Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1868-01-14
Facts and Figures in Regard to Red River.

| the stacts and figuresh referred to in my
letter of the 25th Of October ult., to prove
that the great lakes above and neal
Shreveport can be made to hold back the
surplus waters, and thus restrain the floods
of Red River, | must endeavor to explain
the anomalous condition Of the river ut the
time Of its floods, which makes it appear
impossible that this could be done.
have several tJmes, and at different
points, watched the river rising to flood
At the head of Tiger Island, before the
| leVee was built from Camptc down to the
old river which passes Natchitoches, the
water would rise gradually to within say
two feet Of the top of its banks; and then
the water from the back swamp would
come pouring into the river with the per-
pendicuIar fall just named, creating q
noise W hich could be heard at-considerable
distance. This would soon raise the river
quite out OF ioa banks, producing wide
spread inundation Of the adjacent lands.
If, now, VIC examine the river above, we
hrd that its channel has not brought this
come down through the Bayou Pierre
lakes ard swamps from al enlargement Of
fone's Bayou and Bayou Pierre, aad over
the cleared front lands in that vicinity
and through Lakes Bistiueau and Bodeau
from the Willow Chute and its swan pa,
and out VI the grea, lakes Northwest OF
Shreveport.
All the lakes on eSch side OF the river
are fail, and the overflow below must con
tinue until they are nearly drained. The
vast amount Of water which we see upon
the land makes il appear impossible to
restrain the floods; but It's amount is
greatly augmented by the rush Of water
through the swamps and lakes, across the
points Of land made by The bends in the
river.
This will be more fully explained when
treating Of the effect Of the lake. upon the
river.
The river itself fails in this condition, to
carry its proper amount OF water; for up
stream currents are found throughout more
than one half Of the distance from Tiger
Island TO the head Of the raft, and the
whole flood passes over the land, Just as
though no river channel existed.
Previous to this com pete inundation,
the rlver was nearly full, and it had
strong current everywhere, carrying of
The water rapidly: but nov, since its cur
rent is not only stopped at every lnfuz
from the s"amps but above these points
is actually turned upstream, it obviously
carries diminished quantity.
If we could have cunght up this over
low water, and prevented It's entrance
INTO the cbanuel below, the river would
have continued its work to the full extent
o. Us capacity. 1t is precisely this excess
water that | propose to arrest III reser-
voirs, and thus keep the river in the fun
performance Of its natural functions
Exactly how much water She river when
bank-tuil would carry, or how much must
be held back as excess water, it is impossi-
bic to tell; but it may be presumed that q
SIX foot levce on each side would enable
the river to carry all its food water.
If, then, six foot evee would do il, we
have only to provide basins, or reservoirs
20 receive this six feet Of water, running
probably at the rate Of five miles per hour;
length Of time sufficient 70 carry off tho
surplus water.
The river with such avees, bank full,
performing wen it, functions AZ d conduit,
should carry off The A Cd in twenty or
thirty days and hence if We can catch and
hold back his upper six feet for twenty OF
thirty days, we may leave the river with
out the levces, and it will neither over
flow, nor have upstream currents, and the
detained rater might be returned TO the
river when found expedient.
Red River at Alexandria, where all it's
waters are confined to one channel, is 40
feet wide. Making no allowance for elop-
ing banks, a section here feet deep,
would measure 740x6-4330 feet This
section Of water running at the rate Of 5
miles or Is 400 feet Per hour, would de-
liver 2,737 ,l52 900 cubic feet Of water in q f.
hours; and in thirty days, 82,114, $50, 900
feet.
This, then is the amount Of water to be
held back, to prevent flood without
levecs, and thus leave the river free from .
up stream currents for thirty days.
The great lakes Northwest of Shreve
port, according TO the United States LAND
cover an area of 100 superficial
miles. These surveys are presumed TO
have been made at low water, 50 that they
would cover much larger extent Of coun-
try at high water: say 80 miles. Ten feet /
Of water or o surface of 100 superficial .
miles, would give us So 1858 $50, 600 cubic .
feet. Five feet on the additional 40 miles,
5 SIS, $50 900 do.
To raise these lakes ten feet then, would