The morning call., 1892-07-24
THE IMPROVEMENTS.

Humboldt Bay and It's Harbor The
Character Of the Work to BE Done.
The occasion Of the demonstration at
Eureka was the passage by Congress of the
river and harbor bill containing this pro-
vision:
Improving harbor and bay at Humboldt CAL:
Continuing Improvement, $l5o.Oo0. provided
that contracts may be enter ed into by The SecTe-
tary OF War for such materials ana work "a may
be necessary 10 complete the present project OF
Improvement, to be paid for as appropriations
may from Time TO time be made by law. not 10
exceed In the aggregate Sl,565,115. exclusive Of
tile amount herein and heretofore Appropriated
Humboldt Bay is situated between par
allels 40 and Al north latitude. about 3 de-
grers north OF San Francisco. aud is the
only inclOsed harbOr on the California coast
north Of San Francisco. 1t is tho most i'm
pOrtant lumber port on the California coast,
large forests or redwood abOunding in that
section. The agricultural resources Of the
country tributary to the port are very con-
siderable and are steadily growing. This
tributary country is separated from the in
terlOr OF California by rugged mountains
which have thus far prevented the extern
sion OF railroads TO that port. The princi-
pal town on the bay Is Eureka. containing
5000 inhabitants. Arcata and Fields Land
ing. also on the bay, are PROSPEROUS towns
OF less Importance. The redwood lumber
from this locality Is now an article of COM
meTce with the Atlantic and foreign ports
largest dimensions parallel to the ocean. 1t
is separated from the sea by narrow
tongue of land which extends from the
hlghidn ds, both on the north and south, and
which approaching each other are separated
at either extremltes by a narrow channel.
The north read is composed of sea sand
without vegetation. The south head is
somewhat similar, but rests upon a clay
bottom, which prevents it from the changing
nature OF the north head. The high-water
nf "a haU ahA
the lowwater about 13 square miles. The
mean rise and fall of the tide Is "A feet
The average tidal DISCHARGE per second is
about 100000 cubic feet. AT the heads,
where all the tidal prism passes in single
channel. the section is in area 10000 to
6O,OO0 square feet, with depths of 60 to 40
feet at low water, but on the bar the depth
of water varies from 8 feet TO as much as %
feet.
The history of the improvements OF this
harbor is as follows: The project for i'm
nTovement was adopted by n board Of
United States engineers In 1881 and 1882,
and it was intended 10 increase the depth of
water over the bar al the entrance to Hum
Doldt Bay by the construction Of break
water IN north westerly direction for a
distance of 6000 feet at an estimated cost of
S6OO,OO0. Appropriations were ma ie In 1884
1886. 1883 and 1890 aggregating S342, 900, but
as The yearly appropriations were small and
could not be used until certain lands neees-
Government. the first contract for the
construction of jetty was not made until
the early part of 1888. In October, 1890. a
board OF United States engineers convened
at Eureka to consider the project for the i'm
provement of Humboldt Bay, and the exist
ing project was modified so as TO embrace
shore protection work on the north spit,
ana the construction of jetty running sea-
ward nearly parallel 10 the jetty on the
south spit; both jetties 10 extend cut TO the
outer limit OF the bar and rise to the plain
hign waller. thus coDfining the tidal force
WITHIN definite bounds and securing the full
benefit OF its securing capacity.
me cost et this, in addition 10 the sums
already appropriated, was estimated to he
Sl,Il5, ll5. The report was approved by
the War Department Early in 1891 another
contract was let for the continuation of the
work, and 1t has now been extended sea-
ward about 300 feet and the protection
Jetty work on north spit. almost at right
angles with the letty from the south spit.
has been completed distance of from 1900
TO 1900 feet.