Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-04

the river by cutting through the hills and throug
Grizzly Island out into the bay. This would bring tn
| channel to a great mud -hat-four miles in width
necesstating jetties to keep it clear and the efec
would still be, as before explained, TO hasten tn
arrival of the time when jetties II be necessary
Ike p the main channel free and open for navigate
below Collinsville Aside from this the first cost {
| the work would necessarily be greatly in excess
that by the plan of making use of Montezum
| slough as q continuation of new channel and tn
damage to property would be greater also
Now, itmay be said that deep cut would be use
only to let the top of a sudden flood wave out an
| that the water would not be permitted to go tina
WY, except in event Of the channel below Gram
| Island being gorged.
II this is the only object in view, then it may b
shown that much better outfall exists into whicl
relief may be had at far less eXpense-namely acros
Brannan Island, from the foot of Grand Island, int
the San Joaquin river. This plan will be spoken o
| in the next article
On the whole, it appears that the project for
deep cut through the MonteZuma Hills, to drail
the Yoo basin and afford rehef to the river is at
tended with many questionable points as to ex
pediency and utility, aside from the fact that i
must be very expensive operation, for the Gu
alone might by no means constitute the greate
portion OF the cost, if it undertaken. But o
this, more at some future time, when different
plans of relief considered on the economic basis
In this connection it may be remarked that thS
diversion OF the waters OF Cache and Putah creek:
thing like the effect in raising the level of water IN
that slough that the admission of floods from the
Yolo basin and Sacramento river would have. In
the first place the floods OF the creeks mentioned are
Of very short duration up to their maximum limits
secondly, conducting these floods through the long
channel they must run through would greatly re-
duce their momentary volume and increase their
duration; thirdly, the volume is not so great as
that Of the food which would have TO be poured
through the hills in the deep cut to make it worth
while cutting; and, fourthly, the high-grade canal
would be carried to point on the slough several
miles nearer its lower outlet into the bay, and
would enter it in such a manner as 10 send its
waters for the most part out that way and not back
to the river at Collinsvie.
1t should also be remembered that the diversion
of these creeks would remove The chief cause of
choking the river in Steamboat slough--such as oc-
CURED in lSISaff0rd greater capacity to the river
above the point OF choking and leave more room for
water in the river below so that the relief sought
for the island property by the cut through the hills
would be, in great measure secured by removing
this one great cause Of the sudden accession OF
waters in the channel below the head of Granu
Island.
RELIEF OF THE RIVER INTO THE SAN JOAQUIN.
The propositions for relief already discussed have
all related to some work designed to dispose of the
waters Of the Coast range creeks, and the overflow
or surplus waters from the Sacramento which find
their way into the Yolo basin, by carrying them to
outiall through the Montezuma hills.
Should it be deemed advisable TO attempt turning
the creek waters the nteZuma hills it would
then become necessary in order to reap the full
benefit from the work, to keep the Sacramento
waters out Of the basin, at least at its upper end
Ii the Sacramento, from the mouth of Feather river
to the head of Grand Island, is to be relieved OF
portion of its food waters by means of 4 supple
mentary channel, undoubtedly the most favorable
location for that channel is to the west-in or along
side of the Yolo basn-because the American river
would interfere with any diversion the east side.
Is T,1n
measure possibly calculated to afford better outal
for portion OF the food waters which sud.
denly presented through the Yolo basin, than the
river presents there is the alternative Of opening
southerly into the San joaquin river.
This river is rarely in flood at the time the
Sacramento Its periods of full flow occur during
the late spring months, May and June, when the
SHOWS melt in the high and distant Sierras, while
full flow in the Sacramento is not to be looked for
after March, 1t does not bring down anything like
the amount of sediment that the Sacramento does,
that its shores comparatively low and marshy.
In its lower portion it has much less grade than the
and having more open mouth the
tidal action is greater. Indeed 1t resembles an
estuary, or arm Of the bay. more nearly than
river, below point opposite the foot OF Grand
Island.
