Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-23
THE DEBRIS QUESTION.
Condition on the Bear, Yuba and Feather
Rivers-Necessit for State Aid.

Condition on the Bear, Yuba and Feather
Rivers Necessity for State Aid.
EDS. RECORD UNION In view Of the
doubts some circumstances of late have
raised in regard to the position of the
people of Yuba and Suffer counties upon
the Young bill, it needs to be emphatically
stated that the people of these counties are
almost unanimous in their demand for its
continuance. The late storm, which shove
the utter incapacity of the river channels to
carry, and the inefficiency of the leyees to
c1nfne; the foods of winter, and the progress
of the debris in overwhelming the valley
lands, have but confirmed them of their need
and the demand for State aid. They insist
that aid is due them from the State, whose
function it was and in whose power it has
been to prevent the ruin entailed by the flow
of debris into the valleys. This aid is abso.
lutely necessary, because the late food has
destroyed the levees, laid the whole country
at the mercy of the rivers and the debris, and
rendered the inhabitants financially
UNABLE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
One or two short lines of levees have held off
of ample strength for the succeeding season.
On the Bear, the levees upon the south side,
where not washed away, are utterly made
quate, and for fifteen miles from the hills the
water runs freely over the wheat lands, fill
ing in upon them clay and sapd. On the
north side, for the short distance of six miles
from the hills, the alluvial lands are saved
and the levees intact, but below to the
Feather the river spreads over the country
at will At the Feather the Bear river water
flows through the dilapidated levees upon
Berry's ranch down through Nicolaus, par
allel to the Feather, while the levees upon the
north side of that stream ara cut in many
places, and the whole line is pitifulty below
hish-water mark These lands unless pro-
lection is afforded by the State, are all des-
tined in the next two seasons to be buried in
sand, for their owners, crippled by floods fol
three successive seasons, are utterly unable
to sustain the enormous outlay necessary for
new system Of levees. Ga the south side
of the Feather, from below Yuba City. the
levees are broken in many places, and the
foods have
CONVINCED THE OWNERS
OF the futilisy of any farther unaided efforts
upon their part. On the south side of the
Yuba the levees are destroyed, and from the
hills to the Feather the water runs out over
the land, flowing in upon the rear of the rich
farms and orchards upon the north side of the
Feather. The Yuba is already upon the red
land and one winters sand piled in upon the
south will cause it to strike across the red
wheat lands lying between the Yuba and
Bear, through Reeds Station to the latter
stream. On the north side Marysville's
levees, once high, this season rose barely an
inch or two above the food. On the north
side of the city the water ran over the
Browns valley grade, but it was built up for
nearly mile from one to two feet higher
with sacks of sand, and thus the water kept
out, but it is plain that safety for the coming
year is only to be secured through com.
pletely new line of levees. A great part Of
the channel of the Yuba is filed up with
sand two and three feet above the level of the
the need for State aid is plain. Without il
the lands upon the south side OF the Yuba
and Bear, and upon the north side of the
Feather, and a great part upon the south
side. and also north side of the Bear, will not
be leveed, and the whole
WILL BE RAPIDLY COVERED WITH SAND,
Their fertility destroyed for individuals OF
the State for all time, and their owners
ruined. The town of Nicolaus will be de-
stroyed beyond all question, and Yuba City
and Marysville cannot hold out against
another food season like the present. Under
this view of their utter help.essneSs is seen the
cause Of the reliance of the people of Yuba
and Suffer counties upon the Young bill,
which promises them protection, and at the
same time is the only measure the Legisla-
ture can offer for the preservation OF the Sac
ramento river for purposes of navigation and
drainage. 1t is the only chance of protection
to the citizens upon the Sacramento river,
now about as helpless as their comrades upon
the Feather, Yuba and Bear, above. With
their knowledge of the necessity Of the bill to
the inhabitants of the whole valley, they
have approved unreservedly the course of
their representatives, in the Legislature, and
demand made at a meeting held last Thurs.
day night by portion of the people of Sac
ranento. however small, for the repeal Of the
Drainage Act.
Wheatland, February 81, 1881.