The San Francisco call., 1897-10-03
THEY WILL
DREDCE OLD
SACRAMENTO
Officials Confer on the Sub
ject Of Newtown
Shoals.
ENGINEER NURSES REPORT.
Colonel Suter, US. A., Indicates
That Action Will Be
Promptly Taken.
s SECRETARY OF WAR TO Be Advised,
First Steps of the State Auditing
Board and Commissioner of Public
Works to Improve the River.

The Auditing Board 10 the Commits
sioner of Public Works met in Sacramento
recently and considered the reports of the
Commissioner and Engineer in regard to
the proposed improvement of the naviga-
tion of the Sacramento River. In an elab-
crate report TO the board, Commissioner
Ed f. Leake fully indorsed the recon-
mendation of the Engineer in regard to
| the neces ity for the reduction of New
town Shoals. On this topic the Commls.
sioner said:
Il earnestly urge prompt action to the
end that at least partial relief may be
afforded before another flood season ar
rives. Recent contracts entered into be.
tween the Government and private par
ties TO dredge the channel at Mare Island
indicate that no responsible bidder can be
| found who will do the work for less than
10 cents per cubic yard. To make the ex.
cavations under such conditions would ex-
haust our appropriation and i, i'm practical
bic. With diedger owned and operated
/ by the State, the same work can be done
at an expense so much less tnat l feel
arranted in recommending the purchase
! of dredger."
The report OF Engineer NJ. A. Nurse was
| submitted TO the board by the Commits
sioner. The document dwells at length
| on plans Tor the Improvement OF the San
! Joaquin River and Stockton and Mormon
channels as we'll as the Improvement of
! the Sacramento River. IL is mentioned
| in the report that the Government engi-
! neers had promised 10 present at an early
date plans for the work on the San Joa-
quin River.
The report of the engineer on the OBJ.
| strucuons at Newtown Shoals is thorough
ana interesting. de maintains that the
shoals are a serious and increasing men
ace TO navigation and a hindrance to the
Hood water outlets of the Lower Sacra-
mento River. They extend for nearly
3COO feet across the river rising as a bar
rIer, or dam, with $500 feet base, whose
crest, but six or seven feet below low tide
OF Suisun Bay, is fully twenty feet above
the bottom OF the river at the foot of its
upper and lower slopes.
The plan of improvement submitted to
the Commissioner contemplates the open-
ing of channel 1000 feet in width from
the right bank OF the rlver by the scour
resultant from proposed jetty system,
aided by efficient dIedger- work through
the shoals and along the westerly shores
OF Wood Island, 1ully serving the inter-
ests OF navigation and becoming as well
an important factor of relief to the flood
Engineer Nurse made soundings to de-
teImine the character of material COM
posing these shoals Wells were bored in
depth from twenty 10 forty feet. He
found silt, sand anc gravel strata of yari-
Gus depth. In pursuance of resolution
passed by the auditing board, the en-
glneer named the work as to Importance
In the following order:
First = The reduction of the Newtown
Shoals 10 conform 10 a channel OF a mean
depth OF twenty ieet below low tide in Suisun
Bay ana nnilorm width OF 1000 feet
SecoHd-The closure OF the Hershey and
Butcher creyasses on the right bank of the
sacramento River, between EIkhorn ranch
ana the confluence OF the Feather and Sacra-
mento rivers, and the substitution therefor of
a concrete and rock easement OF & length OF
5000 feet and with crest or elevation five
1896 -'-'' u Jan uAiS'
The importance of these particular works
cannot be separated, for by The union OF ac-
tion OF the two l regard the success of river
improvement.
A beginning, however, must be made. and
would very respectfully suggest that the work
on the Newtown Shoals be commeucet imme-
diately and prosecuted TO o successful termi-
nation. The plan of Improvement would
recommend Will consi ist OF system of jetties,
assisted by such dredging may be found
necessary to produce the required channel
way. / would recommend the construction of
a system OF curtain Jetties, AS shown on the
plan OF this section of the river placed
at distance OF i've hundred feet apart
and projecting from the shore line on the
lelt Dank OF the present river 10 the pro-
posed lett bank OF the new channel. The pro-
posed cnannet will have n surface width at
high tide OF 1900 eet ana sh ould be so exea-
waited and improved as to produce a unifor IN
waterway of 10000 square feet cross section
below the line OF low tide in Suisun Bay
From The indications OF O. her sections OF the
river i am convinced a waterway over or
through the Newtown Shoals of the dimen-
sions above given once established would re-
main practically permanent. The samples OF
materials taken from the borings of the
shoals indicate a very heavy sand deposit;
bordering on TO small gravel. 1t viii require
the concentration OF all tie water power
available TO remove the material by scour,
and might require the contraction of the river
channel more than above indicated 10 accom-
pilsh the work. For his and other reasons l
would recommend the use of the hyd raulic
dredge in oujunctlon with the jetty system
From an examination OF the plat OF river al
Newtown Shoals, shown maps of same
herewith presented, it will be observed that /
have located the proposed jelties 500 feet dis
Iant trem eacn other, measured down the
stream. 1t Will require several lines of iatties
vary ing from length OF 800 feet AT the upper
point to length OF 1888 ieet at the maxi
mum.
would recommend as follows: Five jetties
composed OF a single row OF plies driven to
SOLID foundation at least five feet below the
mean depth OF the proposed stream At the
west end OF each jetty a cluster of three or
the engineer in charge and strapped and bolt
ed firmly 10 each other at the surface At The
present shore line cluster of piles, three in
number, well driven, to which cable shall
be anchored. Between the two extremes of
these jetsies a single row OF piles at least
twelve inches in diameter aad driven twenty
feet apart from center 10 center and at such
depths as the engi neer may direct
To the pile cluster on the present shore line
a cable wire SHALL be securely fastened and
run thence at an elevation of mean tide pass
ing through an auger hole in each pile thor
oughly fastened and drawn to the same and
finally securing the westerly end OF said wire
to the cluster on proper shore line, thus tving
each Pile TO the other and to each cluster The
cable shall not be less than three eig tbs of an
inch in dismet ter. galvanized and constructed
of smaller able wires. On the upstream side
of this row of piles will De placed a LAYER of
fascines one above the other, extending the
whole length of the jetiies and firmly
fastened TO each cluster the faseines to
be constructed of well-seleeted brush bound