The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-01-29
THE TRICKS OF TWO STREAMS,
The Los Angeles and Santa
Ana Rivers at Play.
The Thorough Work Done on the
Santa Ana River.
County Surveyor Finley Of Orange
County Outlines the Plan of CAM
paign- Great Work Being Done
And to BE Done.

ur neighbor, o ange county, is hay
ing deal OF trouble with the Santa
Ana river, which displays the same
rowing tendency that the Los Angeles
river does to wander all over the face OF
the earth.
The two rivers, which they are in the
rainy season. have caused many an un-
pleasant surprise to the thrifty ranchers
along their alleged courses, many oil
whom have walked up some morning to
find themselves on the other side of the
stream.
Either that, or have found six feet OF
sand on top of their fertile acres, which
have been thus lost to sight forever.
The shifting sands have played 30
many eInsn tricks along these rivers
that sometimes the ranchers become be-
wildered, and scarcely know whether
tn ey are in California or the South Sea
islands.
There has been a growing tendency
in these later years, when valuable
property interests have grown up along
the streams, for the owners to find out
where they are at.
An idea has found Judgement in their
brains that when the Los Angeles river
puts on It's store clothes and rushes
through big ranch faster than love-
sick boy to tryst with his sweetheart;
or the Santa Ana river, instead of sober
ly pursuing its valuable way under the
kite-shaped track toward Orange and
Santa Ana, tries to swoop over to Ana
helm like bird OF prey, some adequate
obstacle should be presented to it's mad
career.
This idea has borne such fruit in
Orange county that q very creditable
beginning has been made in curbing the
meandering propensites OF the Santa
Ana river.
A HERALD reporter went down to that
county yesterday end saw some of the
work that mas been done.
Through the courtesy of County Sur
veyor s. Ii. Finley, who went to con-
siderable trouble to furnish the data,
quite thorough idea was obtained of
the problem which confronted the super
visors and how they have undertaken to
gradually confine the river in well de-
fined and permanent channel.
Impressed with the necessity of action
the supervisors formulated plan last
September and charged Mr.. Finley with
it's execution.
A thorough survey of the river was
made by him from Olive to the Pacific
ocean, and then the work began.
A tax of 10 cents on the 500 was made
for river improvements, which produced
$4,000. In addition to this amount the
Santa Fs railroad company assisted with
work and materials, and there were sew
eral private subscriptions.
With this fund an attempt was made
to relieve the most threatened points
of overflow.
The new channel was located in as
near straight line as practicable, and
was kept in the old bed where possible.
Although it followed the old channel
most of the way, it was found necessary
to open up an entirely new route Tor a
distance OF three miles, mostly south of
the city of Santa Ana, whore there was
no defined channel. r
In order to throw the main current of
the river into its proper place along the
old channel numerous wing dams were
built, sometimes on one side and some
times on the other, according to the
bends in the old channel. Some OF the
wing dams were made water tight, but
in other places the water was not shut
off entirely. and they were built of pill
ing, wire and brush, as at the bridge on
the Anaheim road.
In these wing dams the piles were not
driven in a straight row, but the middle
of three was dropped back 80 as to form
triangle.
The barbed wire being attached to
the piles, and brush being woven into
it, serviceable and very solid structure
was made. If not undermined. and
standing the wear and tear, the willow
brush has chance of taking Judgement
and growing.
Of water-tight dams there were 2413
ieet, and of the pile and brush dams,
3D78 feet, total of 54Sl feet.
The levees along the banks were built
inlvarious ways, according to the re-
q1irements. OF piles, brush and sand
there were 5000 feet; OF piles, blanks
and sand, 79l feet; of heavy brush and
heavy earth, 1882 feet; of light brush
and heavy earth, 2100 feet; of heavy
brush without earth, $40 feet; of lisht
brush and light earth, 1928 feet; OF light
brush without earth, 1877 feet; total,
1888 feet, or 51a miles of levees AID
wings com bined.
at points where new channel was
opened the willows were thoroughly
grubbed out aud the ground plowed.
The brush dams and wings were made
principally of green brush and have
started to grow.
The different styles OF work done show
even one ignorant of such things. the
versatility OF these California streams.
IN evading the straight and narrow
path. They have as many moods as a
woman and nesd infinitely more careful
The length OF the Santa Ana river in
Orange county is 20 miles, and the work
done was on eight miles, from Olive TO
within three miles of the ocean, leaving
very important work to be
done above Olive; but all could not be
done at once.
The HERALD reporter aeked Mr.. Fin
ley what had been the result OF the
work as observed up to this time.
He replied that it was yet too coon to
tell definitely. The rains so far this
season had cut out the channel two feet
at the lower end, near the ocean, from
which fact he was more confident that
the work will result in success.
The greatest damage had been done by
the river in the Newport region, and the
work so far done had resulted in pTotec
ton which Mr.. Finley believed would
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