Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-18
rr,npr az ENc1xEEn work DUR
NC THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE JAMES
..ent Project contcmpIa.cs
Depth of ~ feet MT Mean Low Tide

Depth OF - rect NJ s'se
from the Sea TO Rfchmond-osher
improvements.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. September IL
fsnecia,a- Lieutenant-Colonet Charles
An.n. Corps of Engineers. who has
.harr. OF the river and harbor improve
.,ents in Maryland, District OF Columbia
and Virginia, has. JUST made his report
10 the War Department on operations
carried on during the month OF August
The report shows that work mas oeeh
carried on with more or less activity All
over the district. While the report uoes
not show any great amount OF progress
during the past month. it contains mueh
interesting information about what mas
been done and what is 10 be oone-
The report is full OF material regarding
the work that is being done IN virginia
and though most OF the work duI!hs the
month of August consisted OF prepard-
,ion of mans for future work, surveys.
r.n.;rs 70 plants and the like. there is
a great fund Of interesting matter con-
corning the work in the past upon the
yar,o,,s creeks and rivers and harbors IN
the State.
IMPROVING JAMES RIVER.
Seyera, projects for the Improvement OF
the James river have peen adopted ana
successfully operated upon until better
project was proposed by the Engineers
ONCE The present project prov1des LOT
a depth of twenty-five feet at low mean
tide from the sea to Richmond. the w1dh
to be 400 feet from the sea to City Polnt'
300 thence to iDrewryts Bluff and 200 from
there to Richmond. s45on.ooo being ap-
propriated therefor. The present pro1ect
was adopted and approved by Congress
.I,1Iy < 1884. and the work has been car
yied on by dredging, removal OF rock, ana
other engineering schemes. The places
containing the most dangerous shoals
and which were lie greatest ooStruc-
.ions to commerce were first worked
upon. A large portion of the amount
appropriated has been EXPENDED, only
S326 1875 SO now being available. The work
remaining to be done under the general
project consists of the enlargement OF the
channel from the Richmond city line to
Drewry's Bluff. seven miles from Rich
mond. from its present dimensions TO 200
feet wide and twenty-ywo feet deep, at
mean low tide: the enlargement or the
channel below Drewrys Bluff to 3eo feet
width and twenty-five feet depth, and
below CITY Point to 400 feet wide by
twenty-five feet deep.
OPERATIONS FOR AUGUST.
No work was done under contract for
the month of August in the James river.
An examination was made on complaint
of the superintendent Of the Southern
Railway Company in regard to a wall
being built in the Richmond rapids OF
James river, above the Port-warden lines
of Richmond. Necessary repairs were
made to the hull Of the property lighter
Drawings and tracings required for car
rying on the work were made. A project
for the application of the funds appro-
rriated in the act of June 13, 1902, was
submitted
PROBABLE OPERATIONS.
The probable operations for the month
of September will be preparations for re-
Stunning Improvement work during the
fall season. and also necessary repairs to
the hull of a scow used in the work and
repairing the machinery Of the tug Rob
ert Leslie 49,
IMPROVING URBANNA CREEK.
The original project for this work was
adopted in 1879, and provided for dredg-
ing a channel ten feet deep at low tide
and 150 feet wide through the bar at the
mouth Of the creek. 1t was modified in
1853. so as to include dredging a channel
through a shoal within the creek. The
project was again amended in 1855. SO as
to include a system of dykes, or jetties.
to prevent the channel at the mouth of
the creek from shoaling. The estimated
cost for the entire project, as revised in
1881. is $4,000. But a very small amount
of this is still available, as most of it
has been expended in carrying on the
work. On account OF lack of funds. the
work has not been as good as the en-
Etneers would like to see. the absence of
protection work permitting the channel
10 shoal. thus requiring an expenditure
IF much Of the appropriations in dredging.
The work has largely been confined to
dredging and redredg:ng as fast as the
channel shoaled. AS result of these
operations the channel in June. 1899 had
been entirely completed to the dimensions
required. contract was made in Oc-
tober. 1900 with John Miller. of Wash
ington. D. c., for dredging this creek.
No work was done in September, owing
to a scarcity of funds to carry on the
operations under the proposed project.
OCCOQUAN, AQUA AND NOMINI
CREEKS.
The navigation of Occoquan creek was
INSTRUCTED by four bars. which were
dredged and improved between 1873 and
1880 by the expenditure of $4,000. so as
to have a navigable depth of six feet
to the town of Occoquan, four miles above
the mouth. $4,000 is the estimated cost
of the present proposed work. which con-
sists of maintaining a channel 100 feet
wide and six feet deep up to the town of
Occoquan. A channel has been dredged
through the four bars. and a depth of
from six to eight feet and a width of 100
feet has been secured. The project now
stands over three-fourth completed. The
least depth Of water IN the channel is
six feet.
The original project for the improve
snent Of Aqua creek has been reported
completed. and channel eighty feet wide
and six feet deep from the mouth through
the ..Narrows' has been secured, at a
cost of $50. 81. The present project is
to improve this channel and make i'm
provements upon it.
In 1876 Nomini creek was obstructed
from navigation by number of sand and
oyster bars and shoals, over which yes
sells OF a draft of over three feet could
not be carried at low tide. The original
project was to secure channel 100 feet
wide and nine feet deep over this bar.
The project was modified in 1879. so as to
obtain a width of 150 feet and aro;n IN |