The San Francisco call., 1895-12-22
Accumulated Debris in the
Canyons Of the Sierra
Nevadas.
IMPoUNDING DAMS NECESSARY
Bill Prepared by Miners Association
to Appropriate Million for
the Work.

Besides the bill for presentation to Con
| gress intended to settle the land contro
versy existing between the railroads ant
the Miners Association of this State
| which TREY L. Ford will carry to Wash
| ington next month, he will take bill
| which, although it is intended directly te
protect the navigable streams of Califor
| MIA, incidentally will result in vast benefit
| to this States mining industry.
It is entitled "a bill to appropriate
! money for the construction of works to
impound mining debris and thereby to
protect the navigable streams of Califor-
MA" There is a provision made in the
bill for an appropriation of $1,030,OOO by
Congress, which shall be Immediately
available and shall be expended under the
direction of the Secretary of War, in ac'
cordance with the recommendations OF
the California Debris Commission, ap-
pointed under the Caminetti act OF 1898,
passed by our State Legislature.
The Caminetti act provided for the ere.
alton of commission composed OF three
members of the Engineer Corps of the
United States army. It mentioned the con-
struction OF impounding dams and set
tling reservoirs by the Government and
contemplated only an appropriation OF
money for the construction OF these works.
but contained no definite provision for
such appropriation. Under its provisions
an individual mine-owner or mining cor
poration is obliged to submit petition for
hydraulic mining privilege, and, when
granted, pay for the construction OF i'm
pounding dams.
The present bill eliminates the necessity
OF this personal expense on the part of the
miner and requires that he pay but per
cent per annum tax of his yearly output
for the use of the dam or reservoir.
When the Caminetti act was passed the
State Legislature passed a bill in con.
junction with it, providing for State ap-
preparation of $3.50, 600 for the construction
of works protective of California streams
and tributaries, but this sum was not to be
available until the United States Govern
ment appropriated an equal amount for the
same purpose.
The present bill is thus supplemental to
the Caminetti law and if passed will unlock
the State appropriation of 1893.
1.-The lower canyons of the Sierra Ne
vadas," said Mr.. Ford, ''haye for years been
gradually filling up with debris caused by
natural erosion and mining. 1t needs only
f1ooc slightly larger than usual to sweep
this out into the navigable rivers. The
condition of these canyons is great men,
ace to river commerce.
"The bill prepared to meet the emer.
gency of the situation provides that large
impounding dams shall be constructed
along the lower approaches to these can
yons to protect the navigable streams be-
low from an inpouring of the debris
After these projections are built, then the
miners will petition to mine by hydraulic
methods, and if the Commissioners con-
slider the dams large enough and strong
enough to report favorably on such a pc
tition, the miner who could not afford to
build an impounding dam himself will be
enabled to work his claim by paying a 8
per cent tax on his yearly output of gold.
"If such a bill were passed, besides the
vast advantage that would accrue to the
commercial value of the rivers the gold
mining industry would again assume the
proportions which existed before the
abolition of promiscuous hydraulic mining
"Old, deserted towns will be resettled
and California's yearly production of golc
will be increased at least Sc, 100000
81 60 to Washington he added, "sim
ply to aid the California delegation to Con.
gress and to answer all questions in re.
gard to this matter"