The Placer herald., 1864-12-24
From the Marysvile Express
Rivers, Floods, and the Philosophy of
Reclamation.

Nrass valley National, are worthy of serious
consideration:
ut is our opinion that these huge noun
ia'ns, annually torn away from the Sierra
Nevada and precipita,ed into the valleys
below, by that tremendous water power.
winch science and art has brought to the
service OF the miner, threatening all before
It with ruin, may, by wisdom, industry and
skill, be turned to the advantage of the
farming interest. The elevation of the river
beds is equivalent to projecting an enormous
hume rom ten to twenty feet in height,
from the base of the mountain range into
the valley, by which the rich lands adjacent
can be easily and cheapIy irrigated, thus
enabling the farmer to command his crop
every year in defiance Of the drouth.
1t VIII be necessary, Of course, to build
suitable embankments to contine the water:
the expense of this, however, will ba greatly
lessened by the abundance of material al
ready at hand. This at the same tine,
should not be esteemed burden, for the
protection from overflow aud the establish
ment ct convenient and costless system of
lrr'g a9on would quadrupe at leas, the value
OF the land. Heavy loom land in such a
climate as this, susceptible Of being watered
at pleasure, possesses value almost incalcu,
lable."
The laws governing the movements Of the
aqueous fluid are the same the world over.
RIVERS IN the mountains, where the fall of
water is great, and the current rapid, are
continually deepening their channels; the
attriion of water, aided by moving sand
and rocks, wearing away the bed Of the riv-
er, even though it be composed of the hard
est granite. On the contrary in vaies,
where rivers flow over level plains, with a
sluggish current, the result is directly oppo
site. The material brought down from the
mountains by a swift current. is deposited in
the valley, for the want of power sufficient
to carry it farther.
1t is universal rule everywhere that the
banks OF rivers are always higher than the
adjoining country; such is the case with the
Mississippi, especially near its mouth, and
great levees are necessary in order to pro.
tect the plantations and cities near its banks
The city of New Orleans is said to be several
feet below the bed of the river If such is
the natural result where the water flows
comparatively free from sediment the same
process OF elevatlng the river beds must pro-
ceed with much greater rapdity where mini
ing operations increase the amount of sedi
ment brought down to an enormous degree
This, however, is not matter of con &c.
ture, but some fifteen years of practical
operation has demonstrated the result beyond
question. Our river beds are all filling up,
and the adjoining lands are being elevated
by accommodating deposits of sand, destroying
the rich meadow bottoms and converting
what was f"rmery regarded as the most val |
liable lands in the State into sandy wastes.
We think the idea of the National on
this subject worthy of consideration. All |
that is needed in order to carry out The plan |
is TO confine the water within proper limits,
by erecting artificial enbankments so as to |
prevent it from abandoning its channel and |
seeking Others, where the owness Of the |
country may invite its course.
Rivers hardly ever run on a straight line;
their course is circuitous In mountainous
districts they run in sharply defined angles
in valleys, where the current is sluggish,
they run in circles, or parts of circles, and
their channels are frequently so crooked
that, as has been said of the Rio Grsnde,
q
on the same side" This divergence from a
straight lue is caused by distractions to the
free passage of the water, driving the current
in a new direction.
Bv erecting embankments and confning
the water in prescribed limits, the current
will overcome all Instructions and maintain |
direct course The deposits Of sediment,
brought down from the mountains, would |
gradually fill up the channel and in few
wears the embankments would have to be |
made higher, in order to prevent breaks and
the overflow of the adjoining country, and
finally the bottom Of the river itself would |
become higher tlan the adjoining country
In this way nature, assisted by embank>
ments, would construct what the National
terms an "enormous fume," capable of car
rying off, by increase of its current, the
accumulatng waters during a flood, and
from which, during the dry season, the
country in all directions might be irrigated,
making vast plains that are now, during a
part of the year parched and worthless, pro-
ductive and valuable.
In portions of Germany persons may see
this theory illustrated by practical expert
ment. Levees were erected along the
banks of the rivers centuries ago for the
protection of the adjoining lands, and the
same process Of natural elevation in the river
beds has been going on until the water all
runs off on level far above the rich and
highly cultivated lands adjoining, and the
greatest care is taken to provide against the
overflow by increasing the elevation of the
embankments.
There is no stream in California where the
experiment could be tried to greater advan'
tage than the Yuba river. The country
adjoining the river, on either side, is natur.
ally one of the most productive regions in
the State, though during the last few years
it has been so torn by the floods, and in
places covered with deposits Of sand, as to