The Placer herald., 1862-05-10
NUMBER 36.
Protection to River Banks.

Much valuable land on the banks Of rivers
and rivulets is often laid waste by the en-,
croachments of floods. A few words on this
important subject seem to be necessary: It
may be laid down as a principle cf natural
science, that water is irresistible, and there.
fore it must not be resisted-it must be
bumored. All windings in streams are caus.
ed by resistance. The water, in rushing
onward, dashes against a projecting stone or
hard part on one of its banks; this sends it
in opposite direction and it strikes against
whatever obstacle is presented. This process
Of interruption soon causes moudering of
the banks in opposite directions, 80 that at
length the water runs in zig gag or serpen-
tine course. All this might have been avoid.
ed by allowing the water a perfectly free
course.
The damage done to lands by flooding has
led to numerous experiments for keeping
the water in its channel but seldom with any
degree Of success; because the attempts have
been to hem in the current by sheer force.
In all cases in which it is desirable to keep
out tides or high floods from lands, the only
secure method consists in giving the banks
such scope, that they will give no resist
Whatever UuI dllOW tu0 WdlcT 10 rlS0
and subside with equal ease and tranquility.
AS general truth, the greater the slope,
the better; and it should never be less than
a foot and half for every foot in height.
Employ no stones or stakes, or ANYTHING
else, for the current to catch upon; but cover
the slopes with smooth turf. at a season which
will allow OF its growth before the floods
set in. If any patches get broken, let them
annually be mendsd. To keep out high
Il, ods, the banks must be made correspond,
ingly high. Artificial embankments in a
fiat country should assume the form of
long mound, sIoping gradually on both sides
Notwithstanding the obvions utility of
this simple and inexpensive mode of prof.
tecting river banks, instances of damage are
constantly occurring from PROJECTS of an
opposite kind. Mr.. Stephens mentions the
following as one many within his knowl'
edge: San embankment was thrown around
the small island Mugdrum, in the river Tay,
to protect the land from being overhowed
by the tide; but it was made so steep that
the first spring tides leveled the greater part
OF it to the ground. second attempt was
male. with the additional expense of a stone
wall facing the water, which shared the same
fate with the former bank Since these fail
ures third embankment has been erected
with no'hing but the natural soil of the
land, and the whole covered with thin turf.
The length of the present slope next to the
sea, is five times the perpendicular height Of
the bank, and the inner slope three times;
the water meeting no resistance, rolls down
the long slope without doing any injury
TO prevent high ii les and freshets from
entering the cross drains and bitches, and
thus flooding the reclaimed land, it is often
found necessary to fit all water courses pas,
sing through the embankments with sluces
and selfacing valves; and where the new
land is exceedingly flat and low, even steam
power is sometimes indispensable to carry
off the stagnant waters.
Chambers Information.