The record-union., 1896-01-07
RESTORATION OF THE SACRAMENTO
The Government Asked to Take Care
of the River.
A Bill Prepared by the Anti-Debris
Association and Chamber
of Commerce.

| Following is a copy of the bill re-
Gently prepared for the State Anti-De-
brfs Association and the Chamber of
Commerce of this city providing for the
restoration of the Sacramento River by
| the Government to something like its
natural condition before navigation was
practically ruined by the effects of hy-
draulic mining. The bill will be intro
duced by Congressman Johnson:
An Act to Create the Sacramento River
Commission, Defining It's Powers and
Duties, and Making an Appropriation
| Therefor
| Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assem-
| bled:
| That a commission is hereby created
to be known as the Sacramento River
| Commission, consisting of three mem
bers, to be appointed from the corps of
engineers of the United States army, by
the President of the United States, by
and with the consent of the Senate, and
| any vacancy that may occur in said
commission shall be filed in like man
ner
| Section 2. The said commission shall
|
pointment by selecting from its mem
! bers such officers as may be required in
the performance of its duties and it may
at any time adopt rules and regulations
not inconsistent with law, to govern it's
deliberations and acts. No compensa-
| tion shall be allowed to said membe, s
in addition to what is now allowed to
each respectively as an officer of said
corps of engineers.
| Section 3. 1t shall be the duty of said
commission to prepare and adopt such
| plan or plans from examinations and
surveys already made and from sucn
additional examinations and surveys as
1t may consider necessary or proper, as
will improve the navigability of the
| Sacramento River and it's tributaries
comprising the Sacramento River sys-
tenn, and deepen their channels. The
said commission shall cause the channel
of the said Sacramento River to be
deepened over the shallow cobble-stone
bars between Mcintosh Landing and
Red Bluff, by use of clam-shell or other
| suitable dredger SO that there shall be
in dead low-water season a depth of
thirty-six inches of water They shall
remove all snags and trees standing on
the banks of said river from the head of
navigation to its mouth that may be
liable to fall into the river channel.
They shall close up breaks and Gre
vases which allow water to escape to
the injury of the navigability of the
river They shall also build and erect
any other structure or use any other
means that will improve the navigabiI-
ity of said river from the head of navi-
cation to its mouth and they are hereby
authorized to enter into contracts for
such materials and work as may be nee
essary to complete any plan or project
that may adopted or approved by said
commission for the improvement of the
| said Sacramento River and it's tribu-
taries to be paid for as appropriations
may from time to time be made by law,
not to exceed in the aggregate --
dollars, exclusive of the amount herein
and heretofore appropriated
| Said commission shall take such
means and shall build, construct and
preserve such works as may be neces-
| sary to restore, as nearly as practicable,
the navigability of said Sacramento
River and its navigable tributaries to
the condition existing in the year eigh-
/ teen hundred and sixty.
| Section 4. The commission shall sub
nit to the Chief Engineer of the United
| States army on or before the 1st day of
| October of each year report of its
work and transactions, with plans for
the construction, completion and pres
ervation of the works necessary to
carry out the provisions of this Act, To-
| gether with an estimate of the probable
expense thereof, stating the amount
| that can be profitably expended for
such purposes each year, and the same
shall be submitted to Congress by the
Secretary of War.
Section 5. The sum Of -- dollars
| is hereby appropriated out of any mon
eys in the treasury, not otherwise ap-
propriated, to be Immediately available.
and to be expended by said commission
for carrying out the objects of this Act
and for the construction, completion,
repair and preservation of the public
works in this Act provided for
! Section 6. This Act shall take effect
| Immediately from and after it's passage.
/ CmOT A Cs1TYT7 mnr