The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-14

which - make fsA rsaps. SO II was ree-
fssary 20 locsse the sweexas ccures nv
sketches. anS. occasional refervaee BY
ssads2 70 known se@sson sfrses. TIE SIS
tATcs from It's head 10 the na1afh al Lurs-
nas eSy = ssre ard orae~hais miles
A close sara OF legs ara 1rsft aow closes
sne esas Of tAis channel 50 that little or
20 water Eovs into =. hst | tssfSs sr0-u
,1e present heavy cutting az The bank Just
sacFe the head % skssx channel thar il
VIII not De ieag before ssse river again
makes Us way Into the channel would
suggest. II II Is thoaghs best 10 prevent
fnts dividing of the waters that the bark
above IRE asAss De protected by brxsSn ard
stosae Fspr4p for several hundred feet Al
Ordinary Atga sise salt water ssaws
throasAeat the entire length Of the chan
nes. giving depth 81 from swe 10 ssx
feet
| am iaformea by the oldest settlers
on this channel that the old TnSstans have
told tnsra sh&t tae river has not run
through aere for nearly a century. The
use az this channel as the only outlet for
ths No5ksaek river would be Questionable
under the most favorable conditions for
tns rea<sn thar the small craft which av-
tgatc the river would ind IL very dan
geroos reaching the cities on Beliinghasn
cay, having TO pass through the rough
water or the open Sound
At the mouth / made a careful instr,i-
nentai survey. I found the mouth Of the
iast-ased channel entirely blocked un by
am of logs. snags n1& drift 2 sa feet in
length. AT present about one-hzif ~ the
water Of the river flows under and through
the JAM. the balance being foreea through
slough near by. known 40 Steamboat
Channel" and being thus liviGeA Ii flows
over the mud fats without forming any
definite chanrei, This tam wiz continue
70 increase In area ard depth as tire gees
on The general tendency OF this hoora
construction would naturally be to lessen
the depth thus causing large snags 10
ground wttcA would otherwise have likely.
found their way out 20 sea. and. as will
be seen from the map. the jam could not
move out at high tide IL IL were afioat.
on account of being so confined by the
boom piles. Until about four years ago
the main channel flowed through eMe-
Donaids Slough" hut this ia now very
shallow ard about dry at low tide.
AS means OF overcoming the difiscui-
ties a, the entrance 90 the river two
plans are suggested:
II practicable. the most advisable plan,
on account OF its straight channel. would
be that Of cutting out and removing the
north 1000 feet OF the present Jam. to-
gether with what piiing and boom con-
struction might so with same. and the
construction OF pile dikes and rsvet-
ments.
The second plan IL that OF throwing
all the water into Steamboat channel, al
lowing the present Jam To remain as IL
Is. This would necessitate the construc-
ton of pile dikes across the present
mouth and also at the head of several
other sioughs.
In the construction of either plan means
should be provided for letting logs
through the dixie AZ the present mouth In
20 the boom.
fined and concentrated In one channel. 1
believe that II would very soon scour out
the sand. giving sufficient depth TO ac-
commodate such iight-draft boats as
would navigate on the Nooksack river.
Regarding the shipping on the river. I
am informed by ranchers who have farms
adjoining that IL would be OF great adj
vantage TO them IL they could ship by
boat to the cities on Beiiinghsm bay and
other points on the Sound. instead OF
having 10 depend upon teams. One ranch
or. living near Lynden. shipped his crop
of potatoes In 1ss9 TO Seattle Oh the
steamboat Minnie NJ. which was then OH
the river. and II cost him but 81 per ton.
and Il nov costs him about the came by
team 10 Whatcom. Freigh rates by team
from Lynden 10 Whatcom are 81 10 s.
per ton. while I am Informed that IL
could he handled by steamboat for 81 per
ton. The last boat able to get up river
reached Lynden about April !. this year.