The record-union., 1898-02-18
The BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
GETTING MATTERS IN SHAPE
FOR OPERATIONS.
Engineers Report on the Proposed
ACKNOWLEDGMENT and
Other Topics.

Joaquin presided and all the members
We're presently. B. Hall and ellis
Doty of Sacramento, George w. Pat
te1son of San Joaquin and John Mark
ley of Sonoma Secretary.
There were also present Major Heuer
of the United States Engineering Corps,
in charge of the navigable waters Of
California; Engineers Nurse and Randle
and Commissioner of Public Works z.
E. Leake. Hugh Cave, d. n. Hershey
and Messrs. Jean and Hauser, large
land owners in Yolo County, were also
there by invitation.
After some preliminary business had
been disposed of, Engineers Nurse and
Randle submitted their report in the
matter of the best locations for the pro-
posed easements on the Yolo side OF
the Sacramento River.
ENGINEERS REPORT.
Hon. E. E. Leake, Commissioner of
Public Works: In compliance with a
resolution of the Auditing Board re-
questing information and pursuant to
your instructions to prepare the same,
we herewith submit the result of a re-
cent survey for the Determination of the
best location for a proposed easement
above Elkhorn, designed for regulat-
ing the flood flow through the river
channel and Offering relief to public in
terests now injuriously affected by d.
version of waters through existing
crevasses in that neighborhood.
1t has been determined from frequent
observation of results of flood volume
registering hight of 241a feet on the
official gauge at the foot of K street,
Sacramento City, that such may be
periods with~perfect safety to all in
terests and absolute advantage to
many.
A careful consideration Of the flood
conditions as presented through rec
ords of several years, reliably compiled,
enables us to establish with tolerable
accuracy, such hight and length of
easement as will regulate the maximum
flood hight at Sacramento to 241a feet
on the official gauge at the foot of K
street, though the fact that the trib
utary volumes of the Feather and
American Rivers may not always reach
flood, stages simultaneously with the
Sacramento, may render the determine
ton of an exact flood hight, TO some
extent, uncertain: yet ample precau
ton has been taken to provide against
contingencies of this character and
render food control comparatively safe.
On the land of Elizabeth Jacob, about
two and a half miles above Elkhorn, all
the conditions favorable to location
and economical construction of the pro-
posed easement are found to exist. The
low lands of the Yolo Basin here ap-
proach nearest the river bank and the
basins trough, through which runs the
State Drainage Canal, lies within about
one-half mile of the selected site.
The length of the proposed easement
should be 300 feet with a crest ele-
yati0n of thirty feet computed from
the K-street guage as plane Of refer
ence. Such a crest elevation would cor
respond with the natural surface Of the
ground at the selected s1fe and with a
flood volume corresponding to that OF
1861, measured just below the
mouth of Feather River, would dis
charge about $1,000 cubic feet per Sec
ond into the Yolo Basin; thus reducing
the food volume to such an amount as
could be carried within the river chan
mel without endangering the interests
below.
The river levee on the estate of II. B.
Wood, about three miles above the
mouth of Feather River, is totally de-
stroyed from erosion and will require,
at least, $4,000 cubic yards of earth
work to restore or rebuild the embanl-
ment to such dimensions as we deem
necessary to safely conduct the pass
ing floods to the relief weir or easement
below.
This rebuilding Of levee, additional to
the 125,50O cubic yards before deter
mined to be necessary for a complete
60 ,rI che he,
assured by the land owners and par
ties in interest before the easement is
constructed. Most respectfully,
NJ. A NURSE, Chief Engineer.
c. n. RANDLE, Asst. Engineer
The report was received and placed
on file.
BROKEN LEVEES.
T. B. Hall remarked that there is
considerable work to be done at the
Woods break above the mouth of the
Feather River, which is new feature
in the matter, as inquiries have been
confined to between the Bryte ranch
and the mouth Of the Feather.
Engineer Nurse said It would cost
about $4,000 to repair that break
Mr.. Hall said that Messrs. Jean,
Hauser ard Hershey virtually represent
the interests affected over on the Yolo
side. and he understood they are Will
Ing to go ahead-after the cuts are
filled TO the level Of the natural banks
and construct the required levees.
President Corcoran explained the con-
dStions on which the Board Of Public
Works would put in the twenty-four-
foot easements, and Messrs Hauser
and Jean promised the board they
would do their share of the work when
ever they received a guarantee from the
Sacramento Chamber of Commerce that
the other work would be done.
THE MUIR DREDGER.
The following communication was re-
ceived from the President of the COM
pany organized 10 buiic End operate
dredgers of the Muir patent:
Sacramento, Feb. II, 1898.
John Markley, Esq, Secretary OF
Auditing Board to Commissioner Of
Public Works. Sacramento-Dear Sir:
At a meeting Of the Hydraulic Ejector
Dredging Company. an organization
dated January %. 1893. under the laws
Of the State Of California. the follow
ing suggestions were adopted:
Il would recommend that this COM
pany renew the offer heretofore made
by me to the State Of the right 10 con-
struct and operate one of said dredg
ers, and that you notify the Auditing
Board TO the Commissioner of Public
Works that this company has been or
gained and that capital IS now being
raised TO build a dredger for the pur-
pose of removing Newtown Shoals at
re- :