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

weak embankment, often not over two to three feet
high, and, indeed, near the lower end of the divs-
ion it be hardly said that there are any eyees at
all on the east side. 1t is understood, however,
that the levees have been raised generally a foot
since examination of them was made by this de-
partment. Two large outlet channels Upper Syca-
more and wilkins sloughs-have been closed ty the
works connected with the system of levees on the
west side.
There are not any tributary streams which ap-
proach the sacramento from the east i'll this ovis-
ion all OF the mountain drainage from that direc.
ton beng intercei ted by the Feather river, and
carried on down the valley lower point OF join
ing. The Suffer basin lies between the two streams:
each thus act for this portion OF the valley as
main drain.
AS IN the next upper division, all drainage from
the west Is intercepted by the Colusa basin. The
outall OF the basin Is naturally through Lower
Sycamore slough into the river. Just above Knights
Landing, When the river is in ordinary flood there
is no drainageway for this basin for the food ele
walton at the lower end of the drain is Is feet
above the general elevation OF the bottom OF the
BASIN, nine miles up the valley The levee and
works connected Herewith now prevent this back.
now OF water, SO that the creek waters from the
Coast Range rest in the basin until the subsistence OF
the river food, when they are drained away.
But ii the Cousa basin is to be kept entirely free
from water 1t Will be necessary, in addition to
Keeping the waters out OF it from the river to in
tereept the flood flow OF the Coast
III.
and carry their waters to the river at some point
at sufclent elevation to give them free outfal into
the river at all stages of the waters thereof The
knights Landing ridge is the natural site for the en-
trance OF such tributary; hence the commence
inent OF a new division at this point.
FOURTH DIVISION.
From the mouth of Sycamore slough, at Knights
Landing, to the mouth of Feather river, IA miles
IN distance by the river, but only SIS miles in a
straight line, there are not any tributaries and low
land basins flank the river either side-the lower
end OF the Suffer basin being the left and north,
and the upper end of the Yolo basin on the rioht
and south.
The channel here presents an aggravated case of
the disease with which it is afflicted in the preceding
dlvlsion-an extreme contraction and contortion
OF its waterway. The sectional form is good
and nearly uniform, there beng but one
shoal, which is at Knights Landing, i'm
at the head of the division. The banks
are firm, and generally densely overgrown with
trees and shrubbery, which prevents erosion and
the formation of cut OFFS for the opportunities
so favorable for these that doubtless they would
occur but for this protection to the narrow 18TH
muses. which separate succeeding reaches # the
channel. The slope i'll this division is reduced con-
sderably by the filling that has taken place at the
mouth Of the Feather.
The levees in this division are generally very poor
although some lands on the south side at the head
OF the Yolo basin, are protected from immediate
flooding by fairly coed entertainments. On this side,
however, large crevasse exists, through which thu
water pours each year, and other breaks occur
almost annually; while on the opposite side the
floods move at will over the banks, back and forth,
out of and into the Suffer basin.
FIFTH DIVISION.
From the mouth of Feather river to the mouth
the American river a distance of IS. Z miles, there
are no tributaries, and the river is fsnked by the
Yoo basin on the west and the American the east
In addition to the waters of the Sacramento proper
those OF the Feather and its tributaries are present
ed at the head OF this division
The channel has good width-an average OF
nearly three times that through the two preceding
previous to the general sitting up,
which has occurred below the mouth of Feather
river during recent years, it maintained good depth
ana crosssectional FORM except atone or two places
NOTABLY at the six Mile shoals above Sacra-
mento, where there always has existed, so far as
known, wide and shallow reach Now, notwi:h-
standing the changes alluded to- the river is better
one to deal with i'll this division than in the two pre-
ceding, for with its considerable width it still MAIN
tains a fair depth, though its general capacity is,
under present circumstances greatly decreased from
what 1t formerly must have BEEN
Through this division the river is not crooked
one. though two sudden CHI nges Of direction exist,
to the detrment OF its maintenance free from eddies
and bars. The banks do not down and are
generally protected by fringe of willow. There
are not any places where cut offs are in the least
likely TO occur, for the channel does not double
around upon itself, as it does above the mouth of
Feather river; moreover, the slope in this division
is already considerably greater than in the pre-
cedmg.
