Tahoe, in the Alkali Flat reservoir, near Churchill, Nevada, and in Lower Carson reservoir, on Carson River, near Hazen, Nevada ; the diversion of water from Truckee River by a dam about twenty miles below Reno, Nevada, in the main lower Truckee canal, supplying water to lands in the Truckee and Carson River valleys and to the Lower Carson reservoir; the diversion of water from Carson River by a dam near Dayton, Nevada, into two canals, one watering lands south of the river and the other watering lands north of the river and supplying Alkali Flat reservoir; the return to Carson River through an outlet tunnel and canal of water from Alkali Flat reservoir; the diversion of water from Carson River by a dam about three miles below the outlet of Alkali Flat reservoir into two canal systems watering lands in Churchill Valley on

NEVADA, TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT 745

both sides of the river; and the diversion of water from Carson River by a dam about five miles below the Lower Carson storage dam into two canal systems, one on either side of the river, watering lands in the Lower Carson River Valley. .

ORIGIN OF PROJECT AND INVESTIGATIONS.

Irrigation has been practiced in a small way along the streams of Nevada for a good many years. In 1889 and 1890, under the direction of Maj. J. W. Powell, director of the United States Geological Survey, systematic investigations were begun of the flow of the Truckee River and tributary streams, and reconnaissance and surveys of lakes considered feasible for storage reservoirs were made. Further surveys of the lakes were made in 1900, and additional data collected in reference to stream flow. On January 11, 1902, the director of the Geological Survey, in response to a resolution by the United States Senate, submitted to the Secretary of the Interior a report upon the utilization of Lake Tahoe as a reservoir of water for irrigation purposes, in which report it was held that by providing for control of six feet in depth on the lake, or an actual storage capacity of 750,000 acre-feet, an annual storage supply of 200,000 acre-feet could be depended upon for irrigation.

Immediately after the organization of the Reclamation Service in June, 1902, Mr. L. H. Taylor, in charge of the investigations in Nevada, was instructed to prepare for utilizing the waters of Truckee and Carson Rivers in an irrigation project. Based upon the investigations that had already been made, and on further surveys begun immediately, general plans were prepared in the fall of 1902 and early part of 1903. These plans, as outlined in a letter by the Director of the Geological Survey to the Secretary of the Interior, dated March 7, 1903, included the storing of water in Lake Tahoe, the construction of a canal from Truckee River, near Wadsworth, to the Carson River, a storage reservoir on Carson River, the necessary systems of distribution canals, and eventually other storage reservoirs in the Truckee and Carson River basins. It was recommended that development of the general project as outlined be approved, that the examination of irrigable lands, reservoirs, etc., be continued, that steps be taken to procure title to the lands needed for reservoirs, and that work be continued in greater detail for the ascertainment of facts neces-

746      THE HISTORY OF NEVADA

sary for the preparation of specifications and the letting of contracts for the construction of irrigation works. On March 14, 1903, the Secretary of the Interior approved the general project as recommended and authorized the preparation of plans and specifications for construction to be submitted to him for approval.

CONSTRUCTION MAIN LOWER TRUCKEE CANAL.

The first work undertaken on the Truckee-Carson project was the construction of a canal, known as the main lower Truckee Canal, to divert water from Truckee River and convey it in part to the Carson River, and in part for the irrigation of adjacent lands.

This canal is thirty-one miles in length and has a capacity of 1,500 second-feet at the intake, and of 1,200 second-feet at its end where it discharges into the Carson River. For about ten miles, the canal passes along the steep sides of the canyon of Truckee River, where concrete lining was required in many places and where three tunnels were needed, aggregating about 2,700 feet in length. For the remaining distance, the canal is in earth section and in general offered little difficulty in construction.

