The record-union., 1896-02-01
CONDITION or THE HARBOR.
San Francisco Bay Filling Up With Min
Ing Debris.
Professor Davidson Reported Against
Ballast Dumping, But Ignored
Shckens.

Hon. George Ohleyer, who was Secre-
tary pro tenn. of a meeting of the Di-
rectors of the Anti-Debris Association
held at Marysville on Wednesday last
sends to the "Record-Union the fol-
lowing report thereof:
The report made by Professor George
Davidson to the Chamber of Commerce
of San Francisco, and published in the
Examiner of January 17th, has been
read with much interest by the direc-
tors of this association, and we are as
tonished that no reference was made
therein to the most important factor
in filling up that portion of the bay
and reducing the tidal prism neal
Goat Island, to wit, hydraulic mining
Regarding the dumping of ballast and
other refuse matter in the bay, the re-
port says:
Your committee recommend that
strenuous efforts be made to prevent
the dumping of ballast and refuse from
vessels in the Bay of San Francisco, ex-
cept at certain specified places and un-
der specified conditions. Your commit
tee learns that it has become a custom
for vessels to dump ballast and refuse
in the deep channel near Goat Island.
Investigations lead your committee to
conclude that the refuse thus dumped
is carried by the strong currents of
these deep spots upon the shoaler
ground, and very probably it is in part
added to the shoals near Goat Island,
thus gradually filling up that portion
of the bay and probably reducing the
tidal prism.
Your committee learns that it is the
custom of the State Harbor Commits
sioners to dump the refuse from their
dredgers in the same spot and neces-
sarily with the same result.
The committee therefore recon-
mends that all ballast and other refuse
from whatever source be required by
law to be dumped upon the tide lands,
which are now being filed in, or which
it is proposed to fill in, or that it be
carried beyond the bar off the en-
trance of the Bay of San Francisco"
Not one word is said regarding the
cause of the shoaling of the bay which
has been going on for over thirty years
and since the advent of hydraulic min
ing.
We presume Professor Davidson still
holds the opinion he was reported to
have advanced several years ago, that
the filing of the great waterways OF
California was caused by natural ero-
sion, and from plowed ground and the
tracks Of cattle and sheep being washed
into them, Notwithstanding the plane of
the rivers was higher than the sur
rounding country.
The dumping of all the refuse from all
the vessels entering the harbor of San
Francisco during whole year will not
contribute as much to the filing of the
bay as one days output from the hy-
draulic mines, even under present re-
strictions of the Caminetti bill From
the fact that this report will probably
be considered by the recently appointed
United States Commissioners, we. the
Directors Of the Anti-Debris Associa-
ton of the Sacramento Valley, have
adopted the following resolution, to be
presented to Colonel Suter and his as
sociates:
Resolved, That in view of the fact
that the partial rehabilitation of hy-
draulic mining has during the past year
added more debris to that which had
already accumulated in the beds of the
Yuba, Feather and lower Sacramento
draulic mines were enjoined by the
courts; and from the further fact that
the dams built by the miners for the
storage Of debris, have given way dur
ing the freshets of the past few weeks,
we earnestly request the recently ap-
pointed United States Commissioners to
visit this vicinity at an early day, and
before the high stages of water has
passed, to examine the broken dams,
and also the excavations made by the
recent flood waters in the accumula-
tions of hydraulic mining debris in the
gGlches and ravines, which the miners
have averred had become so consolidat-
ed by time that it could not be washed
away; that they may be the better
enabled to judge Of the feasibility Of
impounding dams to restrain the for
mer output of the hydraulic mines; as
we'll as to the prospects of building
dams to enable the hydraulic mines to
add to that which has already almost
destroyed the navigability of our rivers,
and which must ultimately destroy the
harbor of San Francisco.
BY order of the Board of Directors of
the Anti-Debris Association of the Sac
ramento Valley.
c. E. STONE, President.
B. f. WALTON, Secretary.
BAD SET AND BAD OUTLOOK.