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 LOCATION OF THE SUTTER BY-PASS. 
 
 The Sutter by-pass, part of the by-pass system of the Sacramento 
 Flood Control Project, was fixed in the so-called "Eastern" 
 location by order of the State Reclamation Board made March 31, 
 [1913, on the advice of the State Engineering Department, and with 
 approval of the California Debris Commission acting for the Federal 
 [Government. Certain interests in Sutter County desired the location 
 changed back to that suggested in the original tentative plans of the 
 [California Debris Commission the so-called "Central" location and 
 [urged Hon. William Kent, congressman from the First District, which 
 includes Sutter County, to secure the change if possible. Mr. Kent 
 commissioned J. H. Dockweiler, consulting engineer of San Francisco, 
 to make an exhaustive examination and report of the relative merits 
 of the two locations. The report was made in May, 1916, and accom- 
 panied by a number of maps and documents. The introduction to the 
 report, which contains briefly the general conclusions, is as follows: 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., May 13, 1916. 
 \H<i. WILLIAM KENT, 
 
 Keiitfield, California. 
 [DEAR SIR: 
 
 In compliance with your request I have investigated the relative 
 merits of the Central and Eastern locations of the Sutter Basin by-pass 
 [channel. 
 
 I have been over the Sutter Basin country recently, with engineers 
 representing both sides in the controversy. 
 
 On April 19th and 20th I held a hearing in Sacramento, at which 
 I had the engineers representing both sides agree to as many points 
 as practicable, thus limiting materially the range of argument for 
 your consideration. 
 
 From a thorough study of the whole situation with regard to safety, 
 cost and expediency, I find the evidence strongly in favor of completing 
 the by-pass on the Eastern location. 
 
 The general plan of flood control of the Sacramento River contem- 
 plates a by-pass through the Sutter Basin. 
 
 This by-pass will consist of two strong parallel levees, between Marys- 
 vine Buttes and the Fremont Weir (near Knights Landing), capable 
 of passing a flood 50 per cent greater than that of 1907. 
 
 

 The original Debris Commission plan of flood control followed the 
 trough of the Sutter Basin in what is known as the " Central" location. 
 
 The State Reclamation Board, in working out the details of the 
 scheme, decided that by shifting the by-pass to higher ground to the 
 east a safer and more economical location could be obtained. 
 
 The board adopted this location known as the "Eastern" location 
 and it was approved by the Debris Commission of United States army 
 engineers. 
 
 It should be noted here that local variations from the original Debris 
 Commission plan were made en all the by-passes studied; this was to 
 be expected, as the original plan was made without detailed surveys, etc. 
 
 The Reclamation Board Act, in effect August 8, 1915, states: 
 
 "SECTION 1. The report of the California Debris Commission 
 transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 
 United States by the Secretary of War, on the twenty-seventh day 
 of June, one thousand nine hundred and eleven, with such modifi- 
 cations and amendments, and such additional plans as have been 
 or may hereafter be adopted by the Reclamation Board, is hereby 
 approved as a plan for controlling the flood waters of the Sacra- 
 mento River. ' ' ( Appendix " A, " page 3. ) 
 
 Opposition to the Eastern location developed among the residents of 
 Sutter County, culminating in a suit to enjoin the completion of the 
 reclamation of District No. 1500, on the ground that lands not here- 
 tofore subject to overflow from the waters of the Sutter Basin, would be 
 damaged by the backing up of these waters caused by the cross levees 
 at the northern end of District No. 1500. 
 
 This same objection would have applied if District No. 1500 had been 
 building along the lines of the Central location. 
 
 At the hearing you held in Marysville last November, and in sundry 
 correspondence in connection therewith, the arguments for and against 
 the two locations were pretty thoroughly presented. 
 
 In the following pages I have considered all the points presented, but 
 the pertinent ones may be briefly summarized as follows : 
 
 FOR CENTRAL LOCATION. FOR EASTERN LOCATION. 
 
 A. 
 
 The Central location follows the trough The Eastern location was made partic- 
 of the Basin at about the center of the ularly to avoid this drop and rise with the 
 usual course of the waters; but on idea of keeping the velocity of the eunviii 
 account of the presence of a depression uniform, and at the same time avoid the 
 below the level of the Fremont Weir, this high levees with their greater chance of 
 requires higher levees for about ten miles saturation. 
 
 than required by the Eastern location. In addition it required only one-third 
 The Central location, in other words, the mileage of levees through the most 
 makes a drop and rise. critical part of the by-pass. 
 
This point favors the Eastern location, but does not necessarily pre- 
 clude the construction of the Central location ; as the higher and longer 
 levees can be made secure by adequate design and construction. 
 
 B. 
 
 In case of breaks in the lovers of the This is admitted but is considered offset 
 Central loom ion. there would be less land by the fact that there is less likelihood of 
 flooded of lands not heretofore subject to the breaks occurring on the Eastern loca- 
 overllow from Sutler I'.asiu waters. tion, on account of the lower and shorter 
 
 This difference amounts to 18,000 acres levees. 
 of highly cultivated land for the original 
 location and to about half that in case 
 the change were made so as to utilize as 
 lurch present construction as practicable. 
 
 This point favors the Central location, but is only relative any flood 
 place, within reasonable limits, may be obtained by suitable widening 
 of the by-pass on either location ; and if on the Eastern location they 
 should build an additional levee to separate the Feather River floods 
 from the Sacramento, as has to be done for the Central location, there 
 would be practically no difference between the flood areas by either 
 location. 
 
 C. 
 
 The advocates of the Central location District No. loOO considers it was justi- 
 claim that District No. 1500 should not fied in going ahead because the Reclama- 
 have built on the Eastern location as they tion Board, with full power to do so, has 
 warned them that suit would be brought adopted the Eastern location, and would 
 to enjoin the completion of the reclama- not let them proceed along the lines of the 
 tion of the district. Central location, even if they wished to. 
 
 They claim that if the change were They have built 19 miles of by-pass 
 made back to the Central location, prac- levees and if the change were made back 
 tically all existing work could be utilized, to the Central location at this time, it 
 
 would practically mean the construction 
 of BOTH BY-PASSES as far as District 
 Xo. I.IOO is concerned. 
 
 This point, which is an important financial item, strongly favors the 
 Eastern location, and in my opinion practically decides the matter in 
 favor of the Eastern location. 
 
 All the other arguments, as well as the above, are taken up in detail 
 in the report, with sufficient notes to show their bearing on the general 
 question of whether or not it is expedient at this time to change back 
 to the Central location of the by-pass. 
 
 ****** 
 Respectfully submitted. 
 
 (Signed) J. II . DOCKWKIL:;K, 
 
 Consulting Engineer. 
 
YC 107659 
 
395840 
 
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