The Humboldt River rises in the northwestern corner of Utah, passes into
the northeastern corner of Nevada, in Elko County, and thence through
Eureka, Lander, and Humboldt Counties, to its terminus in its lake and
sink, just across the line in Churchill County. The total length of the
river is nearly 350 miles, while its width is only about thirty or forty
feet, and its average depth less than eighteen inches. The line of the
Central Pacific Railroad follows the course of the stream a distance of
about 320 miles, its channel forming a natural depression through the
country which greatly facilitated the construction of the road. Down its
course also lay the route followed by the emigrants who flocked across
the “Plains” to California after the discovery of the gold mines. The
water of the Humboldt is very bright and sweet toward the head, but near
the “sink” the stream becomes rather sluggish and is somewhat tainted by
the alkali absorbed in the lower part of its course. Owing to the
increased use of water for the irrigation of bordering lands above, the
quantity flowing into the lake each year grows smaller. The water
carried out of the river by means of ditches to the valley ranches is
dissipated by absorption and evaporation and never reaches the terminal
lake. Thus it is seen as a result that the lake is gradually drying up.
It will probably eventually become extinct, or survive as a mud marsh.
In the spring, when the snow is melting about the head-waters of the
river, Humboldt Lake has a length of about fifteen miles and a width of
nine or ten miles. In summer and toward fall it becomes much smaller. At
the south end of this lake is an outlet into a sink, or shallow lake,
twenty-five or thirty miles long by about fifteen wide. This sink at
times of high water connects with a similar sink formed by the overflow
from Carson Lake, the terminal basin of the Carson River. In these sinks
are found in the alkaline waters myriads of small fish. These attract
immense flocks of pelicans, gulls, cranes, and other fish-eating water
fowl. At certain seasons the lakes, sinks, and surrounding tule marshes
are filled with ducks and geese. Large flocks of swan are also often
seen out in the middle of the lakes. There is much fine agricultural and
grazing land along down the Humboldt River, and about the lake and sink.