The diversion dam on Truckee River comprises a set of sixteen concrete sluice-ways and an earth-fill dam 1,160 feet in length. The concrete structure rests on a foundation of compact gravel and bowlders. It has a floor 30 feet wide and 8.8 feet thick, and the length of the structure including the abutments is 171 feet. The foundation was reinforced with old steel rails and the upper part of the structure was reinforced with steel girders. Each sluiceway is 5 feet wide, and is closed by double cast-iron gates to a height of 10 feet, and, when desired, by 5 flashboards reaching 40 inches higher. The intake to the canal is placed at right angles to and at the south end of the diversion dam. It contains nine gate-openings, closed by double cast-iron gates similar to those used in diversion sluiceways, and by flashboards, increasing the height by sixteen inches. The intake structure is reinforced with a steel girder above the gates and steel columns in the piers. Immediately below the intake of the canal is a concrete spillway, 100 feet in length, discharging through a concrete and rock-lined channel into the river below the diversion dam.

NEVADA, TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT 747

In a distance of two miles, beginning about six and one-half miles from the head of the canal, are three tunnels having lengths of 901, 308.7, and 1,515 feet, respectively. All of the tunnels are lined with concrete. In the canyon there are, besides the headworks, three important concrete structures, two wasteways, 4.6 and 7.6 miles, respectively, from the head of the canal, and the headworks of the Pyramid branch canal six miles from the Truckee River diversion dam. Each of the wasteways has five openings placed in the side of a concrete-lined basin 45 feet long with its bottom 6 feet below the bed of the canal. The basin in the first wasteway is 36 feet wide, and in the second, i6 feet wide. The wasteway openings are each 5 feet square in the clear and are closed by Taintor gates operating on horizontal shafts at the level of the top of the gate-opening. The radius from the center of the shaft to the outside surface of the gate is 7 feet 5N inches. The gates are counterweighted with buckets filled with water; and all of the gates can be opened in one operation by means of a crank turning a shaft to which the gates are attached by wire cables and suitable drums.

The discharge from the first wasteway is into an open channel lined with concrete for a distance of about 80 feet, but the second wasteway discharges into a shaft about 47 feet deep, and thence through a tunnel 115 feet in length under the Southern Pacific Railway to an open channel lined with concrete for a short distance. In both cases the waste water returns to Truckee River. In connection with the headworks of the Pyramid Branch Canal there is installed in the main canal a check-gate structure with six openings, each 5 feet wide by 13 feet high. Above the check gates and on the north side of the canal are located the headworks of the Pyramid Branch Canal, with two openings 5 feet wide by i0 feet high. Both the check gates and the canal head gates are double cast iron gates, similar to those used in the diversion dam and the Truckee Canal headworks. When desired, flashboards can be used over the check gates to close the full height of 13 feet. The abutments for the Pyramid branch headworks were stepped down to the foundations and left in this condition with the intention of extending the walls to include a fore-bay for a siphon across the canyon when the branch line shall be built. The gates were banked with earth on both sides for the present.

About ten miles from the headworks of the canal the end of the Truckee Canyon is reached, and the remainder of the canal line lies on a gentle slope from the foothills along the edge of a wide valley. The canal ter-

748      THE HISTORY OF NEVADA

minates about seven miles south and west of Hazen, and at this point the water is discharged into the Carson River through a temporary wooden flume or chute built on a steep side of a hill. No other structures were built on this division of the canal.

Plans and specifications for the construction of the main Truckee Canal and headworks were approved by the department in May, 1903 (Specifications No. 1) and proposals were opened July 15. The work was divided into three divisions, the first embracing the diversion dam, the headworks of the canal, a portion of the canal excavation in the canyon, and the Pyramid branch headworks; the second division including the remaining canal excavation in the canyon, with the tunnels and wasteways; and the third division consisting of canal excavation only for about twenty miles through the valley. Contracts were executed for Divisions 1 and 2 on September 3, 1903, and for Division 3 on August 28, 1903. The work on Division 1 was completed in June, 1905, that on Division 2 in April, 1905 and that on the Division 3 in September, 1904. The temporary chute at the end of the canal for discharging its waters into Carson River was built by force account in the year 1905. In the spring of 1910 the construction of a permanent concrete structure for this purpose was begun by force account.

CARSON RIVER DIVERSION WORKS AND MAIN DISTRIBUTING CANALS.

