Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-12-21

BAror RouaE, November, 1860. +,

Gazette
. REp RIVER - This river, navigable,
j susceptible Of being made so. for 81
miles from the Mississippi through
J country unequaled in fertility aud riehne,
Of soil, is destined one day to be the oh
den spot of the South.
Peculiar in it's tbarntter ,intivalled i
in its resources, IL presents iield FOR ol
servation and study, differing in man
respects from the other tributaries Of til
| Mississippi. The changes which hav
been effected by former rats, and thos
now in Progress, in consequence of tn
present one, are peculiar features in the his
toryof Red River These must be exainin
ed acknowledgements and eneGts thorough
ly understood before correct upiliidn cal
be formed as TO the best plan for the per
nanent Improvement of this river. Th'
valley of Red River is very similar tt
that OF the Mississippi. being ehtirel,
! allnvial and covered with dense growtl
| Of heavy timber. The immediate banks o
the river afe considerably elevated nbove the
adjacent lands, and are easily acted upoi
by the force Of the current; In conse.
quebec, d large amount Of sedimentary
matter is held in suspension by the water,
The declihatun of the river Ii very
irregular, but it Is said to average eight
inches per mile. My own opinion is,
thatit will not exceed six. AT low
stage. the water upon the shoals is from
three to five feet desp
The old raft Of Red River at ohe time
commenced near Natchtoches. Above
this lower section, conceive the river
must have been comparatively clear and
open as high up as the Chshatta Chute. At
the time the removal of the ruff was DOM
menced by the United States, the lower
end was at Loggy bayou, SOME forty tnles
aboveCashatta. WeAre informed that the
Governor of Louisiana ordered the troops
stationed at Natchitothes, TO bank tip, and
cadse to float or bill the lower part of the
raft This. and the natural decay of the
timber, will account for the disappearance
OF the raft below Loggy bayou, when we
consider likewise the force of the current,
and the amount of water passing out OF
the mouths of Bayou Pierre, Cashatta
Chute and Loggy Bayou $
All the water passing out Of Red Riv-
er above, on the east and west, had of
necessity to return to the main stream
through the bayous above nan,ed On nc
countof the proximity OF the highlands
to the river at their several mouths.
Ii Is evident that the lower part of the
raft, already weakened by decay, would
finally yield to the force Of the current
from these bayous and pass off. Before
the commencement of the formation of
rafts, the FLYER between Shreveport and
Grand Ecore, nit,st have been wide, with
high banks; and of sufficient capacity to
discharge all the water coming from above, |
IS is the case now below Grand Etore,
Ind above the raft and its influence. Il is
very possible that the raft may at one
lime have extended below Alexandra.
and have been occasioned by the back
water from the Mississippi soon after Red
River forsook its legitimate channel to the |
3ulf, (the Atthafalaya,) or it may have
originated from the accidental collection
If family of snags which arrested the
lrift Whether the one, or the other
vas the origininal cause, or MOTIFS compar-
tively uninportant. The effects and
heir removal are the subjects requiring
most attention.
As before stated the banks of Red Riv-
r cave easily and rapidly 1t fellows that
II iinmciise number of trees fall Into the
iver annually. These trees are carried
long by the force of the current at high
vater, aud gre firmly Wedged into the raft
from one to two miles is added to the raft
4 this manner every year.
lie raft acts as dam, the water is
aised many feet above its natural level
nd makes its escape literally over its
anks ! The back water extends many1
lilies, and all the valley on each
de and for a long distance above is in
ndated-~submerged. The earthly matter ;
cid i'll suspension by the water being de-
osited in the raft, soon fills up the chan
el, and makes the dam almost perfect
ne. The loss of current above causes I, {
eposit to be made in the bed Of the river,
nd in consequence the lateral overflow is
From one totwo miles of the /
hole valley Of Red River is thus ruined 9
very year. Bodcau Lake was once a t
and Clear Lakes were dry |
Caddo prairie, which five years ,
20 was above the reach of overflow and 1
ne of the most fertile bodies of land in +
ouisiana is nowat nigh water overhowed /
ON five to ten feet. Long Prairie inI
rkansas as well as the whole valley will s
,on share its fate. 8
Let US consider Iii what manner we $
ust apply our remedy. Simply remov-
g the raft will not answer; the river
Glow has become TOO contracted, and is t
Q much obstructed by snags, and by Q
flows, &c, growing beneath its banks, /
carry off the drift; the raft would form Il
,ain Immediately, and all we should ac- "
mplish by the simple removal Of the Ia
#, would be the ruin of the plantations II
+ thirty or forty miles below by overflow, b
d the ruin of the river for navigation by el
ling 1t with snags. On account of theI al
'er running along. the base Of the high ly
Ids to the east Of the valley. al the site 10
the present raft, the water escaping e;
IN Red River passes ont to the west, b
rough Lake Soda, Cross Lake and Cross oi
you, or through Lake Soda andT TweIvel r
le bayou, intothe river again just above at
reveport. Fully two thirds of the water th
les the route through Cross Lake and a
you. A large proportion Of the water E
lich finds its way through The raft, deter- @
ned by the back water from below at a al
h stage, passes on TO the east through Ell
illow Chute, Benoit's bayou, &c., and r
tributes to overflow the lower part Of fa
ssser Parish In rnnsen1rcnf.e If fhe ar