Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1868-01-14


under the direction Of the United States
War Department, furnish am pie informa
ton.
He says "My survey was made during
the low water Of Noyem Der ultmo, 1867,
and embraced a region Of country extend
ing from the outlet Of Red Bayou to
/ Shreveport, a distance of about seventy
\ five miles. The total fall of the low water
4 su face of the river from the head of Red
i Bayou to Shreveport, is 1860 feet. From
. Red Bayou to the heaa Of the present raft,
! u distance Of fonr and QUO hnlf miles bat
/ little if any tall exists, the raft acting az
! dam. backing the water for some twenty
or thirty miles above The cross section
4 lines, run from the river, show that the
surface Of the country has gradual fail
from the river westwerdiy Of about five
and one half feet to the mile, while tho
difference Of level Of water surfaces is
about three and three fou rths feet on the
same section, a little over one 70 rot to the
mile; consequently at low water the river
has constant tendency to flow to the
West through every natural outlet, desert
ing its old channel, which runs, as it were,
upon ridge, and seeking lower level
near the bluffs that border the Western
shores Of the lakes; while at high water,
the banks being submerged, the currents
potprulJv follow Tho sauna direction Tho
obstruction Of the raft has thrown large
proportion Of the river (sbout three
toCrths), through two natural outlets
lDooley' 9 ard Red Bay GU }, into Soda Lake,
atfordirg a navigation around the raft,
which is constantly improving as the ac-
ton Of the water widens aud deepcna
those channels. The channel. Of Red
River, from the head Of the present raft to
Shreveport, besides being thus elevated,
exhibits such on entire deficiency of width
depth and fall. that upstream currents
are found through moro than one half of
it's distance during freshets. The bed is
strewn with logs, stumps, &c. The
stream is not only narrow but very tor
tu6us, &C."
| hnve made this quotation, to show the"
fall Of the river from The head of the raft
to Shreveport, distance Of about twenty
three miles in straight line, to be 1860
feet: and to show the fall Of the surface of
the land, and water into the lakes, namely
five and halt and three and three-quar-
ter feet per mile, respectively. The river
N this distance is very tortuous," be-
cause the whole fall had to be distributed
over It's present length, in order thst the
soil might resist the action Of the current.
1t is precisely this difference of level in
the river, between the head of the raft
and Shreveport, which enables US to mako
an immense reservoir of thene lakes; and
Judging from the tortuous course Of the
Willow Chute. and its rapid current, tho
Bodeau Lake, should be upon about the
same level as the Caddo.
The rapid descent Of the water by the
lake route, changes the local slope OF the
ten feet ct the head of the raft, it riaes
twenty-f five feet at Shreveport. See Re-
port OF Captain Humphries end Lieuten-
ant Abbott; page 39l. The difference
then, in high water, should BIZ 2l60 feet in
stead Of twenty seven as stated by them
on page So, where the high water slope is
ot ba pf
at Shreveport.
TIE theory of the plan which am ad-
vocating, requires that the river should
be KEEP es near bank-full ut all points
when an overflow is apprehended, as
would be safe, and leveed in the low places
to give its banks regular and even slope,
except v here it is intended that the water
shonld run over It's banks into the reser-
volrs.
According to Mr.. Fuler's survey, the
river banks at the head Of the aaft are
port, they are about twenty feet. The |
difference in level then b5twean the top |
Of the banks atthe head OF the raj and at
Shreveport, should be 1850 feet. If / am
to have the river bank full below, but not |
oyerfowed, tn. all in the high uster eur
face would b. I'LL, 2A60 feet until the i,
food came .owu in such quantity, es to |
overfon -tr lends above, and thus in
crease .h,. ill renee in level. Now, in
order ha auch grphus uater shall not
Of u w. river below, it must be received
and a,no in the proposed reservoir,
an afterwards given out when required;
o. when the river can receive it without
causing an overflow.
70 accomplish this, | propose the con-
structlon Of dixie, beginning ct the Hill
near Shreveport and running up betVoen
the river and the lakes, in as near direct {
line as may be found advisable, and be-
hlnd the plantations on the river from
whers practicable, to sutebl point on
the river above and in this dixie, whore IL
crosses Cr0ss bavnn 7 nronosa the rar-