On Carson River, about four miles below the end of the Truckee Canal, are located the headworks of the main distributing canals of the project. Diversion is accomplished by means of concrete regulator sluice-ways across the river and concrete headworks with rising weir gates. The dam or regulating works contains twenty-three gate-openings, each 5 feet wide. The openings are closed by double cast-iron gates i0 feet in combined height and similar to those used in the Truckee dam, together with flash-boards for an additional height of 32 inches when desired. The concrete floor of the dam is about 32 feet wide in the direction of the stream and rests on a timber floor supported by round piles and having two rows of sheet-piling, one at the upper and the other at the lower edge. At the south end of the dam is the intake of a canal having an initial capacity of 1,500 second-feet, and at the north end is located the intake of a canal having an initial capacity of 500 second-feet. The intake for the south side canal is controlled by three steel rising weirs each 15 feet long and 5 feet high, and

NEVADA, TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT 749

the intake for the north side canal has one such rising weir. The south side canal constitutes the main canal system and extends for a distance of about twenty-two miles, and together with the necessary laterals and distributing ditches will irrigate a large amount of land on the south side of the river. The canal in its course crosses both the south branch and New River, which are channels carrying parts of the natural flow of the Carson River. About seven miles from the head of the canal is located a drop in the canal of 6.74 feet, in connection with which there is a wasteway designed for returning any desired portion of the canal flow to the South Branch. The North side distributing canal serves lands north of Carson River and northwest of Old River Branch. Both of the distributing canals have concrete structures for diverting water into laterals at various places.

Early in 1904 plans and specifications were prepared for the construction of the distributing canals and structures, including the headworks on Carson River (Specifications No. 13). These plans and specifications were approved by the department April 15, 1904, and proposals for the work were opened July 15, 1904. Four contracts were executed as follows: For bridges, on August 19, 1904; for the excavation work, on September 9, 1904 ; for the head gates and other structures, except the Carson River headworks, on September 17, 1904; and for the Carson River headworks, on September 29, 1904. The work was begun promptly on all of the contracts and was carried on during the fall of 1904 and the early season of 19o5. The bridges were completed in March, the excavation in June, the Carson River headworks in July, and the other structures in September, 1905.

LATERAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

The lateral system for the distribution of waters from the main distributing canals to the lands to be irrigated is divided into seven divisions or districts, supplying from 20,000 to 50,000 acres of land each. In the larger laterals the principal structures are made of concrete in a substantial manner, but many of the farm turn-outs and other structures on small laterals are constructed of wood. On November 17, 1904, the department approved plans and specifications for the construction of about 150 miles of lateral irrigation canals, together with necessary structures (Specifica-

750      THE HISTORY OF NEVADA

tion No. 20). Proposals were received December 15, 1904, respectively, January 21, 24 and 30, 1905. The contracts were completed during the seasons of 1905 and 1906. In connection with the structures for these laterals there was included the construction of a large concrete drop on the main south side distributing canal about six miles below the head of the canal. The drop in water surface is 25.6 feet, and the capacity of the canal at this point is 1,400 second-feet. In connection with the structure there were built substantial concrete foundations for a proposed powerhouse for utilizing the fall of water in developing electric power, but no superstructure has yet been erected or planned.

Other plans and specifications for extension of laterals and the building of structures were approved by the department on March 9, 1906 (Specifications No. 80), and July 27, 1906 (Specifications No. 112). No proposals were received under the advertisement for either of these sets of specifications and the work was authorized to be done by force account and was completed in the seasons of 1906 and 1907. Slight additional extensions of the distributing laterals and the building of a few additional structures were carried on during the seasons of 1908 and 1909, when the distribution system for the irrigation of the first unit of the project, containing about 90,000 acres of irrigable lands, was practically completed.

LAKE TAHOE RESERVOIR.

