At the same time the following simple regulations were approved and published in the county papers, and mimeographed copies were prepared for distribution by ditch riders. 1. Water is now running in the canals of the Truckee-Carson project, and on April 1 the regular irrigation season will open. Water will be supplied to all farms entitled to receive water on and after that date, if gates, ditches, and waste canals are ready for the proper handling of the water. 2. Farmers who desire water should notify the engineer in charge of the maintenance and operation of the system, or his duly authorized ditch tenders, by telephone, mail, or in person, at least twenty-four hours before water is needed, stating the amount of water and the length of run desired. Notice will in return be given of the time water will be turned on and the amount of head. 3. When water is to be turned off, notice should be given to the ditch tender or the office at Fallon at least twenty-four hours before the end of the run. Unless such notice is given, water will be turned off at the time stated in the original request for water. 4. No one but the ditch tender shall operate any gate or turn-out on the project. All gates will be locked as soon as possible to prevent any unauthorized person from raising or lowering them. 5. Water entering any farm must be cared for by the owner or tenant throughout the period of the run. The head must not be lowered at night. Farmers are expected to care for water day and night. The drainage ditches are not to be used as waste ditches except in case of emergency. Waste water should be cared for on the farm and if waste water in any quantity runs off the place it will be taken as good evidence that the head is too great and the amount of water turned into the farm will be lessened accordingly. Any damage made by waste water entering drains must be repaired immediately by the persons responsible for the damage. Failure to attend to damage of this sort will result in water being refused the place until such damage is repaired. 6. Farmers and all others will confer a great benefit to the project if they will attempt to stop all breaks caused by weeds or obstructions in ditches. Breaks should be reported to the office or ditch tender at once if possible, but many times it will be less work to make a temporary stoppage of the leak. Maintenance of all lateral canals will be eventually turned over to the farmers. 7. All canals, laterals, and ditches are the property of the Government of the United States and should be respected accordingly. Cattle should not be allowed to water in ditches or drains. Bridges have been provided at convenient places, and canals or drains should be crossed only at such points. No bridges, culverts, boxes, fences, or other structure should be built across any canal, lateral, or drain without written permission of the engineer in charge of maintenance and operation. 8. Where gardens are being cared for, special arrangements may be made for a garden head or small flow of water for irrigation of gardens more frequently than the ordinary land. 9. Complaints of irregularity of service or of inattention on part of ditch tenders should be made in writing to the engineer in charge at Fallon. Ditch tenders have no power to change instructions issued them and any dissatisfaction caused by their acts should be reported to the office for correction. After the opening of the canal system on February 5, the water in the canals was gradually increased until the amount needed for the proper distribution was reached. The maximum amount carried reached 460 cubic feet per second in the main canal diverting from the south side of Carson River. The main Lower Truckee canal carried a very small head during the period when Carson River was high, but when in August the Carson fell below the needs of the system the amount diverted from the Truckee was increased until a maximum of 200 second-feet were delivered into the Carson. A heavy flood passed down Carson River about the middle of January, following the coldest weather of the season. At the time the flood came down the quiet parts of the stream were covered with ice 6 to 12 inches thick. This ice broke up, partly melted, and the flood passed the diverting dam without being noticeable. As this is the thickest ice ordinarily had in this region, the ease with which this flood and ice were handled promises well for the future management of this structure. Similar experiences were had at the Truckee dam. Here unusually cold weather with its accompanying ice was passed without difficulty. Although the heaviest snowfall in years was reported from the headwaters of Truckee and Carson rivers, no heavy floods came down until May 12, when a maximum of 3,300 second-feet passed the gaging station at Empire. The river then dropped to less than 2,000 second-feet. The maximum discharge reached was about 4,000 second-feet on June 20. This is the first heavy flood which has passed since the completion of the main canals across the two branches of Carson River-South Fork and New River. The corrected and enlarged bed of Old River carried this heavy flood with a minimum of damage in spite of the fact that the work is not completed. All the old obstructions and dams which heretofore have caused the spring floods of the Carson to spread over the bottoms and do serious damage have been removed, and thus it is possible for a heavy flood to pass without damage. The canals of the project have been successfully operated without serious mishap. The length of lines operated is as follows: Lengths of canal lines operated, Truckee-Carson project. Main canals.... Total....... Miles. 