The record-union., 1891-04-27
CHERRIES ARE BACKWARD.
SACRAMENTO RIVER.

Why the Government Should Protect
1t from Destruction.
Marsden Manson, Engineer to the State
Board of Harbor Commissioners, in an
article published in a San Francisco pa
per, makes the following reference to the
Sacramento River and it's needs. Mr..
Manson was Assistant State Engineer at
one time, and acquired a thorough know
ledge of all the streams of the State from
actual field experience. In reference to
the Sacramento River he says:
THE headwaters of the Sacramento are
in Oregon at the latitude of Western
New York. It's mouth corresponds with
the mouth Of the Potomac in Virginia.
It's drainage area is equivalent TO the
States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
New Hampshire, Delaware and New
Jersey, or 26,G00 square miles, Of which
one-sixth is valley land of great fertility.
picture a river, rising in Western
New York like the Susquehanna, flow
ing through Pennsylvania, Maryland,
and half way through Virginia, and
emptying into Chesapeake Bay, combin-
ing the size and Importance OF both the
Susquehanna and the Potomac, with
navigable channels and tributaries aggre
eating $50 miles, equivalent to a nayi-
gable canal from Washington, ID. c., to
Newport, r. /. What appropriation
would the Government decree adequate
for the protection and Improvement OF
such a river?
.'The Sacramento River merits the pc
culiar care and attention of the Govern
ment; for in its original condition 1t was
nayigable for larger vessels and to a
greater extent than at present. It's de-
terioration mas been in the nature of a
sacrifice to the general welfare OF the
country; for in furnishing more than
one-half the gross gold coinage OF our
country, the waste products, gravel and
sand have been discharged into the trib-
utaries OF the navigable rivers of Cali
fornia From these tins debris has been
borne by floods into the navigable chan
nels.
1.-THE magnitude of these operations is
but little understood by even our own
people. The volume of gravel, sand, etc,
moved from the western slope OF the
Sierras during the period of hydraulic
mining cannot have been less than sew
eral hundred million cubic yards.
''There are natural causes tending to
izaTasir the usefulness of all streams with
out this extraordinary increase. The
amclioration of natural difficulties and
the prevention of COntrOllable injuries arc
questions taxing the revenues and laborS
OF all civilized Governments. ct until
the California River Convention of 1896
sent a committee on TO Washington. Con
xress had not so much as directed gen
erai plan for improving our rivers TO be
made and to this day has not spenl
II, ,500th part of Calitornia's gold product
in the protection, Improvement and
restoration of her rivers.
1.-THE rectification of the Sacramento al
the head OF Grand Island Is an improve
ment often pointed ont and much needed
both for navigation and improved drain
age, and ii is hoped that the River Con
vention viii not weary Of well-doing, bu
push their good work until our grant
rivers arc developed TO their fullest ca
pacty, and that in this they may be ably
aad intelligently seconded by the Execu
tive of the greatest nation of the earth
is with llc today