On April 29, 1905, the department approved plans and specifications for the construction of outlet controlling works for Lake Tahoe (Specification No. 37). Proposals were opened on June 15, 1905, and a contract was executed for the work on July 5. Shortly after the contractor began work he was stopped by an injunction secured by landowners in the vicinity of the outlet. Settlement was finally made with the contractor and the work abandoned for the time. In 1909, however, under a proposed contract with one of the power companies utilizing water from Lake Tahoe, the construction of regulating works was begun by the company and partially completed. It is hoped that the project will be able in the near future to control the outlet of the lake and gain the full advantage of its storage capacity.

NEVADA, TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT 751

IRRIGATION.

In 1906 the service began the delivery of water through the distributing system for irrigation purposes. For that season delivery of water was confined to lands in private ownership that had previously been irrigated and for which the service was bound by contract to supply water. About 15,000 acres were irrigated during the season. In succeeding seasons the delivery of water for irrigation was gradually extended to larger areas, including both private lands previously irrigated and public lands entered under the homestead laws. The areas irrigated have been 27,450 acres in 1908, 33,000 acres in 1909 and 35,000 acres in 1910.

PROGRESS DURING FISCAL YEAR 1910.

The extension of the lateral system in district 5 to water a portion of the land allotted to the Piute Indians was surveyed in the fall of 1909, and proposals for excavation were received and contracts awarded in November. There were 21 miles of laterals and drains, and the excavation of 94,000 cubic yards of material was required. The necessary structures were built by force account, and the work was completed in April, 1910. An office building for project headquarters at Fallon was constructed by contract, and was completed in May, 1910. A topographic survey of the state of the Lower Carson storage dam was made, and the sub-surface foundation material was investigated by diamond drill and wash-drill borings, test-pits and tunnels. The construction of a concrete chute to discharge water from the main lower Truckee canal into the Carson River had been commenced. During the year a complete review and revision of project estimates and general plans for development were made, new estimates of the cost of the parts of the project not yet constructed being prepared. The character of ownership and irrigability of the lands in various parts of the project were given special attention, and reports of areas have been adjusted to conform to the conditions thus determined. The operation and maintenance of the completed portions of the project have been continued during the fiscal year without unusual incident. An adequate supply of water has been available to meet all demands for irrigation and no serious interruptions in delivery have occurred. In July, August and September, 1909, and in June, 1910, stored

752      THE HISTORY OF NEVADA

water from Lake Tahoe was used, through the courtesy of the power company in control of the outlet, to supplement the natural flow of Truckee and Carson rivers. This was done pending the conclusion of arrangements by means of which the United States would secure the control of storage rights on Lake Tahoe. On June 30, 1910, there were in effect on the project 261 homestead entries, containing 16,748 acres of irrigable land; 373 water-right applications for lands in private ownership, containing 30,317 acres of irrigable land, and contracts recognizing vested water-rights for 12,861 acres of land. The production of crops during the season of 1909 was generally good throughout the valley. The principal crops, acreages and yields were: Alfalfa, 8,124 acres, 21,265 tons; grass-hay, 2,083 acres, 2,777 tons; small grains, 4,873 acres, 2,972 tons ; potatoes, 385 acres, 1,793 tons; 13,685 acres were used as pasture and 134 acres have been planted to orchards in which over 8,000 trees are growing.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE LAHONTAN RESERVOIR.

In accordance with the original plans for the project, the construction of a water storage reservoir in the Lower Carson River was commenced early in 1911.

This large feature of construction was authorized by the Secretary of the Interior on December 31, 1910, and the approved method of work was by direct employment of government forces instead of contract work. A railroad station was established and a commodious camp built on the Goldfield Branch of the Southern Pacific Railway about seven miles south of Hazen, the station and camp being named "Lahontan," in commemoration of the early explorer and the primeval lake which was christened for him; and hence the name Lahontan dam and Lahontan reservoir which constitute the principal storage unit of the project. Actual construction work on the dam was begun in the spring of 1911, and good progress in all lines was made throughout the year.

