Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-04
THE RIVER PROBLEM.

the facts ana reasons, Tor tnlrQ ana Hnal
paper.
THE RIVER PROBLEM.
A report has been made by sub-com-
mittee of the Board of Engineers ap-
pointed under Act of the last Legislature,
authorizing inquiry into the condition of
the navigable rivers of this State-to as
certain what improvements are necessary.
The sub-committee-William Ham. Hall
reports that the greatly large part of the
swamp lands sold by the State to indi-
viduals have proved unproductive because
subject to overflow. This non-reclama-
ton is, he holds, disastrous to the State,
as the very purpose of the transfer of the
lands to the State by the Federal Gov
eminent, and their sale by the former to
the people, was the reclamation of the
tracts, that the taxable values of the State
might be augmented and the large swamp
area be brought under cultivation. The
failure is due to the incapacity of the
| rivers to carry their flood waters, and
which incapacity has been increased by
hydraulic mining. The rivers are the
property of the Federal Government. 1t
is in the valley sections, where they have
the least capacity, where the greatest
injury has been done by artificial means
The present policy of the General Govern
ment toward the rivers relates only to
their naviganllity. They are easily navi-
gable in high water, and hence the Gov
eminent engineers confine their observa-
tons and labors to dealing with the rivers
in low-water stages. As result, little
more is done than to remove snags and
cut few channels, the arterial drainage
problems receiving no attention from the
Government. To the prevention of over
flow and the confinement of food waters to
channels, either natural or artificial, the
Government engineers give no heed,
| and cannot, until the policy Of the Federal
Government regarding the rivers is modi-
fed and given broader application. But
if this is brought about, the schemes to
! follow must be comprehensive, and not
treat the rivers in part-that is to say, by
halves
Mr.. Hall declares that not only has the
| Federal Government done nothing for the
recti6cation of the rivers and the treat
ment of their flood waters, but it has en-
10. Al
| carrying capacity of the streams and con-
| tribute to their serious damage. He reports
it as his conviction that it is the duty of
| the Federal Government to take care of
| the navigable rivers and make them capa-
| bic Of carrying their flood waters Whether
| by this he means the cutting of an addi-
tional or relief channels, as well as the con-
| finement of the rivers and the increase of
the volume and velocity of the current, he
! does not state. He holds that while it Is
the duty, beyond all question, of the Gen
eral Government to treat the rivers accord
| ing to compl extensive system, yet it would
be proper for the State to cooperate in
such important work. He also holds that
the reclamation of the rivers as drainways
and to the higher purposes of navigation
is not reclamation of private overflowed
lands, though the Government work will
unquestionably enable private reclamation
to be made. We are convinced that this
conclusion is sound, since the improvement
of the lower Mississippi has proceeded as
a need to navigation, though the benefit to
adjacent lands was natural consequence
OF course the Government should never be
asked to engage in land-reclamation for
private interests along nayigable water
ways, but clearly it is its duty to care for
the navigable streams, as the engineer holds
for the navigable waters are the free high
ways of all the people.
Mr.. Hall holds that by proper treatment
and which can be done by one authority
alone, having absolute power to operate,
and not limited to sections and divisions
of the rivers, the navigable streams of the
State can be made navigable the year
round far up the valleys. There is, he
suggests, a notable precedent for asking
the Federal Government to modify its pol
icy toward the California rivers, and this
is found in the position the Government
has for years assumed toward the Missis-
| sippi. The rational Improvement of that
river is undertaken and carried on at
public cost, the expense being met by Con-
gressional appropriation, and which now
exceeds 100000 annually. The work
done upon that river, and the reasons that
led the Federal Government into its pros
ecution are outlined and shown to be par
alleled by the claims of the Sacramento
and San joaquin, the demands of which are,
in proportion to their Importance Just as
forcible and as well fortified by reason and
a wise public policy. The Federal Gov
eminent did not engage in its important
work upon the Mississippi until it had
been demonstrated that the efforts of the
several States along the stream were fruit
less, because not uniform, and not under
one and absolute control. This being de-
termined the people applied to Congress,
basing their claims upon the duty of the
Government to conserve the integrity of
the chief navigable river of the nation.
All this preparatory way has been made
for California, and the precedent estab-
lished of Federal concern in river restora-
ton. We are, therefore, in position to
urge the claim of the State upon the at
tention of Congress. The engineer calls
attention to one difficulty, and that is, that
the engineers of the Government have