Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-08-30
A HOME LESSON.

fruit growers OF Southern California
are about to present memorial to
Congress setting forth that, on account
of the destruction OF forests on their
mountain ridges the streams of the
lower region are irving up and thus
depriving the country OF the means Of
irrigation.
The memorial asks that the timber
claim system be abolished in that por-
ton OF the State before the last vcstige
OF mountain foliage disappears forever.
A long array OF statistics formidable
IN their nature and startling enough
to alarm the most easy-going, are be-
ing prepared showing the calamitous
results which have already followed
mountain denudation. Thousands of
acres OF the Sierra foothills have been
deprived Of their growth and the work
OF destruction is still going Oh under
the guise Of the authority vested in
the timber claim act.
AS natural consequence the noun
tain streams and small lakes are dry-
ing up, and in many cases they have
disappeared altogether.
Several lakes of respectable area on
the table lands of the western slope of
the Sierras have either disappeared
totally or sunk into miserable or i'm
passible marshes. 1t is claimed by
farmers living in the vicinity of King
river that it was an important stream
ten years.ago, while Lake Tulare was a
magnificent inland sea. Now, little
below the mouth of the Fresno irriga-
ton system King river has become
wholly dry and its pebbly bed only
/ remains to point out its former course
Tulare Lake, also, has "gone back, ,
in the parlance of the country, and
, has actually receded distance of ter
/, miles at one point from its former
1 limits. Intelligent farmers affirm
l that these ominous changes have
! taken place since 1879. In conse
| quence of this, the once verdant ant
|. productive regions below are now DIR,
and sterile, nor can the owners ge
e water enough through their irrigation
: trenches to raise average crops. Tn,
J. whole face of the country is fast as
: Stunning an air of dreariness and desc
: lation.
e A few years ago, Lake Elsinore wa.
} the outlet of the San Jacinto rive
and, in fact the terminus of thai
! stream. San Jacinto mountain, OF
: rather its grand old forest constituted
: the main source OF these waters. To
day, the lake is shrunken to pond
while the river is not to be found, save
in the school geography and atlas
Vineyardists in the districts west o.
Lake Tulare complain that after July
) not drop of water can be had for ir
: rigating purposes. Added to these in
conveniences which occur every year
there comes, ever and anon, those ter
rible floods which devastate the whole
/ country below, and periodically undo
3 the work which the toiling husband
men have taken years to perfect.
The people of Tulare valley are hold
ing mass meetings to discuss the bcs
means of Fighting this great wron:
against nature, and thus prevent fur
, ther loss to themselves. But to brin,
the matter home, we would note thu
gradual decadence OF many streams il
, Western Washington contiguous to tn
Sound. These streams are mainly tn
product of mountain springs, but ever,
year the supply is becoming less il
consequence of the ravages of the tim
Der cutters, and the increased numbe
of forest fires.
. The Black Hills, in this vicinity
supply the thousands of springs which
60 to make up the source, not only o
Black river, but also of scores o
streams putting into the Sound. L
may not be generally known that thu
Black Hills. come within the province
of surveyed lands, and timber claims
are rapidly being taken each year high
er up on their southern and eastern
declivity. Early settlers can remem
Der when Black river was navigable fol
small steamers ten miles higher W
} from where today it barely suffices fo
the rafting of rnall booms of logs
The story is the same all over tn.
country. Wherever the uplands have
been denuded, the springs are drying
tup and the valley streams are steadily
shrinking. For the ultimate good o.
the surrounding country, the forest;
that now clothe the Black Hills should
forever be left intact. Let the farmers
of Western Washington heed the
healthful lesson taught by the calami
ties that have overtaken the people O