67.2 33.7 17.5 45.7 164. 1 44.4. Drains. The cost of maintenance and operation has been as follows: Approximate cost of maintenance and operation, Truckee-Carson project, January to July, 1906, inclusive. The principal items of cost in this sum have been as follows: These figures are approximate only, as certain expenses are charged to general maintenance and can only be distributed at the end of the year. In some of the soils through which the canals run it is exceedingly difficult to prevent washing. Alkali in the subsoil rises in the ditch banks and wherever water touches the alkali soil the bank caves in. To prevent this going too far brush is used as temporary riprap. This has formed an important item in the expense bill. When the banks become settled and are washed free from alkali this trouble will cease, and it is expected that the expenses for work of this sort will become less each month. One of the most costly items of expense is in maintenance of the earthwork of canals and laterals. In places where ditches and laterals run through old fields much trouble has been caused by gophers, squirrels, and other burrowing animals. Systematic efforts are now being made to rid the canal banks of these pests. Maintenance costs for the year 1906 will be larger than any year to follow so far as present information goes. As the canal banks become settled trouble will be less. Records are kept of the amount of water delivered to each farm. Each ditch rider is supplied with cards on which he records all changes in amounts of water in laterals and notes the quantity of water delivered. From these data it is possible in the office to keep a ledger account of amount of water furnished each farm. On the routes of each ditch rider there are a number of principal points, as at heads of principal laterals, at points in main canal, and at main drains, where the amount of water in the canals is measured. Each rider carries "Water Passing Gage" cards on which he records gage heights each day of the month. The operation of a canal system of this magnitude presents a most excellent opportunity to determine the hydraulic constants of the works upon completion. In order, therefore, to gather data which will enable further extensions of the project to most thoroughly meet the requirements, two men have been engaged during the summer months on hydrographic investigations. Among other work measurements have been made of the losses by seepage and evaporation from the canals. The following table shows the amount of this loss: The settlement of the lands is going on slowly. On April 1 canals were ready to deliver water to 35,000 acres. On July 1, 40,000 acres could be watered. A census taken during May showed 34 new settlers being supplied with water, and water was being carried through the canals and delivered to 53 old settlers. The area of old and new farms and pasture lands being watered is over 20,000 acres of land. There is every indication of great fertility of the soils being farmed. Where the settlers have remained on their places and pursued their business of farming with diligence and intelligence very encouraging results have been obtained. IRRIGABLE LANDS. The approximate distribution of the irrigable lands is shown in the following table: Lands included in the Truckee-Carson project. EXPENDITURES. The expenditures on the Truckee-Carson project are summarized in the following tables: Expenditures, according to physical features, on Truckee-Carson project, to June 30, 1906. Expenditures, according to purpose and nature, on Truckee-Carson project, to June 30, property. 1,224. 52 108. 15 8, 457.00 14, 534. 93 Building.. 251, 966. 00 3,713. 35 44, 856. 15 8,855. 08 148, 302. 83 25, 322. 47 70.30 228.79 62,848. 27 $1,987,291.01 Operation. Maintenance.. 10,568 38 4.65 1,076. 13 579.72 Operation. 8.272 38 28 97 44. 20 569 24 Administration. 123, 990. 27.9, 178. 26 8, 195. 50 14, 560. 92 84.73 533. 46 1,019 22 151. 61 85.03 17. 14 281. 1624, 360. 62 1, 642. 30 4,382.94 PROPOSED WALKER RIVER PROJECT. The area included in the proposed Walker River project embraces the basin of Walker River in eastern California and western Nevada, where is a large tract of arable land within reach of an easily controlled water supply. Walker River, which furnishes the water supply, is formed by the junction of East and West Walker rivers, near the south end of Mason Valley, Lyon County, Nev. Each of these tributaries has its source and obtains most of its water on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in California south of the Truckee and Carson river watersheds. They flow in a general northerly direction and unite in Nevada. From this point the main stream flows north for nearly 20 miles, then southeast, and finally empties into Walker Lake, where its waters are lost by evaporation. The principal bodies of irrigable land are situated in Antelope and |