Historical Clippings Book (HC-03) (210 pages)

ees THE SACRAMENTO BEE Sunday, December 4, 1966 ‘Page Al6 state legislature in a try for a project authorization, California Resources Glance Backward Shows Value Of Flood Control By Clyde Gorman In reporting on California rivers and water resources the news, by its very nature, must center upon the present and the future. But with the end of the year drawing near a series such as this can take time to look at what has been done and consider how it might be paying off. To do this, even in a limited way, go back at least 25 years. Narrow the field to both sides of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, from about the latitude of Chico to Bakersfield. This is the area in which I worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Until recent years, this area was subject to severe flooding which often resulted in some loss of life and always brought tremendous destruction of property. Area Has 12 Operating Projects There are 12 dam and reservoir projects in the area. All are completed and operating. From north to south, along with the name of the river, storage capacity and year completed, they are: Capacity In Year Project River Acre Feet Completed Black Butte Stony Creek 160,000 1963 Folsom American 1,000,000 1956 Camanche Mokelumne 431,500 1964. New Hogan Calaveras 325,000 1964 Farmington Littlejohn Creek 52,000 1955 Merced Stream Burns, Bear, Group Mariposa, Owens 33,300 1957 Friant San Joaquin 520,500 1942 Big Dry Big Dry : 16,250 1948 Pine Flat Kings 1,000,000 1954 Terminous Kaweah 150,000 1962 Success Tule 80,000 1961 Isabella Kern 570,000 1954 This means that since 1942, and especially since 1954, there is now along the valleys foothill line 4,338,550 acre-feet of space to take the peak off flood flows; sometimes it is enough to stop a flood cold. Before that there was nothing. Of course, there was the Shasta Dam on the headwaters of the Sacramento, and much of the levee system; but these could not do much about the tremendous inflows all along the Sierra front. The area above the dams, where most of the rain and all of the snow-melt comes from, totals 10,713 square miles or 6,856,320 acres of mountain country. Under normal conditions this run-off came down and flowed over 1,904,000 acres of valleys flood plain on its way to the Pacific. As far as many a lowland resident was concerned, it was like standing under the edge of a tin roof during a cloudburst. ; It Was Desirable—For A While Tf this cycle had not been going on for the last 6 million years, we would be trying today to live in a bedrock trench. So until we got here, floods were a good thing. They built us the most fertile valley in the world. Now that nature has made that contribution, it is time to say “Thanks, turn it off.’” It may be more practical to try to control the flood waters. In fact, some bottom land ranchers got pretty mad when the floods were stopped. No longer do they get a nice new layer of rich, silty topsoil every few years, Yet, take Folsom Dam on the American River. Since it was built 10 years ago, it has stopped three floods, These would have cost Sacramento and surrounding lands $20 million in 1955-56 and about $45 million each in 1963 and ’64, a total of $110 million, (Here we would have to assume everything was put back in shape between 1963 and ’64, a condition not reflected in flood histories where a river does a repeat performance a year later.) In any case, Folsom, together with the American River levees, is capable of stopping the worst possible flood that could happen in one year, one which otherwise would destroy $89 million worth of property at today’s prices, Financial Reckoning Shows Value All the dams listed have prevented flood losses in the areas they traverse in the combined estimated amount of $151.3 million, These same dams are capable of stopping $229 million worth of damage in one season. This is a most healthy safety factor, However, one must assume a quite unlikely situation: The worst possible combination of hydrologic havoc occurring . . simultaneously, Therein lies this built-in safety factor. By way of financial reckoning, consider the price tag on this protective merchandise. To buy the reservoir lands and the . ) rights-of-way (sometimes under a price set by the courts), and to construct these projects has cost a total of $208,557,000, Against this amount, losses of $151.3 million have been prevented in the last 25 years. Naturally, not all those who chipped in tax dollars are subject to flooding, but the theory is a large loss of this kind reflects on the whole economy. So, since these dams often are amortized on a 60-year basis and are apt to last beyond 100 years before silting up, it would appear that under the most dismal prospect this is pretty good business. These aro actual performance figures, not optimistic figures presented in an appearance before the U.S, Congress or the California Resources 3 //, d esources =) afl 6 Recreation Is ‘Partner’ In Water Develooment By Clyde Gorman The Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys will have approx. imately 69,213 acres of surface area and 413 miles of shoreline . created by new lakes incidental to the California State Water Project alone. This is the water-based recreation potential, the ‘big byproduct of moving project water from north to south. . In addition to the Jakes, the California aqueduct from the j delta to Riverside County will be 444 miles long. To that can be added 101 miles of distribution canals, a 43-mile-long peri. pheral canal through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, some 400 feet wide with an average right-of-way of about 1,000 feet. ‘And if you want to add everything, throw in the San Joaquin master drain which is 276 miles long, the borders of which will at least be good for riding and hiking. These interesting figures can be dug out of state reports, some of which are subject to review and not ready for general release. While this recreation bonus may be incidental, it has been recognized as a full working partner of other water use, be it power production or consumption. Competition For Coastal Areas As a matter of fact, the Davis-Dolwig Act, passed by the state legislature in 1961, declares that recreation and