An important feature of this construction was a hydro-electric plant for developing electric power by means of the fall of the main Truckee Canal into Carson River below Lahontan dam. This power plant was designed not only for furnishing energy to construction motors in the work of building the darn, but was also made of sufficient capacity for supplying electric current for power and lights at Fallon and elsewhere on the pro-

NEVADA, TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT 753

ject. By contract with the City of Fallon, the Government built a transmission line from Lahontan to Fallon and undertook to furnish 200 kilowatts of power for distribution by the city to the consumers.

The feature of work on the dam during 1911 was the excavation by steam shovel of the two large spillways appurtenant to the dam.

Early in 1912 excavation had proceeded far enough so that the construction of the concrete cut-off wall across the bed of the river and up the sides of the valley underneath the dam could be made. This was followed by the building of the double nine foot diameter concrete conduits which form the outlet of the reservoir and furnish the means of delivering water from storage in the reservoir and discharging it into the stream below the dam, whence it flows to Carson dam for diversion into the main canals.

During the summer of 1912 excavation and concrete work was in active progress, and the work was being carried out according to programme by a force of from 250 to 300 men together with a large number of teams and the employment of a large amount of electric and other machinery.

The construction plant was of the most modern type of labor saving machinery, and work was being carried on very smoothly by a competent organization.

According to the programme of operations the reservoir was to be completed in the spring of 1914 so that the flood waters of that season could be retained for irrigation purposes on the project in the late summer of that year.

MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION IN 1911.

Pending the completion of the storage reservoir, no attempt was made to enlarge the settlement of the project or the opening of additional lands during the years 1910, 1911 and 1912. There was, however, a distinct increase in acreage cultivated, in population resident, and in crop values during these years.

In 1911 the agricultural population reached a total of about 1,600 upon 469 farms. Horses, cattle and hogs numbered about 9,000 in addition to the large numbers of cattle and sheep driven in from the ranges during the fall of the year to be fed for the western markets. The poultry busi-

754      THE HISTORY OF NEVADA

ness also reached very large figures. The dairy business was a growing industry, and the creamery at Fallon was making considerable shipments of butter.

During 1911 a very large sugar factory was completed and the first sugar made from beets grown on the project was turned out on January 2, 1912.

The late spring of 1911 somewhat reduced the yield of early crops of Alfalfa, but notwithstanding this, the total yield of the year showed a substantial increase over previous years and amounted to above 31,000 tons. The yield of grain was above 2,000 tons, potatoes 2,600 tons and considerable quantities of other crops.

The total value of crops produced on the project during 1911 aggregated nearly half a million dollars.

MINOR FEATURES OF CONSTRUCTION.

In 1910 there was completed the new concrete chute which forms the lower terminus of Truckee Canal for discharging the Truckee River water into the Carson. The new concrete chute takes the place of the original timber chute which was built at the time of completing this main canal and was intended for temporary use pending the construction of the reservoir in the Carson River into which the new concrete chute would discharge.

Various extensions of the lateral and drainage systems were made during the three years under consideration, and considerable amounts of structure work, both in timber and in concrete, were carried on in connection with this water distribution system.

Early in 1912 an improved form of spillway was made at Truckee dam near Derby whereby the driftwood coming down the river could be discharged over the dam without interference with the sluice-gates.

An additional improvement on this Truckee dam was the rebuilding of the fish-ladder for the purpose of facilitating the migration of fish upstream from Pyramid Lake to the upper reaches of the river. The operation of this ladder was carefully watched, and it was found that the fish encountered but little difficulty in making the passage through the dam by this means.

NEVADA, TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT 755

An improvement in the Truckee Canal below Fernley consisted in the erection of a concrete and timber-check structure by means of which water in the canal when at low stages could be retarded sufficiently for supplying the laterals in the vicinity of Fernley.

GENERAL RESULTS.

At the date of compiling this history the prospects for the project were most encouraging; the experimental stage had been passed; the reclamation of desert lands had been successfully carried out, and abundant crops were being produced upon lands which formerly were desert wastes grown up in greasewood and inhabited by jack rabbits and coyotes.

The farmers generally were attaining a measure of success—some more than others, according to skill and capital invested.

The Government on its part was continuing the large investment of money and the active work of enlarging the project to the scope which was originally designed.