Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-03-11
Report on Bayou Lafourche.
Stare EsGINEKR's OFFICE,
RktOe RoNtle, Feb. 2!st, 1854.

Rtton Rouge, Feb. 3lst, 1854. T
10 the Honorable the Senate and House of Re
personalities of the State of Louisiana IN Cen
eral assembly conrened:
GENTLENEN:-I herewith respectfully submit
preliminary report Of my Assistant, Mr.. A.
S. Phelps, appointed under resolution passed
BY your Honorable Body requiring an imme-
diate Survey of the Bayou Lafourche. Owing
to the limited time allowed for this work, con-
slider the surveys only sufficient to indicate in
all probability the best plan to be adopted to
relieve the bayou, and the great and pressing
necessity that immediate relief should be OBJ
tanned My opinions upon this subject agree
generally with those expressed by Mr. Phelps,
IN the report, upon which beg leave to make
the following remarks:
The elevation Of levees viii not remedy the
evil, and if it could, they would have to be
raised from point far above their present eleva-
ton In the lower section, on a direct inclined
plane to Donaldsonville. The top of the present
ievees, now form two curves. From Donald
sonville down for the first twelve miles, the fall
per mile according to Prof. Forshey's survey is
more than seven times as great as it is from
Thibodaux down to Lockport, near the place of
the distractions, filed up there by deposit, the
fall Immediately augments from that point down
to the sea,
done in such manner that this curve or de-
preston in the top Of them would be taken cut,
which would require great elevation at the low
est point; and when executed, would SO diminish
the fall per mile in the bayou that deposits
would be made in its whole length; and finally
end in raising the lower section of the stream as
high as it now is at DonaldsonyiIle when there
would be no current at all in the bayou.
Exactly the same results would be obtained
in case the distractions were removed. The
whole fall from Donaldsonville to tide water can
not be more than about thirty feet; divide the
fall by the whole number Of miles in present
length Of bayou, say l2O and we have sos IN
ches fall per mile, which by any calculation
based upon the dimension of the bayou at Dom
sldsonville, could only give current equal to
ffom one and half to one and three-quarters
miles per hour, which would not, nor has itever
been fast enough to prevent the filing Of the
stream by deposit. The sea is too far of, by
the course the water now takes, for SO small q
stream to transport it's heavy load Of sediment.
This is the great cause, although accelerated by
the distractions thrown in by the order Of Gen.
jackson, why this stream has been gradually
hlling up in past years, below the point where
steamboat navigation had = tendency to keep it
open. - S s
There are really but two means by which the
condition Of this bayou can be permantly i'm
proved. One is to make new mouth which
VII open the bayou to the sea level in 50 short
adiss.nce from the Mississippi River, that when
tne whole fall to the mouth, at the seA level
snaiI oe divided by its diminished length it will
gSe sumcient fail and current per mile to keep
tne sedlment in motion. A new mouth made at
me outlet proposed will without much doubt,
lfoduce this eject The other is 70 totally close
.s =. st.eam q @ near Donaldsonville a par