Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-18
THE SACRAMENTO RIVER.
Pointed Comments on the Proposed Do
Nothing Policy.

The San Francisco Bulletin of last even.
ing published pointed editorial from
which we make the following quotations:
The COMMITTEES on Rivers and Harbors
has reported. As usual the Sacramento
and Feather rivers, the most important
navigable water system of California, GET
the go by. The project for the improve
ment OF those streams is turned over to a
Board of United States Engineers to de-
ter1nlne and report at the next session of
Congress. A small appropriation is made
Tor continuing the work now in progress,
pulling up snags, etc. The committee can
always find means to improve lest creeks
and sink. spout drains in Eastern States, for
tee benefit of corporate and individual in
terests standing behind an active lobby. but
work upon which largely depends the
prosperity OF several considerable cities
and towns, and great farming population.
is year after year relocated to the domain
OF Committee of Investigation. 1t is not
even certain that the proposed committee
Will not do US more harm than sood in
some respects. There is certainly some
danger OF it unless it is tied down closely
to Us engineering problem.
Last year one of the leading officers of
the Engineer Corps, who has been con.
nected with the work of the department on
this coast, volunteered the opinion that the
navigation OF the Sacramento river is a
matter OF less importance than formerly.
because it is paialleled by railroad lines
II is hardly necessary to suggest to Califor-
mans the crudiiy of this opinion They
know that from Sacramento to Suisun Bay
there Is stretch Of the richest bottom
iand IN the State, cut up into productive
iTuit farms, absolutely dependent upon the
river tor transportation, and upon the pro-
per treatment of its channel, banks and
outlet for safety from inundation. They
know that along the Sacramento and
Feather, above Sacramento city, there are
miles of similar country, once populated
and cultivated, now running 10 waste for
want of protection from food in winter and
depth OF water Tor transportation in the
summer and autumn. They know that
the trade of Sacramento, with its thirty to
forty thousand inhabitants, and of tie
smaller cities of Marysville, Colusa, Chico.
Red Bluff, etc, each with its thousands of
people, is deprived of the competitive ad-
vantage which nature gave it By the chok.
ing of river navigation.
In the face of these facts an engineer
officer OF high rank goes out of his legiti-
mate way TO bslittle the commercial import
ance OF that river system, and no doubt his
opinion has had its influence upon Con-
gress in delaying needed action. If
another Board OF Engineers is TO report
upon this subject, let it at least be in
strueted TO contine its recommendations to
the engineering problem, leaving economic
considerations 10 those better qualified by
commercial experience to deal with them.
While Congress is pursuing this halting
policy the river is doing itself serious pres
ent and greater prospective damage at the
Paine break, little below Sacramento, on
the 4olo side. By changing its course into
toe tule basin IL is piliDg up formidable
bar across its original channel. If this is
allowed 10 go on, Sacramento and all the
country above will be utterly deprived of
river communication with the bay. Gov
ernment engineers have already reported
upon the subject, but no word comes from
Washington 10 start the work 1t would
seem that there had been enough inyesti-
CATION Of this whole river matter and that
the time for action had come.
IF another year of examination shall be
determined upon i. nay at least be hoped
tina. the report will be comprehensive and
conclusive. II Will not be enough to set
forth the evil; it should propose remedy
-one that will be adequate, BY covering
| the whole subject, including the cleaning Of
the channel, The protection of the banks
snd the opening of the outlet. or the carry
| ing of Of surplus waiter by additional out.
LET'S. In the meantime something should
be done quickly to insure some limited
nsvigaole use of the river for the coming
summer.
The committee is fairly liberal toward
other California interests. Oakland hsr-
Dor gets s250,00o, San Diego $4,000 to be-
gin brcaSwater and Humboldt Bay S75..
600. The Columbia river fares well. and
reeds sll il gets. We grudgeo our neig ghbors
no needed Improvements"