Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-19
WOULD PLACE TAX
ON RIVERS SAND
CITY'S BRIDGES ARE BEING
UNDERMINED
Engineers Recommendation OF Ter
Cents Per Yard Fee Referred
by Council to Commit
tee on Lands

AS soon as the lands committee or
the city council has digested the rec
concentrations the council Will decloe
whether the advice of City Engineer
Homer Hamlin that a small charge be
made on all sand taken from the Los
Angeles river bed should be followed.
Yesterday the board of public works
laid the engineers report before the
council, asking for information, and
with but little debate the question was
put in committee, where a number or
the river bed questions are pending.
Engineer Hamlins report to the
board is as follows:
II desire to call attention to the
condition of the foundations of the
bridges across the Los Angeles river
and the Arroyo Seco.
THE removal of sand for various
purposes has resulted in the deepening
of the channel in the sixteen years
since 1892 by sixteen feet below Sew
enth street to four feet at Buena Vista
street. or a maximum average rate or
one foot per year for the total period.
The present rate, however, is about
two and one-half feet per year at Sew
enth street and one foot at Buena Vista
street.
"The effect of the winter floods is
merely to level off the channel by fill
ing up the pits with the material
secured out Immediately above them.
There is no appreciable amount of ma
terial brought down from north of the
city.
"There has been removed since 1892
about 1,720,000 cubic yards. or an aver
age for the whole period of 100000
yards per year. The present rate OF
removal is nearly three times as great.
This has resulted in undermining some
of the bridge piers. and if continued
will ultimately necessltate the under
pinning of every bridge across the Los
Angeles river and Arroyo Seco.
1.-THE city has expended during the
last three years $7644 for underpinning
three of the bridges.
During the next five years. If the
present rate of deepening continues,
the cost of additional underpinning
estimate to be $40,622. 1 have not in
cluded in the estimate the Buena Vista
street or the Main street bridges or
the Seventh street trestle, as all three
are to be replaced by new structures.
"In addition the piers of the proposed
new bridges at Seventh, Main and
Buena Vista streets must be carried
down some fifteen feet farther than
would be necessary If this deepening
were not considered.
sit would seem that this expense
averaging $4,000 per year. should be
moval Of material.
"An actual count for one day, OF
May IL, 1908, of the number of teams
leaving the river bed within the city
limits shows that total of 557 loads
were moved, aggregating 954 cubic
yards This would amount, during a
year of $50 working days of dry wealth
err, to about 267,000 cubic yards. A
charge of say 10 cents per yard would
provide an ample revenue to maintain
the bridge foundations and pay for the
cost of collection at the various points
of egress now in use.
81 respectfully recommend that If ir
your judgment such a course seems
advisable the necessary steps be taker
to secure the required revenue from
this source"
The board decided to refer the repor
to the council as a matter worthy Of
consideration, and requested instruc-
lions as to what shall be done.