The record-union., 1896-11-29

tered, and when that is the case the
water VIII cease to be effective as a
deepening agency.
should we construct a canal on the
lines above described, we can come to
no other conclusion than that we will
have produced an outlet of sufficient
water-carrying power to discharge not
more than twenty-three ninety-one
hundredths part of the flow of the Sac
ramento and Feather Rivers into Yolo
BASIN during their flood period for
February, 1896, and that the surface
OF the f1cod waters must remain at 16
feet above low tide in order that the
canal may do the work, and this at a
cost Of $4.446, ,250.
II we double the width of the canal
we will at least double it's cost or. we
may expect a canal 1000 feet wide on
the bottom, to cost for construction not
less than $9,O0O0O0 This canal. un-
less 1t could be made deep by the scour-
ing power of the water, would not dis
charge more than 80, 900 cubic feet of
water per second, or little over one
nail as much water as was entering
the Yolo Basin during the flood of
February, 1896.
We have seen from the discussion of
the Improvement of the lower Sacra-
mento River that by the single act of
removing the Newtown shoals, at an ex-
pense of S5OO,OOO, we could expect.
under the same conditions of flood
water above described, to discharge To-
ooo cubic feet per second more than the
river now discharges. In other words.
with an expenditure of one-eighteenth
part OF the money, on the present river.
we can increase the outlet capacity cf
the lower river, at the same stage of
flood water, 10000 cubic feet per sec
ond more than the artificial canal will
do under the most favorable circum-
stances, and with width of 1000 feet
ON base.
We therefore are free to confess that
the MonteZuma Hill cut WILL in our
opinion, serve the purpose of a drain
way for the Yolo Basin, provided you
make 1t wide enough and deep enough
and that you eXpend millions Of money
to perfect the work.
The cost of the enterprise is not the
only objection that may be entered
against the scheme at this time.
WOULD INJURE THE RIVER.
The discharge of any water through
the hills means the reduction of the
volume of water to be disposed Of in
the present river. According to the
law laid down by authorities, the great
er the volume of water introduced into
a silt-bearing stream, the greater will
be it's securing power; therefore, any
water dlVPrfp6 from "a o,,4
let of Yolo Basin will thereby reduce
the securing power of the river from
the foot Of Grand Island to the bay.
and should time come when the arti-
fetal outlet will discharge the surplus
waters Of Yolo Basin, it is safe to say
the river from Grand Island to Suisun
Bay will again silt as it did from 1860
to 1878, and not only the water capacity
will be destroyed, but navigation will
be materially injured.
Again, it must be remembered that
we do not shorten the route Of water
line by this new channel. Water will
not flow unless it has sufficient fall to
do so. Therefore, whenever this new
channel is opened the flood water will
take the required slope to discharge the
capacity Of the canal, and instead OF
the water being Of an elevation Of 16
feet above low tide at Lindsey Slough
it will not attain this elevation until
some distance above the entrance of
the cut. The surface Of the flood water
will not be lowered very materially
above the point Of grade now produced
by the present outlet, SO that the real
distance the water must travel to the
hau hry ha ryf1l Io oLa
same as it now runs to Collinsville. If.
however, we can succeed in introducing
the greater portion Of the flood waters
Of the Sacramento Valley into the Sac
ramento River, at the confluence of the
Feather and Sacramento, and conduct
them to the foot of Grand Island, why
should we permit the waters here to
divide, to the detriment of the river?
We need all the power we can aggre-
gate at this point to keep clear deep
river to the bay.
During the food of 1896 the Yolo
Basin water stood at an elevation Of
2S.lS feet above low tide at Elkhorn
Ranch. This elevation of water was
sufficient to fill the basin from base of
river levee to high land on the western
margin of the basin. If, therefore, the
majority Of the flood waters must pass
down this basin, the outlet will cut lit
tile figure In the devastation Of property
along the margin of the river and west
side tule lands, SO long as SO large a
body of water is permitted to escape
into the Yolo Basin. The vastness Of
the flood wave itself will fill the tule
from river to high land, rendering safe
ty beyond hope, except by the con-
| struction of a new waterway properly
aligned and with embankments Of such
grade and elevation as to confine the
water to a reasonable channel. If this
condition shall prevail, as already stat
ed, in the consideration Of the question
of the improvement Of the Sacramento
River the flood line must necessarily be
raised or lowered under the present
conditions of the river
Therefore, we can see no permanent
relief to come from a cut through the
| Montezuma Hills. It would facilitate
the discharge of the lower basin, but in
doing so would rob the river of one of
Its most effective forces; namely. the
power supplied from the Coast Range
streams in flood time. as we'll as the
conservation of the force of all escap-
ing waters from the extreme river
floods.
If all hope is to be abandoned in the
direction of maintaining drainage and
naviga ton ON the Sacramento River,
then, and not until then, should the
Montezuma Hills cut be considered.
THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA.
We cannot close this report without
directing your attention to one of the
| most important inventions of the nine
teenth century. The greatest problem
now confronting the civil engineer is,
how to prepare rivers for the reception