The record-union., 1891-06-19
A Practical Mans Ideas on River Re
lief and Reclamation.

A Practical Mans Ideas on River Re
lief and Reclamation.
EDS. RECoRD-UNIoN: / see by the
columns of your paper that there has
been considerable talk by the different
land owners of the tule basin, and other
interested men of Sacramento. of reclaim
ing the Yolo tuie lands, and thinking of
the old saying that two or more heads are
better than one, / thought | would ask
the favor Of expressing my opinion, or
suggesting what might be done, through
the columns of your paper, as it is an in
teresting subject TO good many Of us IN
Sutter County.
The breaking of the levees on the west
side of the Sacramento River, anywhere
opposite Sacramento, causes the back
water in the tulG basin north of Sacra-
mento, the tule basin between Feather
River and the Sacramento, and the back
ing up of the water in Feather River to
NlcolauS almoStlmmediately begin to fall
1t seems to me that the river from Sacra-
mentO south has not near capacity enough
to carry the water when all the rivers are
very high. If the river on the GOlo side
was securely leveGd 50 that il could not
break out, / think in time of very high
water it would back the water up through
BannOn slough and Sacramento slough,
and cause the back water to spread over
IliOuS1IINkS VA III lIlC DGSC grain laIll
in the State, that il has never yet been
over, on account Of the BED Of the river
being so much higher than it used to be.
Now, ! think they could form general
system of leVee' districts over all, or
nearly all, the land subject to being over
flowed by the rivers. There is a large
canal being dug past Willows and down
through Colusa County for the purpose
of taking water from the river somewhere
above JacInto for irrigation purposes.
1t might be possible that the canal
could be enlarged so as to take large
amount OF water from the river III time
OF high wafer, and by running it along
the west side OF the Eolo basin, and on
down TO SuiSun Bay, or whatever would
be the best practical route they could Sc
cure an outlet for the canal by running
near the high ground on the west side in
Iolol, they would have a better chance
to catch or control all the creeks and
small streams that come from the hills
and plains. Possibly such canal could
be used TO an advantage to run canal
boats on if sufficient water could be had
inthB summer time.
think that most persons owning land
on both sides Of the river, from Butte City
to Knights Landing, would bc willing to
paw considerable sum of money toward
digging canal Of that kind, if it would
carry enough Of the river TO relieve them,
I
ing out on them considerably and has
done great deal of damage
Another canal might he taken out of
the American River. somewhere above
Brighton, and run across to Walnut
Grove, or. thereabOuts. so as TO carry q
large amount of the river in winter and
be used as ali irrigating canal in summer.
1t, perhaps. would have a wonderful
effect on the Sacramento and Feather
Rivers kV TnnninUr a canal 20
Paine break, or somewhere near there.
along the east side OF the YolO basin. and
on down the river to some good outlet be-
low.
The tule basin north of Sacramento
city to be reclaimed would have to have a
leyee along the Sacramento River from
somewhere near Pritchard's Laketo some
point near the American River bridge.
/ and a canal along the east side OF the tuIe
| basin and far enough north to catch all
| the creeks that flow into that basin. and
| run them intO.the American River.
| OF course, such a big undertaking
would call for a large sum Of money. but
| a general system of leveeS and canals of
! that kind would take in such large terri
! tory Of lest land in the State that it seems
! to me very large sum of money could
! be raised, perhaps State aid obtained, and
| possibly an appropriation from Congress
/ also. By taking care Of the water in that
! way, there wouldn't be so many indi-
| viduals leyeeing against one another.
! They would be working more in unison
III trying to get the water ont of the val
ley as fast as possible, instead of trying to
! conffne it TO crooked channels, where the
water has got TO run two miles in order
| to traverse one toward its destination. and
also causing the velocity of the current to
/ be greatly diminished. II. +. NJ.
Pleasant Grove ,IIlun 18th