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

from the mining regions Except the Feather rirer)
at or near the points where they emerge from the
foothills and to conduct their waters to settling
reservoirs upon the rolling lands which border the
foothills whence they could be used for irrigation
or returned TO the natu al channel after clearing
and this il is believed be done at an expense
not inconsistent with the direct benefits derived and
| the dangers averted
And still again it is possible to divert large por
ton of the and sediments of several Of the
heavily charged rivers notably the American and the
Bear not only low butat comparatively high stages
also, into the low sinks basins OF swamp Land,
and there cause the deposit of the material which
INJURIES the river channels. Without doubt this
be done very much to the immediate benefit of the
lower streams and certainly to the advantage of
the low lands covered, in the future.
THE POSSIBILITIES IN THE DRAINAGE OF THE
VALLEY.
The success of these works assured, it becomes
possible as heretofore asserted, permanently to
greatly improve the lower rivers but this only
be accomplished, with any considerable degree of
satisfaction by uniformly thorough treatment Of
them water carrying channels throughout their
several courses, according to one broad design
euted in all and each OF its parts when and how the
phenomena in nature developed make its prosecu-
ton necessary.
By proper system of works and wise govern
ment of them may expect to reclaim the
swamp and BASIN lands of the valley from
overflow by the waters OF ordinary floods,
and to raise the lowest swamp Expressions,
| so as to render them susceptible OF cultivation
| in the future, by the deposit thereon of a
portion OF the sediment which the rivers each year
| must bring down. We may expect, also, perma-
nently to shelter the cities of the valley from inun.
datiOn and 10 render the man streams navlgable In
| a greater degree than they ever have BEEN
But let it also be remembered that these remarks
apply as heretofore described 10 the where we
deal with the ordinary floods of the valley, for no
limit can be assigned to the amount of water which
at some time in the future come down this val
ley and as in the past, there have been phenomenal
| foundations, spoken of as the food of 80"
the flood of 81" etc., may there yet be others
as great or greater than they against the general
spread of which no human foresight can provide nor
secure protection for the great body of the lands
the valley OF course limited tracts, such as the
sites of cities and towns, be raised 10 elevations
or protected by embankments which, in all
probability no food water will ever reach Yet even
these safe only in comparison with other lands
less elevated or less securely protected.
Duput-a writer of repute river phenomena
and the science OF hydraulics-has quantity re-
marked that levees may be divided into two classes
to wit submersibe and insubmersible levees. The
first are those which have been overtopped by
former floods the latter differ from the former only
in being less frequently submerged in the past, or
are awaiting submergence by larger flood yet to
come in the future. And so it should be fully un-
derstood that floods will occasionally come which
must be allowed to spread. But may guard
greatly against their ravages by proper system Of
years. rich and populous section should be able to
afford to be submerged On the twentieth, and
moreover, should be prepared for it, that the pro-
tective works would not be injured, and the lands
overfowed would be benefited rather than other
wise.
THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE SACRAMENTO
RIVER.
For the purpose of preliminary consideration of
the regimen Of the Sacramento river, it may be set
out in nine divisions, each of which embraces por
ton of the channel, commencing and ending at
points where, when in food it naturally receives
important tributary, parts with material portion
OF its waters through an outlet channel divides dis
tinctly into two streams or again unites in one
Thus each represents portion OF the great drain,
subjected to a task somewhat uniform throughout
its length, in carrying away the waves of flood
water; and each succeeding division in the series
down the valley should be OF capacity sufficient
promptly to pass onward or hold in reserve within
itself the waters brought to it.
commence at once cursory consideration of the
field from the point Of view of individual and rel
alive city of the several and succeeding divis
iors of the rivers channel
FIRST DIVISION.
From the Iron canyon to Stony creek distance
of fifty eight miles, the Sacramento receives many
small tributaries 1t is, for the greater portion OF
the distance, bordered by narrow strip OF bottom
land which at times OF ordinary high flood flow, is
covered with water.
