The record-union., 1891-06-09
DRAINAGE MATTERS.
The Inspecting Committee Files Its
Report.
1t Finds That the Canal Does Not
Drain the City and Injuries
Landowners.

Zens, who recently examined the drain
age canal, made the following report,
which was placed on file:
To the Honorable Board of Trustees OF
| Sacramento: Your committee, appointed
to consider the present condition of the
drainage canal and of the overflowed
lands below the city, in that section
ents its report. The time allotted has
been too short for extended inquiry into
q subject OF such magnitude, and the re-
port is therefore very imperfect.
The canal from point little below
where it crosses the Riverside road is
partially filled in and choked with weeds
and tule. The banks and levees in MANY
places have been broken down.
Ihrpughout this portion there is no APP
preGable current and but very little
actual movement in the water. From the
Y-street levee to Sutterville there is a
perceptible current. But from a point
below Sutterville to the city the canal is
offensive in odor and foul in appearance.
Below Oak Hall, covering portion OF
the McNasser ranch, as well as land of
other owners, is a large body of stagnant
water OF the character usually found on
swamp or overhowed lands and it is not
offensive in odor or appearance. The
water IN the canal at the bridge near the
treeport road, and at points higher up, is
OF the same character
The causes of this overflow are q, the
natural surface water of the county
drained by Burns and Willow Sloughs /;
(2), Sipage water from the Sacramento
and American Rivers. The amount of
water contributed by the surface drain
age and the sewage from Sacramento
City is so small as to have but little in
tiuence III the production of the condi-
tions found. The watershed of the
sloughs just mentioned is very extensive,
comprising all the country between the
north levee and the R-street railroad
levee, as well as the plains, almost as far
east as Florin, and extending down close
to Freeport The natural discharge of
all this drainage is into the Pocket"
The sipage water, most Of which finds its
way into this basin, is also an important
factor. The bed Of the river contiguous
to this area has been gradually rising, the
elevation being estimated at to Is feet.
This has increased the amount OF sipage,
and as the land nearest the river is higher
than that further back, the natural drain
age is again towards the Pocket
The principal reason for the perma-
nancy of the overflow is the increased
| level of the river water.
A large portion of this land is below the
| level of the canal, which, were it in work
ing order, could not possibly drain much
of this area. 1t would, however, if effect
ually caring for the discharge from Burns
and Willow SIOughs, materially lessen
the volume of water. A large portion,
derived from sipage, would certainly re-
main, and this could, naturally, only find
It's way out by return sipage after the
river had fallen, and by evaporation.
a nuisance is being maintained in the
drainage canal from the Y-street levee at
Sixth street to point below Sutterville.
and III an accessory canal from the Y
street levee at Fifteenth street to the main
channel at point below where it crosses
! the Riverside road. This nuisance is
wholly due to sewage deposited in the
canal by the city of Sacramento.
In endeavoring to obtain data in rela-
ton to the discharge by this city many
| difficulties arise, and only approximate
results are obtainable. Possible errors,
however, are in the direction of increas-
| ing the real figures. On June .4th. be-
! tween Z and IL A. M, the outfalls at
| Fifteenth and Y and at Sixth and Y
were carefully measured, the discharge
being computed at S3,333 gallons an
! hour, or 100000 per diem. At present
| sipage water is still finding its way into
our sewers, particularly the Seventh
street sewer. The gas well now being
sunk at Fifth and r streets also sends a
| large volume of water into the Sixth
street sewer, and a ditch leading east
| along the Y-street levee discharges a
considerable amount into the same chan
mel, the combined flow making in fact
nearly one-sixth of the total at the outlet.
The hour at which the observations
were taken would give the greatest dis
charge, and it can safely be assumed that
| the foregoing figures are considerably in
excess of a daily and annual average.
| The average annual rainfall in Sacra-
mento for the past forty years has been
about twenty inches. Taking the area of
the city included between A and Y, Front
and Thirty-irst streets at 1925 acres, the
annual average quantity of rain falling
| upon the surface would be l,474, zoe, 600
gallons. A very large proportion of this
| water is lost by sipage and by evapora-
ton, and as the city is only severed to a
limited extent, 1t is apparent that but a
small quantity finds its way into the
| drainage canal.
The present drainage canal was origi-
nally constructed in 1868, under an Act OF
! the Legislature empowering the Board of
| Supervisors to levy special tax for the
work. Acts amendatory of the original
enactment were subsequently passed, and
the control Of the canal was finally trans
ferred to the City Trustees in 1878, who
are at present responsible for it. The
| right of way for the canal was conceded
by all of the property holders, with two
| exceptions, both of whom received
pecuniary compensation. The purpose
of the canal was to provide for and inn
prove the drainage of Sacramento, and
| incidentally to improve the condition of
the lands lying along it's course. The
canal has total length of twenty-four
miles, nine of which constitute an ex-
cayated channel, the remainder running
| through chain of lakes. The fall at that
! time was estimated at eighteen inches to
| the mile. The estimated hight of the
city sewers at Il street, above mean tide
in Suisun Bay, is about fifteen feet, and
recent surveys show that at present only
slight fall from our sewer outlets can be
obtained in the total distance, and then
only at certain times Of the year-being
absent during high water.
As permanent work the failure of the
canal was well shown by the DAILY
| UNION of May, 1873. In that month, or
| less than five years after its construction,
a correspondent of the paper traversed
| the entire length in a skiff The canal
was in part filled in, choked with weeds
and tule, in one place to such an extent
that the boat could neither be ''rowed,
! showed or drawn ahead.o The banks had
also in many places been ''trodden down
by cattle crossing" At that date the
canal was carrying nothing but surface
or sipage water. In 1878, when the city
| assumed control, a large sum of money
was again spent upon the canal, in
strengthening, cleaning out and enlarg-
| ing 1t. But the cut at Freeport was not
sufficiently deep, so that it has never full
| filled its original purpose. AT that date
| the canal was still used for water carriage
only. None of the present sewers had
been built, and there was no outfall.
| Before commencing this work the
Trustees paid a number of property-hold-
ers for the right of way. 1t therefore APP
pears that in addition to The natural right
of surface drainage through this district
that Sacramento undoubtedly possesses,
the city has also acquired rights by con-
cession and by purchase. 1t is not. how
ever contended that ANYTHING will Justify