Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-12-18

Missouri river, from the Big Sioux river
to the north line of the state of South
Dakota, was worthy of improvement, and
in compliance with department instruc-
tions 1 have the honor now to offer a
plan of improvement for the water
named, and the estimate of it's, cost, as
follows:
Q) Extension of present river survey
and mapping and publication of maps:
Field work OF photography, and levels,
boundry line to Pierre, 1872 miles, at
$92.50, total $17,76O.
Same Of photography, levels, and shore
lines, Pierre to the Big Sioux river, 1856
miles, at $46.75, total S21,318.
Mapping and publication, boundry
line to Pierre, 1872 miles at s32.75 total
s6.299.
Same, Pierre to Sioux CITY, 1855 miles
at 500, total S9,120.
(2) Removal of snags, wrecks and
other distractions; temporary work and
placing channel marks at the worst bar
channels, and at the entrance to the
winter harbor at the mouth of the Big
Sioux river, annually $25,O00
(3) For rectification of the river at and
near Yankton, South Dakota, $4,000.
VIZ iOl OCUl1OdUlOuo VI UA0 llfol ! anu
lear Pierre, South Dakota, $75, 600.
Total, $229,4S6
A principal r, ason for the postpone
ment heretofore of a project for the per-
manent improvement of the Missouri
river in South and North Dakota has
been the absence of a survey. A con-
tinuous detailed survey from the Great
Falls, Montana, is now in progress, and
with present funds will be completed
this year to a point between Bismarck N.
D., and the north line Of South Dakota
The estimate for completion from this
point to Sioux City is S74,497, which
should be appropriated in order to make
the survey continuous, as it ought to be,
instead of Che amount named for the
part from the north line of the state.
The annual removal ofsnags and other
distractions would be q judicious i'm.
provement and a great aid to navigation,
A snagging plant is now being built
from the present appropriation for i'm.
proving the Missouri river from Sioux
City to Great Falls. The temporary
deepening of the worst bar channels and
the marking Of the channels before the
completion of a permanent improve.
ment, which will necessarily be a mat
ter of several years, would also be &
j%udicious work and will need to be re-
peated each low water. The estimate
for these annual temporary and continu.
GUS works on the sandy part of the
Missouri above Sioux City is $4,000
and about one-half the works will fall
on the part of the river in South Dakc
ia; the whole amount should preferably
be appropriated and made applicable tc
the whole upper, Missouri.
There is need for the restoration Of
the steamer landings at Yankton anj
Pierre. At both places the channel has
shifted to the opposite side, thereby
causing extensive fills along the rivel
fronts of the towns. There is no steamer
landing at Yankton, while formerly {
dozen boats used to land at a time at the
immediate bank. At Pierre the landing
is we'll above the town and is gradually
filling up. There are two railroads be
longing to large systems running into
each of the towns named, from the east
and doubtless bridges will be bull
across the river here, in extension of thu
roads to the Black Hills; it would b.
good to properly fix the channels before
the bridges are built. The improvement!
estimated for at Yankton and Pierre
consist in the detection of the river b,
works above the towns to make the rive:
flow along the town fronts. At Yanktol
the bank is fairly hard material ant
bank protection will not be required. A
Pierre the bank is not quite SO good ant
it is likely that bank protection agains
caving will be necessary. If the United
States undertakes bank protection 1926,
600 should be ADDED to my estimate
above.