The record-union., 1892-12-10

strong current running up the Sacra-
mento River. Steambo men have often
noted this current. just as they note the
current up the Sacramento to Gray's
Bend and above it when the Feather
River is at its flood stages and the Sacra-
mento is within its banks.
The question of reclaiming the tule by
a anal through the Montezuma Hills at
Nourse's Landing was considered and re-
jected. A spiHway through the low sad
die at Nourse's Landing would perform
the great Office Of emptying the tale basin
without returning the waters hereinbe-
fore mentioned to the channel Of the Sac
ramento, thereby choking its mouth.
The water delivered from the channel of
the Sacramento into the tule basin oppO-
site the mouth Of the American, or below
the city OF Sacramento, as was the case
when the Paine break occurred, will
lower the flood maximum of the Sacra-
mento without creating the river flowing
eastward at the base of the Montezuma
Hills, and this because the water in the
channel of the sacramento gets to the
point indicated as soon as the water which
flows out of it anywhere in the vicinity
of Sacramento or below that point.
Relief for the channel OF the Sacra-
mento by hoodgates at Gray's Bend has
been the goal of unintormed public opin-
y
viii not be found in that quarter. The
tule basin itself is filling up rapidly.
Putah and Cache Creeks have made land
at their mouths. Cache Greek formerly
entered the Sacramento at Knights Land
ing. 1t built all the high land between
the river at that point and the plains to
the westward. 1t is building another
just such embankment across the tule
basin. Putah Creek has changed its
mouth because it had built out into the
tule and was running on a ridge. 1t broke
laterally over the side of this ridge be-
tween Dixon and Davisyille and created
new channel for itself. Both Of these
| creeks are sediment-bearing and deliver
vast quantities of detritus into the tule
I basin every year. The filling process has
been reinforced by the muddy water of
the Feather and American.
The Gray's Bend project will have but a
! brief time for its accomplishment, for
Cache Creek will build right across the
tule, throwing out an embankment, as it
were, and will turn to the south
I from a point near the plains
just as Putah Greek did. The
| proposition to construct waste-weir for
the Sacramento at Gray's Bend is based
on the theory that the Sacramento chan
mel gets rid of the waters thus diverted.
This iSnOt true, especially in the case OF
high floods in the Sacramento, and will
lOb p6 u u6 uullI LIl6 LQlt Ddolu WGSl u
| Sacramento has other drainage into Sui
sun Bay than by returning all the flood
waters OF the Sacramento and the Cache
and Putah Creeks into the channel of the
Sacramento.
From an economic standpoint, it seems
long time to wait for the reclamation of
the rich alluvial land lying to the west of
the Capital City, but the present policies
are just right. The basin is being raised
by deposits from the rivers which empty
their flood waters into it. 1t is a wise
saying of r. S. Carey, who knows as
much or more of the subject Than any
other citizen of Sacramento, that the tule
lands west of Sacramento will be re-
claimed, but that it is far too soon now.
When the State Legislature made an
appropriation for the purpose of securing
an adequate examination of the whole
question, the people Of Sacramento in
dulged the hope and entertained the be-
lief that the waters of Cache and Putah
Creeks and part OF the flood waters of the
Sacramento could be delivered into the
Bay of Suisun, and especially at low tide.
by canal cut through the MOntezuma
Hills at NOurse's Landing. The engi-
neers found that the waters of Cache and
Putah Greeks would have to be controlled
by a canal. They found Cache and Putah
Creeks to have fall Of at least ten feet to
the mile from the point at which they
6ulereu lu6 oacIdu6nlO pains, or at least
from the point at which Cache Creek en-
ters Capay Valley at Rumsey. They
found that sediment-bearing creeks like
these would deliver into the channel of
canal, which could have but three feet
fall per mile, sufficient detritus to fill it
up each season. Their report, which was
made to the Governor, and is a public
document of great value, is accessible to
anyone who wishes to have more light on
the subject.
These matters have been suggested and
consequently presented by the agitation
of the question of anneXing a part of
HolO and SOlano Counties to Sacramento
for the purpose of enabling that county to
control both sides of the river, and to
adopt policy of treatment for the con-
troll of its flood waters most consistent
with the interests of Sacramento. The
chief value Of such control would reside
in the fact that Waste-weirs could be es-
tablished Immediately above and below
Sacramento as defense against high
maximum floods in the channel of that
river, but whatever political division of
the State exercises control over the tule
marsh under consideration will find the
neXorable facts herein stated to inter-
pose an insurmOuntable barrier to the
artificial reclamation of the tule, notwith-
standing all Of which it remains true that
a channel cut as deep as the lowest point
of the tule basin through the Montezuma
Hills into Suisun Bay would preserve
waters of the Sacramento, Cache and
Putah could be safely delivered from
almost any point. AN OLD RESIDENT.