It was created to mitigate the damage to natural seasonal river flow and navigation, which had been caused by the extensive use of hydraulic mining.
[2] The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) had conducted similar works for the government since the beginning of the internal improvements program and it was considered the most knowledgeable organization.
A commission was established to support the stream protection work instead of the normal Congressional House Committee on Rivers and Harbors.
Over time this sediment would eventually move downstream to other river confluences and San Francisco Bay, disrupting navigation in those channels.
The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 eliminated the commission, with its work now the responsibility of the Corps' South Pacific Division.