Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-04
INFLUEscE OF THE UPPER VALLEY FLOOD
WATERS

provement have spoken OF how the water now
flows at will into out of this Suffer basin ut us
lower end. As it is now, the elevation OF water IN
this basin governs the flood line in the Sacramento
1t the mouth of Feather river where the basin comes
10 an end.
Should the attempt be made to improve the lower
river by means of uniform system OF leveeing ana
the treatment heretofore outlined, the Hood ine
must be raised temporarily at least, at this point
We're the Suffer basin open, it, OF course, must MI
before this elevation could be obtained, and possibly
70 higher level than ever before IN ordinary ers
We would, under such circumstances, have state
Of affairs as follows: large portion oil the waters
Of the earliest freshets of the seasons would De
taken up in filling this great reservoir and mean
while the river below could not be run full and the
benefit Of the securing action obtained Later wouid
come heavier freshet-mueh OF the storage edpAci-
fy of the basin would be by that time taken up
this new water-the first of the heavier freshet-
would raise still higher the wide eXpanse IN the
BASIN entering as it does now from points ABOVE on
the upper river, well as at the lower ehd, ana
when the maximum volume OF the fio0d-that only
which the upper river could not pass readily to the
mouth of the Feather-presented Itself, the waters
must rise still higher to give 1t room. Mean"n'ie
the river below until this highest point IN the MOOD
above should be reached, would not nave Deeh per,
forming its full duty-for there would not be mead
enough to force it as long as the waters had the OPP
to spread.
Now this vast volume CT water, resting unre-
strained immediately the head of the lower river
continual menace TO the region below-an lmpend-
ing evil which might at any time overthrow tEe
hest laid plans. For, the leyees up to stand
ard as TO elevation and weight never SO perfect,
and amply sufficient for all ordinary flood eontln-
peneies in the river proper yet might strong north
blow sweeping over the twenty-seven miles OF this
lake surface, down to the head OF the leveed por-
ton OF the river, pile up there such volume OF
water to be carried away as would bring disaster to
works and lands far below.
a,,,,f1o e. ne A
large portion Of the great flood wave which over
threw the levees of Grand Island, was blown out OF
the Suffer- basin 50 miles above. Entering the
head of the lower Sacramento from this basin, the
food line was raised at the point OF junction,
about feet in a few hours This wave went down
the river caused breaches in the levees, and swept
into the head of the Yolo basin, diagonally across
which it coursed-running well up on to the west
rim and making higher water there than on the east
side at opposite points-thence, turning, 1t again
crossed the basin and was projected out into Steam
boat slough and the division OF the river below,
where it overthrow portions of all evees in its way
and destroyed property valued at hundreds OF thou
sands, almost millions OF dollars.
The primary cause Of this mlshap OF course was
the deficient capacity the river at many p ints OF
its course but, setting natural causes aside there
is an important cause IN the defective system OF
works in the upper food region. Thus does the
safety of property, the good condition OF me Ver
and the welfare OF the lower valley, de-
pend upon efficient works in the upper
valley. Unless the waters are kept from spreading
from the river at will, into the head OF the Butte
basin, and thence on down into the suffer oasih
there can be no thoroughly efficient treatment OF
the lower river and no permanent security for works
and property far removed from the seat OF primary
flooding.
hope to have the opportunity ct presenting the
facts in this ann similar cases IN more denhlte
FORM at some future time. At present the most
important and the fundamental principles are sum
GENTLY illustrated.
The present condition of affairs be greatly i'm
proved Very much land now annually inundated
can be protected from overflow during any ordinary
flood through a proper treatment OF the drains
made b. nature to carry away the waters provided
the whole system of works be under proper control
and authority be lodged in the right place to adopt
such measures may be necessary to construct and
maintain the works everywhere IN the valley 10 an
equal degree of efficiency.
When this is done long step will have been taken
towards the complete and rapid drainage of the val
lev and this much wished for consumnation will
neither seem nor be SO far in the distance
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS.
In closing this part of my report for the purpose
of bringing together what appear to me to be the
important points in the whole matter of promoting
the rapid drainage of the Sacramento valley, now
summarize certain deductions already made, and
add thereto others which will be more fully sub
stantiated in what will be said hereafter under
the head of "The ow of Mining Detritus +"
First The valley rivers, already much deficient
in capacity to carry the waters of ordinary floods,
are annually, in the most important divisions, be-
coming less capable of performing this duty.
