The record-union., 1893-01-06
DIVERTED CHANNELS AND OF
FICIAL RETICENCE.


The Feather River at a point about one
mile below Nicolaus has recently at flood
water left its channel, made its way
through its east bank and is sending its
current down across outside lands, the
overflow from which discharges into the
Sacramento River through several sloughs
near this city.
Not far below this point of diversion of
the main current of the Feather bar has
formed clear across the stream, on which
the water is now but three feet deep at the
shallowest point, thus threatening the
navigation of the stream to Marysville.
This is due, of course, to the checking of
the flow of the water carrying matter in
suspension. The bar is something like
quarter of a mile in width, with varying
depths of from five to three feet. The
water below the bar is mainly back water
from the Sacramento River, and not cur
rent from the Feather. At the point where
this bar has formed the banks of the river
N0AO O4AC0 bW6uly 1e6i III night. In low
water next summer, if the diversion con-
tinues, the Feather River will be closed.
On the Sacramento River, below the
mouth of the Feather, at what is known
as Jacobs Slough, the stream is largely
passing through the slough upon the
overflow on the east, and uniting with
the diverted waters coming down from
the Feather. The possibility of the Sac
ramento being diverted at that point may
be great, and of course if it happens bar
viii form below the point of diversion,
precisely as one has interposed barrier
to navigation Of the Feather. If that
happens the Sacramento above this city
may be closed for boats, except of two or
three feet draught, and to even them in
the summers low water stage.
Certainly the United States Engineer
ing Commission sent out by the Secretary
of War two years ago, feared this disas-
ter, for it advised with urgency that
Jacobs Slough should be closed, and that
at once, and to that end Congress appro-
priated 100000. But the slough has not
been closed and the public has heard of
no steps having been taken in that direc-
ton.
We do not undertake to say that the
engineers in charge have not moved in
the matter-they may have done so; there
may have developed some obstacle to
their work; they may have advised the
War Department of the needs for the
work and that branch of the Government
may have neglected to order the contracts
made. But of these matters the public
knows nothing and there does not ap-
pear to be any likelihood that they will
be informed.
Unfortunately for the people, who are
supposed to constitute the Government
under which we live, army officers are
hedged about by traditions of necessity
for reserve, and by the practice of reti-
cence regarding official matters that be-
comes simply absurd in the extreme to
which it is carried in civic affairs. There
can be no reason under the sun why the
people should not know what the engi-
neers in charge think of the disaster now
apparently threatening two chief naviga-
BILE streams. If it is said that they must
speak only to the head of their depart
ment, certainly there can be no violation
of duty or propriety in saying to the peo-
pie that there is, or is not danger of di-
version; that their fears are, or are not,
well founded. Nor can there be any
possible reason why Major Heuer or Col
onel Mendell, or some one else on the
ground, should not explain why the
Jacobs Slough closure has not been un-
dertaken.
For in these matters the people have the
right to know, inasmuch as they have
the right also to move upon the law
makers, who are their representatives, to
take action, if, needed, that will enable
the engineers TO act in turn. That is to
say, if there is an obstacle that prevents
action; if the sum appropriated is insult
ticient; if the law is defective. the people
ought to know the facts, that they may
demand of their Government the proper
correctives.
1t will be recalled that after twenty
years waiting, the people did appeal