The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-12-21
RIFLES OF THR SNAKE
Reports Made By the Govern
ment Engineers.
Willing TO Appropriate Only Small
Sums For the Upper
River

If the recommendation of the chief OF
engineers is carried out an apprOpria-
tion will this year be made for imprOy-
ing Snake river between Riparia and
lewiston, including a few minor i'm
prOvements from Riparia TO the mouth
of the Snake. In all a total apprOpria-
ton OF S23, 600 is recommended for this
river, but it is thought inexpedient to
make larger appropriation until the
obstacles in the Columbia between The
Dalles and Cello has been overcome,
except for a biennial appropriation OF
$1,000 for maintaining the improvements
now recommended.
In 1897 survey was made of Snake
river from its mouth to Riparia, but
further examination was deemed neces-
sary of that portion of the river from
Riparia to the head of navigation at
lewiston, and a recommendation to
that effect was made by Captain Harris
during the past summer, and approved
by the chief of engineers. In his recon-
mendatiOn for a survey, Captain Harris
stated that he considered that part of
the river worthy of limited Improvement
by the general government at this time,
end as a result of that survey, now pre-
sents project for dredging and rock re
mOyal at the shoal places, to secure a
channel five feet deep at low water, and
averaging 50 feet in width Colonel
Mansfield, the local engineer, cOncurs in
these views.
Under existing conditions at favorable
stages of the river, fiat bOttOmed boats
can navigate the river as far as Wild
Il h. g %ho
Grand ROnde river, about 30 miles above
Lewiston, but the commerce is incOn-
siderable, and the trips uncertain and
irregular.
There are about 20 rapids in Snake
river between Lewiston and Rparia.
Several of these have only about two
feet OF wa ter on them at low water, which
causes Il temporary suspension of naVi-
cation at such times. Congress has
from time to time made appropriations
for the Improvement of the stream, and
IN late years these appropriation have
been expended in scraping some of the
more troublesome bars and in construct
ing rubbestOne DETECTING bikes at the
worst rapids between Lewiston and Ri
paria. This work has been carried on
Ia a somewhat desultOry way due to
the fact that definite data as to the ex-
act condition OF the whole river between
Lewiston and Riparia was not at hand,
and continuous surveys between these
points having never been made.
The survey made during the past
summer shows the average width Of the
river 10 be approximately $50 feet, the
discharge $4,000 feet per second, the
total fall in the 70 miles between the
two towns 1876 feet, and the slope an
average Of 2.67 feet per mile. The low
water depth varies from 2A to 25 feet,
with an average channel depth of about
s feet, the velocity varying from l. 3 to
5 miles per hour. The banks are
about 1900 feet high, and slope to the
waters edge. In few places, however,
are found narrow and fertile bottoms
limited in area, usually lying at the
mouths of small creeks. These bottoms
are the only cultivated lands immediate
" adjacent to the river, but when irri
gated are very fertile, and yield luxuri-
antly fine quality Of fruit, berries. etc.
The river banks slope back to a height
OF many hundred feet, and the bunch
grass found offers a sparse but fairly
good grazing for sheep and cattle. On
the high plateau back from the river are
the richly productive wheat fields OF
Eastern Oregon and Washington. Much
OF the wheat, now amounting to many
millions of bushels, annually raised in
the Camas and Clearwater basins, Pa
louise and Big Bend countries, and the
Walla WalIa and WaIlowa regions, now
passes down the Snake and Columbia
river valleys by rail.
In the opinion Of Captain Harris Snake
river, above Riparia, is unworthy OF ex-
tensiye Improvement, but deserving of
limited Improvement, providing for
something like a depth OF FIVE feet of
water over the various shoals and
rapids. This is all he will recommend