Flood Control
West Sacramento River Walk
On January 15, 1850, the fledging City of Sacramento, consisting mostly of tents and simple wooden buildings, stood in 6 feet of water. Two weeks later, the community pledged $200,000 to levee construction. But before the levee system could be completely developed, the city was inundated 3 more times – In 1852-3, 1861-2, and 1867-8. Eventually, the levee construction was completed and the low-lying areas along the waterfront were filled in, resulting in the city’s downtown streets being raised by approximately ten feet.
On New Years’s Day, 1853, after a warm rain fell for 2 straight days, newspapers reported that at times there were 500 boats navigating J Street, and nearly every street in the city could be navigated by small boats.
Marker can be reached from 2nd Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
