Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-20
THE CoLUsA CANAL SCHEME EXPLAINED
BY ITS ENGINEER,

EDS. RECORD UNION Referring to par.
agraph in your paper in regard to the injury
to navigation by irrigating bitches or canals
ter inquiring as to the objects and purposes
of the Stony Creek Canal Company, which is
now locating canal from the river at the
north boundary of Co,usa county, submit
the following statement:
In October last the Stony Creek Canal
Company was organized, with n. u. Ride
out, John Boggs, H. B. Julian, w. ?. Har.
riugton and w. S. Green as Directors. The
purpose of the organization was to appropri-
ate take and use the waters of Stony creek,
Thorn's creek and the Sacramento river for
irrigating thu valley lands of Tehsms, Celusa
Yolo and Solsno counties; for supplying cities
and towns along the line of the canals with
water for domestic use, and for mechanical
purposes to use the canals for floating logs
wood, lumber, ETC.. therein. The primary
object was and is irrigation The other items
aIe simply among the possibilities Of the fu-
ture. The notice posted and recorded for a
canal from the river describes canal or ditch
sixty feet wide at the bottom, snd going
DOM two feet below low water. The grade
given the canal in the survey is six inches to
the mile. 1t is the opinion of the company
that two feet Of water taken from
tee Sacramento river on such q
grade will not materially lessen it's
volume even at low water; and it is fur
iher the opinion of the company that if it
DOES the company will have 20 be content to
take only such amount as will not percepti-
bly, lessen the volume Of water IN the river.
It will be ~ easily demonstrated that the
canal will lessen the volume or not that there
need be no trouble on that score. Marks can
be pu5 along the river below. and the gates of
the canal shut and the difference noted.
Of course a great deal more water will be
taken when the river 10 above the low water
mark. The river does not usually reach low
water before August, and as irrigation is the
grand object in view, and ss but little Of that
is done in the latter part OF the summer, we
anticipate no trouble on that score. The most
that it would be used for during that time
would be 10 supply the towns with water.
and il seems that it would make no difference
whether the water for that purpose was taken
cut by canal or, as Sacramento takes it, by
pumps. This canal from the river will water
between AGO end 800 square miles of land in
Colusa county alone, and as much more in
Yolo and Solano. While it will water si
this land, it is not grand scheme
ia which millions Of dollars are to
be swallowed up Il will be built
cheap, and cheap water furnished
to the land-owners-so cheap that all can
afford to use it without stint. The deepest
cutting encountered is seventeen feet, aud
that for few uUdred feet only; then
fourteen feet. and that Tor mile only. Il
is soon brought to the top OF the ground.
when cutting of little over two feet is
Notwithstanding just enough earth from
81 q, 10 nor &c,
miles Of the canal has been located with this
cutting maintained, and the country is SO IA
vorabe to it that there are but hfty-six
changes of course in thirty-hve miles. OF
course it will cost considerable amount of
money; we have Stony creek to cross there
are fumes to be built over or under other
dry creeks there are culyerts to be made,
bridges TO be built, branch dicnes made, etc
but it is the most practical scheme for irrigat-
ing a large body Of land in America,
The head of the canal is in finely tim
bered country, and it passes through tree
less territory; and wood may be fosted down
with profit. The Sacramento river will float
logs from the mountains to the head of the
canal without paying interest on money for
that large pond may be made near where
it comes near the surface and the logs tlOated
into it and sawed up at leisure, and the lum-
Der f0ated on down to the people along the
line bus this msy all be done before the
river reaches it7 lowest Stages But, as l
said before, these thiags are simply among
the possibilities of the futuTe-she grand OBJ
ject being irrigation.
Except few small valleys. the land above
Stony creek is too rolling 10 be pIoftsbly ir-
rigsted aud, besides, is is in the belt Of
greater rainfall. The river canal leaves out
less than one hundred square miles Of irrigl-
bic land below Stony creek, and that creek
will furnish plenty of water for that at
comparatively small cost. 1t is the intention
of the company to use the water of the creek
for this lsld, together with a small territory
On the north side of the creek.
The company does not pretend that it is
going to relieve tbs river at food time, as the
maximum smount Of water taken out would
be but as a drop in the bucket to full river.
1 h )pe this statement of the purposes of the
company will prove satisfactory to those at
Sacramento and elsewhere who fear an injury
to navigation. Other people may talk of d.
verting the river and taking half its waters,
but the Stony Creek Canal Company will be
content with the surplus during the winter,
spring and early summer months, with so
small an amount during low water that it viii
cause no boat 60 ground. w. 5. GREEN.
Colusa, February -, 1884.