Second-The great primary cause OF this deteri-
grafton of the channels is the flow of sands from the
canyons into which the mining detri,us is dumped.
Third-The carrying capacity of the streams and
their efficiency drains has been greatly injured,
and the problems of regulating the drainage OF the
valley have been much complicated by the injudi-
cious location Of embellishments and uneven results
of leyeeinp along the rivers.
Fourth-The river channels never were capable of
passing the waters of ordinary floods through some
of their divisions without material rectlhcation
thereof and the attempts to conine flood waters by
the simple construction Of levees without system
atization, and the aid of other devices to improve
the channels themselves, could not have succeeded
generally, even though the sand flow had not come
down the rivers
Fifth-The very existence of Steamboat slough,
an important branch of the river, as navigabe and
flood carrying channel, is threatened-as evidenced
by it's rapid filling within recent years.
Sixth-In the natural order OF things, We may
look for the serious impairment OF the navigable
qualities Of the lower portion OF the main river in
the near future
Seventh-The presence of this sand in the upper
rivers, whence it is liable to be brought down in
great quantity impairs the confidence which ought
to exist ia the success Of whatever plans may be
projected to regulate and facilitate the drainage of
the valley and hence it is doubly important to
ward off the danger.
Eighth-If the de ost OF detritus in the streams
were to cease at once yet would it be necessary to
restrain in the canyons that which is already there
and regulate the flow of the sands therefrom, in
order that NAV count with any considerable de-
gree of certainty upon the efficiency and penanency
Of drainage works in the valley.
Ninth-This danger can be warded of in great
degree at least, without radical interference with
existing interests.
Tenth-The restraint of the sands in the canyons
admits of no delay 1t is the first objective point in
the restoration and improvement OF the carrying
capacity of the valley streams.
Eleventh If this desirable result were measur-
ably secured the natural action of the riyers-re-
lieved in great degree from the load they have now
to carry be to excavate their beds and grad
ually work back to the regimen of twenty years
ago.
Twelfth-The accomplishment of this result can
be greatly fastened by engineering devices and
works and subsequent management thereof, and,
under any plan, this treatment of the natural
drains must form the chief feature of the scheme
for providing rapid passage for the waters.
Thirteenth-As it would have been eminenty
practicable TO have improved the carrying capacity
OF the streams to a very great extent bsfore
they became injured by the sand flow, So as they
are brought back to their former regimen, may
their rectifcation and enlargement OF capacity be
carried far beyond that point.
Fourteenth-This filing Of the main channels,
though confined to the Feather river and the Sacra
mento below the Feather, does-by raising the flood
lines at the junction of the two streams-reduce
the slope and capacity Of the Sacramento above the
point of junction. causing greater overflow, and Sc
riously compcating the problem of drainage in the
upper valley.
Fifteenth-The interdependence of works for the
prevention of overflow throughout the valley has
been 80 completely demonstrated by the mishaps
and disasters of the past that the solution of the
problem of drainage here presented can only be
hoped for when the work is carried forward with
the one object of disposng of the waters whole,
and not heretofore, for purposes of reclamation
of separate parcels districts OF land and there
fore it is essential that these operations should be
under one head.
sixteenth-The directinjury tovalley lands caused
by the flow of sand and sickens over certain large
thereof doesnot represent the measure of harm
thus far done to the agricultural interes-for other
lands are in danger of similar submersion, still
others have been rendered less fit for cultivation by
having the flood lines raised in the adjacent
streams so as to make them swampy in character,
and the great BODY of the low valley lands has be-
come less valuable, because more difficult of per-
mauent reclamation by reason OF the injury to the
food carrying capacity of the rivers
Seventeenth-on the other hand, however, there
are lands in large bodies which, they stand now,
are more valuable than before the stream beds
were raised for, having been dry lands of poor
soil, they have been rendered moist and table In
high degree by the raising of the subsurfaee waters
in them which has follow ed as a consequence OF
the raising Of the streams.
Eighteenth-Without doubt much Of the mining
ha kent out of the main cauvons TINS