The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-07-10


been made Of the spracticability ant
/, cost Of opening the Willamette riyel
us % navigation at the lowest stages o.
r water, Theresult ofthe examination
q 4 and the steps recommended by the
= Committee with view to organiza.
ton and tho immediate prosecution
Il OF the work are hereinafter stated
tor public information. There can be
! j no doubt of the suficiency Of water
- - flowing at all seasons, to give mucI:
: : more than the required depth, pro-
: : Vided that it can be thrown into one
= channel; nor can there be any doubt
J that this result can be obtained at a
= moderate cost. From 'Government
surveys and from the unanimous tes-
; tlmony OF residents and pilots on the
j river it is certain, that there is, even
now, no point between Oregon City
and Harrisburg where depth of Is
inches cannot be found, and it is alto.
gether probable that by removal of
snags, two feet of water could be now
attained Hence the problem to be
, solved is the deepening of the low
water channel two feet at the most.
as the basis There are no rapids or
falls obstructing navigation, and the
bars are generally of gravel, easily re-
moved and yielding generally to the
force Of the current, whom properly
directed. The means to be adapted
Tor tho removal of these obstacles
would all be directed to the promo.
ton Of a permanent low water chan.
mel, SO far as possible, of uniform
width, and may be divided into four
classes; ,
LIST. The removal of snags. t
I'd. The excavation of rocks and /
boulders. :
3d. The closing of sIoughs where
the water is directed into more than 0
ono channel by means of drains.
4th. The confinement of the river
where it is wide, into such limits as
to increase the depth, and remove thei s.
bars SO far as possible by the scour of
The stream. n
9th. Dredging those portions of pl
he river where the material of bc
the bed is too hard for removal by in
current. m
The removal of snags presents no bu
peculiar difficulties, but the process pc
BY hand instead ofsteam, is slow and lei
'ostly process, The number removed GA
zach year is about equal 10 the pr
'nnual deposit. There is but little su,
ock,to be removed and the cost of dis
his portion OF the work will hardly VIII
mount to $4,000. Of
Dams, wing walls and river walls Tn
re all constructed on the same gen isla
raj principle, extending but little pro
Doye the low water surfce, and con- be
rnctod generally of brush, strength gan
led when necessary by piling.- rails
ans so constructed become flied urp
ID covered by gravel and dirt and Cor
Q permanent and lasting. The dam and
low Oregon City, for instance, has upp
'od for over twenty years, and can aid
" with difficulty be removed nrio
ing dams are thrown oblioucly tnro
'oss the stream, to diminish the IT s
Iocity alone, aud increase the deptb. nrov
soft bottoms they arc always OBJ. to q,
tionable, as tending to tho forma. tho
n OF bars below; and oven on hard rotes
tops they increase the velocity at va,io
below tho dams, making il an in. of sn
venlence to ascending boats. They Rv
allowable only on rapids where ract
dredging would bo expensive and anv a
enlt' and as a temporary expedieut BY au
aver walls, generally called wing the y,
Is, are for the purpose Of reducing and N
width OF the channel where il is which
wide, and merely increasing the OF The
ol'y ana depth so as TO scour TO any
bars and produce a permanent Thi
mel They must be made of con. Gen.
rablo length and as they line par. porsor
or obliqne to the stream thew work
exposed to undermining by the plan t,
ant and care must be exercised in and th
construction and location. When and nm
'olore built by the government Cover
have generally stood well, al. would
yh some have been washed away. to,oc,r,
9 material to be dredged is gen. reopes,
Z gravel, easily removed, and thority
is generally strong current. is also
tile difficulty viii be entertained. tor Ke
'ars are short, and the gravel, promp,
IA motion, will generally be car. permis,
by the current into the deep works
below. But, although bv these To- bo =,
!, q channel with the required In tb
nay eaN'y pe ooealnod' The a plan 1
. Of the undertaking will depend mitted /
on the amount necessary for Conp,v
repairs. orooni,,
iiver runs through wide subscrip
cd bottom, overhowod at very The plar
water. Every year there is, is as foil
or less, a cutting Of the banks, TO tho
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