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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Dingus, I'm not so sure the 1861-1861 event was caused by hydraulic mining... look at the rainfall statistics for that season. It's the wettest on record since 1848, including the 96-97 El Nino season.
Although, Hydraulicking had been invented and exploited in the 1850s and the Sierra foothills had been thoroughly grubbed over, it wasn't until later in the 1860s and through the 1870s that it reached its highest expression. You can see it if you examine annual gold production statistics. There was the first big bulge 1848 through the early 1850s, then declining returns through the rest of the decade, then a building aggregate with the "perfection" of hydraulic mining techniques through the middle 1860s into the 1870s... and it was the colossal amount of tailings spilled into the riverbeds of northern California by the late 1870s that spiked flooding problems in those years... and caused the backlash that resulted in what is considered the first piece of environmental protection legislation--the court decision that barred the hydraulic mines from releasing their tailings... which killed the industry because it made it unprofitable.
So, my guess would be that although mining had an impact on the 1861-1862 event, I wouldn't think it's the prime mover. The mega-tons... giga-tons...of hydraulic debris wouldn't be washed downhill until later in the game. For 1861-1862, I think the "blame" lies in aggregate rainfall.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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It happened before, which means it can happen again.
I read an 1861 or 1862 telegram from a Sacramento homeowner who had rented his house to a San Franciscan who was about to leave the city and come upriver to serve in the state legislature:
"My home is coming down the Sacramento to meet you. Be ready to take up your quarters."
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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I should have written, I hope the 1862 flood was a 1,000 year event. Didn't know that its "a recurring pattern with about a 150-200 year period". That does not sound good. We certainly could see this in our lifetimes. Hopefully this is not the year!
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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That's a good get, DMT. I'm a big believer in not arguing with the data.
Although I totally get that they caused monstrous environmental devastation and lament its occurrence, there's a Hayduke-like part of me that wishes I could have seen the North Broomfield Hydraulic Mine in full swing in the late 1870s. Must have been a hell of a thing to see. Same with the Comstock Lode with the Con Virginia and the California mines in peak operation in 1876. If I remember correctly, the peak production month of "The Big Bonanza" hoisting ore from 1,600 feet below the streets of Virginia City was the same month Custer got his 7th Cav troopers exterminated at the Little Big Horn.
Americans. When we put our minds to it, we get sh#t done.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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California - the new rain forest!
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10b4me
Mountain climber
Retired
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I am curious as to what the rest of January is like. Some years it's dry, even in wet winters.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Reilly, yer bein' silly.
Maybe a little less silt in yer diet, maybe?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mouse, my brain rusted today from my hike in the dank.
Thought I was back in the Hoh.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Rain statistics for Placerville, 1861-1862
From The Marysville Daily Appeal, 6/6/1863:
"Mr. Henderson, of Placerville, says that from August, 1861, till August, 1862, 86 inches of rain fell at that place, and from August, 1862 till June 1863, only 26 inches fell."
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 15, 2017 - 09:32am PT
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You want a drought? Go to Suisse!
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Jan 15, 2017 - 10:33am PT
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Reilly, I don't know if that pic is recent but the southern Alps are definitely in drought. The snow-covered peaks where we normally do a hike during Xmas visits near Lago di Como have zero snow. Flying over the Alps was somewhat depressing to see how much of the lower reaches are not white.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 15, 2017 - 10:47am PT
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Nut, the Lauberhorn, the most prestigious downhill race, was canceled today due to lack of snow! :-(
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Jan 17, 2017 - 05:09pm PT
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Not sure if this report has been posted ^^^ but it addresses the OP's question RE the historical context of the 2012-14 drought...
http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/docs/a9237_CalSignficantDroughts_v10_int.pdf.
Here's a report from the field...
I was at our field site in the southern sierras on Saturday (1/14/17). There was ~4ft of snow on the ground (at 6000ft) and Lake Millerton was overflowing Friant Dam. Pretty cool sight. I hadn’t seen that in the past few years. Last year it was at 36% on this date.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 17, 2017 - 05:53pm PT
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Whoa! I saw that it was canceled and assumed it was due to too little.
I wonder if it will be re-scheduled?
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jan 30, 2017 - 12:13pm PT
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The summit at Mammoth Mt. has 300 inches of snow, or 25 feet, that is encouraging. One of the ski resorts above Los Angeles, Wrightwood, has 20-30 inches. I was also told that more water has gone into Lake Oroville since the start of the winter, than Los Angeles uses in an entire year, so things are looking up.
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Gunkie
Trad climber
Valles Marineris
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Sounds like a fantastic waterfall season in the valley coming up.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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In a couple of years we'll be saying "Remember the winter of 2016-17? Pass me my glass
of dehydrated water, please."
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