Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-07
DRAINAGE.
A Proposed Law to Secure Drainage
in Valley Districts.
A State Board Of Drain
age Commissioners
Provided for.
How the Work is to be Done
and Paid for---Details Of a
New System.
a Bill of Importance and Interest to
the People Of the State.

l.
purpose is to provide for system of drain.
age in this State. The bill directs how drain.
age districts shall be formed, State Drain
age Commission appointed, its duties defined
sets out the duty of the State Engineer and
Of local engineers, how districts may be sub
divided, how funds for drainage work shall
be raised and disbursed, bonds issued, sold
and redeemed, etc. The bill will be found to
be of great interest. 1t is given in full:
The People of the State of California, repre-
sented in Senate and Assembly, do enact
as follows:
Section l. The Governor shall, withir
thirty days after the passage of this Act, and
every four years thereafter, appoint three
persons. who shall be known as the Board of
State Drainage Commissioners, who shall
have the power and perform the duties as
hereinafter provided. They shall hold office
for four years, or until their successors are
appointed and qualified. They shall organize
by electing one OF their number as President,
and shall appoint Secretary, who shall not
be member Of the Board. They shall take
the usual oath of office, and shall each give a
bond for the faithful performance of his
duties, in the sum of (S25 000) twenty five
the same manner as other official bonds of
State officers. They shall have an Office in
the State Capitol, and shall each receive
compensation of $4,000 three hundred dollars
per month, to be paid at the same time and
in the same manner as other State officers.
They shall annually, on or before the first
day of January o. each year. report all their
proceedings to the Governor, with the recon-
mendations, estimates and reports of en-
gineers and others connected with their oper-
atoms. The Governor shall cause such
reports to be printed, and shall communicate
the same to the Legislature at each session.
Section 9. The term of Office of the Sec
rotary shall be at the pleasure of the Board,
and he shall receive a salary of $3.50 one
hundred and fifty dollars per month, which,
together with the necessary expenses Of the
Office, shall be audited and allowed by the
State Board of Examiners. Upon such al.
lowance the State Controller shall draw his
warrant upon the State Treasurer who shall
pay the same out of any money not otherwise
appropriated.
THE OUTLINE OF WORK.
Section 8. For the purpose of promoting a
complete system of drainage for the entire
State, within thirty days after the organiza-
ton Of the Board of State Drainage Commits
sioners, or so soon thereafter as is practic-
able the State Engineer shall submit to said
Board report or reports containing the re-
suits of his investigations as to drainage, ac-
-companied with plans for a system of con-
Meeting system OF drainage, having in view
the control of debris from mining and other
operations, the erection Of embankments or
bikes necessary for the protection of lands,
towns or cities from inundation, and the con-
struction of such engineering works as may
be deemed advisable for the control, rectifca-
ton or enlargement of river channels. He
shall also make special examination with
reference to the division of the State into
drainage districts each of which shall include
a territory drained by one natural system of
drainage, and shall report to said State Board
of Drainage Commissioners the results OF his
examination, and shall from time to time
propose boundaries for such districts, and
recommend their formation.
DRAINAGE DISTRICTS.
Section f. After the State Engineer has re-
ported the boundaries and recommended the
formation of one or more drainage districts,
the Board shall proceed to consider the same
and may adopt amend or reject said report
but if adopted by them, either in its original
form or as amended, they shall, by resolution
entered upon the record of their proceedings,
declare the said territory to be and the same
shall thereupon become drainage district,
and shall be known as Drainage District No.
/, or 8, as the case may be- numbering the
districts in the order in which they are
formed and they shall record, in book to
be kept for that purpose, the boundaries.
which shall be clearly defined, with map ac
companyinP, of each separate district, its
number, and the date of its formation, and
shall file for record with the Recorder of
each county embraced or in part embraced in
the district copy of the same, which shall
be deemed sufficient notice of the formation
of said district to all county officers, and to
all parties concerned, that said district has
been formed.
Section s. The three persons appointed by
the Governor as State Drainage Commission
ers, as provided in Section l of this Act
shall be ex officio members of and constitute
a Board of Directors and Managers of each
drainage district formed under the provision
of this Act. They shall organize in each
drainage district by electing one of their
number as President, and shall have an office
in and employ Secretary for each district,
who shall keep record of all the transac-
tions of said Board. They shall receive no
compensation for their services as such Di-
rector.
Section 6. After the formation of any ter
ritory into drainage district, the State
Engineer, as soon as practicable after proper
surveys have been made, shall submit to the
Board of Directors of the district plans,
specifications and estimates of cost of work
necessary in said district, in order TO secure a
proper system of drainage therefor.
ENGINEERS REPORTS
Section Z. All reports made by the State
Engineer concerning the formation of any
district, or any system of drainage therein,
or the works necessary therefor, shall be &C
companied by the concurring or dissenting
opinions of the State Consulting Engineers
and by that of the United States Engineers,
should such engineers be appointed by the
United States Government to make ex-
aminations in respect Of the matters en-
braced in this Act
Section s. After the reports of the State
Engineer, as aforesaid, giving plans, specif.
cations and estimates of the cost Of works, OF
any notifications or changes thereof, are
made to the Board of Directors of the dis.
trict, then the Board shall adopt, amend OF
reject the whole or any portion of such plans
OF may refer them back to the State Engi
neer for further report.
HOW THE WORK SHALL BE DONE.
Section 9. After the adoption of the plans
and specifications of the work to he done il
any district, the Board of Directors of tina
district shall advertise for thirty DAYS. il
three newspapers of general circulation, pub
lished in the State, one Of which shall be pub
lished in the city of San Francisco. and on,
in the district, if any newspaper be published
therein, for bids for the construction of al
or any portion of the works embraced in SAT-
plans the said notice shall state that tn
plans and specifications of said works are o.
file in the office of the Board of Directors Q
the district, and can there be examined b
any person who may so desire, and shall stat
generally the terms and the time in whic
the work shall be constructed, and that tn
right to reject any and all bids is reserved b
said Board.
Section TO- All contracts shall be awarde
to the lowest responsible bidder tif his bid
not deemed by the Board too high, an
the contractor shall give good and sutficier
bond in not less than % per cent. of tie est
mated cost of the work contracted for; TIL
bond, both as TO its amount and the suretie
thereon, shall be subject to the approval {
the Board of Directors of the district, an
and when so approved shall be filed in tt
office of the Board Any member of til
Board of State Drainage Commissioners, Q
80