Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-08
THE STATE OF TIE RIVER.

We entirely agree with our evening con-
temporary that the condition of the banks
OF the Sacramento river at several points
should receive prompt attention. Not
only that, but the facts should be promptly
stated to our Senators and Representatives,
and with vigor that will command their
attention.
The navigable rivers of the country are
public highways these great free roads are
the heritage of the people. The Govern.
ment is bound by all possible obligations
to preserve these highways and save this
heritage from destruction. A year ago or
more We advanced these ideas, and then
urged that the attention of Congress should
be called to the liability of the Sacramento
river early leaving its channel, and that it
should receive attention with view to
clearing oat bars, Strengthening bends and
repairing banks. in order that the channel
of the stream might be preserved and the
securing capacity of the current augmented
by combining the waters to their natural
bounds, thus accelerating the force of
the stream.
But when We urged these things the
meanest of all resorts was had-our
motives were assaulted, and it was charged
that the plea was made in the behalf of
hydraulic mining-a more malignant and
mendacious accusation was never made.
Now there is, and has been for some years,
a serious break in the levee and banks on
the Yo'o side, opposite this city; there are
other openings further up stream there is
below Knights Landing tortuous section
where the river is turned back upon It's
course some miles, which, if Strengthened,
would add greatly to the acceleration of
the current. In Colusa county company
is preparing to tap the stream and take out
large body of water for irrigating pur.
purposes, through 4 mammoth canal, and
thus still further reduce the volume of the
water and correspondingly decrease the
carrying capacity below that point.
These are not new facts. The discovery
of our contemporary is ancient history.
The whole situation has over and again
been set forth in the RECORD UNION.
State Engineer Hall, in these columns,
has several times presented the identical
facts to which our neighbor has so sud.
denly awakened. There is nothing new
in the fact that checking the velocity of a
stream by diversion and division of it's
waters renders it correspondingy sluggish
and diminishes its capacity to preserve the
integrity OF its channel
The navigabiIity of the river is best con.
served by afording the bed the benefit of
the fall operation of its waters. in per
uniting escape.ways, therefore, to exist.
we actually increase the filling of the bed
and raise the flood level, against which we
must build levees. What we should urge
the Government to do, therefore, is to
rectify the stream by Strengthening its
intestinal-hke bends, and by combining the
waters TO the natural channels and shut
ting eff, so far as is possible, all side escapes.
But these facts in no wise Justify assault
upon the Citizens Committee nor was it
bad policy on the part of the Association
to send out committee not versed in
hydraulics or any other branch of the sci.
ence Of engineering" The committee went
out, We suppose, to examine our levee sys.
TEN, as interested property.owners, not to
inquire into the question of threats to the
navigability OF the river. While we are
not in the councils of the Association, It is
a question oar contemporary may ponder
upon, whether the committee did not know
precisely the facts we have stated. and
foresee precisely the debate that has arisen.
Certainly the &C. on of these gentlemen
awakened that journal to patent facts thst
have been before its eyes these many years;
that have been freely reported and com.
mented upon, but 70 which it has been an.
parently blinded by the accumulation of
hydraulic mining debris in it's eyes. TIE
committee has done good work at least in
sluicing out our neighbor's organs of Wis.
ion. We shall now 1peet its co. operation
IN vigorously urging that the Government
shall make the condition of the river
matter Of deep concern and if its rectiti. |
cation and Improvement demands Of Sacra.
mento more levee, building, it must be
done. But let this be borne in mind
there will be small need for levees if our
navigable stream is shoaled there will be /
greater need for higher levees with the
escspe-wsys open than closed. In any
case, then. our levee defenses must be pre-.
served, provided. always, that the naviga-
bility of the Sacramento river is to be
AS to the amount of money
We should expend upon the leVees, how
.ver, this year or next, that is a question
dependent entirely upon good business !