The Grenada sentinel., 1903-11-07

high-water bars. have been lowered. t
II we turn to the --.~ r
Evidences Afforded by the Records
OF the numerous gauges established
along the river, which have also been
carefully recorded and preserved, we
lind that the low waters now are sew
eral feet lower than they were in the
years preceding active levee construc-
ton, accompanied by an equal volume
of water and an. equal depth Of chan.
mel. This unqueseionably shows that
the effect of levee construction has
been to bring about gradual depres-
sion of the river bed. This effect has
been produced within the past few
years, for prior. to that time there
was no restraint of the food waters
as could leave any impress whatever,
one way or the other, upon the river
The notion that the bed of the river
Is rising has been somewhat revived
since the flood of 1903, because of the
fact that, at certain points, the gauge
reading showed not only unusually
great elevation of the food height,
but irregular elevation. From this 1t
has been deduced by some that at
those places where the gauge read
ings were the highest, there had been,
as the result of leyee construction, an
unusual deposit of silt, thus raising
the bed of the river. A simple explain
alton will destroy this theory:
In 1880, when the levees we're by no
means continuous and were altogether
insufficient to affect the flood plane in
any degree, the first thoughtful and
scientific observation of the river be-
gan. This was because of the fact
that the Mississippi River Commission
then entered upon the discharge of its
duties. 1t was noted that the rise and
fall of the river was very different 1T
different points. 1t was observed that
the greater annual oscillations, which
were of about forty-five feet, were to
be found at or near the mouths of
the tributariee, such as the Ohio, the
st. Francis, the Arkansas and the Red
rivers. 1t was also observed that the
lesser annual oscillations, which were
of about thirty-fiye feet, were to be
found at intermediate points along
the fronts of the great basins drained
by these tributaries, as for example,
at Fulton, Memphis, Greenville, Lake
Providence and st. Joseph.
A careful plotting of the gauge read
ings at that time exhibited a smooth
and regular high-water slope, but an
exceedingly irregular low-water slope.
This was caused by considerable de-
preston of the river bed at or near
the junction with the tributaries of the
river, and considerable elevation of
the bed along the fronts of the great
basins between them. For this reason
is was noted that the rise in high
water was much greater where the
bed of the river was depressed at or
near the points of junction with its
tributaries.
1t was observed that the discharge
at high water at these points, because
of these depressions, was something
like 100000 cubic feet per second, ;,
while along the intervening basin
fronts the discharge was several hun
dred thousand feet less. This differ
ence in discharge. ranging from a
quarter to half million feet, was be-
cause of the escape of water over the
river banks along these basin fronts.
this escape of water undoubtedly
caused the elevation of the bed along
these fronts, which was noted, and we
feel justified in affirming that when
this escape shall have been perman-
emily prevented by the construction
of suitable levees, these elevated por-
tions of the
River Bed Will Be Gradually Lowered
to conform to the bed at the points of
junction with tributaries, thus making
a regular low-water slope. When this
shall have been accomplished, un-
doubtedly the lowering of the river
bed will steadily go on.
It has also."been noted that during
the flood, OF 1908 the heights attained
by the flood in excess of those hitherto
recorded were greatest at the points
along these basin fronts, as for in
stance, at Memphis, where the rise
was three feet greater than any, ever
known:
The excess of the food height at the
points of depression referred: to- was
nothing like SO extreme. = -.
We, therefore, declare that In our
judgment there is no warrant. what
ever for the assertion that the effect
of levee construction has been, or will
be, to raise the bed of the river, but,
on the contrary, it is our definite con-
viction that the effect will be to cause
general and considerable lowering of
the bed
0ecOuQ-We also desire TO express
our firm opposition to all schemes
for reducing food heights of the lower
river by the construction Of reservoirs
or so-called outlets. We refer to and
fndorse fully all that is said upon this
subject by the very careful and able
report submitted In 1898 by the Com
merce Committee of the United States
Senate, which Is SO complete and elab-
crate as to exhaust the consideration
of the question. We will add that all
schemes which have ever been pro-
posed for the relief of the river In
times of food by outlets or reservoirs
would either prove wholly inefficient,
or would cost such vast sums and re-
quire such constant care and expendi-
lures -as to entitle- them to no consid-
Grafton. 4 80 8
Third while. the flood OF 1908 was