Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-17

He Decides That the Evils
Complained Of Can be
Corrected.
Captain James B. Eads, Consulting Engineer To-
the State Of California In relation to the subject
the drainage system and the mining dctritus dc
pesits, has filed with Governor Perkins his report
BY way Of preface Captain Eads recites the fact
leading to his being called to examination OF tn,
chief navgable rivers Of California; and gives in de
tail an account Of his visit TO the rivers and his in
spection of them and their tibutsries and adjacen
lands, and of his consultations with Colonel Mendel
subject matter Of his report, follows (the sub
heads are our):
THE REPORT.
According TO the estimate OF the State Engineer
the valley Of the Sacramento is about $50 miles
long from the Iron Canyon to the mouth of the
Mokelumne river, and its gr. etest width at right
angles to this line is fit, miles, 1t contains about
4,769 square miles. During the high water OF arch
A: D. 1872 about 847 square miles Of this area was
covered with water. The length of the Sacramento
river, between Iron canyon AID Suisun bay is about
$50 miles. The mountain water Sheds whose drain
age systems are tributary to the Sacramento are IN
combined area mere than two and one half times
the area Of the valley itself Violent rains during
the winter and early spring, cause these mountain
basins to send down floods of considerable magni.
tude, and the melting of in the higher
causes other Hood waters to flow down the principal
streams during the ter sp ing months. The
streams which enter the Sacramento valley are all
subject to certain freshets but these generally
Of short duration. Occasions are extremely rare
when all the streams are in high flood at the same
time. Ordinarily the waters Of one freshe, are
nearly out OF the valley when another comes into it.
he rains which fall in the valley, unless they are
exceptionally heavy, are absorbed by the SOIL and
do net materially contribute to the swelling Of the
water in tho ri-ers.
CAPACITY OF THE SACRAMENTO.
The channel Of the Sacramento. being OF INSULT
cicnt capacity for the immediate passage of ordinary
floods to the sea large portion Of the water
over It's banks or is earned BY natural sloughs into
extensive basins which exist On each side of the
river through many miles Of its course. These ba-
sins are filed during each food and after its sub.
sdence the water gradually finds its way back into
the river through inlets or sloughs, at the lower
end Of the basins. There is great variation In the
capacity OF the channel Of the river in its different
parts Thus, for instance. throughout distance OF
LOG miles above Butte slough there is channel of
larger dimensions and slope than exists through
distance Of 64s miles below 1t. This remarkable
phenomenon results from the fact that large por
tion Of the river foo g have annually escaped by
! u
extent The channel through this 644 miles Is ex
tremey tortu0us, owing 70 the same cause. The
water which escapes here is not again returned to
the river until it reaches the mouth of Feather river
at the lower end of the basin. The distance through
this basin, from its inlet to its outlet is only about
half as great as it is BY the crooked channel OF the
river.
THE FEATHER-LEvEEs.
The Feather river is the only outlet which acts as
main draiD and in that capacity is an auxiliary to
ft1pS ont
the vail Y. II receives the waters Of the Yuba aud
Bear rivers and other smaller streams, and is the
largest afflueut of the Sacramento.
The levees which have been constructed have not
been built on any uniform plan, and inclose high
water areas OF Very different widths. The regimen
OF the stream has, in consequence been interfcred
with in way TO still further impair the even ca
paeity of the channel. The floods are now confined
for comparatively long distances aud then escape
lateraly in large volumes through natural sioughs,
or hy in ths levees These crevasses ire
quently appear, and may have remained open for
years.
men Of the river have been greatly aggravated by
the deiritus carried into its bed from the hydraulic
mines located near the canyons tributary to it.
sHoALIHG. OF THE RIVERS.