enhancement of wildlife are among the purposes of the State . Water Project. The act provides that recreational facilities will be ready as each project feature having this potential is completed. On paper it appears that development of these facilities will . tun about $247 million or around 10 per cent of the overall . project costs. Based on past experience and growing demands, it is expected that these works will be used by 40 million . visitors annually. Naturally, the same person may come back more than once, but we are talking about visitor-days for the whole length of the project. And much of this length is on the floor of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. It appears that the mountains and the sea coast, even with new up. stream reservoirs, will get a little competition. While people ‘often will go to the hills or the ocean, this project makes something available right next door for valley residents. Overall responsibility for the project stays with the Depart. ment of Water Resources. Design, construction, operation and . maintenance for recreational use are assigned to the Depart‘ment of Parks and Recreation. The fish and wildlife resources ‘will be handled by the Department of Fish and Game, Frenchman Dam and Lake in the upper Feather River Basin is a case in point. In 1965 there were about 400,000 visitor days, and some 10,000 sports fishermen pulled out more than eight tons of fish on the opening weekend of the 1966 season. Part of the financing tor recreational features of the State Water Project was arranged by the 1966 session of the legislature. The lawmakers have provided that an annual deposit of $5 million from the state’s share of the Long Beach oil and dry gas revenues will be made available, This will be a great help in the beginning, but future sessions will have to look un‘der some more rugs. . ‘Water Holes’ Provide Fun Facilities In a parallel action, but conforming to the overall California / Water Plan, political subdivisions of the state are making as ;yet uncounted water holes available for recreation in the pre-cess of providing local water supply needs. Provision also is . made for sanitary facilities, always essential to such a proi gram. This is under the Davis-Grunsky program, About $12.5 / million in Joans and grants have been approved so far by the . Department of Water Resources and the California Water Commission. Add to this all the federal projects which also contorm to the ‘overall water plan, and it is evident that water recreation not only is a major California asset, but in the central valleys it is going to get a tot bigg The nice part about enhancing water sports is that if does not use any warer, except through evaporation loss, and we lose that anyway. Evaporation loss ence was studied incidental to the construc tion cf Isabella Dam on the Kern River, Loss trom pans ef water set out im the area were astounding, until it was dis covered that wild birds and animals were drinking it. Thus the best laid plans of men s are upset by mice. It does prave, neverthele e new pleasure for all hving things is always 4 ps of the develop , wih recreation, =e Pf fiiios . .

ees THE SACRAMENTO BEE Sunday, December 4, 1966 ‘Page Al6 state legislature in a try for a project authorization, California Resources Glance Backward Shows Value Of Flood Control By Clyde Gorman In reporting on California rivers and water resources the news, by its very nature, must center upon the present and the future. But with the end of the year drawing near a series such as this can take time to look at what has been done and consider how it might be paying off. To do this, even in a limited way, go back at least 25 years. Narrow the field to both sides of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, from about the latitude of Chico to Bakersfield. This is the area in which I worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Until recent years, this area was subject to severe flooding which often resulted in some loss of life and always brought tremendous destruction of property. Area Has 12 Operating Projects There are 12 dam and reservoir projects in the area. All are completed and operating. From north to south, along with the name of the river, storage capacity and year completed, they are: Capacity In Year Project River Acre Feet Completed Black Butte Stony Creek 160,000 1963 Folsom American 1,000,000 1956 Camanche Mokelumne 431,500 1964. New Hogan Calaveras 325,000 1964 Farmington Littlejohn Creek 52,000 1955 Merced Stream Burns, Bear, Group Mariposa, Owens 33,300 1957 Friant San Joaquin 520,500 1942 Big Dry Big Dry : 16,250 1948 Pine Flat Kings 1,000,000 1954 Terminous Kaweah 150,000 1962 Success Tule 80,000 1961 Isabella Kern 570,000 1954 This means that since 1942, and especially since 1954, there is now along the valleys foothill line 4,338,550 acre-feet of space to take the peak off flood flows; sometimes it is enough to stop a flood cold. Before that there was nothing. Of course, there was the Shasta Dam on the headwaters of the Sacramento, and much of the levee system; but these could not do much about the tremendous inflows all along the Sierra front. The area above the dams, where most of the rain and all of the snow-melt comes from, totals 10,713 square miles or 6,856,320 acres of mountain country. Under normal conditions this run-off came down and flowed over 1,904,000 acres of valleys flood plain on its way to the Pacific. As far as many a lowland resident was concerned, it was like standing under the edge of a tin roof during a cloudburst. ; It Was Desirable—For A While Tf this cycle had not been going on for the last 6 million years, we would be trying today to live in a bedrock trench. So until we got here, floods were a good thing. They built us the most fertile valley in the world. Now that nature has made that contribution, it is time to say “Thanks, turn it off.’” It may be more practical to try to control the flood waters. In fact, some bottom land ranchers got pretty mad when the floods were stopped. No longer do they get a nice new layer of rich, silty topsoil every few years, Yet, take Folsom Dam on the American River. Since it was built 10 years ago, it has stopped three floods, These would have cost Sacramento and surrounding