Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-11
NV LEYEE WORK.
Result of the Recently adopted Method
The Spur and Revetment work.

Result OF the Recently AnopEeu hetnoo-
The Spur and Revetment Work.
The levee on the point at the foot of Y
street, which was rebuilt last fall under di.
rection of the State Engineer, in accordance
with the recently adopted system of treating
and correcting the river banks and channels,
was found, upon a careful examination made
yesterday, to have withstood the heavy food
without the least possible injury. The cur
rent OF the river cuts strongly against the
bank at this place. and i has heretofore re-
CURED frequent and extensive repairs and
protective works. 4 former method Of pro-
tecting Is and maintaining the levee from
cutting away was by means OF foE
of piles driven along the shore and
filed IN behind with timber and
other materials. subsequently q large
quantity Of granite blocks were dumped
back of the piles, and a sort Of rip-rap work
thus built over the front. but even this, TO-
gether with the previous work. was ineffect-
i've, as the water cut IN behind the stones and
piles, and during high water last spIias re-
quir6d the closest attention on the part of the
city authorities and a considerable expense to
prevent the river cutting through the levee.
Last fall tie State Engineer prepared plans
and specifications To reconstruct the levee,
and the m5tdod of protection at that point, in
which a system Of spur and brush Tevetment
work WIS employed, which has In every way
proved entirely successful. The work was q
part of the general system Of treatment of the
Sacramento river By the Directors of Drain
age District No. l, and was done under con
tract by 2. 4. Miller and under the super
vision of Deputy Resident Engineer Wilson.
The piles were removed from along the front,
aad also the large amount Of granite which
had been placed there in former work,
NEW LEyEE SLOPE WAS FORMED
With brush mattress and low piles at the
base to hold facines which were placed above,
and these held in position and weighted down
firmly with blocks of stone From this the
levee enbaukmsnt was constructed of earth
IN the usual manner, and the new surface Of
the levee protected with brush revetment-a
covering Of brush placed about foot thick,
with tips pointing down stream, and held in
position by wire passed over it at short inter
walls from top 30 bottom of levee, and these
drawn closely over the brush by means OF
stakes The entire structure remains as p srfect
as the water Tecedes from if, as it was the day
the work was completed, and even IN
frmer condition, as the sediment has to quite
an extent filed in among the brushw0Tk and
made it solid and indestructible from action
of the water. The water has sufficiently
fallen so that q heavy deposit is found to
have been made along the base of the
levee from the velocity of the current being
checked by the spurs thrown out along
the shore tor this purpose. Thus the
newly constructed earthwors of the levee,
built from sandy soil and not com pleted until
December last, has not only been protected |
and rendered secure by this simple brush and
spur work. but an additional solidity has
been impaired to it and the base widened and |
strengthened by the sediment deposit which !
il has caused 1t is thus demonstrated that |
at the same pace and under the same condi- |
tions the present method has
PROVED CoNCLUsvELY SUCCESSFUL
Under an increased pressure from higher |
food water, where the use of piles and gran |
tie facing entirely failed. 1t is also shown |
that new levee Of fresh earth and sand will |
any pressure or action from food |
currents when properly covered with this |
easily and cheaply constructed brush-work. |
Another fact which is demonstrated by co. |
serving the effects of the recent food, is that |
this revetment work must extend to the top |
ef the levee. or above high water-mark, to be |
effective. At the new leyee upon the point
in Washington, where a similar work was
the revetment a portion of the
way was built TO the top of the levee, and
the remainder, owing to orders issued, from
the fact that the appropriation for work was
becoming exhausted, was left few feet be-
low the crest Of the levee. Along the latter
portion Of the levee the water rose above the
revetmant, and commenced rapidly cutting
away the new erubaukment, which had to be
covered with sacks Of sand to prevent serious
damage; whereas, Immediately from the
point where the revetment extended to
10 the top, and against which much stronger
current came, it was not in the slightest effect
ed, and heavy deposits of sediment were
made, strengthening the revetment, as no
Liced al the V-street works.