The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-05-26
Report of the State Engineers.

The district, comprising the parishes
of East Carroll, Madison, Tensas ana
Concordia-was organized in 1886.
The banks of the river for distance
of about $50 miles, from the upper
end of the district to the lower END OF
the parish of Tensas, have cayed more
extensively and rapidly for number
of years than those of any similar
length on the entire Mississippi river,
which is probably in large degree
consequence of the four "cut OILS"
which have occurred in this stretch OF
river during the last twenty-eight
wears. This excessive erosion OF the
banks has required the frequent con-
struction of new lines of levee, gener-
ally on lower ground than those they
replaced, aud has made this a district
in which the maintenance OF an
adequate system of levees and its I'M
movement to the standard deemed
necessary for security have always
been an arduous and costly undertak-,
inc. The district is subject to over
flow not only from creyasses along It's
own front, but also to a considerable
| extent from any that may occur III
9 Desha and Chicot counties, Ark
But notwithstanding the difficulties
a of the situation, the commissioners oil
9 the district, by taking advantage OF
4 all the resources for obtaining revenue
n and credit permitted by the laws,
y have thus far succeeded IN maintaining
and improving their levee line so as to
! keen it fairly abreast with that OIL
n other levee districts. 1t is, however
e true that without the large assistance
# supplied by the United States 10 the
q construction and maintenance Of
!, leyees in this district, its condition
a must have proved almost hopeless, anc
II ia questionable if the courage, al
a. we'll as the resources Of it's people
81 wonld not have failed but for the all
le thus given.
The Upper Teusas District OF tn
i, limited States Engineers includes tn
= upper portion of the Fifth Louisiana
t. District-that is. the front OF Eas
tb Caro-, parish and of Madison dow
p TO Bedford's-while the lower portion
ed from Bedford's to Red Rlver-that II
,ts Coucordia. Tcnsas and part c
he Madison parishes-forms the Unite
lat States Engineers Lower Tenss
lid District. The allotments OF fnnos 0
,rs the Mississippi River Commission &c
i'll levee building in these different po
10 tious of the Fifth Louisiana Distri'
m were much more ample, as compare
raj with their several necessities, for II
ON Lower Teusas District than for II
The Upper Tensas District in Louisiar
his and, as a consequence, the means
re- the Fifth Louisiana District have bet
the properly and necessarily applied to
les much larger extent for work requir'
to in East Carroll aud Madison parish
or than for the work in Tensas al
per Concordia.
tax The approximate length OF .ne
and levees comprised in contracts una
per which work has been done in
per Fifth Louisiana District since 1892
Tue 20. 13 miles, and the length of old lev
en- raised aud enlarged 1886 miles. 1
work done amounts to about 3,ob9,9
as cubic yards of earthwork, at a. cost
be about S664,034 II, divided as follow
Miles of of leve
Pc new levee raised 9
l0uGl built enlarg