Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-17
DR. SHIELDS PLAN FOR DfvERTING
IT'S WATERS NEAR BRIGHTON.
He Gives His Reasons why the Diver.
sion shonld be NATURALIZATION
ard Reclamatioa.

the Surface mining region OF Calitornia
and which interest is to-day replaced b,
quartz and all deep mining Investments o
this State.
But there is another reason for its loca
ton here. 1t is at the mouth of the Amer
lean river. Before emptyins into the Sac
ramento river the stream is made up O
three streams united, viz, the South
Middle and North forks of the American
river.
The place of junction of two important
streams has always been adjudged com
manding site for city. Though the stream
at one time rolled its waters upon US, anc
though the debris of the gold miner has
contaminated its bed and mouth, still il is
beautiful, ripping, swifi-tlowiDg stream
all the way from its source to its mouth.
Having for million of years, perhaps
performed the useful task of reclamation
of our lands from the ocean By depositing
| its debris in our laps, it seems almost time
that the unwearied toiler should "again be
! clothed and in its right mind
| Constituting, as it does to-day, the city's
! strongest bulwark for permanence and
prosperity, it should be stripped of its rags
and assume the purple and gold, that, fol
| hard service, il laid aside in the morning
of our existence as a city and State. Ii
scarcely needs to be said that from Brighton
to Sacramento its present bed is of mud
| Though like the old Missouri river it does
not change its channel in night and leave
| its bank. jewellers far in the interior
| though its deposit of mud is but 1.-THE OF
| the inch of settling in tumbler of water
of the latter, yet il does not boast of clean
illness and firm banks and bed. If Jupiter
PDuvius shall first spank the urchin, and
then give its golden head a shower bath or
cool its fever with snow apply-the dirt
thereof streaks down its body till its feet
are churning in the mud of its own
cleansing.
1t happens now to be left for US to wash
its feet and put it to bed-the task is easy
and it shall have a change of linen and
sleep soundly in q pebbly bed.
No one else, dear river, has said so much
for thee Rev. Mr.. Christian once said
in sermon that he had long been
| praying for humility enough to take a
drunkard from the gutter and place him in
! his finest bed, and treat him as if he had
never been drunkard. To take this river
into Sacramento's affections requires the
same amount of grace, and yet think the
elder might have as great promise of sue
cess as we shall have in the great change
of our affections.
But recently there has been a legal con-
| test in our Courts, the loser hoping to de-
clare it nayigable stream. But while
! this decision was adverse, we know that
the stream is constantly navigated. All
the cobbles that are now used for tounda-
tons of graveled streets are brought to 9
point near our city limits on barges to
| Twelfth street, on the American river
| Tba fna oan1 opd yrovcl mead in orr cop.
crete sidewalks could doubtless be brought
best in the same way. Much wood is
moved in barges down the stream almos
every year. Even the forks of the stream
are about to be utilized by not only cord
wood men to reach the boom at Folsom
but the big lumber pines, in many shapes
are to brave the boulders and falls in the
| transit to the boom.
1t would be but complimentary pro
| ceeding to do on the rivers united water!
some acts that will round value for thu
| whole stream; that will send it up high il
the esteem of all who can correctly com
pute the value Of flowing water in river
The bottom lsnds OF the America rive
near this city are composed of the debris
from the hills and mountains above us
! The stream plows its way through these
| lands, often removing large portions into
| the larger stream.
At first sight it would seem impossible t
get the waters of this stream either through
| or around these lands in safety. | have in
| vain sought light from our successive sur
veyors for these many years, but nothing
definite has been elected. Nevertheless
some general hints have been obtained
aud | think generally that the response ha:
been in favor of moving the stream little
further north, which would evade this de
bris of the river bottom altogether.
Now have asked myself, and possibly
these generations of City Survey ors, if THU
debris is not each year washed into thu
great river Sacramento and tending to ruiz
navigation in that important stream?
/ have also said to msny friends that ,
part of the work to be done in river i'm
provement would of necessity be 10 proven
this bad result. We all know that in very
many cases it is much easier and cheape
| to keep debris out of stream than to re
move it when in.
If others should be of this way of think
ing, and if United States Engineers should
give il an examination, dare say that thu
verdict of all would be that the Genera
Government could with greatest economy
protect the larger by operating on tn,
smaller stream.
Between this city and Brighton there ex
tends, part of the way. a natural valley o
sag, think that would, if the water wa
turned into it, carry it along granite peb
bly bottom to the Sacramento river.
This would reclaim forever all the lant
between the north levee and the new be,
of the stream and at once connect the cit,
with one of the finest and prettiest streams
on the American Continent.
How easy, when once the stream is il
harness and led 10 new bed, would it b.
to make it navigable OF course Just 10Y
easy and at what cost would require som
engineering, but to decide its prdcticdbiiit
would be small undertaking, but still
very necessary one, as showing the posi-
bility of future usefulness and greatness.
Having made the river navigable Il
Brighton, or little beyond, we hav
reached the high banks of the strear
, where dam could be placed for exteDdin
here the importance of the work is doubled
for a dam always adds water-powe
, Whether its importance might be treble
by slso applying it to irrigation would dt
pend upon the amount Of low land tbs
the height of the dam would cover.
But second dam placed atthe head {
the slack water created by the first, woul
( give not only water power. but surel
would cover the whole area of plain lane
, in our county. and afford the same navigs
, BILE stream to Folsom.
OF course in converting these dams bui
for power and the distribution of wstt
into helps to navigation it would b
necessary to build locks in each one, wit
gates large and small to operate them.
The United States Government bui
such locks and dams in Green an
Barren rivers, KY. Two such dams wer
required to make Barren river navigab
! for twenty-five miles. Though built
/ logs, in the form of cribs, and filed wit
rocks and dirt, they have stood to this da,
, creating easy and ample navigation, givin
great motor power and at not very gre,
cost. F. NJ. SHIELDS.
CooPERs music store has largest stool
lowest prices. Write for anything.