Mr. Hall estimates the total amount of filing in
the beds of the Feather and Sacramento rivers from
oroville to Collinsve shoals (abnut 1853 miles) to
be nearly l3i 0o COO of cubic yards. He estimate
the average depth OF the fill in the Feather river
from the mouth Of the Yuba to Eicolaus
19.6 miles), to be twenty feet the average fill
in the Sacramento, between the mouth of Feather
and American rivers 1874 miles), to be fifteen feet
and from American river to Grand Island (27.7
miles) to be ten feet. The total fiji throughout 1853
miles will average nine feet in depth, by 100 feet in
width. OF course the estimate of this enor-
nous quantity is only approximate, but the
care with which Mr.. Hail has made the
Investigations and the reliability of nearly all OF
the data upon which the totals are based entite the
results obtained to much confidence.
The effect of the detritus upon the Yuba and Bear
rivers has been much more marked than in the case
of the Feather and Sacramento. In these tributary
streams the original channels have been wholly filed
up and obliterated, and the waters, oyerfowing
the banks have transformed form srly fertile region
into barren wilderness Once these streams were
pure and clear there fields producing valuable
harvests extensive orchards and substantial houses
Nov these ave buried in the mass of earth which
the uncontrolled floods have deposited, and pros.
perity has given place to desoation.
EXTENT OF INJURY.
With reference to the extent of the injury to the
inundated lands Mr. Hall says: Reviewing tie
losses, which are capable of estimation we find an
aggregate OF 4S, SAG acres which have suffered
depreciation in value Of s.. 1877 ,635
Tho present annual discharge OF mining detritus
into the Feather, Yubi. Bear and American rivers
estimated BY Mr. Hall to be h3 4o4. 600 cubic
yards This would cover nearly III square miles
three feet deep. 10 the removal of this enormous
water are used annually in the mines from which 1t
is discharged. miners inch Of water Is unit OF
measure intended to represent a definite quantity
discharged IN twenty four hours ana is variousy
estimated at between 600 and 2 600 cubic feet Tor
about 50 cubic yardsl making total Of about $50
cubic yards per annum. an amount equal to the
total discharge Of the Sacramento for eight days and
ten hours, when flowing at the rate Of 50oe0 cubs
feet p r second.
CAUSE OF sHoALISG.
There can be no doubt that tho vast quantity O;
detrtus flowing from the mines into these channels
is the chief cause OF the changes occurring In the
regime Of the rivers. Some portion OF the sedi.
mentary matter transported by them Is supplied by
the lands their margins, but the valley Of the
Sacramento, excepting small portion of its central
plain, with soil that rapidly absorbs NIL rains not
exceptionally heavy, the amount contributed from
this source mus. be insignificant, while that sup.
piled by the mountains, before they were sffeeted
by hydraulic mining, seems from abundant testi
r1ouy to have been insufficient to obscure the former
clearness Of these streams.
It is very certain that unless proper plan OF I'm
provement be adopted there will be still greater in
undations, and more extensive areas Of valuable
lands will be eoyerei with this detritus Navigation
must likewise become moro difficult, and in time
that Of Suisun Bay ard the Bay of san Francisco
viii be impaired.
WHAT IMPROVEMENT IS NEEDED.
Reinforcement Is worth considering which viii
not res'i. i petu'aiiet ieiiei ana no improvement
afford such relief unless it be consistent Will
certain well known natural laws controlling tht
action OF all sedimert-bearing rigcrs
An intelligent judgment cannot be formed ns u
the proper means Of felief without some cerera
knowledge OF these laws. For this reason vii
explain the principal ones having a bearing upor
the movement of waters in rivers, and the trans
portation Of the sediment with which they are
charged.
Motion can only occur by the expenditure Of
force aud hence all Guestiors relating Il
the movement oi the foods end sediment
the force iunpglling them, aid the resstauc,
they encounter, pelong TO the brsrci o.
science known as dynamica. Knowledge Of the
great yet simple truths upon which this science rests
| is easily acquired, and sill enable anyone to CON
prehend the problem presented aud Judge ef thu
correctness CT any general treatment proposed II
enables the engineer, hy the aid of mathcDiatica