The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-01

| the spoil may be deposited without in
| jury to valuable property interests ad-
| joining its field of operation. Along
the tide-lands of the Upper Suisun Bay,
where conditions are favorable for the
| operation of such plant, spoil may
be used, even sold, for filling the unre-
| claimed waste lands along the shore
| Now, if the agencies that evidently
! transported the material of recent bar
formations from above can be trained
| by artificial means to aggressive scour
and further movement of the same
material to more favorable field for
hydraulic dredger operations. could not
| the same beneficial results to river in
terests follow it's excavation there, at
far less cost of removal and absolute
benefit from the disposition of the
spoil? Mr.. Bowers, of hydraulic
dredger fame, in speaking of the
| Beta used on the Mississippi River
| for cutting through bars. says: Re
suits obtained from the use of this
dredger have not been such as to en-
courage its duplication, and others of
different types have been built instead"
| IF the discharge pipe is long and the
end of the pipe is considerably raised,
| the amount of material that can be
discharged, diminishes very rapidly
With the elevation; but if the mouth
of the discharge pipe can be kept low,
| very heavy percentage of earthen
material can be delivered continu-
ously."
The hydraulic dredge is a special tool
for special work and, in it's own
sphere, is without a rival; but the
quantity of material that can be deliv-
cred, dwindles very rapidly with the
increase Of elevation. Hence, we doubt
its economical use outside the tide
land limits, especially in the Sacra-
mento, where the difference between
high and low water extremes is over
twenty feet and the lift is correspond
irgly high.
On the San Joaquin River, where cut
offs are now being made by the State,
and others that have been made by the
Government hydraulic machines have
not in any instance been tried, save
for a small portion of cut-offs Nos.
and 4, where the site for the DISPOSE
ton of the spoil was necessarily at
some distance, though the opportunity
has been given in published notice to
bidders, and such machines have been
available; the work has been open to
competition, but hydraulic machines
failed to get the award. either because
of their owners failing to. bid, or be-
cause the owners of other types Of
machines underbid them. In the one
instance, at cut-offs Nos. 3 and A,
where the award has been made to
hydraulic dredging firm, the price paid
Is nearly treble the price paid for
clamshell work on the river below, and
this too, when the deposit for spoil
is convenient and can be made without
injury to property or cost for storage.
The plan of work introduced in the
Sacramento River harmonizes through
out with recommendations of the River
Board of Engineers lately made and
now being considered by the Commit
tee on Rivers and Harbors for i'm
provement of the Sacramento River be-
tween Sacramento City and the foot
of Ida Island. while the work of the
San Joaquin River is in perfect ac-
cord with the Government system there
introduced, with the best of results.
We are firm in the belief that the
plans adopted are the most feasible,
the cheapest and best for permanently
improving the rivers as navigable chan
nels, and controlling the flood flow of
waters to the bay with reasonable Sc
curity against the inundation of the
low lands
The accompanying plats and plans