The surface of the ground falls rapidly back
toward the low land basins from the river, hence
we find levees, in the third division placed near
the banks. With the exception of the division from
knights Landing to the mouth of the Feather, the
leve ing In the division now being considered is
the most uneven i'll construction and effect Of any
along the river For 6.5 miles from the upper ent
on the east bank the continuation of the Feather
river levee is fairly good, and under pres
ent circumstances, protects strip OF land
behind it from overflow by the waters of any
ordinary high flood. Thence on down there is
levee worthy of mention on the east bank, and flood
waters flow through deep cuts into the American
basin. On the west bank the levee is very good at
places for several miesgeneraly it is sufficient for
threefourths of the distance, under present crcum
number of large erevasses exist
through which the food waters pour in large vol
ume into the Yolo besin.
SIXTH DIVISION.
From the mouth Of the American river to the
head of Grand lsland-a distance OF III miles
there are no tributaries, and the river is still anked
by two basins the Yolo the west and the Sacra-
mento and Mokelumne basins on the east The
waters of the American river are presented to this
division at its head in addition to tn brought to
the foot of the division above through the river
channel itself and through the American basin, which
here empties into the river the which escape
from it on the east above, together with water
from JIl6 mountains between the American
and Bear rivers, brought down by Auburn ravine
and other similar streams These the last waters
tributary to the river on the east bank.
This division of the river closely resembles the
fifth, bnt the channel for the upper portion of its
course is somewhat more crooked and less even in
width and depth Local bars exist, as, for instance
the Haycock shoals-a serious obstruction to the
food flow. There no localities where cutoffs
might occur, as the channel does not pursue tor
tuOus course and the banks as general thing
he AZ he hat
considerable changes of alignment are not to be
expected.
AS in the preceding division, the gen
eral flood capacity OF this portion Of the
river has been much diminished of late
years by the deposit of sand therein, which has
filed the deeper reaches in astonishing degree,
and raised the shoal places bars so that there is
now not any more, ii as much water, as there used
to be on them, though the general plane of the
waters surface has been raised several feet.
The surface of the ground generally falls away
from the river, that levees have been located near
the banks. Here are to be found some of the best
levees along the river. That on the east bank is
rarely preached, and is nearly uniform in dis
position and construction than any similar piece of
levee of the same length in the valley excepting
perhaps that on the west side of the river above
knights Landing to Colusa, and that around Grand
Island On the west bank, though fairly good leyees
exist at notable places sometimes for several miles
in length the structure, whole through thisdi-
vision is very defective; but there are long dis
tances where it is slight and of uneven disposition
and construction.
At the upper end the flood slope in this division is
greater than in that above next preceding
owing to the receipt OF the tributary waters of the
American river and basin, but towards the lower
end this slope is materially decreased in approach
ing the point of bifurcation in the next DIVISION at
the head of Grand Island.
SEVENTH DIVISION.
From the head to the foot OF Grand Island-a dis
lance of 1928 miles by one route and IL miles by
the other-the river runs through two channels,
called Steamboat slough and Old river respectively
few years ago Steamboat slough was the deepest
and probably the most capacous of the two seeing
that it is 3S miles shorter than the other and con
has the greater grade, and its cross
sectional dimensions were probably as consid-
cradle and regular Now however, it is
found much filled with sand, and its flood carrying
capacity in great measure destroyed, for during
the past season, at time Of flood, it carried only
half as much water as did Old river, which is not
in much better condition than it was years ago.
Steamboat Slough is somewhat crooked for As
miles of its at the upper end but it is we'll
aligned channel thence on down The entrance to
it is very badly dsposed-being narrow and sharply
defined right angles to the general course of the
main stream It gradually increases in width after
the first miles OF its course so that for the lower
7 miles 1t is more than twice as wide as 1t is above
And SO we find it shallow, and becoming more so
for the sands drawn in at the head are deposited,
when the current Stacks in the wider reaches below
and a dam is thus formed against all material
win afnx u.