The record-union., 1896-11-28

To the man untraihed LII engineesing
problems it is not hard to understand
this condition OF forces. II you have
a body rolling down an incline or hill,
as long as the slope remains the same
the body will continue to roll on and ON.
Now, let the body roll out on level
plain from a steep incline. The forces
that moved it on the side-hill have
ceased to act, but the body has gained
a certain momentum which carries Vt
| on to the plain, but through each In
| crement Of time the velocity OF the body
becomes less and less until 1t finally
ceases to move. So it is with
THIS GREAT FLOOD-WAVE.
When it emerges from the upper Sac
ramento and the Feather it comes like
| the rush of a mountain torrent loaded
with vast quantities Of slickens, sand,
and fine gravel, the heaviest portion OF
| which is In the lower strata OF the run
ming water. The lighter portion is
| rushed through the crevasses into the
Yolo Basin, while the heavier portion
remains in the bed of the stream, pass
| ing down the stream ON to the level
plain, as it were, only to lose Its force
| gradually, and finally to unload Its
waters. It is not difficult to under
stand the consequences OF these con-
| ditions. The ultimate end Is the fll1ng
of the river below the crevasses. THESE
conditions have maintained more or
| less for all great flood periods OF the
| Sacramento Valley, and especially so
since the filing of the river from min
| ing debris.
| The land owners of Yolo Basin have
| built their levees, year after year, only
to have them destroyed by the f1rst
| important flood period OF the river.
They have, within the last three years,
ceased to fight the inevitable, and the
river front is now abandoned TO It's
fate. The result is that for distance
of four miles along the right oanK OF
the river, below the confluence or the
Feather and Sacramento, in time OF
flood, there is one solid sheet OF water
pouring from the river into the 1olo
| Basin. Within this distance no less
than three or four very large and deep
crevasses now exist.
EFFECT OF THESE CREVASSES.
1t has been the object of our lnvesti-
cation to determine as nearly as posi-
| BILE the actual effect Of these crevasses
on the water capacity of the river.
By a. comparison of the soundings OF
the Sacramento River made IN 1910
with those of 1894 and 1890, we are
permitted to give some facts that may
indicate a remedy for many existing
evils.
| The river bed from Colhnsville to the
foot of Grand Island has already been
reported upon, and we can say that from
a. similar course Of reasoning we have
compared the condition Of the bed Of the
| river in 1873 with that OF the present
time as far up the river as the contiu-
ence Of the Sacramento and Feather.
From this investigation we are unaoie
| to discover very much increase In the
river bed elevation from the foot or
Grand Island to the city Of Sacramento.
It. of course, is lettering it's condition
but slightly, if any. The moment, how
ever. that we pass above the mouth or
the American River, and from that
point on up the Sacramento to the Elk
horn Ranch, a point one-half mile
below lower crevasse, we dis
cover a general contraction and gradual
| elevation of the bed of the stream.
From the Elkhorn ranch to the mouth
of the Feather River we discover the re-
verse Of the conditions between Sacra-
mento City and Elkhorn. The bed Of
the river indicates a deepening rather
than filling in this section of the river.
We could expect no other result
| It is safe to say this process of river
ruin will continue as long as the Gre
vases are permitted to remain open.
The final result is the gradual destruc-
ton Of the water capacity Of the Sacra-
mento River from the Feather to Sac
ramento City, and finally to the outlet
at Susuin Bay.
The general elevation Of the tule lands
in the Yolo Basin at points opposite the
exit of the crevasses above described is
not less than 10 or 20 feet above low
tide in Suisun Bay. The elevation Of
the bed Of the river at what is known
as Elkhorn ranch, in 1878, for the deep
est water, was 3 feet above low tide in
Suisun Bay. The elevation of the bed
of the river in deepest water at the same
| point, according to the soundings Of
1894, is rs feet above low tide; making
a fill at this point, since 1878, Of 40 feet
In the deepest water or, by compari-
son of average soundings, there has been
|
width Of the river.
AT a point on the river $4,000 feet
lower down than the Elkhorn Station,
the bed Of the river, in deep water, has
been raised feet since 1878 to 1894,
and the average fill has been 3 feet for
the whole width of the river, the eleva-
| ton of the deep-water bed being on a
dead level with the elevation of the bed
Of the river at the Elkhorn Station
BED GRADUALLY RISING.
Throughout this $4,000 feet we have
a comparatively straight river with a
normal width, originally, of 600 or
700 feet. The elevation of low water.
in 1878, at Elkhorn Station, was about
ii feet above low tide. In 1895, at the
same station, it is found to be about II
feet above low tide, having risen, in
seventeen years, above feet, which we
observe agrees very remarkably with
the increase of the elevation of the bed
of the river during that period.
| The elevation of low water being II
feet above low tide, and the elevation
of the tule lands 10 or 20 feet above
same datum, and the low water line
having risen 3 feet in the past seven
teen years, it is not difficult for the most
casual observer to predict the final re d.
suit, should these conditions continue
TO exist.
| we are prepared to state, however.
from surveys and examinations made
during the past two years, that the in
dicauons are that the river is filling
more rapidly for the past two years
than it did during the same length of
time from 1878 to 1894
| Now, If it is true and it is-that tba