lands $20 million in 1955-56 and about $45 million each in 1963 and ’64, a total of $110 million, (Here we would have to assume everything was put back in shape between 1963 and ’64, a condition not reflected in flood histories where a river does a repeat performance a year later.) In any case, Folsom, together with the American River levees, is capable of stopping the worst possible flood that could happen in one year, one which otherwise would destroy $89 million worth of property at today’s prices, Financial Reckoning Shows Value All the dams listed have prevented flood losses in the areas they traverse in the combined estimated amount of $151.3 million, These same dams are capable of stopping $229 million worth of damage in one season. This is a most healthy safety factor, However, one must assume a quite unlikely situation: The worst possible combination of hydrologic havoc occurring . . simultaneously, Therein lies this built-in safety factor. By way of financial reckoning, consider the price tag on this protective merchandise. To buy the reservoir lands and the . ) rights-of-way (sometimes under a price set by the courts), and

to construct these projects has cost a total of $208,557,000, Against this amount, losses of $151.3 million have been prevented in the last 25 years. Naturally, not all those who chipped in tax dollars are subject to flooding, but the theory is a large loss of this kind reflects on the whole economy. So, since these dams often are amortized on a 60-year basis and are apt to last beyond 100 years before silting up, it would appear that under the most dismal prospect this is pretty good business. These aro actual performance figures, not optimistic figures presented in an appearance before the U.S, Congress or the California Resources 3 //, d esources =) afl 6 Recreation Is ‘Partner’ In Water Develooment By Clyde Gorman The Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys will have approx. imately 69,213 acres of surface area and 413 miles of shoreline . created by new lakes incidental to the California State Water Project alone. This is the water-based recreation potential, the ‘big byproduct of moving project water from north to south. . In addition to the Jakes, the California aqueduct from the j delta to Riverside County will be 444 miles long. To that can be added 101 miles of distribution canals, a 43-mile-long peri. pheral canal through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, some 400 feet wide with an average right-of-way of about 1,000 feet. ‘And if you want to add everything, throw in the San Joaquin master drain which is 276 miles long, the borders of which will at least be good for riding and hiking. These interesting figures can be dug out of state reports, some of which are subject to review and not ready for general release. While this recreation bonus may be incidental, it has been recognized as a full working partner of other water use, be it power production or consumption. Competition For Coastal Areas As a matter of fact, the Davis-Dolwig Act, passed by the state legislature in 1961, declares that recreation and enhancement of wildlife are among the purposes of the State . Water Project. The act provides that recreational facilities will be ready as each project feature having this potential is completed. On paper it appears that development of these facilities will . tun about $247 million or around 10 per cent of the overall . project costs. Based on past experience and growing demands, it is expected that these works will be used by 40 million . visitors annually. Naturally, the same person may come back more than once, but we are talking about visitor-days for the whole length of the project. And much of this length is on the floor of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. It appears that the mountains and the sea coast, even with new up. stream reservoirs, will get a little competition. While people ‘often will go to the hills or the ocean, this project makes something available right next door for valley residents. Overall responsibility for the project stays with the Depart. ment of Water Resources. Design, construction, operation and . maintenance for recreational use are assigned to the Depart‘ment of Parks and Recreation. The fish and wildlife resources ‘will be handled by the Department of Fish and Game, Frenchman Dam and Lake in the upper Feather River Basin is a case in point. In 1965 there were about 400,000 visitor days, and some 10,000 sports fishermen pulled out more than eight tons of fish on the opening weekend of the 1966 season. Part of the financing tor recreational features of the State Water Project was arranged by the 1966 session of the legislature. The lawmakers have provided that an annual deposit of $5 million from the state’s share of the Long Beach oil and dry gas revenues will be made available, This will be a great help in the beginning, but future sessions will have to look un‘der some more rugs. . ‘Water Holes’ Provide Fun Facilities In a parallel action, but conforming to the overall California / Water Plan, political subdivisions of the state are making as ;yet uncounted water holes available for recreation in the pre-cess of providing local water supply needs. Provision also is . made for sanitary facilities, always essential to such a proi gram. This is under the Davis-Grunsky program, About $12.5 / million in Joans and grants have been approved so far by the . Department of Water Resources and the California Water Commission. Add to this all the federal projects which also contorm to the ‘overall water plan, and it is evident that water recreation not only is a major California asset, but in the central valleys it is going to get a tot bigg The nice part about enhancing water sports is that if does not use any warer, except through evaporation loss, and we lose that anyway. Evaporation loss ence was studied incidental to the construc tion cf Isabella Dam on the Kern River, Loss trom pans ef water set out im the area were astounding, until it was dis covered that wild birds and animals were drinking it. Thus the best laid plans of men s are upset by mice. It does prave, neverthele e new pleasure for all hving things is always 4 ps of the develop , wih recreation, =e Pf fiiios . .