The San Francisco call., 1896-02-10
67,73O,OOO

Los.OOo.aOO

suisun Bay. cubic yards. .;,......-;... e7,79OOOO
Marysville cubic yards. :. 12O, 900 900
Yuba River and on bottom lands above
Marysville, cubic yards. .......... .408, 900 600
Making grand total of 769, ,174, 900 cubic
yaros OF the finer refuse lying in the streams
TO tax the pockets and ingenuity of Govern
ments TO care for and counteract.
II is asserted that this can be done and avoid
the injury. We doubt it. When mountain
debris reservoirs can be reduced to a grade of
tour inches to the mile, which is that of the
sacramento River below Sacramento city, then
IL VIII be In order TO discuss the proposition,
although the river is filling the bays on that
| grade.
The above estimates were made five years
! ago Dy moiety OF the late United States De-
brls Commission. A little over year ago the
same engineers reported as follows:
The commission has examined to some extent
the condition of the Sacramento River and of
Suisun Bay, into which il empties with reference
10 the change OF the bottom since the beginning OF
hydraulic mining. Takin Suisun Bay, the earliest
coast survey chart (Ringgold IS map made In IS5OI
gives its total area as a9.327, 600 square yards
The latest coast survey chart published Csuryey
OF 1873, most of the hydrography made in 1861,
gives the bay superficial area of 160SS2 900
Comparisons OF similar cross sections, taken
every half-mile over this territory, gives the fol-
lowing average depths 1850, 1905 feet; 1878
1892 feet; average fill, 6.13 feet,I showing tn at
nearly one-haf the original volume OF water in the
lszs 3sz sA' replaced by sediment between 1850 and
Partial surveys and estimates made in 1855
and since leads the commission to say:
Taking the above figures reliable there were
deposited dep @ din in suisun Bay between 1850 and 1873
Assuming that the fill since 1878 has been at the
same rate for the whole bay as that shown at the
rate of deposit in the bay was about 10000 OOO
cubic yards per year from 1873 to 1885.
Now, assuming that the flow of debris to the
bays has continued TO date at the same rate
we have twenty years flow of 10, 600 600 cubic
yards, or 2O0,0OO,000 to add to the figures
given above and of material so fine that it went
q do nT
mile. In conclusion the commission saws:
These figures, while more or less approximate.
Indicate the possible filing up Of Suisun Raw and
the consequent removal of the mouth NJ the &C., Gu
mento and San joaquin rivers from near CoiIina
vile TO near Benicia is question that must be
cleaning out OF the rivers, ETC., be formulated.
Below Benicia and the Straits of Carouines
the bays widen and the debris floats to the
shallow waters on either side and is deposited
along the Alameda and Marin County shores.
the snores pushing out toward deep water con-
tinuously.
Professor Davidson of the Coast and Geodetio
survey was surprised to hear that the water
had receded so rapidly, but he knew the shore
line was changing several hundred feet annu-
ally. The nrst United States survey of the bay
was made in 1852; the second in 1886 The
old survey marks were in places inland three
quarters OF mile in 1886, and the shallow
water had extended out almost to the river
current. He professor Davidson) accounted
Tor the filling of the land by continued settling
OF mud carried from the river (Sacramentol in
solution and deposited opposite its mouth be-
tween Petaluma Point and Point San Quentin
This may suffice for our present purnose al.
though the subject is by no means exhausted
and cannot be in the ordinary limits of let.
ter. But, 1t is said, the process can be prose.
cnted behind barriers shorn of the injurious
tendency. This being also q debatable oues-
ton our next article will be devoted chiefly to
the so-caIled remedial measures.
By order of the State Anti-Debrfs Association.
GEORGE 0HLEYER,
Chairman Legislative Committee.