

THE WATER SUPPLY: REGION" BETWEEN THE YUBAS. ' 



197 



The Middle and South Yuba rivers run nearly parallel with each other, 

 through the gravel region, maintaining a pretty uniform distance of from 

 live to six miles apart, but converging rapidly just below North San Juan, and 

 uniting about three miles below French Corral, which is the terminal point of 

 the gravel range on this divide. The two branches of the Yuba head near 

 each other, about thirty-six miles above their junction, on the crest of the 



Sierra, 



a region of granitic rocks, consisting of ridges of moderate height, 



the depressions between which are often occupied by small lakes, or lake-like 

 expansions of the streams, where the very numerous branches of the Yuba 

 head, offering every possible facility for the collection and storage of water 

 on the large scale required for the working of the hydraulic claims situated 

 lower down on the divide. The system of ditches and storage reservoirs 

 belonging to the "Eureka Lake and Yuba Canal Company/' probably the most 

 extensive organization of the kind in California, is fully described in Mr. 

 Hague's pamphlet, reference to which has been made in the note on page 196. 

 This company has a system of ditches aggregating about 200 miles in length, 

 and three or four storage reservoirs, at an elevation of from 5,600 to 6,600 

 feet, which reservoirs are on the head waters of Canon Creek, one of the main 

 branches of the South Yuba. Connected with the Eureka Lake ditch, which 

 ls supplied from these reservoirs, there is another one, called the Miner's 

 ditch, taking its water high up on the South Yuba, and these two ditches are 

 so connected that whenever the supply from the river is insufficient, it can 

 be supplemented from the reservoirs. The position of these ditches and that 

 the mining localities supplied by them can be seen on the map. In addi- 



*on to the foregoing, there are also several smaller branches or tributary 

 c ltc hes, all belonging to the same system, and centring finally at Columbia 



Idl, the principal point of operations of the company owning this water ; 

 oy working mines on their own account, as well as selling water to other 

 parties. From Columbia Hill, the Eureka Lake ditch is continued down the 

 divide to French Corral, or to the lowest point occupied by the gravel. 



Ihe possible delivery of water by the ditches centring at Columbia Hill 

 18 stated by Mr. Hague at 7,500 inches in wet weather, and 3,300 in dry. 

 Addmg the Sim Juan ditch, which takes its water from the Middle Yuba, but 

 a too lo w a point to be available except for mines lower than Columbia Hill, 

 *he total is 8,800 inches in wet weatl 



th 



icr, and 4,600 in dry. 



The average 



Possible delivery during the year would be 6,700 inches for 300 days ; or, in 

 round numbers, 2,000,000 inches annually, or about 15,000,000 cubic feet 







