The record-union., 1895-02-05

yards, and that 100, 100000 cubic wards
more were deposited between DeGeurre
Point and Smartsville, upon grades of
about ten feet per mile.
This deposit has been made even with
the Yuba at its highest, and shows the
uselessness of trying to carry the debris
| in canals. But if the flood flow is carried
away in canals and the debris allowed to
rest within the present channels the prob
! lem is simplihed.
| From study of the mining problem
| the following conclusions may be drawn:
! tlrst-ln order that the debris should
at no time be liable TO be washed into the
! rivers below, the impOunding should be
! done IN places out OF the channel OF the
winter floods.
| Second-That the impounding area
| should be large, commensurate with the
! problem involved.
Ihird-That the Yuba River be used as
} a canal to carry the tailings to their final
/ resting place.
! Sites Tor storage may be states as:
flrSL-ln the main water courses aud
the!r tributaries within the mountains.
! Secono-In the river bed from where
! the rivers leaves the mountains to their
| mouths.
! Ihlrd-In the lowS,sWamp lands along
! the east bank OF the Feather and Sacra-
! mento Rivers.
! Ii one would examine the water courses
OF one OF our mountain streams, they
! would nDd that they follow narrow cam
yons which in places open out into little
valleys, until they debOuch upon the val
| ley below, where they cover a width of
one 10 TWO miles between levees.
! Inc sites proposed for building restrain
! ing dams are within the canyons, and for
| the most part narrow, with the exception
! OF the DeGuerre Point site, whore the
river opens out to nearly one milo in
! width, and oilers an lmpOunding area of
! about three square miles.
Strange as IL may seem, that vast area
/ OF land, encompaSsed by the IeVees of the
/ uDa, having an an area of twentv-Hve
! square miles lying between MarysviIle
and DeGuerre Point, has never been con-
sldered IN the light of a possible location
Tor storage site.
! Upon this area, as stated before, the
| Debris Commission have found that there
| has been lmpOuuded sos, 900, 900 cubic
yards OF mining debris, equaiing to two
thlrdS OF their estimated washing of the
! hydraulic mines.
NlLh the cleaning Oithe upper portions
| OF the uOa the debris is and will be
gradually rolled along the rivers bed and
| banked up at MarysyiIle aud washed into
the Gather River.
ILat the nIIing is taking place is a we'll
known fact, to which attention has been
| called by various reports
Ii me damage to navigation has been
great III the past, 1t Will be increased ten
| io!d III the future unless something Is
| spceuiIy done.
Ire valley and mountains are alike in
| IeEesteu IN the problem, and it will be
almost useless TO improve the rivers un-
| less steps are taken 10 keep this sand flow
| out. IL seems to me that place that
| would eiIecLuaIly keep this deposit from
| D9lng washed into naYigable rivers, and
MAKE TINS eNpanse OF debus-coyered
laEus available for greater depths OF de-
! Dus, would solve the much VeXed pro-
| blem.
| Ii the waters of the Nuba River be di-
| Verted from its present course into new
! cuauhel or canal at any suitable place,
/ say at DeGuorre Point, and caused to
/ now to the southwest as down Dry or
| I,eed's Creek (Which heads near De-
/ 0uerre Point, and in all probability is an
/ ancient channel OF the IuDaJ, and Join
! tq9 Gather River about ten miles below
! MafysYIIler the deposit OF sand mentioned
ABOVE would be permanently impOuuded
! and prevented from entering the Feather
Inc 1uba, freed from its load Of sand,
wouId enter the Feather able to aid III
securing tlaC channel, and MarySyille
and It's vicinity would be relieved Of
menace To Its prosperity-thaC of the
| i uba overtiOwing its banks.
| linen, II an opening was made in the
dam to allow the summer flow OF the
! l uOt 70 Auu us way TO NarySNllIe, the
navigation or the Feather during the low
season would not be interlered with.
With this change in the Topography of
the country, we have the sand-Coyered
! plain above mentioned now available for
tue storage OF greater depths Of mining
d9urIs.
! This can be done by modiryiDr the
Qam so as TO provide sluiceways tor the
debris to pass through the upper dam on
to the dam below, and convert the same
! into settling pool by closing the lower
end by dam at MarysvilIe.
Mining could then be carried on in tho
oId-tIme manner, dumping direct into
the streams.
The heavy gravel would pile up in the
canyons. During the summer the muddy
water would flow through the sIuice-
ways OF the upper dam and become
settled within the basin below, and then
flow into the Feather.
During the winter, when the flow is
great, large portion OF the coarser
detrlLus would be carried into the basin
| because OF the greater velocity and
/ volume OF the wafer. This would be de-
posted at the upper end, forming perna-
! hehC lnp0uAuIng works Tor the cGnvOn
above ana necassiJating the raising OF the
| upper dam and Ieyees as the Channel
was filled.
| During times of flood the waters would
! DO checked by the dam, forming, as it
! were, reservoir, or a sand-box on
gigantic scale.
! AS much OF the flow as could be settled
! would be allowed to pass throurh the
sIulceWays into the basin. The remain
/ uef would now over the spillWay into the
/ reiief canal, and thence to the Feather.
This, coming from tho upper strata OF the
| water OF the reservoir, as il were, would
! carry but little or no sand. The sUsngn-
! satory matter would not affect the main
! rivers, as they would be carrying their
/ lIoCG uows-or it could be trailed TO the
American hLVer sWamps, as Mr.. Rose
! proposes.
| When the flood ceases the strong cur
! rent, formed through the sluiceways
/ nucl OF The uetritus deposited when the
! waters were backed up by the dam would
/ be siu1c6u into the basin. The relief
| canal would not DE necessary, eXcept in
times OF flood, when the flow would be
| too great 10 De settled in the basin: the
idea being that by building the upper
! dam, say twenty feet high, it would back
the water Wnen the river is hign, allow
ing the sand rolling on the bottom TO set
tie aud the floods to discharge into a new
Channe!, carrying as near as possible only
suSpensalory matter.
The dam should be so constructed that
til securing sluiCes can be placed at any
point that the reservoir above the dam
can De secured out, and so allow the sand
TO be deposited only in the same rate as
III the basin below.
The water VIII thus be under absolute
control. Tho lCwIauds around Marys-
vile after being nlled as deep as is con-
sldeT0d necessary Tor reclamation i levea
or dam could thus be constructed higher
up the basin, the hIiing continuing as be-
fore, the wafer being carried III channel
| by AlarysVille TO the Gather.
By means OF the impouading works