[7] This proved to be problematic for miners trying to reach larger yields embedded within the Mother Lode and not pieces of gold simply on the surface.

A new method used in Nevada City in 1853 was of particular interest; miner Edward Matteson had successfully used a high-pressure hose to wash away gravel and uncover gold.

[9] Excited by the prospect of obtaining higher yields of gold, miners scrambled together to attract wealthy investors and form companies.

[11] The pipes were set up downhill, to increase momentum and pressure so water could be pumped out at high velocities to erode sediment from the hillside.

[13] French miner Julius Poquillion originally bought the 1,500 acres in 1866 through combining several abandoned land claims to buy the property for the company.

[14] After receiving help from several wealthy San Francisco investors, Poquillion founded North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Company.

[1] Several others sites were also located along the Placer-Nevada County line near present-day Highway 80 and the towns of Colfax and Grass Valley.

As they flowed downstream, however, collecting runoff, precipitation, and snowmelt within their drainage basin, they increased in volume, velocity, and discharge.

Yet, the discarded sediment from mining operation had previously been deposited downstream and blocked their flows, raising the river beds.

[6] While the mountains in the Sierra Nevada had the advantage of higher elevations, sparse populations, and being upstream, the low-lying agricultural land in the valley proved to be extremely vulnerable due to the region's geography.

[17] Additionally, dams and other forms of infrastructure were limited in this era, providing little protection to farmers in a region that was already highly susceptible to flooding.

[19] To support their argument, the farmers argued their private ownership rights were violated when the mining debris harmed their lands.

[8] For the next few years, the farmers and their allies attempted to work together with state officials and the mining companies to reach a compromise through petitions.

During the case, Sawyer made multiple trips to the mining sites in question, conducting interviews with both farmers and the miners.

[20] Mining had already restricted shipping and steamboat activity in the Sacramento Valley due to elevated river beds; the wealthy Southern Pacific voiced similar concerns.

[22] Todd's photos showed the destruction caused by the mining and documented North Bloomfield's lack of precautions to limit flooding.

[7] Unsurprisingly, the farmers and the general public were extremely pleased with Sawyer's final decision; records show that church bells in Yuba County even rang out after the ruling.

[23] As a result, the company had to pay hefty fines and was required to change its operations process, once again reducing their profit margin.

While the law is considered to be an important piece of environmental legislation, the success of the farmers resulted in California's changing status as an agricultural empire, particularly within the wheat industry.

[18] The lawless nature of the gold rush had lost its attractiveness and, in its place, California was creating a new, modern image based on wheat and other cash crops.

Sawyer recognized the impact that the old industry could have on California's new economy, therefore, deciding that, in this case, governmental regulation was the best way to protect the rights of private ownership in agriculture from large-scale monopolies.