The record-union., 1896-02-10

amount Of silt viii be thrown into sus-
pension, which will be supplied by ero-
sion. A lowering of both the bed of the
stream and the surface slope will there
fore ensue."
GOVERNMENT POLICY.
In view of these laws, well estab-
lished by all observations, the question
| naturally arises, would the Government
be justified in maintaining the river
banks?
The policy of the present plan Of
navigation improvement in this State
+ seems to partake more of temporary
work than of a system Of general and
permanent improvement. This is proDa-
bly, due to the small appropriations given
to the Improvement Of our rivers. But
it must be attributed in a great meas
ure to a want of a comprehensive
knowledge of the causes that produce
disaster to our levee system. That you
can force 200 GOO cubic feet per second
down a stream that will discharge but
10000 is not easy Of comprehension,
hence we hold that it is the duty Of the
Government to say to the people what
must be done in such an emergency.
and how far the Government viii aid
in the protection of our navigable
streams. The line must be drawn-the
duty of Government, State and individ-
ual must be determined
If the United States engineers hold
that the streams should conduct the
greatest possible volume of water in
food as well ~ low water periods. then
the Government, having complete con-
see that these conditions are maintained
as nearly as possible.
It is therefore the duty of these engi-
neers to report the effects of crevasses,
and it is the duty of the Government to
close them.
SYSTEM IS NECESSARY.
River Improvement in the State of
California, so far as the land owners
OF the State are concerned, has attained
such vast proportions that it is only
necessary for the Government to direct,
and the people will willingly follow any
reasonable plan for further improve
ment.
We state it, based on our knowledge
Of the people of the flooded districts,
that well-devised plan need ouIy be
named to be put into execution. 1t is
not satisfactory to the people to see
great crevasses permitted to run mad
in order that they may form shoals
and sandbars, to be removed by an ex-
penditure of the peoples money, when
such shoaling and sandbars never would
have formed had the river been properly
treated.
Why was it, we may ask, that the
weir in Paradise Cut, on the San JOa-
quin River, was constructed by the
General Government, and none recon-
mended for the Sacramento River? The
reason for the construction Of the weir
over Paradise Cut is very apparent. 1t
was evident that the San Joaquin River
was shoaling below the cut, injuring
navigation, and had the weir not have
been constructed the probabilities are
that nearly all of the waters of the San
Joaquin River would now be passing
over the low tule west of the main Cor
cld) channel, instead Of remaining in
its present course. We hold, therefore,
that a well devised plan of river inn
Erovement will carry with it a union of
action between the Government inter
ests and those of the State. 1t is
A FALSE POLICY
For any Government to continue upon
a plan of action that will not perma-
nently improve her navigable water
ways, and certain it is that no perma-
nent Improvement can come by per-
hitting three-fourths of the waters at
ordinary stages of river to pour out
into some unreclaimed basin, when it
could be disposed OF with ease through
the main channel.
1t is safe to say that all of the waters
presented to-day at the confluence of
the Feather and Sacramento Rivers
could be conducted with safety to
Suisun Bay if the proper escape-way
had have been constructed below the
confluence of these streams, and with
out passing one drop into the Yolo
Basin at the present time Would this
increase in volume of water in the
original channel improve its securing or
bearing capacity? TO answer this
question we have cited the authorities
above.
TINKERING A FAILURE.
1t is the universal rule that tempo
rary work does not pay. 1t is the uni
versal rule that where a disease exists
the proper remedy should be applied.
It is certain that to avoid the continual
increase in the elevation of the river
bed its silt-bearing capacity must be
brought to its maximum.
To accomplish this purpose the lower
river must be improved by the correc-
ton of its alignment and the removal
of the shoals and bars and by the main
tenance of its greatest water-carrying
capacity all along the line.
This can be done only by the con-
struction of proper easements at the
points of engagement and the prohibit
ton Of the escape of water through
crevasses at low elevations. It is, we
believe, the duty of the General Gov
ernment to execute this work. and it is
the duty Of the property-owners to keep
their levees up to the standard
There is no doubt that the levees
exert a direct action in deepening the
channel and enlarging the bed Of the
river during those periods of rise or
flood, when by preventing the disper-
sion"
These are the words of the commits
sion If waters, by confinement in the |
channel, enlarge it and deepen it dur
ing flood periods, we may look for the |
converse when they are permitted to |
disperse at will during these flood |
periods.
A CASE IN POINT
It is very interesting to study the /
nature of this law, for we believe it is |
so we'll founded that it may be con-
sidered d law instead of a theory. You T
win observe, as you pass along the Sac
River. that from Colusa to the +
Feather River the stream is moderate |
and uniform in cross-section, averaging /
a width of about 400 feet. As soon as /
you pass the confluence of the Sacra- /
mento and Feather the river widens to |
700 or 500 feet, which width it main /