The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-11-30

d, far escaped the injury consequent upon
the discharge of mining detritus into streams
flowing through them, there are others that
have not been so fortunate. We know of
several large bodies Of fine hay lands in the
country that are ruined, and Others that are
materially injured by large quantities of sedi-
ment having been deposited upon them by
the overflow of streams whose beds are PAR
t ally filled or obstruciel by The sediment
carried down from the placer mining ernu' ds
situated in some lns'a ices several miles
above them. BY properly directed labor at
the present time a great amount of damage to
10. laurs from The causes named may be
avrried.
Captain Eads, IN speaking of the elements
o. the problem, says: =. We have two grand
divisions in til" plohlrm-force aud resist
alce-and to one or the other of these belong
all parts of our investlgations." He further
SAYS that to estimate the moun Of any NOV
i ~ force three elements must be considered /:
lrst, the volume of water in motion; second,
the vertical height from which il falls and
third, the time during which it is falling"
i uItIcI dsltl tIldt u ID SluIpIJ iupOSSluiC
to compel the current to do any additional
work beyond that performed by it in a state
If nature, unless the force be increased, or
unless seine one of the resisting forces be
Iessened." In a long and exhaustive dis
russinn of the matter he finally comes direct
~ to the point and advances the simple propo-
sion that to increase the force of a stream that
it may be able to carry the sediment along
with its current, two things are necessary :
First, the Strengthening as much as possible
of the course of its channel, by eating across
its bends and short curves and secsna, by
The building of brush levees or dams at low
places onits banks. These appear to be sem
sible aud practical suggestions. The willows
and other underbrush that grow so luxuriant-
ly upon the banks of nearly all of our valley
streams are the best material with which to
construct levees or dams to coniine the
waters of streams within their channels.
1t may be that the immediate necessity to
control the course of streams, or to prevent
their overflow, may not be apparent at the
present, still it is the better plan to ~forestall
e"' iCouiu VI tuC tSSlCSdtlOh VI
sediment in the beds OF streams by building
up barriers against the overflow of its waters.
Placer mining will be carried on in Montana
for an indefinite time. Bars of aurlferous
gravel that at the present price OF labor are not
considered profitable to work now, will, in the
near Or distant future, be worked to COED ad-
vantage. When that time arrives they will
be surely washed way and their sediment
added to the present accumulation in our
stream beds. Then, when too late to remedy
the evil without a great outlay of time and
money, the question Of controlling mining
parties interested and may possibly lead, as 1t
has in California, to expensive suits at law.
To show to what extent lands may be injured
by mining debris, it is state that the annual
discharge Of sediment in three or four Cali
fornia streams amounts to 80, 404, 600 cubic
yards. This would cover nearly Is square
miles three feet deep with the Objectionable
matter. Our streams, where they flow through
our agricultural and hay lands are generally
without much tall. heir current is sluggish,
and car not, without artificial aid, carry
away tho vast deposit Of Stun or sediment
that annually accumulates in their beds. Now
is the time for the owners OF hay and agri-
cultural lands that are situated n the mar
gins of streams that annually overflow, to
guard agains; this damaging visitation. This
may be done by erecting barriers composed
of bundles of willows and layers Of earth at
those points on the streams where its waters
break over in the spring and submerge adja-
cent grounds. Sooner or later this problem
| of preserving our best lands will have to be
met. It's solution can not be much longer
postponed. Our farmers would do we'll to
prepare for future possibilities Of this
character.