The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-05-13
Bayou Lafourehe Problems Outlined,
Comprehensive Report by State Engineers.
Suggestions for Preserving Naviga-
BILE Depth in Damned Stream.
Nau Orleans Pieaunnez Maua


BILE Depth in Damned Stream.
New Orleans Picayune Mays.
The members of the board of en-
gineers made a thorough and careful
examination Of the conditions as they
appertain to Bayou Lafourche, and,
in lengthy and most comprehensive
report, made known the result OF their
work to the executive committee Of the
joint organization OF the Atchafalaya
Basin and Iafonrche Levee Boards.
The executive committee met in New
Orleans, and Col. Arsene Perrilliat, OF
the board of engineers, who largely
has the district under his observ ation
at all times of the year, and who par
ticipated in the investigation, pre-
scented the report, some of the main
features Of which are given below:
Since the work of dredging Bayou
Lafourehe, in September, 1903, some
Ill, 800 feet, or 21.2 miles of channel
have been cut, representing an e1ca-
walton Of $4,000 cubic yards. OF this
14.2 miles have been cut between Don
aldsonville and Napoleonville, &c
miles between NapoleonVille and Race
land and "A miles between Raceland
and Harang's canal. The bars which
obstructed navigation at the time of
closure have been generally removed,
and good navigation is afforded fat
boats wherever the dredges have
worked.
The several dredges used by the
contractors in dredging were not of
such a character as TO produce the
best results, and the work progressed
more slowly than it should have. The
condition Of the channel between the
railroad bridge at Donaldsonville and
the dixie IS the most unsatisfactory of
the whole bayou. This has been cut
twice, but owing to the abrupt incline
OF the bank, the sand and the sediment
deposited by the pumps and syphons,
it has become full of shoals, so that
the depth varies from four feet to one
foot. The dredge now engaged in cutting
out this channel has limited reach,
and much OF the material which is ex-
cavated runs back into the bayou. A
radical change should be made, and
the material exeavated carried away.
It would also prove beneficial if some
change in the method of supplying the
bayou with fresh water were devised,
a change whereby the sitting caused
by the syphons could be done away
with.
On Feb. %, 1904, the dixie at Dom
aldsonville was completed. 1t CON
tanned 38,618 cubic yards of earth, was
AS feet long and of unusually large
dimensions, the crown being 80 feet
wide.
During the high water of 1904 the
land slope of the dixie began to slough
off. The slough was very unusual in
its character, and was not caused by
seepage through the dixie or a satura-
ton of the slope of the dixie, but
seemed to be induced by d movement
Of the material underlying the base Of
the dixie. This slough assumed alarm
ing proportions, and it was deemed
necessary, as measure OF safety, to
bring force of teams on the ground
and during the high water of 1904 to
add more earth to the dixie.
The board of engineers thoroughly
investig ated and submitted a report
recommend atoms for the care
of the dixie. Subsequent investig atoms
and reports mere made, and it was
urged to drive a row OF sheet piling
across the base Of the dixie, and re-
store the material that had been
washed away.
rs the same symptoms which ap-
peared il 1904 were apparent this
season, much work was done on the
dixie, and the contractors had many
disadvantages to contend with. In
view of the sandy substrata which I'M
derlies the base of the dixie, it is rec
commended that large banquette,
with fat slope, be built along the land
side to counterfeit the flow of the sand
which takes place during high water.
The earth exeaVated from the bayou
might be used in the work and a |
double purpose served.
Under the head of tFresh W alter
Supply, y the report reads:
In accordance with the law, your
honorable body took steps early to
provide the bayou with supply Of |
fresh water. A canal three miles long,
and containing about 1876, 900 cubic |
y ards, was dug connecting Lake Bmuf |
with Bayou Lafourehe. Since that
time a canal connecting Lake Fields
with Bayou Lafourcheha has been opened.
and a canal connecting the Acadia
swamp with Bayou Lafourehe is being
cut. The Company canal and Harang's
canal have been opened into BAYOU
Lafourche. The above four canals have
been cut without expense to your
boards. The Lake Fields CANALS Civ
ng, and will give during times Of
'ainfall, large supply Of fresh water
o Bayou Lafourche. The Acadia
.anal will furnish q moderate supply
ander similar conditions. The Com.
,any ard Harang's canals may be