Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-28
DRAINAGE CAMEL.
OF LITTLE USE TO THE CITY, AND A
NUISANCE ELSEWHERE.
Result of the Oficial Inspection Yester-
terday-The Canal Will Probably
Be Opened Up.


visors inspected the drainage canal yester-
day for its entire length, in order to ascer-
tain its condition. The canal commences
at Y street and ends within short distance
of Snodgrass Slough, which has its source
just below the Pierson District between
HOLSTERS ranch and Walnut Grove. The
drainage canal is about thirty miles long
and runs through the Sutterville, Munger,
Beech and Blum lakes, and empties into
the tule swamp about quarter of mile
from Snodgrass Slough.
Theparty, consisting of Trustees Comstock,
Mclaughlin and Wolf, City Engineer Pier
son, Supervisors Ross, Greer, Tebbets and
Bates. Colonel McNassar, T. B. Lovdal and
a RECORD UNION reporter separated, the
Supervisors going by the Freeport road and
the remainder of the party by the River
side road, crossing at Sutterville and join
ing the others on the Freeport road The
first examination of the canal was made
where the road crosses it between the
Riverside and Freeport roads near Suffer-
vile. There was no channel there at all,
merely mass of tule and weeds growing
it had become stagnant.
The next stop was made at the point
where the canal crosses the road a short
distance this side of Freeport, and which
leads to the Pocket Here the water
under the bridge was found to be five feet
deep, but only short distance away the
hsg-tule had grown up so thickly that there
could be no current.
There's piece of land" remarked Mr..
Lovdal, pointing to ranch on the west
side of the canal, ''that was planted to corn
last year, but look at it now"
The land referred to was covered with
stagnant water, and the owner, Mr. Cole.
man, who was near by, said the overflow
was all caused by the drainage canal. 1t
was compelled to carry about ten times as
much water as it should have had to carry,
and if the city and county officials would
look into the situation more closely they
would find that the little canal was actual
ly trying to drain miles of farm land, be-
side carrying off Sacramento city's sewage.
Mr.. Loydal said tina. every farmer in
Sacramento county as far east as White
Rock end thereabouts, was really draining
his land by means of the canal, which was
intended only for the benefit of Sacra-
mento. The water from the lands adjoin-
ing the Freeport road, on both sides, was
conveyed indirectly into the drainage canal
first by being run into Willow slough,
and thence into the canal, and there was
little wonder that the lands in the Pocket
and elsewhere were being ruined.
Colonel McNassar vouched for the state
ment that there was not land owner in
the Pocket, between the river and Free
port road, who was not injured by the over
flow water of the canal last winter. Out of
1000 acres of the richest land in the State,
5000 acres were rendered useless. Not
alone this, bat in summertime canal being
choked up-the water became stagrant, and
the death-rate in the vicinity was alarming
last year. Those who drive out the River
side road of evenings would bear out his
statement that the foul odor arising from
the canal was at times almost unbearable.
After the party had seen the little chan
mel about eight feet wide, through which
ell of Sacramento's drainage, and that of all
the surrounding country, was supposed to
flow, they proceeded to Freeport. where
they were joined by Robert Gurley, VIM.
Curtis and George Hack. well-known
farmers in the district From
there the party proceeded down
the river road to Senator William john
ston's place, where he and Joseph Sims
joined the party, which continued down to
the cross-road over the Pierson District, on
Dwight HOLSTERS ranch. drive of
over three miles brought the inspecting
party to their stopping-place, the large
flood-gate built in the canal to keep back
the tide-water from Snodgrass slough.
The slough itself was some distance from
the spot, but the ground was wet, and no
further progress could be made. One of
the tiood-gates was found partly open, and
q swift current of water was flowing
through it, showing that the tide was out.
The canal at this point was about twenty
i've feet wide, and a few hundred yards
from the gate 1t emptied into the swamp,
leaving the water to find its way to the
slough as best it could. The depth of the
canal was about four feet.
After talking over the situation for some
time the unanimous opinion expressed by
the party was that first of all there should
be a channel made directly from the
mouth of the canal to SDodgrass slough,
and it was also the sentiment that the
canal was not near large enough to do the
work required of it. 1t was agreed that
dredging it in a systematic manner, from
one end TO the other, was the only way to
render the canal of any use.
Supervisor Bates said he could build a
frst-cass dredger for $1,000 and with six
men could run it night and day at very
reasonable cost. Working constantly il
would take at least two years to do the
work properly. IF you folks will appro-
pirate $4,000 for the first year, and what
ever more is necessary the second, said
he, "pll build my own dredger and bet
500 that I'll be within stones throw of
Sacramento inside of two years, and have
completed the dredging of as pretty canal
as you would want"
Supervisor Greer said he knew positively
that there would be but five miles of heavy
cutting to be done on the whole-canal. 1t
ought to be made forty feet wide and the
work ought 10 be begun at Snodgrass
slough. The dredger should be kept work.
ing up continually until the canal was
completed.
When il came to lake, it could sail over
and commence working Immediately on
the other side. The city was as much, if
not to greater extent, interested in the
matter than the county. She bad no right
to dump her sewage over the Y-sueet
levee and permit it to ruin valuable farms.
The Supervisors were willing to bear one
half the expense, and the city should GER
tainly not object to paying the balance of
the money needed 10 carry out so import
ant an enterprise. II was greater under
taking, in his estimation, than had ever be-
fore been considered by the Trustees or
Supervisors of Sacramento.
Supervisor Tebbets said the matter stood
lust this way with him: He favored the
money the ranchers who would be beDe-
flied by dredging the canal would contrib
ute. The Supervisors were willing to pay
one-half the expense, and with what
would be contributed by outsiders the city
could not object to bearing the remainder
of the expense. 1t would cost great deal,
but an appropriation of a few thousand
dollars now and then would not be missed.
The first step. however, ought 10 be made by
the farmers along the canal. They ought
to agree on contributing certain amount,
and then submit their proposal to the Trus-
tees and Supervisors.
Senator Johnston said he would be only
too glad to contribute literally toward the
enterprise: nevertheless. he thought the
farmers ought not TO be asked TO pay any
portion of the expense. They paid heavy
tax into the County Treasury, and ought
not TO be made to pay for the removal OF
an injury inflicted on their lands by other
parties.
Trustee Mclaughlin was in favor of the
dredging scheme, as were also the Mayor
and Trustee Wolf. They wanted the entire
matter laid before them and the Supervis-
ors, and agreed upon a conference of the
two bodies at an early date.