The record-union., 1893-01-12
LESSON OF TIE FLOODS.
What a Correspondent Thinks Should
be Done
By the Land Owners on the Fertile ISL
ands Down the River-Grand
Island Reclamation.

EDS. RECoRD-U UNION: Being aware of
the fact that your valuable paper circu-
lates more largely than any other among
the residents of the rich section of coun-
try comprising the low lands and islands
below the city of Sacramento, through
which my business recently led me, I
take the liberty to offer few suggestions
to all who are interested in the reclama-
ton of that valuable property.
The owners OF the lands which have not
been overhowed by the recent high wa
ters should learn a lesson from the mis-
fortunes of others, and not be content
with Imagining that since their acres have
not been submerged this winter, they
never will be; but they should be aroused
to the necessity of strengthening their
levees and perfecting their drainage sys-
tenn, and by doing this, save the money
they have already spent.
Grand, Andrus and Brannan Islands,
the Pierson district and other bodies of
lands which have been fortunate enough
TO escape the floods, are capable of an in
dependent reclamation and should 90 on
with their work, even if general recla-
nation plan be adopted for the entire
fsAA4Cy elo All0 IGNGGS III lucSo ulSlTICIS gen.
orally run parallel with the rivers and the
natural overflow, and do not act as dam
to the flow of the streams on their way to
tlde-water. Some of the islands men
toned are well forward in having good
barriers erected against high water, but a
stiff "norther" week ago would have
leveled many levee which stood because
OF calm weather prevailing. Their drain
age system is very imperfect also.
AS an illustration of what may
be done further, l will take the
situation as presented by Grand
Island, because it is one of the
largest and best reclaimed and lies on the
main route of travel by boat to San Fran
cisco, and therefore more in the public
eye than some others. The island in
question has all the requisites necessary
for successful reclamation-solid bank
land, which does not cave to any extent
for the levees to rest upon, splendid
material TO build the embankments with,
fine pump at the lower end, with a
capacity of $4,000 gallons per minute, and
falr fall for the water from
the interior to the pump. The levees
are now in splendid condition, but
many land owners are suffering from
the lack of canals to drain off sipage
water to the pump. The people on this isl
and have permanent reclamation almost
within their grasp, and all they need now
raise and widen their levees more and
perfect their drainage system.
understand the land owners at a re-
cent meeting unanimously authorized
their Trustees, Messrs. Reynolds, Kerch-
eval and Flgg, to purchase a first-cIass
dredger, which will be owned and
operated by the district, and kept at work
raising and widening the 1evees for sew
eral years to come, at an estimated ex-
penSe OF 90 cents per acre per year.
This action shows the people are wide
awake to their interests. The very fact
that the district has such dredger ready
at moments notice to 90 to any threat
ened point, will add to the value of the
lands up in the thousands. This dredger
is to be ordered built Immediately.
But these people should not rest con-
tent with this, in my opinion. From a
knowledge of the ground for many years.
and of the works of that particular dis
trict, l fully believe that the pumping
plant OF the island is not sufficient 10
keep the land clear of sipage and natural
rainfall in very wet winters, and another
pump should be purchased and placed at
the wingdam on Old River, couple of
miles below Walnut Grove, to drain the
upper half of the island. There are two
natural drainage districts in the body of
land in question, by reason OF the high
banks OF Beaver Slough, which runs
from Old River to Steamboat Slough
midway. or nearly so, in the island.
There is also small lake near where
the new pump would be placed, which
would serve as natural basin for the
drainage of the upper half of the island.
A pump of $1,000 gallons capacity could
be purchased and set in position for
something like fifty cents per acre, and if
this plan was adopted the water from the
upper district would not trouble the resi-
dents on the lower end.
Furthermore, with only one PUMPING
plant on the island, the dimensions OF the
proposed canals will have to be increased,
while with two pumps the bitches as
now being excavated, would be large
enough-a saving of sufficient to pay for
the new plant. OF course the extra nlant
should not be purchased until the canal
system already decided upon shall be
completed and the present pump set to
work.
1t would be almost crime on the mart
of any landowner in this district to now
throw obstacles in the way of work of the
nature suggested above. With a few
years work by the dredger, good pump
ing plants and drainage, the lands in this
district will be absolutely safe from such
Hoods as have come within the knowl-
edge of the white inhabitants, and will
pay good interest on valuation of $500
per acre, or more.
Brannan Island has no pump, neither
has the upper end of Andrus. This lat
ter body of land has not been oyerf1owed
for many years, and yet the owners have
been cultivating only a narrow strip of
Iront land along Old River and Georgiana
Slough, because of sipage water in the
interior. One years crop from the rich
tuIe land IN the center, where now is
nothing but water, would pay for a pump
and the necessary ditching.
1t Is misfortune that on these lands.
as elsewhere, there are lot of "barna-
cles" who stand in the way of their own
Ah1 i1 lhelr nelghb bors' prosperity, and who
Will not agree to propositions which are
SO clearly IN their own interests.
W neither the Montezuma Hills are ever
canaled or not should cut no figure with
the island men. Such canal NAV aid
them, but they have it in their power to
be independent of it. Such a relief-way
Will in any event be the work of wears To
accomplish.
God helps those who help themselves
The 'mossbacks" of Grand. Brannan
and Andrus Islands should take survey
at the present time of the lands on ti1e
1olo side below Washington-Merri
Sutter and Ryer Islands, and the Toland
ulstrlct, where couple of weeks ago
orchards, green fields of alfalfa. etc DE-
lighted the eye of the beholder, and view
the devastation caused by the recent
rushing waters. The expenditure of ner-
haps a few dollars per acre more would
have secured them from overflow. II
will take many dollar and be many
month before these lands can be placed
in the condition they were a few davs
ago, and the owners of land that es-
capped similar fate should take the hint.
TULE TRAVELLER.
A YOUNG LADY'S DEATH