Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-27
Low WATER AND BARS NOW AMI
TEN YEARS AGO

We have already stated that this is not
the first season when navigation of the
river has been impeded by sand bars in the
river. As far back as eight and ten years
ago the phenomenon was a matter of de-
bate. But these facts, which are of record,
do not one whit lessen the necessity for
present action, or prove that there is not
cause for the most serious concern. 1t
simply proves that we have been marvel
ously patient and woefully neglectfu
OF course, We have had seasons of low
water before-years ago; of course we
shall have them again; of course the pres
ent low stage of water in the river is the
Immediate cause Of present alarm. And
we could wish that it might remain at
this ebb until the people are thoroughly
aroused to activity in the matter. The
very fact that we have had number Of
these scares tends to render the people
indifferent. With the rise of the waters
at the oncoming of winter the river boats
will cease to ground, and the people will
be disposed to forget the fears that now
alarm them.
But it is an old adage, and true one,
that the pitcher that goes often to the well
will at the last be broken 1t is certainly
true that ten years ago boats of light
draught grounded on bars in the river
near Sacramento, but it is also true that
since that date the entire leyee system of
the city has been improved; that the levees
are very much higher now than then.
1t is also true that since that date we have
had higher water upon the harbor gauge
than at any previous period, and which
the levees of old could not have resisted.
But 1t must be borne in mind that the
measurement of this same higher flood was
made from beginning point far below the
plane of the present bed of the river; that
is to say, formerly lowzwater mark was
seven and a half feet on the gauge below
the present low-water mark while at that
time there was a great depth of water be-
low the then accepted low-wa,er mark,
now there interyenes but a few feet
between the river bed and the sur
face of the river at low-water mark.
AL the difference Of tcater space has been. filed
Tp, and almost wIoliy By hydraulic mining
deposits.
And so it will be seen clearly why it is
that with rise of seven and half feet
from the present low-water mark the river
will begin to pour its waters through the
gap in the levee banks on the Yolo side,
opposite the mouth of the American river,
and why this diversion, checking the cur
rent, maintains and augments the bars
below the city and prevents their being
secured out.
In other words, low water on the bar is
about as it was ten years ago, but the bars.
in common with the plane of the bed Of
the river, have risen since then, and are
to-day higher, relatively to the plane of The
land than they ,rere decade ago By mann
feet.
If the low waters of to-day flowed in the
deep oval OF the natural bed ef the river
instead of being spread overan almost uni
form broad expense of sand bars, the stu
alton would be ! very different one.
There is no escape from the fact that
with twenty-five feet registry of water on
the gauge a food nine and half feet deep
and Jour tisues as ride as the riuer Is broad
pours out OF she Sacramento into the Yolo
basin opposite this city at point where
tens of thousands of dollars have been ex-
pended in local attempts to prevent its es-
cape.
So, then, the whole argument that we
have before had as serious trouble in navi-
eating the river as now, simply proves that
our present shadows are at higher eieya-