The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-01
INSPECTING WATER SUPPLY.
VISIT TO THE NORTH FORK
DAM NEAR AUBURN.
Proposed Method Of Furnishing
This City With Water and
Estimated Cost.

yesterday morning a party went up
to visit the dam on the north fork Of
the American River, below Auburn,
and inspect the water supply and ditch
| there, for the purpose of determining
the Feasibility of the proposition of
supplying this city with water from
that point.
The party consisted of H. G. Smith
and A. N. Buchanan of the owners of
the North Fork ditch, j. H. Arnold, II.
Grau and j. w. Wilson of the Water
Committee of the Chamber of Com
merce, D. A. Lindley, E. ]. Devlin and
a representative of the Record Union .
as invited guests.
The party went by train to Folsom,
and by carriage thence across the
country to the dam, which is situated
)about three miles from Auburn. The
drive was delightful one, the light
shower in the early morning having
laid the dust, and the road running
through very pretty stretch of coun-
try, carpeted with green and inter
lspersed with a variety of hill and dale,
each turn of the road. opening a now
vista of beautiful scenery, with eleya-
ton and canyon alternating. AS the
party approached the Newcastle fruit
belt, orchards began to take the place
of woodland and grainfields, and the
almond and peach blossoms beautified
the landscape. Here and there was
to be Seen the green of the olive and
orange trees.
The first point visited was the COM
pany's small reservoir on a hill above
Fair Oaks, 49, feet above the streets
of this city, This is the lower end o.
the ditch, and in the dam are three
wells, with pipes to let the water in
and out. One of these pipes supplies
the residents Of Fair Oaks with water
for domestic and irrigating purposes,
giving them an ample supply. On a
level about seventy-tive feet below the
little reservoir, is a large one, contain
ing fifty acres. 1t is proposed by the
company to construct below the upper
reservoir a gravity filter plant. through
which the water will be forced by
gravity into the pipes which will con-
vey it to the city, a distance of twenty
miles. The filter can, be cleaned by
forcing the water through it the re-
| verse way, it is stated. The forty
acre reservoir is to be used simply as
a reserve, in case something should
happen to the ditch, so that the city
Mr.. Buchanan stated that it is pro-
posed to carry the water to the city
through a 36-inch steel pipe, under a
pressure of seventy pounds Q6O feet
head to the square inch, a much
greater pressure than at present.
The drive of twenty -five miles from
the reservoir brought the party to the
dam, descending into the canyon of the
| nr-fh nrl Nv ORG dos CT a &
carriage seemed to be almost over the
horses. Arrived at the bottom, they
found a dam 800 feet long and thirty
feet high, extending across the river.
The old part of this dam was built in
1882, of logs, filed in with stone. at
present an end of the dam has been
built in with masonry, through which
run the flood gates and a sand gate
for relieving the space above the dam
lof the sand which gathers there. This
part is about fifteen higher than the
remaining portion of the dam. On the
lower side of the dam an extension of
it, six feet wide at the top and thirty
feet wide at the bottom, is being con-
structed SO that when the logs of the
old dam rot out it cannot give way. A
fish ladder has been blasted out of the
solid rock on the farther side of the
river, at a cost of $1,000, by which
spawning fish can ascend above the
dam.
/ 1t is proposed to begin at the upper
end of the ditch, just below the dam.
and cement the bottom and sides SOL
idly the whole length of the ditch.
twenty-five miles, TO the distributing
reservoir. 1t is also proposed to cover
this cement basin with redwood boards,
to prevent any contamination from
outside sources, and keep the water as
pure as when it entered the ditch.
1t is estimated that the pipe will de-
liver the water in this city under a
pressure sufficient to throw an inch
stream through 21a-inch hose 100 seer
high, and 1ss-inch stream IS feet
high, and that fifteen such streams
could be used at the same time on diff
ferent mains in case they We're needed
for more than one fire at once.
After the inspection of the dam was
finished the party proceeded to Auburn.
taking with them ferocious appetites.
that could only be allayed by the boun-
teous dinner provided for them by
mine host of the Freeman House, and
returned home by the overland train.
agreeing that the inspection had been
the means of giving them a very pleas
ant jaunt.
The owners of the ditch estimate the
cost of constructing the cement Gov
cred ditch, filter, pipe and perpetual
water right for 1000 miners inches
or 100000 gallons, daily, at about
100000, and say that if the city
should issue bonds for that amount the
$4,000 interest would not be more
than the present cost of pumping water
from the river, and would give a much
larger supply, besides furnishing clear
water, under higher gravity press
ure.