The San Francisco call., 1906-06-20
COMPREHENSIVE RECLAMATION.

Congress has increased the appropriation for
the typographical survey of the Sacramento River
$4,000 This is done to permit of the survey OF
the river. not alone from Sacramento city north
as heretofore, but from the rivers mouth to its
source. If deemed necessary. The action of Con-
gress is another step toward considering the prob
lens presented by the Sacramento and the San
Joaquin rivers whole Until recently the de-
bris question, the swamp and overfowed land
question, the river navigation question and the
levee question have each been taken up separately
separately treated, and with most unsatisfactory
results: in fact. with practically results at all
As matter OF fact, the two rivers present to
California and the Federal Government alike one
problem. The debris that fills the Sacramento
hinders navigation and in winter piles the water
OF that stream up the levees out over the low
land into the San Joaquin, until the rich reclaimed
lands of the valley OF the latter stream are flooded
with Sacramento River water Nor are all the
river troubles to be charged the debris. Breaks
in the levees above Sacramento permit OF the es-
cape in the faI and early winter of food water
into the basins on either side of the stream This
water, were the levees in condition to resist it
could readily be carried off and out of the valley
before the heavy rains OF the late winter and early
spring begin The water would too, scour out the
river, carry much of the debris to the sea- and i'm
prove immensely the navgabilitv of the stream
But under the present conditions the water from
the rains OF early winter is held in the valley
When the heavy rains set in the valley is full of
water. There Is no place for the maximum flood
to 60 but down the river or over the reclaimed
lands The river even under these conditions car
ries away the maximum food of ordinary wears.
but the maximum food of an exceptional season, ;"
which comes with disturbing regularity, is beyond
the capacity OF the river Something in the wav
OF levee has to give, and it gives at the weakest
+Io .-1,o1a
Of the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys is no
safer than the weakest point in the entire Sacra-
mento levee south OF the American River.
The food OF two years ago, that piled up losses
aggregating 100000. emphasized this For pur-
poses of reclamation the low-land country OF both
valleys has been divided into small districts. each
district responsible for its small section of river
front levee Some districts keep up their levees
others do not. But upon the integrity of the whole
frontal levee does the safety of all the districts
depend -Four miles below Sacramento a district
embracing few hundred acres had two years ago,
neglected its section of the evee~ There the river
went through. In forty-eight hours practically
every district from Sacramento clear down into
San joaquin County was under water Hundreds
of farmers from five TO forty miles from the scene
OF the break who had never heard of the negligent
district, counted their losses in thousands 1t was
pretty concusivey demonstrated to them that their
interest III the leVee tour miles below Sacramento
was great as in their own well-kept river-front
barriers. For them to keep up their own levees
of avail unless their distant neighbors kept
up theirs. The provident, from the nature of the
situation, suffered with the mprevident.
Engineers called to the State to pass upon the
problem presented by the two rivers have recon-
mended comprehensive plan of river improve
ment and reclamation work, which takes in not
only the Sacramento but the whole low-lying ceun-
try of the San Joaquin. Acting their recon-
mendations, the last Legislature passed law au-
thorizng the organization of practically the whole
lcw-land district of the two interior valleys into
one great reclamation district. The plan out
lined proposes that the work shall be carried by