The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1881-04-09
GU1pRYls. March II, 1881.

Editor SENTINEL:
Sir A letter in your issue OF
the 10Th. inst. touches upon a
matter in the definite settlement
OF which every owner or renter OF
land Oh the Bayou, below the Cut
Oft, is directly interested.
The writer hereof being neither
an owner or worker of land is ell
tirely impartial in the matter. and
poses the following questions at
the instance of parties upon both
sides. in the hope OF obtaining pos
tive information and eXpediting
a settlement.
1. Is it compulsory upon the
land owner or renter upon Bayou
Lafourche in this Parish, to make
4 levee along his bayou front!
?. If it is compulsory, does the
law affect equally both sides of
the bayou from the upper line to
the lower settlements or does Its
operation cease at some point be-
tween those limits?
3. If its operation ceases at
some point, where is that point
J. t. Is a land owner Or renter
permitted under any circumstan
ces to run water from the bayou
to the prairie by means of bitches
or canals cut through the ridge !?
5. Does the prohibition to cut
a levee except under the supervi-
sion of a State Engineer apply to
levees built and maintained at in
dividual expense, or only to those
putt and maintained from the
public funds?
l will now endeavor to state
clearly the unsatisfactory state of
affairs which has induced the fore
going.
From IA point a short distance
below the Cut OF, there is no pre-
tense of a continuous Ievee on
the right bank. The water passes
without obstruction from Bayou
Lafourche to Bayou Blue in some
places along a front of from one
to one and Il half miles. Thls.ren
ders it impossible to raise any
crop except rice along that whole
line, and rice is made only by con
certed action among the farmers,
who at a specified time stop the
water with slight !evees made
With the hoe.
But not all the inhabitants are
satiied with this method. There
are some who would gladly make
other crops III addition to rice,
but this is impossible. One of
these builds a good levee along
his front, but the water running
over the land and through the ca
nails OF his ne!ghbors above and
below him, covers his field and it
would seem he has no remedy.
If on the other hand the farm
er VIII wish 10 raise other crops
than rice should let the water run
during the season fer that crop,
and thus back up the water on
the rice grower, the latter would
have no remedy.
Those who make no levees de>
fend their action, or rather bon
action, by the example of certain
land owners whose lands are at
and near the upper end of the
submerged district. 1t is claimed,
and with justice that a leveee to be
effective should be continuous
from above; and to compel a par
ty to levee his lands when there
are acres and miles of land above
him, over which the water passes
in an unbroken sheet, is to pnt
him to al unnecessary and agra
waiting expense.
1t is to the interest of all the
parties that this question be deci
ded and speedily, by those who
have the authority to decide it.
If there is a law or ordinance re
Quiring land owners Or tenants to
levee lands owned or occupied by
them, it is demanded that it be
rigidiy and impartiaUy enforced,
beginning at the lower end of the
levee above, aud continuing with
out break far enough below to
protect every inhabitant.
II there is no such law or ordin
ance, will you let the fact be
known that the parties interested
may govern themselves according
ly. OBSERVER.