Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-12


Secretary Of War:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, July l, 1852. [
Hon. Robert 7. Lincoln, Secretary of War-Dear
Sir: In a conference with General Wright, Chief
Engineer respecting his order for the application of
the appropriation of the $3.50, 600 to the improve
ment Of the navigation of the Sacramento river he
informed me that $4,000 Of IL had been dedicated
to continuing the system of removing distractions
by snags and bars heretofore approved by your De-
partmsnt, and that the remaining $4,000 awaited
your approval of plan for its use.
In my subsequent interview with you on the sub
jec you very frankly stated that your desire to
have the money used according to the intentions of
Congress, but that representations had been made
that any expenditure by damming to prevent the
channel Of the Sacramento from being filled by de-
bris until hydraulic miners were stopped from
dumping into the upper waters OF the Feather river
and other tributaries of the Sacramento would be
useless waste OF money. You also referred me 70 a
long letter recently received by you from the Mayor
OF Marysve, siyirg his views Of the situation and
the remedy, one feature OF which was 10 deprecite
any outlay of the appropriation until legal deci-
sion could be reached in the United States Courts
prayer to stop hydraulic miners, directly or ind-
rectly, putting debris into tributary rivers.
Fully sppreciatng the spprehensions of the cit-
Of Marysville and of the farmers of the Sacra
mento and contiguous valleys, and believing their
anxieties TO prevent more material coming down
from the mines are causing them to overlook the
more immediate and imminent danger Of the filing
up of the Sacramento edesruction OF its naviga-
ton, and the devastation of consequent overflow,
verb lily called your attention to those dangers to
prevent which the committee of the Rouse recon-
mended and Congress made that appropriation.
Assured by you, and expressing our entire conf
dence that you most desiraus OF conforming
t. the intentions OF Congress in this matter at yOur
suggestion l had a full conference with General
Wright, who fully assented to the following
l. Thirty three years OF mining and dumping into
tributaries of the Sacramento have raised their beds
from twenty to eighty feet with powders, coarse
Fand sand carried q GRADUALLY rianO bod
of finer materials and sand, like slowly descending
avalanche down these tributaries and into the Sac
ramento, where their waters have left the sands
they could no longer transport, while carrying the
silt and soil OF the dunpings farther down. and even
out into the ocean.
. From Marysyille, where it enters the Sacra-
mento, to Smartsville, were it passes the lowest
gorge in the mountain region, the bed OF the Yuba
has been thus raised, from twenty-five feet ct
Marysve to ninety feet at the latter place, with
coarse sand and gravel which I'll up the old channel
and spread over the adjacent banks, reaching out
from one TO several thousand feet wide.
5. Over this vas. descending avalanche, at ord
nary stsges, the water Of the Yuba, unless pre-
vented, will wander at its sweet will, cutting
and channeling the mass, and carry what it exca-
Yates directly into the Sacramento, already nearly
filed from Marysyille downward for many miles,
and preparing the way for the winters floods to
load up from the same mass all their transporting
power can carry.
l. Thus, were mining in the mountains mmedi-
atey and absolutely to cease the destruction OF the
navigation Of the Sacramento below MarysviIe and
the perils to the agricultural lands consequent on
filing up its waterway would be imminent and in
evitable unless something is promptly done to stop
the debris now in the Yuba and Bear river chan
nes below the foothills from being in this manner
carried into it.
5 1t was expressly for this purpose that Congress
made thu appropriation, as it was my own statement
TO the committee on this which decided the appro-
pTistiou OF $780, 0G
G. The destruction of the Sacramento waterway
in1ip ntn1 Ia hVa
of damning the Yuba and Bear rivers below the
foothills by which their expanded beds will be
divided into pools, retaining their present debris,
| and compelling the waters of moderate stages
to spread out, that they cannot erode, and giving
1 wide, shallow waterway for the floods.
7. These propositions are amply established by the
information and reports now in the office of the
| Chief Engineer ana prove that the prompt sppea-
ton of the money appropriated for that purpose is
demanded by the interests of agriculture, and the
| navigation of the rver from Msrysvile, which in
1886 alone saved to the farmers shipping from two
counties 50 per ton on $50, 600 tons Of wheat,
| S720 900 from the grab of the railway, which
charged IS, while the boats only charged SO per ton.
| may add that, even were mining stopped, there
ought to be in the gore above Smartsvile, on the
| Tuba and 10 the first gorge on Bear TIyer, heavy
rock fills for retaining dams to 5top what ia already
in the channels OF these streams of coarse material
above these p1ints from being brought down into
the valley beds by the floods of winter.
With these precautions even were hydraulic min
ing to continue little, If any, except the fine silt
such rolls the Potomac ia foods-would make its
way down from the mountains In this case, the
security to agriculture and navigation could and
should be increased by the miners impounding as
they could, all their debris except the silt
Nor should it fail to be considered that the pres
ent miners while pursuing vocation sanctioned by
our Government, which sold them the land for that
purpose, and which has derived such immense ben
eftS from their production Of gold out CT otherwise
barren ground, are but in a limited degree respon-
slbls for tina present menacing aud damaging eondi
tion brought gradually on by the operations Of
numberless predecessors for the last thirty
years. o.
Trusting that you will find ample reasons for
ordering the prompt application of the means at
your disposition to agriculture and naviga-
ton from the danger which impends with the APP
preaching winter, remain very respectfully yours,
W. S. ROSECRANS, N. C.