The record-union., 1892-12-09
Y0LgS 7ULE BASH.
A Tract of Swamp Land That Can
be Reclaimed.
Frank Miller Talks to Woodlands g
Business Men on the Subject
Annexing Washington.

of this city were the guests of the Busi-
ness Mems Association of Woodland on
Wednesday evening on the occasion Of
that body's annual meeting and ban
quet. The Sacramentans were invited to
address the Woodlandites on the subject
of the proposed annexation of Washing
ton to this county and a relief waterway
into and through the Yolo basin.
The latter subject was treated quite ex-
haustively by Mr.. Miller, who said:
A waste of water and tules lies wholly in
| Yolo and Solano Counties. 1t is seven miles
| in width and forty miles long, extending rom
! Knights Landing to the vicinity OF Sulsun.
1t contains 800 square miles and only one
third of its area is ten feet higher than the low
water of Suisun Bay. In the remaining two
| thirds is Big Lake never dry and SOIL that
| is valuable If water can be kept from cover
ing it.
In the winter the floods of the Sacramento
River enter this basin from the north and the
south; the drainage of Northern California
cannot all pass under the railway bridge at
Sacramento; much of it drops into the basins
| known as Colusa, Holo and Sutter basins
There it is held back and considerable of it
escapes slowly, by way OF Grays BEND
through Yolo basin, and flows against the
| MOntezuma Hills. There ii Is detected TO the
east and enters the lower part OF the river
1t is said good authority, that a cut
through the Montezuma HlIls would De OF
little value, and that the complete reclama-
ton of Yolo basin is thing to be desired, but
that it is almost impossible of accomplish
ment.
| on the west bank Of the river. within the
limits of Yolo County, is narrow strip OF
fertile land higher than the basin, ana main
tanning levee against the noous Oh Iile rivers. rivers
| The farmers there spend days and nights every
| winter on the levee with spades ana shotguhs.
They conquer nature in her widest moods
and have thus acquired q bravery that VIII
enable them to conquer their fellow-men, if
any opL ression is felt by them. In Holland
you viii find strong leyees which seldom
! break Further up the Rhine, in Germany,
towns are flooded, but not so in Holland
Rich in soil, taught by the lessons OF centu-
ries, these lowlanders are renowned as the
bravest and wealthiest people OF history.
Cruelty oppressed and slaughtered in long
Spanish wars they won victory in the enu
and held the commerce OF the world 1helr
dykes and levees are broad and high. AT GER
tain points they keep watchmen 10 raise or
lower huge gates set in stonework, SO that eX-
tremeh floods may be drained into certain low
places where little damage can result. AS
soon as the stream is lowered 10 a set mark
the gates are closed and the water is kept in
the canal at the highest point consistent with
safety to the banks, TO rush along OF It's way
to the sea and TO scour and carry lhe seul-
Cannot this method be used in treating the
Sacramento RIVER and the 1olo basin to-
gether? The commission of 1889 recon-
mended such outlets "to afford the relief
which must be had somewhere at selected
points. over structures which cannot be
eroded, and only at stages at which the river
would break levees if such easement were not
afforded. Works OF this character would be
OF benefit alike to navigation interests and
reclamation"
The engineers place great emphasis the
principle that the banks or levees which con-
troll the stream must be kept high and strong;
that breaks must not occur; for the only re-
source Is to make the current ScOur the chan
mel and carry the sediment out to the sea. If
more sediment is poured into the river than it
discharges at its mouth, then that channel
slowly fills and the stream rises and sooner
or later will make permanent new channel
! fhrnI1Ch side other n
waterway through the lowest ground.
Sacramento does not wish to see its river
DETECTED at Grays bend and flowing through
Yolo County between Washington and Davis
vile.
We do not wish to see any break in any part
of the levee on either side of the stream north
or south of the city. We do not wish TO see
one drop of water leave the river by relief
ways natural or artitcialj more than is
essential for the safety of the entire levee sys-
Stockton has already the advantage of Sac
ramento in the matter of low freights by
means of its excellent water channels. Some
day our capital city may have no river navi-
CATION at its door and be an inland city with
out competing railway: Our wharves are
already appropriated by half dozen firms.
We need and desire the water front of Wash
ington.
| Annexation may not seem necessary now,
but discussion Will do no harm. / think you
will finally concede that the natural division
line between the two counties is the center of
YOlo Basin. That lowland is the natural
- 49,
used in connection with correct system tor
the protection of both banks OF the river
The farmers occupying the area desired to
be annexed should come to us for assistance;
we can afford to do four times as much for
them as your county can do. Our trade with
them is greater than yours.
| Furthermore, we wish to increase our trade
with the whole of Yolo County. We wish to
see one or more wagon roads built across the
tule basin, above high-water mark, and faced
on either side with granite like the present
railway embankment. Will Yolo County
build these roads? Never. If Sacramento
will build westward to the center of the tule
bed will Yolo County build the rest of the
way? Perhaps she will. Can Sacramento
County spend money legally within the terri
tory of Yolo County? She cannot SO the
question of annexation and the problems of
moods come up every time we look towards
you. If we build factories in the town of
Washington, do we wish our employees to 90
10 Woodland 10 pay taxes or to serve as Jury
men or witnesses? Do we wish them to travel
away from our own county seat which lies q
rife-shot distance from the proposed tacto-
ries?
Gentlemen, we are talking for the greatest
good to the greatest number, and our object
tonight is to win your attention so that you
will understand our motives to be honest and
fair.
Ifa relief way is built it Will probably he
levee, yet it will be made of stone and its
crest Will be about two feet below the highest
flood mark yet known.
At extreme flood two feet of water would
leave the the river and pour over the top into
the lowlands of Yolo basin. AS soon as the
river fell two feet the overflow would cease
| Every inch of levee from knights Landing
southwark ON both banks could then be made
secure to hold about twenty-five feet Of water;
| for the future could be depended upon If
the channel filled with sediment then the re-
lief way could be raised two feet, and all the
relief ways at the same time in the same pro-
| portion.
! The amount Of water running into Yolo
basin would be regulated and limited by this
stone dam. The backwater from the south
hot 1n tot
| the farmers around the edges of Yolo basin.
They would plan to back-levee by means OF
dredgers at an expense OF, 1t is said, 81 900
per mile.
sacramento has only one-fourth of the
usual suburban population granted to cities
Draw circle around that place within
radius of ten miles. The western half of the
circle is a tule swamp; the northeastern quar-
ter is the homeless Haggin ranch: we have TO
jump a gap of ten miles as soon we travel
out of town-unless, indeed, we go southeast
erly toward Hangtown Crossing. We have to
take unusual steps to get our business, and
our first step is stride of ten miles Now
you may begiu to see why we come to Wood
land to ask for the gift OF some of your lands
and of some OF your people. We can, and
viii, do more for them than you can afford to
do. We do not intend to create iealouses be-
| tween you and them; and if our efforts fail
We hope 10 leave behind in your minds a
higher valuation OF your river men than YOU
may now have
Finally, my friends we cannot wait for the
| General Government to move; we shall be in
our graves before anything is done. We can
not expect much from the state Government
because the southern counties do not wish to
pay out money for our exclusive benefit. We
must band together and help ourselves.
The greatest share of the expense would fall
on Sacramenty City and County, yet the bulk
of the money would be expended within the
present limits of Yolo County.
Some legislation must be had before any
thing can be done. The Supervisors of two or
more counties must meet and discuss the
many details tof most Of which details am
| somewhat lgnOrant before Ven a