Excerpts from “The Foundations of Placer County Horticulture
1850-1900
Water Muddied by Hydraulic Mining
The main sources of water supply for irrigating purposes in the lower part of Placer County was the Bear River Ditch and after meeting demands made upon it for mining purposes, it was of very limited value. As late as 1889 most of the water went for hydraulic mining. Although hydraulic mining was banned in 1884, it was permitted if, and only if, debris and settling dams were built to retain silt and muck. This proved so expensive that, in effect, hydraulic mining soon ceased.
Complaints of water users were justified because hydraulic mines located in higher elevations of the mountains, received first use of the water. After the water was projected under tremendous pressure at a hillside, it re-entered the Bear River heavily laden with mud and was used for irrigation by fruit ranchers.
In order to obtain reasonably clear water, which was essential for commercial irrigation, growers found it necessary to construct settling ponds, or “settlers” where mud settled out of the water, on or near high points in the district. “Settlers” were reservoirs with steep sloping sides and lined with wooden planks. They were made triangular in form and were about twenty-five feet long. Some of these “settlers” were community reservoirs and took care of about one hundred fifty acres of orchards. Some growers had their own private “settlers”, constructed and operated at their own expense. After this water settled overnight, it was drained into a series of irrigation ditches, depending upon how many individuals were sharing the “settler”. Each morning the clear water was drained and the residue cleaned out. The silt was channeled down the hill by means of a ditch. One troublesome feature was if “settlers” were not used, “slickens” hardened in irrigation ditches in the orchards and made them impervious to water.
“Settlers were in existence until around 1884, when the California courts banned hydraulic mining. However, the Caminetti Act permitted hydraulic mining again, provided certain conditions were met. Hydraulic miners had the right to impound and use water as long as they passed clear water below their dam. Yet, much “slickens” continued to seep down and proved a nuisance and serious handicap to fruit growers.
Another cause for insufficient water was the improper care and maintenance by the Bear River Ditch Company of the forty-four miles of its main canal from the dam above Colfax to Auburn. The capacity of the Bear River Ditch at full capacity was fifteen hundred inches when properly cleaned out, but was conveying only between seven hundred and eight hundred inches of water. It can be seen that the Ditch owners also has “slickens” to conend with. Thjere was also a large amount of water lost due to evaporation and seepage, estimated to be as much as one-third of capacity over a six months period. The Ditch at full capacity would irrigate twelve thousand acres, but only eight thousand acres could be irrigated because of the of a one-third loss. Furthermore, fater July 1, during some years, there was no natural flow of water in the Bear River, the source of supply for the Bear River Ditch Company. Since growers were under contractual obligation to the ditch company, they paid whether or not they received their just share or water. Conditions such as these incurred the growers dissatisfaction, and ways and means were sought to remedy the situation. Up until 1887 all development of irrigation was done by private enterprise, but the ”Wright Act” permitted the organization and bonding of districts by vote of residents within district boundaries. The purpose of the act was to provide some relief from the many conflicting interests resulting from private and uncontrolled ownership of canal systems. . .