By diverting portion of the flood waters of the
Sacramento river into the San joaquin, they would
there find much better outfall than in Montezuma
slough
There are strong indications existing on Brannan
Island, in the shape OF the old channels which are
there be found, that at times in the past this has
been the line of escape for the sudden eruption of
floods from the Yolo basin into the lower Sacra-
mento. Indeed, there was formerly an open chan.
mel known as Jackson Slough, which extended from
Old river the foot OF Grand Island, through to
the San joaquin; but this slough has been closed
for some wears and other channels leading to the
San joaquin, from near the Sacramento, still to
be traced. If outfa is to be made III this direc-
tiOn take the top off of the flood from the Yolo
BASIN its opening must be below the head of Grand
Island, otherwise this property would be flooded.
PROPOSED POINT OF RELIEF INTO THE SAN
JOAQUIN.
The distance through from the Sacramento to the
San joaquin opposite the foot of Grand Island, is
a miles During the food of 1878, which has
nereinbefore been described the water stood in the
Sacramento at the point mentioned 10 feet above
ow- tide in the hay.
The San Joaquin was in Its normal winter cond-
ton at that time-there was not any food there
I'm told. If this was the case, and | have every
reason to believe it was, then the tide ebbing
and flowing freely in that river, and at the point OPP
poste the foot of Grand Island the low tide level
was feet and the high tide feet above low tide in
The bay or, in other words, the toOdwater in the
Sacramento at the foot of Grand l land o feet
above half tide in the San joaquin at point only
81 miles distant. Suppose there had been con-
Meeting channel through, the grade Of the water
surface would have been nearly feet to the mile
-amento for the grade of the river flood line itself
was only Z. 90 feet per mile.
Here, in much less distance than through the
Montezuma Hills, might have been free line Of
escape for that flood The route lies through low,
,wampy island. The cost OF construction COM
pared to that of the hill cut, would be Insignificant
indeed, and the property damage no greater, if as
great.
If then we are to anticipate the of the
-ush of waters from the lower end of Yolo basin,
which occurred in 1878, it seems wise measure to
make wide OVERALL escape through the south bank
If the Sacramento into channel to be cut out to
The San Joaquin.
1t should be remarked that the objection urged
heretofore against diversion of waters the ground
IF its causing deposit in the main channel below,
loes not apply with force as against the proposition
lust considered, because it is thus far alluded to
only as channel of escape for portion of sudden
FL uptons of flood water in the river, and
would only act for short time and because in the
part of the river under consideration, will be
hereafter shown, the conservative action Of the
tides will, under proper management keep it clear.
As means of relief to be looked forward to with
some degree Of confidence this measure is suggested
put its efficacy would depend greatly upon the line of
treatment adopted for the river thence to the mouth
Of Feather, as well as upon the treatment Of the
Coast Rsnge creek drainage.
SUCH RELIEF MIGHT NOT BE NECESSARY.
For instance, if the Coast Range creeks were
turned over the hills into Montezuma slough, and
the Yolo basin at its upper end then there would be
no sudden eruption of waters from Cache slough and
the Yolo basin to provide for at the lower end of
Grand Island and it would simply become a ques-
ton of enarging the capacity of the river In this
event it would be necessary afford all the relief
possible past Grand Island and then, auxiliary
jackson slough might be used to relieve
the old river channel To effect a material benefit
it would have to be opened and enlarged probably.
But more will be said of this plan hereafter, n
speaking OF the general treatment of the river.
In any event the utility of this latter work would
only appear after the flood carrying capacity of the
main river, from the mouth of Feather river down.
wards had so far been increased that the volume Of
flood waters brought to the point of diversion
such as to threaten the overtaXing OF the channel
below, or if by making the diversion greater ca
pacty could be induced in the river above, by afford
ing more open outlet than would be had otherwise.
The Old river channel below this proposed point
of diversion from it is already wider than above
SO much so that the water is quite shallow. while
above it is comparatively deep. To keep this chan
mel well open and at the time to profit by the
new outfa gained by the partial diversion into the
San Joaquin, it would be necessary to provide for
the passage of more water down the Old river chan
mel to the point of diversion than can now pass, or
else narrow it below the point of partial diversion,
SO that it would maintain a better depth.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.
There would also possibly be urged against prop
ostion to turn any considerable portion of the flood
waters of the Sacramento into the San joaquin the