The record-union., 1896-11-27
The Sacramento Can Easily be
Made Deeper,
But The Work Must be Carried Out
On Practicable Lines.
Condition Of the River ThrOughOut-The
MOntezuma Hills Cut Con-
demned.

One of the most important of all the
reports submitted to the Governor this
year, to be by him laid before the Legls-
lature for action, is that of Hon. Il. h.
Leake, Commissioner of Public WORKS.
1T deals with the condition of the rivers
of the Sacramento and San Joaquin
Valleys, and their improvement for nav
igation. The report is very poluminous,
but its Importance warrants the publ
cation of those portions dealing with
the chief river of the State (the Sacra-
mento). Even this is SO long that it
must be divided between several issues
CT the Record Union
Engineers Price and Nourse have
made exhaustive examinations of the
river and the various methods proposed
to relieve it of flood waters. AS the re-
suit they condemn the proposed cut
through the Montezuma Hills, holding
that to relieve the river by a separate
canal would result in the further rapid
filling of the river channel with silt.
The concluding portion of their report
deals with a recently invented dredger
that can speedily cut out the river bed
to depth of II feet and thus enable the
river to carry off all the overflow. thus
making it navigable for vessels of con-
siderable depth and at the same time
preventing any further danger to low
lands from overf1owing during flood sea-
sons. The engineers say:
THE SACRAMENTO RIVER.
The question as to what is the best
plan of relief for the Sacramento River,
or whether any relief is possible, that
will alleviate the present condition of
said river, has long been discussed, and
ably so, by the best engineering skill on
the Pacific Coast
Many remedies have been suggested,
but none have ever been put into effect
We therefore preface our discussion OF
this subject with the admonition that
it is time some plan of action should be
adopted, and said plan put into full
force and effect.
The interests involved demand imme-
diate relief. The devastation of the most
extensive fields of resource and produc-
tion within the boundaries of the great
State of California are not only threat
ened with but are now suffering from
the present policy of inactivity. It must
be understood that the engineer car
only direct; it is not in his power to con-
summate any plan without the cooper
alton of the interests involved. 1t viii
be our province to discuss, in as able q
manner as our humble judgments viii
direct, the plan of river improvement we
shall regard as essential in the premises
If this plan is shown to be the best
and only relief that should be adopted
we shall ask the cooperation of those
interested in the matter, to give us al
possible assistance, in order that the
work may be done.
THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY.
The Sacramento Valley requires nc
description, save to say from the Cos
umnes and Mokelumne Rivers it ex-
tends northward to Iron Canyon, a dis
tance of 140 miles, comprising 425.
square miles of area, with a navigable
river 260 miles in length, offering az
open highway to one of the most pro
ductive portions of the state of Cali
fornia.
Within the boundaries of this great
valley we find less than LOO square
miles of the richest land in the world
subject to occasional overflow and peri
odical flooding. over one million acres
of land, capable of sustaining an EN-
pire within itself, whose climate is par
ticularly adapted TO deciduous and cit
rus fruits, demand better plan of rec
lamation. Guarded from blizzards ant
hurricanes by the Coast Range on the
west. and the Sierra Nevada Noun
tains on the east and north, this LAND
awaits only the touch of energy ant
enterprise to become the Italy Of Amer
lea It is not to be presumed that the
reclamation Of this vast tract of lant
can be accomplished in one day or ont
year, but certainly it is reasonable L
suppose that a policy of improvement
would be fAr preferable to one OF de
struction. and we can only hope to i'm
prove by changing the direction of th'
energies now at work from a policy o
ultimate ruin TO one of continual anC
permanent relief.
In the year 1873 the State Of Cali
fornia, under the direction of the Stat
Engineer, William Ham. Hall, causes
n survey Of the Sacramento River to b
made. and in conjunction with thi
survey and the surveys of the Depart
ment of Engineering, L. S. A, we ar
enabled to arrive at some very impor
tant facts.
The survey of Mr.. Hall located Ger
tain points on the river from Collins
Vile up stream, called stations, a
shown on the profile included in this re
port Station 80 is found about oppo
site Collinsville. Mean low tide OF Sui
sun Bay was established by a serie
of observations at Black Diamond, 1
Contra Costa County, and the eleya
ton of mean low tide thus determine
was assumed as the datum plane fror
which all elevations on the Sacrament
River have been established. Benc
marks have been established from ac
curate lines of levels. at various point
on the Sacramento as well as the Sal
JOAQUIN River. All gauges have bee,
adjusted TO this datum; hence all ele