The record-union., 1898-09-03
The River in It's Low Stages,


Eds. Record Union: The following
letter from A. S. Noyes, a prominent
citizen of West Butte, Sutter County,
and my answer thereto, will fully ex-
plain themselves, and also give some
very instructive data for those who are
interested in river matters, so far as
high and low waters are concerned:
West Butte (Cal) Aug. 81, 1898.
| James A. Barwick - Dear Sir: The
| people up this way are in a Quandary
about the stage of the water in the
Sacramento River. At Colusa it is said
TO be below loW-water mark, while at
Sacramento, as 1 see by the Record
Union,' it is only Z feet inches above.
Please explain through the Record
Union. Respectfully, A S. MOVES.
Colusa is on the Sacramento River,
seventy-six miles above Sacramento
The drainage area above the station is
14,900 square miles. The river gauge
is situated at the steamboat landing,
and is the property of the United States
Weather Bureau. 1t is made of pine,
painted, and with graduations in paint.
The gauge now in use was built in
March, 1893. The graduations are from
| ZeiO ~ ~ leel ABOVE zero
The highest water was 2S5 feet, on
December 20, 1892; lowest water, O.4
feet, on the Sd, 4th, 9TH and 9th of No
vember, 1879 On December 3 and 4.
1881, the gauge indicated but Z feet of
water, while on the Goth Of the same
month it showed 25,4 feet. The dan
ger line" is at % feet.
on the I'd of October, 1881, the gauge
showed depth of s feet. The Weather
Bureau observations at that point are
only taken and recorded during the
rainy season-that is, from October to
April, inclusive; therefore the lowest
water for September cannot be given by
this department.
sacramento is situated on the Sacra-
mento River, seventy miles above San
Paplo Bay. The river at this point is
SOo feet wide. The drainage area above
the station is 70, 40 square miles The
river gauge is the property of the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company.
and IS located at the foot Of K street.
1t is made of redwood, and is attached
to a pile at the end of the steamboat
warehouse. The gauge is painted white.
with black markings.
water mark of 1S49, which comedies
with the city bench mark. and is 4.O5
feet above sea level The graduations
on the gauge are from zero to SO feet
above. The highest water was 286
feet, on December 27, 1892; lowest
water, 0 feet, in 1S49.
In 1S49, at low water, there was a
depth of "A feet Of water in the chan
mel, which is now filed up to the zero
OF the gauge by slickens from the hy-
draullc mines. The danger line" to
lands along the river below and oppo-
site the city is % feet. The danger
line" to the city of Sacramento is 20
feet If the water now was to fall to
the low water of 1S49 there would be
nothing but slickens, dead fish and rel
les of past ages to look upon, while
in 1S49 at low water there was "a feet
of water in the channel.
The river at present is steady at ~
feet above low water of 1S49, but recent
measurements show there is but an ac
tual depth in the channel of not more
than from 3 to or Z feet. The gauge
has shown lower water than at pres
ent. There is little doubt but that the
depth of water in the channel at that
time was as deep as or deeper than
now.
The Southern Pacific Company
steamers plying between this city and
San Francisco are not suffering any
more inconvenience now than usual
when the water reaches it's low stage.
The lowest water at this point during
| any September since 1879 was 6.5 feet,
| in 1882 and 1883.
The lowest water since 1879 of which
this office has any records was 6 feet,
on the 4th and Both of November. 1879.
JAMES A. BARWICK,
Observer in obo r0a