The record-union., 1894-12-19
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS.
His Plaes for the Betterment of the
Sacramento River
And the Reclamation of Swamp and
Overftowcd Lands-An Old Prop
osition Revived.

proposed relief of the Sacramento River
from its flood waters, the i'm provement
of that stream and it's tributaries and the
reclamation of a vast area Of swamp and
overiowed lands.
The work was outlined by the last Leg
islature. and Is the result of agitation by
the residents of the river counties lying
between Tehama and Suisun Bay, who
had held river conventions in this city.
Y very large portion of the report is
devoted 10 data furnished by the engi-
neers, Marsden Manson aud c. L.
Grunsky, which consists of maps. cross
sections and other technical data Incl
dental to engineering.
The Commissioner begins his report
with review OF the history or swamp
land reclamation along the Sacramento
and other rivers since iS0o, and shows
thai during these years the stale has eX-
pended upon such work the sum OF
u, i9l ,3SS 70, and the United States Gov
ernment, since the admission OF the State
lnto the Union, has expended $l.UJl, 40
Tor improving the navigation OF the Sac
ramento, Feather and san joaquin Riv-
erS.
The sums expended by the Sacramento
Districts from Jaclnto TO knights Land
ing. Reclamation Districts nos. los, Ia
and 40I, the districts on the Feather and
1uba Rivers and on Grand Island, An
drus Island, Ryer Island, Sherman
Island and on the Sacramento and Amer
lean Rivers, from Feather River 10 Grand
Island. including Sacramento City and
ashlngtOn, approximate 50, ,614.
On the san joaquin aud tributaries
there were expended %, 9l2, $40. The total
expenditures amount to about SlS,O00, 000,
OF which the | nited States GoVernm ent
expended about Sl,00O,0O0.
INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS.
Commissioner Rose severely criticises
the lack OF method heretofore employed
by districts and individuals in their recia-
nation work. he says that, as gem
eraI thing, these attempts We're the result
or tho efforts of adjacent owners. with no
conception OF the tact that the works they
were endeavorIng TO construct and main
tain were parts OF the great arterial drain
age system OF valleys receiving the flood
waters OF $1,000 square miles OF noun
talns and rolling lands.
When we compare their disconuected
and systemless efforts with the volumes
and forces OF the floods which they at
tempted 10 control, the cause of failure
stands out in bold lines, and
THE USELESS CHARACTER
Of systemless struggle becomes very
apparent. ln the lower portions of the
Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers there
are several hundreds OF these organiZa-
tions, each carrying on its own iudepend-
ent operations like the early settlers.
These districts are operating on larger
scale; they construct and maintain large
dredging and pumping plants yet their
safety depends in most instances upon
disasters to adjacent districts.
Until this error is corrected, and the
work be systematically undertaken as a
unit, the safety OF districts VIII depend
strength OF their levees, one or the other
being bound to suffer, even in ordinary
flood years.
A SERIOUS OVERSIGHT.
Referring to the lack of floodgates in
cross levees, the Com missioner SAYS the
providing OF adequate channel capacity
to pass Hoods through the valley has
never been made the special purpose OF
any individual effort nor OF any law,
cross levee cannot be constructed with
out a noodgate. yet millions OF dollars
may be spent, millions jeopardized and
even life risled, in efforts to protect iso-
lated or adjoining areas, but no provision
is made, neither in law nor in fact. for
the construction of flood channels through
the valleys.
Not an acre of land within the reach of
IiOO1 NdLclS flOilL the 6uIlfo length
of the great valley OF California is rea-
sonably safe until these channels be pro
vided. They can be systematically con-
Structed at little more than the regular
yearly expenditures Of the districts Dena-
fitted.
DISPOSAL OF MINING SLICKENS.
Mr.. Rose suggests method of dispos-
ing of mining detritus-one that has.
however, been often proposed-and that
iS hyT1 nj i.ys,a fN. =,
tule basins along the Sacramento River
The existence. he says. of large area of
swamp and overhowed land OF difficult
drainage, and so situated as TO be made
the recipient Of the debris carried bv the
three rivers draining the grea.er portion
OF the hydraulic mining field, has sug-
gested final solution OF the vexed debris
problem.
The solution involves the turning of the
rivers directly into this swamp ana over
nOWeQ depression, which may be called
the American Basin. This, if coupled
with proper measures, would insure free
and unlimited hydraulic mining on the
uDa, Bear and American Rivers and
their tributaries. Moreover il
WILL AFFORD COMPLETE PROTECTION
To the Sacramento and Feather Rivers.
Sui sun and San Francisco Bays, and the
adjacent lands from the danger OF ipiurv
or destruction by the debris now stored
in the channels OF the Nuba, Bear and
American Rivers and their tributary
streams and canyons.
1t viii settle at once and forever the
veXed question between miners and tarm-
ers OF the deposit OF mining debris in tho
streams of Northern California. The cost
of these works, the Commissioner thinks.
should be borne by the General Govern
ment by direct appropriations from the
general treasury, and their construction
should De under the direction and SUPER
vision OF the California Deuris CominIs-
sion.
THINKS IT WOULD PAY.
The cost OF acquiring the necessary low
Iauds and constructing the diverginr
works. etc., he estimates at 81, $50, 749 the
expenditure OF which sum woald extend
over two years. More than 30 per cent.
OF the cost OF the project under this esli-
mate would be ultimately returned ia the
lands after being warped up to a sufii-
c!ent elevation TO permit OF drainage by
gravity.
The commission recommends an an
preparation of $4,000 for the purpose Of
collecting data, etc, for the extension of
the Work 10 the San Joaquin Valley.
From August i, 1893, to Decem Der /
1894, the expenditures OF the Public
Works commissioner Office We're So
lo6 =, leaving a balance OF 81, 4,Sl3 ii unex-
pended.
PLANS OF THE ENGINEERS.
Messrs. Manson aud Grunsky. the
consulting engineers, begin their per-
sonal report by presenting estimates of
what the carrying out of their proposed
drainage and protection works would
cost. The total they state al Sc, IS, 900.
Further on. in the report. by way of
showing what the results OF this expend-
iture would be, they state that there are
Lose, 500 acres OF land subject to inunda-
ton within the area which would be ben