Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-28
THE KENNEBEC.
The Work Of the Government
Upon the Channel.
AReview Of What Has Been Done in
Recent Years.
Appropriations Since 1827-The Com
meree Of the River.

The annual reprt of Major S. w.
Poessler of the United States
engineering corps, has just been issued,
dealing with the work of improving the
rivers and harbors of Maine. Concern
ing improvements. fast and prospective,
upon the channel of the Kennebec river,
the report has this to say:
Before Improvement the main chan
mel OF the river between the foot Of
Swan Island and Gardiner was
INSTRUCTED by shoals near Beef Rock,
with only 10 feet Of water at mean low
tide, by dangerous sunken lodges in
Lovejoy Narrows, by shoal below
South Gardiner with only feet on it
at mean low tide. and by a ledge at
Nehumkeg Island. The steamboat
channel to the west Of Swan Island Cat
Hatchs Rock) was obstructed by a
shoal over which there was only M
feet of water and the channel between
Gardiner and Augusta, distance of 61s
miles, was obstructed by shoals which
gave navigable depth of only 81 feet
in low summer tides.
Appropriations for minor improve
ments were made at various times be-
tween 1927 and 1852.
In 1866 a project was begun for i'm
proving the upper part of the river with
a view to obtaining a channel Z feet
deep and 100 feet wide at low water.
This project. with notifications, was
completed in 1877 and resulted in
obtaining a channel 10 feet deep at
mean low tide and not less than 100 feet
wide In it's lowest summer stages as far
UP as Gardiner, and a depth of 6H feet
at low tide and width of 100 feet from
Gardiner to Augusta.
The channel west Of Swan Island, be-
ing INSTRUCTED by shoal water (SE feet
at mean low tide) and too narrow
channel at the head of the island by
shoal water at Hatchs Rock, below
Richmond, and by very narrow chan
mel so feet wide at the foot of the island,
was improved by dredging in 1sS1-1Ss3,
so as to give a channel ITS feet wide
and II feet deep at the foot of the island
and a channel of about 80 feet width
and 10 feet depth at Hatchs Rock and
the head of the island
The river and harbor act of 1886
provided for a new survey of the river
from Bath to Augusta. This survey
was made in 1887. and project embrace
ing dredging, rock excavation. and con-
traction works was submitted for the
further Improvement of the river. In
1892 this project was revised to secure
depths as follows: Thirteen feet at
mean low tide as far up as Sands
Island; IL feet thence to Hinckleys
Shoal, above Gardiner, and 10 feet
thence to Augusta, at an estimated
cost of s3SS,5O0 This project was
approved August 10, 1892, and was COM
pleted in 1898.
The total expenditures upon the river
to June so. 1905, upon the projects above
enumerated were $4S1. 624.04.
The improved channel obtained under
the above projects has suffered some
less of available depth by the deposits
brought down by freshets. This shoal-
ing has been most marked in the
stretch of 6A miles OF river between
Gardiner and Augusta, the further i'm
rrovement Of which is provided for by
the river and harbor act approved June
13, 1902. which appropriated $4,000 and
authorized Il continuous contract for
the completion Of the project. The last
project is published in House Document
No. 2c2, Fifty-sixth Congress, first
session. and at page 1921 of the Annual
Report of the Chief of Engineers for
1900, and proposes widening of the
channel from Gardiner to Augusta to
125 feet. and cleaning out of the old
dredged channel and it's further deepen
ing to 16 feet at mean high water, or IL
feet at mean low water.
The spring freshet of 1902 was of more
hot oh nd Il
caused injurious shoaling in the main
channel on the east of Swan Island, at
Beef Rock shoal. and in the west chan
mel at the head of the island at Hatchs
Rock, but more particularly abreast of
Theobalds Point, near the foot of the
island. The shoaling at Reef Rock
was feet, giving II feet at mean low
tide, where a depth OF IA feet had been
maintained since the dredging of 1892,
and that at Thoobalds Point, where the
depths had heretofore always been
ample, had reduced the available depth
of water to about feet at mean low
tide. A deepening of the channel at
both points being very urgent, dredge
was hired to dredge these shoals at
cost of about $4,000.
The dredging was commenced June
IL, 1909. and completed August s. 1862.
making IL feet at mean low tide at
Theobalds Point shoal and IA feet at
mean low tide ut Beef Rock shoal.
The estimated quantities Of shoaling
which has taken place over the shoal at
head of Swan Island" the shoal lat
Hatchs Rock jetties," and below
Hatchs Rock jetties are, respectively,
$3.50, 6,O17 and 1850 cubic yards in stu,
or u total of 1906 cubic yards, stu
measurement.
No contract has been made nor have
any operations other than above been
carried on during the fiscal year.
The mean rise and fall of tides at
Eath is SO feet; Gardiner, 81 feet;
Augusta. As feet.
The commerce for eight years is given
as follows:
Tons.
1894. I.2o7 s65
1895, l,162972
1897, 6Sos9i
1928, 1,2ll. nos
AA.