The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1878-07-27
Drainage -!
Thibodaux, La, July 20, 1878.

Mr.. 3. NJ. Harrod,
Chief State Engineer.
In the T~HIBODAUX SENTINEL
OF june Is 1873 there appeared,
over your signature, communica
ton addressed to the Local Board
OF Swamp Land Commissioners
in reference to the drainage OF
the valley, or detachment BASIN
lying between the Bayous Terre-
bonnie and Latourche. The infor
nation furnished by your commu
nication. as to the fall or declina-
ton of said basin, that is propos-
ed to drain, and reuder useful for
Agricultural purposes, is valuble
and Of great service in properly
discussing the question of drain
age.
AS given by your tables, the
correctness Of which is not doub
led, the fall from Lake fields to
tide water ut Bayou Jean La
Croix: is 9.07 feet. Considering
the distance between those two
points, the fall is fully. il not more
than on" foot per mile.
There can be no doubt that if
a CANAL were cut between these
two points, the surplus water con
fined in Lake Fields and Long
wonld very rapidly flow through
the same, seeking d level with
the Tide water of the Gulf.
la order to construct this Ca
nal two sections would have to be
dredged one 6 $3.50 miles, the
other ; 30l1O0 miles, being less
than ten miles Il part of the way
the depth necessary will be five
feet and q part tho depth will be
three feet, making in all an exca-
Walton Of about 10000 cubic
yards.
This Canal can be constructed
for S150OG.O0 and all experience
proves that canals, cut in that
section Of the country, where the
fall is much less to the mile, will
wash and increase III size until
they reach a capacity to carry oft
the water that is required to pass
through them.
1t is reasonable therefore to sup
pose that one connecting Lake
Fields aud Bayou Jean LaCroix
will wash and increase until it
will perform the work required
of it.
This Canal once constructed.
the surplus waters will speedily
pass out OF the great Lakes Field
and Long and the opening of the
numerous Bayous leading into
those will be a matter of easy : C,
lrtion subsequently. When those
two Lakes are emptied,it is DOUBT
fnl if any ordinary seasons of
rain will suffice to fill the immense
reservoirs they will ESTABLISH and
back up so as to iDjure the ripari
an planters whose lands are now
covered one halt of the year.
Instead Of cutting tn S propos>
ed Canal and cleaning out the
Bayous that Nature has formed
to carry off the surplus waters of
this "catchment basin" you pros
pose to close Bayou La
fourche at Donaldsonville and
transform one of the finest, no
b!est streams in the United states
capable of floating large steam.
boats, and ships, into IA Caual to
be navigated by fiat boats, small
steamers and luggers.
The difference between tide wa
ter at DonaldsoDvi4le when the
river is low, and tide water at the
Gulf Of Mexico where the Lafour-
che is discharged 1. 6. feet. From
this fact you infer that by closing
the Bayou at DOnaldsOnville and
erecting a dam eighty miles be-
low, eight feet in height, there
will be a constant depth of wa
ter i'll that Canal. thus formed, of
five to eight feet, the greatest
height of which will still be below
the bottom of Lake Fields. Then
you propose to cut drains or ditch
es from this basin, at various
points, into the Bayou Lafourche.
and by thus emptying the
swamps, the surplus water will be
carried down the Bayou, over the
dam, and out into the Gulf. If
there were no other questions in-
volved than the abstract one of
this theory would be a
very pretty one, but unfortunate
~ Tor this theory. there are ques-
tons that must net be overlook
in the drainage OF the fine
lands near the banks Of Bayou LA
fourche.
Bayou Lafourche is no rivulet.
but one OF the most important
streams in the United States.
In the two Parishes OF Assump