San Joaquin County CA Archives History - Books .....The Spring Floods 1923
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Kellie Crnkovich markkell95@aol.com December 15, 2005, 1:43 am

Book Title: History Of San Joaquin County

Upon the Mokelumne River, near Lockeford, benches of land were formed; they are 
dry and very productuve during the summer months, but they are completely 
covered with water during the spring season. The Calaveras River, a dry canal 
eight months of the year, becomes a deep rushing torrent of water during the 
spring thaw of snow. Lapham and Mackie, who made a soil survey of the Stockton 
area in 1906, reported in regard to the Calaveras River, "About one-half of the 
area surveyed consists of the valley-plain proper, at one time covered by the 
waters of an ancient pleistocene lake or bay. The central part is traversed in 
a general southwesterly direction by the Calaveras River and Mormon Channel, 
the waters of which enter the San Joaquin a little below Stockton. Mormon 
Channel is a branch of the Calaveras River, which it leaves a short distance 
outside of the northeastern extremity of the area (Bellota) and now carries 
nearly all of the water which at one time found its way through the Calaveras 
River. The bed of the lower course of the Mormon Channel is were so plentiful 
that in November, filled to the depth of many feet by detritus derived from the 
waste of the mountains, which and geese are flying, and their is frequently 
carried by winter and spring floods into the still waters of Stockton Channel, 
forming bars and impeding navigation or entirely blocking the harbor until 
removed." The Mormon Channel in the season of the heaviest freshets, before the 
arrival of the pioneers, overflowed its north bank at what is now Hazelton 
Avenue and Stanislaus Street, and cutting a deep channel to the northwest, 
emptied into Stockton Channel at Weber Avenue and Hunter Street. Stockton 
Channel, which is the most valuable asset of the city and county, and which 
empties into the San Joaquin River, extended eastward some two miles. It was 
formed by the overflow from Mormon Channel. The flow of melting snows from the 
Sierras was so heavy at times that hundreds of shallow water courses were 
formed; dry in summer, but wet and boggy in winter, these water courses made a 
complete network of shallow streams. Along the banks of the deepest waterways a 
continuous line of -high land existed, making dry spots 35 for the pioneers in 
springtime. I have recorded the condition of this city in the beginning that we 
may see the wonderful progress that has been made in land filling during the 
past years.

Additional Comments:
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY 
By George H. Tinkham 
CHAPTER 1

HISTORIC RECORD CO
LOS ANGELES, CA
1923

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