Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1894-05-11
THE LEvEEs.
Extracts From State Engi-
neeI's Biennial Report to
the Governor.

state of I.ousisns,
ONCE Board 81 State Encineers.
ve~ ORLEANS. La.. April 20. 1894.
To His Excelhucy Murphy J. Foster. Cove ror
OF Lon'sisna.
Sir-In compliance With direc-
tions, the BOard Of State Engineers
respectfully submits the following
report Of operations from April 20,
lS9 to April 10. 1894:
LEvEE WORK OF THE PAST TWO
At no period included in the
records OF le,ee building IN this
Stale has no large an amount ot
work been accom- plishrd within =
similar time ~ during the past two
years. The organization of the
tour new lev~e distIicts created by
acts Of the General Assembly at it's
session of 1892, the enlarged powers
eran'ed at the same session to The
Rel River. AtchataIaya and Bayou
B0ruf L~vrr District, with the
m"r- ample funds appropriated Nv
the Congress at the UWi,ed States
tor the improvement Of the Missis.
.,ppi and Red rivers sui .pI'''-d &"
l-,rr building, have hr-n the
principal causes Of the great
IuOSrrs made.
The rivers and barhors ACT Of
Jul, 1892, appropriated 32,tHW 900
for the improvement Of the Missis.
sippi river. aud anthoT'x-d the
taking Ut contracts for continuously
carrying on the work tor three
m, r. years. Under tina authority
the mississippi River Con'n.ssion
in August, 1892, allottrd o. .50t1, 900
per annum for the fiscal years from
June, 1892. to July. 1896 tot 'ev~r
work; S..?67 900 OF which was
allotted to Ipvpes in Louisiana and
$1.2 100000 to levees in Ark.Uaas
south of the Arkansas liver. which
are OF equal Importance to this
State (see Appendix d.
Contracts have already heen
made to q considerable extent, for
work to be paid for with funds yet
to be appropriated. While the
work to be done under such coh
tracts WAS not required to bs begun
at once, or to be completed before
the e"d of the fiscal year tor which
the contracts were made. u has
proved Of great benefit. and IN
some of the districts an absolute
necrssIty. In the FIFTH Louisiana
aud the PODtchartrsin districts, the
com mmissiOners, by arranging with
the contractors for such work tu
pay an additional price for the
early completion of the worx, have
been able tO sernre the construct ion
"f a numl'rr ot imp"TtaDf levrrs
before the usual time OF spring
foods. which rUui' not have heel,
built OtherwIse. The sums l,ayab bls
on accout of ench additional price,
will probably amount to al,oal
s42.7OO.
The results of the work of ths
last two years In Louisiana aud /,
that part 0f Arkansas n,nn which W
are dependent for lrv~e prOtrctiuu
sam MP approximately as follOsr
The contracts under which th,
work has been done HmI,riss the
building Of 354.42 miles n-s leve-
and the raising asd enlargement ~
800 46 miles Of oil lev-r to grade,
of tr0m ~" to three trs.t above tn,
highest Recorded f"oat lev els. ~ii,
80, responding i0rrrssr at -rcti",,
The ~atthwOrk hsne anounts {,
about 3J.isS.52l ru,"c yards. y,
cost-'uclutiug additional "ir,n".
prices above menti"urd--"i xbun
Ia AS. .O3O.6S. or ut Mn average eos
lot abOut 1926 cents isrr cu''ir yar'I
In addition tO the above, ah,
contributing 10 some 'leere~ tU 10
permanent Improvement of ~