The record-union., 1893-01-30
RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
Elaborate Treatment of an I'M
pOrtant Subject.
The Mistakes of the Past and What
Should be Done in the Future
Views of One Who Has Observed
the Sacramento and San Joaquin
Rivers for Many Years.

EDS. RECORD UNION: Ever since the
attention of Californians began to revert
from mining to agriculture the problem
of overhowed land reclamation has been
the subject of study, theorem, expert
ment, costly experience and in general OF
failure, partial or absolute. Later came
the complement of the problem in the
form of necessity for river improvement,
covering a wider and more varied field OF
interests, yet vitality inseparable in effect
i've method and requirement.
At the inception of reclamation work
on the river banks grave and well nigh
fatal error in theory-the ultimate levee
theory-was first indulged. Naturally
enough then indorsed by presumed
scientific engineers, hinging their logic
on the acceleration of current in the main
channels, to result from the raising of
embankments.
Untold millions, more than should
have sufficed to reclaim every acre Of
overtlowed land in the valley and go far
To preserve the integrity of the navigable
channels even in the presence OF an un-
justified and reckless precipitation of
mining debris upon them, have been la
bored away in the ultimate leYee theory,
resulting in unceasing war of industry,
leVee against levee, inviting, meeting,
Drawing disaster and defying calamity, as
if defiance could abate natural forces or
abrogate the inevitable. And still this
war of levees goes merrily on to the tune
ful jingle OF salaries and fees. Cheerfully
the contestants reflect that somebody
will probably suffer less than somebody
else; and all trust to luck, labor and in
spiration. This it is to be happy in hope,
albeit unwise.
The whole subject matter of river i'm
provement and land reclamation en-
braces multi-phase considerations, hardly
susceptible OF close condensation in writ
ing, without confusion in statement or of
instant elucidatlon IN newspaper article,
within reasonable and readable limits.
Perhaps few leading facts and PROPOSE
tions may be accepted i'll epitome and
safely kept from misapprehension.
First and most imperatively of all we
are to remember that the SacramentO-San
joaquin Rivers and their delta network
of conducting arteries spreading widely
inland almost or quite at ocean level and
rejoining in single outlet to the ocean,
constitute remarkable anomaly on the
face of the earth so far as improved by
man III the reclamation of overfiowed
lands. Nothing approaching its analogue
exists in dame natures plan OF the mouths
of the Nile, the Rhine, the Pc or the Mis-
sissippi. We stand alone with our phe-
nomenal problem; and to blindly follow
the strict analogy of treatment on those
streams, is to intallbly fail OF the results
there attained. The writer quotes his
own words written and published thir-
teen years ago Oh this subject.
There are many matters about which
a great amount of supposititious scientific
knowledge is shed and paid for, and no
subject is more sorely oppressed with it
than that of water currents, sources,
forces and effects. = # Professional
scientists as a class have a generic tend
ency to claim geOmetric eXactness for
theories that relate to obscure physical
forces, and to accept local effects as the
Interpreters of universal law, without
thorough reference 10 differing condi-
tions. This comes of the weakness of
human nature when tired by effort, de-
ficent in data or intellectual power or
both, and ambitious for ultimate conclu-
sions. Strength can say, i don't know
Weakness will say, Let me explain
One truth present to support you where
you are is better than many that lit the
Nile or the Po. The things we do not
know should be known, until known, as
unknown"
The original Sacramento River at the
date of the AnglO-American occupation
was grand success as a navigable stream.
Ocean steamers carried without difficulty
between san Francisco and Sacramento
City. Above the delta, from bank to
bank, the water had nearly a uniform
depth of about five fathoms at dry sea-
son. For every purpose of inland trade,
large vessels passed far above Sacramento
City in both the main and Feather River
branches.
Now especially note-for the fact is of
sterling significance-that at the first ap-
pearance OF strong rise in flood waters
The then river began Immediately to re-
lieve itself from their surplus 10y casting
it aside through numerous natural side
channels, having their bottom grade usu-
ally several feet above the bottom of the
river channel and discharging into the
depressed tUle belt beyond and every
where adjacent to the river banks. These
lateral conduits for flood waters from the
river, formed, together with the continu-
GUS depression in the tule belt, as much
part OF natures adapted economy for
drainage of river flood waters as the main
channel of the river itself, and in aggre-
gate were of far greater capacity to that
end at full flood periods.
AS the flood in the river rose higher the
number of these natural reliefs increased
with the rise for the beds of many were
but slightly depressed below the average
river bank, and at extreme flood seasons
the banks themselves were submerged
and gently enlarged and enriched in the
natural process OF their origin and growth
by deposit of normal debris. Nature
never thought OF closing the necessary
side reliets and staying all the flood
within the main channel TO accelerate
the current"
That was mans thought and apology,
and possibly his conviction, in a vain
attempt to reclaim land by a violation of
natural law. The channel needed no
acceleration of current by such means,
but rather by the opening of another and
final relief channel for DISCHARGE of flood
water at its debouchure 10 tide in the bay
OF Suisun, as we shall see.
Notwithstanding the then existing
channels of side relief the banks were be-
ing overtlowed atevery heavyrainy season
and thereby raised by deposit of the light
normal debris held IN suspension by the
then Hood waters. But when the land
on the river banks began to be loosened
by cultivation 1t became necessary to
construct reasonable leVees sufficient to
preserve the work of nature already done
in building the banks and prevent the
general overflow that under the changed
condition would surely have swept back
ward into the tule region more earth
than it could possibly deposit upon the
banks. Leveeing never ought TO have
gone farther. Thus far there was great
good and little harm in it.
The first and greatest sin of man against
the navigable integrity of the Sacramento
River was the attempted abolition of its
natural side channels for food relief, and
the erection of stupendous auxiliary
levees with view to force ten or twenty
times more water through it-the river
channel proper-than God, its Architect,
builded it to carry at short notice: the
next, the burden Of mountains of abnor-
mai debris reeklessly cast in, confirming
the impossibility of sudden and safe con-
duct. The utter reck lessneSs of the latter
GOnnr PO1TiA hpan nrbnf- thar