The escape of water from the main channel in this
DIVISION until within five six miles of its lower
end does not contribute to any widespread inunda
ton of lands below, for throughout the course, with
the exception just mentioned, the bottom lands
bordered by plains rolling lands lying above the
elevation Of flood waters in the main stream.
Thus, unt below the mouth OF Chico creek, on
the east bank, where we have the exception men
toned above, all waters escaping from the main
channel within the first division return to that
channel almost Immediately, or led along paral
lei with and to it. through subsidiary channels
bottom distances
without effeGting great damage long depriyng
the propretors of the of their lands, for the
duration of floods seldom exceeds two days in the
upper part and four days in the lower part OF the
gion considered
SECOND DIVISION.
From Stony creek to Butte slough q distance of
80 miles, the Sacramento does not receive single
tributary, but is fanked each side by lands de-
pressed one to ten feet below the immediate banks,
the line of lowest depression being from two to
seven miles away from the river channel.
The disastrous and wide sprea ing overflow of the
valley commences near the head of this division
just below Chico creek the east and stony creek
the west side OF the rverso that the great work
of handling the waters that come down must begin
here, for the protection of lands situated many
miles below, as will be more fully explained here
after.
The waters which enter the head of this division
OF the river including those of Stony creek cousti
tute all that presented for passage onward to the
head of the next DIVISION there not being any trbu
tarleS DeOW stony creek. Inc channel mas not tnuS
far shown itself of capacity sufficient to accommo-
date the ordinary high flood waves, the waters OF
which wont, in part, to leave the river and its
Inges of bottom lands, and escape into the basins
heretofore referred to.
The channel itself is exceedingly irregular in
width and depth throughout this dvision-more so
than in any other portion of its course. The banks
generally inclined to cave down, but on each
side of the strip Of bottom land, which is mile
two in width and through which the main channel
meanders, there is line of hard bank land.
The alignment of the channel is exceedingly irreg
ular, and at many places constantly changing cut
offs occur sometimes naturally, and can be readily
caused artlficially. The channel, however, is al
ready on much greater grade, and of larger dime
sions than that Of the division below the natural
grade of the country is greater and the SOIL for the
most part admits Of active securing effect and the
rapid formation OF larger cross section than al
ready exists.
The construction of evees which are generallyss t
back the hard rim lands in this division, has for
the most part prevented the general overflow of
waters into Colusa basin on the west but the great
line of escape into the head of the Butte basin
the east near its upper end, and into the lower
portion of the same basin from the
lower end of the division, is still open to
the waters of ordinary high floods although, for
many miles, the direct overflow eastward is also pre-
vented by levees throughout the middle portion of
the division.
Butte Slough at the lower end of this division is
large escape channel for flood waters into the lower
of the Suffer basin, below it, the east side At
tempts have been made to close this slough and keep
it closed, by means of earthwoIk embankments and
timber structures; but either from the flood force
alone, or the action OF persons opposed to the clos
ure, who have on occasions destroyed the works,
these efforts so far have failed.
The waters from Butte and Table Mountain
creeks-stresms from the mountains on the east
flow into Butte basin, and are led through that and
the Suffer basin to the river far below. These
waters come near entering the river in the lower
portion OF this division that they may be regarded
as, OF right, tributary thereto
The drainage from the Coast range brought down
by numerous small creeks opposite this division of
the river, spreads into the Colusa basin, generally
from five to fifteen miles away and gravitates to-
wards the lower end of the next division below.
THIRD DIVISION.
From Butte slough to Sycamore slough, at
Knights Landing, a distance of 49S miles, as
in the second division, there are not in this any
tributaries and low-land basins flank the river on
each side, generally three to seven miles away,
and five to fifteen feet below the elevation of the
banks
Here have contracted but deep, channel,
and, for the most part, exceedingly crooked one
with banks generally very firm and not inclined to
cave. Tie irregular and oftentimes grotesque
alignment of the banks, results in bad eddies,
whirs and water dams at time OF food, and thus
8