The record-union., 1897-08-29
SOME LOW-WATER BECORDS
GOING BACK NEARLY TWENTY
YEARS.
Observer Barwick digs Up" Sta
tistics Concerning the River
in Summer.

The following low-water records are
from the United States Weather Bu-
reau observations, which were begun
on the first day of November, 1879, and
discontinued after the 31st of March,
1883. They were again resumed on
December 1, 1890, since which time
there has been no break in the con-
tinuity of the record at this station.
The lowest water in 1879 occurred on
November 4th and 31st, when the low
est readings were 6 feet; in 1880, 10
feet, from November Sth to ODD; in
1881, 60 feet, September 10Th to 22d,
and September 9th to October ID; in
1882, &C feet, September 10th; in 1888,
6.6 feet, September 9th, 2Sth and
18th; in 1884, 7.6 feet, December Sth
to 17th
Heavy rains at the headwaters of
the Sacramento and American Rivers
brought the former up from 76 feet on
December 18th to PAT feet on De-
cember 9th rise of over II feet in
ten days, showing how rapidly the Sac
ramento can rise from low to almost
high-water mark in a short time.
Lowest water 1885, 7.3 feet. from
August 26th to September 18th; in 1886.
10 feet, from September 10Th to Oc-
tober 18th; in 1887, 10 feet, from Sep
tember 18th to November 18th. For
siXty-three consecutive days the river
stood at 10 feet
There was no record after March
31st, 1880, until December 1890, but it
will be interesting to note here a few
brief remarks on the cold spell of jan
perature recorded was 19 degrees be-
ing 13 degrees below the freezing
point (32 degrees).
The river notes for January, 1888,
contain the following remarks: Ice
1-16 of an inch thick was floating down
the river on the 18th, it being the cold
est day since January, 1854, when
the minimum temperature for that
month and this morning January Il,
1889 was down to 10 degrees, with ice
on still water from one and a half to
two inches thick.
There was considerable driftwood in
the river during January, 1888, al
though the highest water was but
17.6 feet, on the oath, and the lowest
SO feet, on the Goth.
The resumption of river obServa-
tions on December /, 1890, shows the
river on that date to have been 93
feet, while at the end of December the
river was but 1913 feet, although it had
risen on the 9th to 12.2 feet.
Under notes in river report for Feb
ruary 16 1891, is found the following:
River full of foam and driftwood,
with water of dirty red color. (See
II nj nf NaIN
1919 The river on these dates stood
at 1S.5 and 1877 feet. respectively
The lowest water in 1891 was IA feet
from November 29th to December 1st;
in 1892 Z feet, on September Both and
November 20th, Dist and 22d Cthe high
est water on record occurred on De-
cember 81, 1892, and was 2S.6 feet:
in 1898, TO feet, November 9TH and 9th;
in 1894, rs feet, September 18th to
Both and October 10th and 11th; in
1895, S.4 feet, from November 24th to
2Sth, inclusive; in 1896, S5 feet, from
October 18th to 26th, inclusive; in 1897
to date, is Sc feet, August 9th and
2Sth
1t will be noticed that the river at
the present writing is not as low as it
will probably reach before the rainy
season sets in, as the records show our
lowest water occurs all the way from
September to December
The lowest water recorded by the
Weather Bureau since 1870 has been
6 feet on November 4th and 31st, and
the highest 2S.6 feet, on December 27
1892.
1t is plain to be seen i.r.~, our river
is still filling up and forming sand
bars that obstruct navigation. when
the river gauge shows a reading of
from SO feet to feet, and that dredg-
ers should be employed in digging out
the sandbars during the months from
August to December, thereby keeping
the waters of the Sacramento from this
city to Rio Vista in a navigable condi
ton.