The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1903-12-05
G -eenville, Misc. Nov. 80, 1908.

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tive to the present conditions an,
prospective needs of the levees in thi
district, / have the honor to submi
the following:
AS the conditions and needs of tn
district were discussed in my repor
to the Board at the meeting in Jul,
last, it will only be necessary at thi
time to give a brief statemet of th
present situation, mentioning the sa
lient facts without attempting a dis
cussion in detail
1t is now evident that more new
levees will have to be built in th,
near future than was mentioned il
the July report, due to recent decided
caving in some localities.
In the July report comparison
was made of the high waters of 1885,
and 1908, in which it was shown that
the latter was much higher than the
former along the entire front of this
distrcit;, also that the flood planes
of the two years were not parallel,
that of 1908 being relatively higher to
the south of Greenville than it was
north thereof.
Since the food of 1897 the aim has
been to bring the entire levee line up
to a grade three feet above the water
plane of that year, and this season IS
work has more than accomplished
that end. as portions of the line have
been built four feet above the flood
plane of 1897. At the time of the
1897 high water the total volume of
the controlling levee line amounted
to 20, 800, 900 cubic yards.
On the completion of the Levee
Board and government contracts now
in force the work done since the flood
of 1877 will amount to about $780,
600 cubic yards, or nearly as much as
was in the levee at the time Of the
1897 flood.
The levee grades fixed with refer
ence to the 1897 food plane we're very
greatly disturbed by the high water
of 1908, the cause of which was fully
explained in the July report.
The levee north of Greenville is
now from 3 to feet above the 1903
high water, but south of GIeenville
it is very little above at anv place,
and in some localities, except for tenn
porary topping, it would be slightly
below this yea1 S flood plane.
To complete the levee to a grade
and section that will insure protec-
tion against the highest waters that
may be expected will, including new
levees that it is now certain Will be
needed, require approximately 20,-
900, 900 cubic yards; estimating this
at twenty cents per cubic yard the
cost for construction alone would
amount to 1000, 600.
In view of the great cost and the
time it would require to put all the
levee up to the estimated final grade
il would seem to be the wiser plan to
first build all the levee line up to a
grade two feet above the 1908 flood
plane, and after this is done. then be-
gin with the final grade. To build
part of the line to the final grade now
would make that portion abnormally
strong as compared with the balance
and would be certain to invite disas-
ter along the neglected portions dur
ing each high water of a magnitude
such as occurred this year.
By first putting the le7ee all up to
, grade two feet above this years
high water would greatly lessen the
chances of disaster during the period
reouired to complete it to the final
grade.
To put the levee up to a grade two
feet above the 1903 food plane ana
rive it safe section including ne"
evees that must b. built in the neal
'uture. require approximately lo'-
MOO. 900 cubic yards; this at twenty
,ents per cubic yard would cost w.
400, 900 for the construction.
The caving banks are the greatest
,indrance to the building and main
aiming Of safe line of levee along
he front of this district.
The rate of caving in nearly all the
,epds has been unusually rapid this
ear. In some instances the levee is
low Threatened where year ago
hare WAS 70 cause for apprehension
rom caving.
Surveys have been made recently
Z all the bends, and approximate 10
ations and estimates made Ior the
ow levees that will be needed in the
ear futrue. -
In the Australia bend, $40 L, the
,yipg is practically continuous for a
istarce of eight miles, and to cover
II the threatened front will require
levee ten miles IN length and ap-
9,7OO, 900 cubic yards IN
oIums The river bank is now
thin 200 feet of the leve at the
earest place and the caving mas
to from so to 100 feet dur
10 the six months since May last
ntil recently there was no caving
onp the greater portion Of this front
ring the past twenty years.
The next threatened point is in
ictoria bend. 392-L. Here, however
new levee is under construction