The morning call., 1893-12-06
Storage Reservoirs for Detritu:
i'm the Gold Region.
SAVING THE NAvIGABLE iRlvERS,
The Commission Has Hit Upon a
Scheme by Which 1t Can Be
Accomplished.

visited the locality of each application
made for permission to mine. The num-
ber of applications thus far has not been
large, as the system is yet novelty. The
miner is In the hands OF the commission
and is uncertain whether his plan for i'm
pounding debris will be understood, or
whether or not he is liable to become
involved in litigation. On account OF the
restrictions placed upon the miner and the
increased expenditures which he is sub
ject to mining will probably be made less
profitable, thereby reducing the output and
consequently decreasing the number Of
applications.
In cases where mining properties are
large and the hydraulic process is to be
operated on a large scale, it is regarded as
indispensable that the project be represent
ed by written description and by full
drawings. These drawings will show the
position and extent of the storage reser-
voirs and the mea ms proposed for the re-
straint of the detritus, and generally all
that is necessary for full record Of each
case. The greater number of applications,
however, will como from owners of small
properties, where two or three men are to
operate the system. or where miners are
not in position to furnish fully all the
desired information. either from want Of
knowledge or from want of means to hire
suitable engineering advisers. These are
the cases where the output Is small. Many
are in remote parts of the country and
WORK only for the two or three months of
water supply during the year. In such
cases the commission expects to use its
discretion in its requirements as to the
form and fullness of the applications. The
inspection of all mines is to be maintained.
however.
The commissioners give a review of the
conditions existing heretofore in the hy-
| draulic mining regions and tell about the
| damage to valley land and TO the naviga-
! ton of rivers, eliminating in litigation
and the formation of the Anti-Debris As
sociation. Two cases we're in court and
injunct ion was asked against the continu-
ance Of hydraulic mining. The reasons
assigned for refusing the injunction in the
case of the North Bloomfield Company
and the granting of it In the other case
mark an important distinction between
detritus impnunded in the beds of streams
subject to freshets tributary to navigable
waters and storage reservoir sites not
traverSed by natural watercourses.
Mining operations have disclosed the fact
that the deposits of auriferous gravel are
In the beds of ancient rivers lying on the
western flanks of the Sierra Nevada, 1000
and 1000 feet higher than adjacent modern
rivers. IL is assumed that the existing
rivers have cut through channels since the
period during which the ancient rivers
became first filled and then obliterated by
the overflow of irruptive matter. The ex-
cavation OF these channels in past years
by hydraulic process has left large cavities
now available for refilling with new detri-
tus and these pits are admirable reservoir
sites. No natural waterccurse traverses
them and the natural drainage is of little
extent. To refill them is TO restore them
to q state of nature and if barriers to re-
strain the detritus are necessary they are
only during the process and operation of
mining. The barriers may afterward de-
cay, but the detritus remains impounded.
This circumstance was recognized by the
court in its refusal to enjoin the North
| Bloom field Company. aud this is the KEY
to the situation. Aside from these reser-
voir sites and other such natural sites as
may fulfill equivalent con ditiops Of safe
| storage, there remain for deposit the beds
of natural watercourses, but storage here
| is not SO favorable.
The gold mining industry 10 important
| in its bearings upon the general interest.
| of the United States as well as upon local
property. and the risk is so great that ILL
advised restriction upon mining activities
are TO be carefully avoided. On the other
hand the great amount of material that has
been handled and stored by hydraulic pro-
cesses to get little gold makes the prob
| lem of securing and impounding. and of
| the protection of navigable waters and ad-
| jacent lands, one of equal seriousness. Old
tailings have been reworked without re-
| strIctioDs by courts and in opposition to
the wishes of the people Of the valleys
| This work does not come within the defini-
tion of hydraulic mining.
| From the day of its organization the
| attention of the commission has been fully
| occupied with matter relating to the re-
sumption of hydraulic mining and to the
| Individual duties of the members. Dur
| ing the coming session it is proposed to
make such surveys and examinations as
may appear necessary to fulfill the require
| ments Of the law. The balance on hand
| from the appropriation of March last of
| $4,000 for the expenses of the commission
Is about $4,000. 1t is estimated that an
duuttiobai amouus Vi S@U,UoO VIII Ue re-
quired to make the surveys and investiga-
tions required by the act.
| The restraining barrier at or near De
Guerre Point. on the Yuba River, is con-
sidered an advisable construction to be
soon undertaken for restraining all de-
tritus now in the beds of streams in fur
| therance of the project for improving the
Sacramento and Feather rivers. A suit
able appropriation for this work will be
$500. 900.
The commission is by an act of Congress
left very much at its own discretion, and is
compelled to rely mainly upon its own judg-
ment. being unprovided with legal ad-
wiser. and Is of necessity compelled to
| 70 rm its own conclusions in deciding car