The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1888-10-13
LOWER RIVER IMPROVEMENT.

From the reports Of the army officers
GERS in charge ofLOwer River Improve
ments, made to the River Commission,
we copy the following;
Mouth Of White river to Warrenton
$50 miles. Officer in charge Capt. |
w. I. Rossell. corps of engineers, Mem
phis, Tenn.
This District includes Lake Provi-
dence reach and the harbors Of Green
vile and Vicksburg.
Lake Providence Reach-No work
has been done during the year. The
condition of the works is substantially
IS at the last annual report, the tops of
the piles in all the systems giving way
to decay and the attack Of drifts.
This does not sensibly affect the de-
posits in the closed chutes; the depth
Of water in them remains stationary or
continues to decrease, except at Mayers-
vile, where the cavlng at the head of
the island has fisnked the dixie; here
the chute has increased in depth.
The revetment on Mayersville Island
and at Pitchers Peint remains as at the
last report, the small portions still in
place having undergone ne further
loss.
The lowest water Of the year was
1.6 feet on the Lake Providence gauge,
Nov. 1924, at which time Stack Island
Crossing, the shoalest on the reach,
gave 9 feet depth. The least depth on
this crossing, which has deterioriated
since the suspension of operations, was
Z feet, in September, at higher stage,
before the river had selected Its low
water channel.
The banks of the reach have been
more unstable than heretofore, m con-
sequence, apparently, Of changes in the
regimen of the river above, the tota
caving amounting to about 800 acrei
on each bank.
| Greenville Harbor-The attention o
the Commission was invited in 1883 t.
the recession Of the bank at Greenville
Miss, and in the annual report fol
1884 an estimate for the protection ol
this place was introduced. In the &C
of Aug. 8, 1886, specific appropria
tion Of $S7, 800 was made, but the Com
MISSION, consldering this too small TO
successful application, did not feel jus
titled in recommending Its expenditure
In July, 1887, the City of Greenvill
having engaged to supplement thi
, appropriation by at least an equs
amount, project was adopted waic
received the approval of the Secretar
of War, and has since been carried int
effect. The system includes ten slopin
, spurs of crib work, resting on mattres
I foundations and extending from th
deepest water to high water mari
These are situated about 500 feet apar
and by their action upon the currents
shown by the filling which they hay
0 already induced, have protected tn,
t part of the bank Immediately endal
D gered. In case the remaining part
: Island 83, which lies just above II
works, and has been subject to seriol
: erosion, should be carried away befol
the strain upon il is relieved, the upp'
! end Of the work will be exposed to a
tack and additional work viii be r
quired to make 1t secure. Extcnsic
: down stream Is also to be provided fo
The cost of the work Just completed
about $40 per linear foot of bank pr
tccted.
Vicksburg Harbor-The project Fl
q Improvement by constructing dix
5, and dredging basin and canal to fl
IL feet below the zero of the guage.
stated in the last annual reports, W
~ recommended by the commission Ju
le 1, 1887, and approved by the Secreta
. . Of War with authority 10 begin 4
D. work with the specific appropriate,
le of the act of Aug 3, 1886. In purs
1t ance of the project close dam
q been built from the city to DE Sc
o' Island. 1850 feet. and a screen di
1000 feet in length from the foot
:, Soto Island to and along the can
~ ~ The canal has been dredged for its
~ length of b,150 feet to is feet on I
re- gauge, with a width of rs feet, whi
r. under the contract il to be increased
n 100 feet.
M The mean fill over the canal duri
n ,s the year has been 10 feet. 1t is
'si pected that after completion of
or work this will be reduced one-h
rs leaving less than $4,000 cubic yards
'e- be removed by annual dredging.
-. Delta Point--No work has b,
''' done but several slips In the bs
\ above the revetment show eros
'' there which will require extension
the reyetment up stream.
Levees. Tensas Front-With an al
II ment of $56.500 for the levee fl
Amos Bayou to Arkansas City an
lotor al,otment of S1bbOea for lev