Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 27.djvu/533

 FIFTY-SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 183. 1893. 507 CHA.P._ 183.gAn act to create the California Debris Commission and regulate hy- Mami 1, 1893. draulic mining in the State of California. w Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rqwesentatives of the United Stateso America in Congress assembled, That a commission is hereby c»1m¤-pa Debris created`; to be known as the California Debris Commission, consisting °°""‘“"‘°“· °“’“°°d‘ of three members. The President of the United States shall, by and Appointment. with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint the commission from officers of the Corps of Engineers, United States Army. Vacancies occurring therein shall be filled in like manner. It shall have Authority and powthe authority, and exercise the powers hereinafter set forth, under the °" sntipvmvision of the Chief of Engineers and direction of the Secretary o ar. Sec. 2. That said commission shall organize within thirty days after ors¤¤i¤¤ti¤¤~ its appointment by the selection of such officers as maybe required in the performance of its duties. the same to be selected from the members thereof The members of said commission shall receive no greater °·>¤P•¤¤*=i¤¤· compensation than is now allowed by law to each, respectively, as an omcer of said Corps of Engineers. It shall also adopt rules and regu- Ruin. cw-. vf pwlations, not inconsistant with law, to govern its deliberations and pre- °°°""" scribe the method of procedure under the provisions of this act. Sec. 3. That the juuisdiction of said commission, in so far as the Jurisdictionsame affects mining carried on by the hydraulic recess, shall extend to all such mining in the territory drained by the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems in the State of California. Hydraulic mining, m}`$1`;¤*°gh{{,;*;g¤¤¤ as defined in section eight hereof, directly or indirectly injuring the rtafplisos. ` navigability of said river systems, carried on in said territory other than as permitted under the provisions of this act is hereby prohibited and declared unlawful. ` Sec. 4. That it shall be the duty ot said commission to mature and D¤°Y°'°°¤¤i¤¤i¤¤- . adopt such plan or plans, from examinations and surveys already made P1=¤¤¤· and from such additional examinations and surveys as it may deem necessary, as will improve the navigability of all the rivers comprising b,f,¤t;}>$'_§,*;{rs¤:;‘;g°· said systems, deepen their channels, and protect their banks. Such ’ ` plan or plans shall be matured with a view of making the same effective as against the encroachment of and damage from debris resulting from mining operations, natural erosion, or other causes, with a view ot restoring, as near as practicable and the necessities of commerce and navigation demand, the navigability of said rivers to the condition existing in eighteen hundred and sixty. and permitting mining by the m{£;*;g*cr*2,Qt$“'*° hydraulic process, as the term is understood in said state, to be carried ' on, provided the same can be accomplished, without injury to the navigability of said rivers or the lands adjacent thereto. Sec. 5. That it shall further examine, survey, and determine the 8,§;'g,f_Yg”gf,_“°y°':_§r€ utility and practicability, for the purposes hereinafter indicated, of mr., sa. ` storage sites in the tributaries of said rivers and in the respective branches of said tributaries, or in the plains, basins, sloughs, and tule and swamp lands adjacent to or along the course of said rivers, for the storage of debris or water or as settling reservoirs, with the object of using the same by either or all of these methods to aid in the improvement and protection of said navigable rivers by preventing deposits therein of debris resulting from mining operations, natural erosion. or other causes, or for affording relief thereto in flood time and providing sufficient water to maintain sconrin g force therein in the summer sea- _ _ Son; and in connection therewith to investigate such hydraulic and ,,,§,ff}f,“‘“§{{§“ °§,{,‘§g other mines as are now or may have been worked by methods intended ¤=i¤¤¤. ewto restrain the debris and material moved in operating such mines by impounding dams, settling reservoirs. or otherwise, and in general to makesuch study of and researches in the hydraulic mining industry as science, experience, and engineering skill may suggest as practicable and useful in devising a method or methods whereby such mining may be carried on as aforesaid.