The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-15
WATER FOR THE BAYOU.
state Engineer Peri1Iiat Thinks an AIDE
quate supply of Fresh Water Can be
Furnished the Lafourche
from Lake Verret.
New Orleans Picayune. April 8.

from Lake Serref-
New Orleans Picayune, April 8.
Colonel Arsene Perilliat, member
of the board Of state engineers, re.
turned yesterday from tour of in.
vestigation which is Of considerable
interest to the residents OF the Bayou
Lafourche district. The purpose Of
his trip was TO investigate the pos.
sibilities of4Lake Verret as a means
by which to supply fresh water &c
Bayou Lafourche. Lake Verret, the
colonel explained to reporter, is a
body of water about twelve miles
long and about four miles wide, hav-
ing ar average depth of about five
feet. It is practically branch OF
the Atchafalaya river, that stream
separating into many branches al
the head of Alabama Bayou and run
ming through Grand River, Grand
Lake, Cross Bayou, Bayou Pigeon,
Lake Verret and many other parallel
branches, which come together and
form one large river short distance
above Morgan City.
Lake Verret is situated due west
of Napoleonville and at a distance
of six miles from Bayou Lafourche
il an air line at the point where it
reaches nearest to the bayou. Colonel
E1eriliat was accompanied on this
trip BY Victor NJ. Lefebvre, presi-
dent of the Atchafalaya Basin Leyee
Board, and Honore Dugas, mem
bep of the Atchafalaya Basin Levee
Board, both of whom take great in
terest in this question. They started
at Grand Bayou, at a point about
twelve miles above its junction with
Lake Verret, went down into Lake
Verret, and stopped at a canal which
has been dredged by timber people,
and which, beginning at Lake Yer
ret, runs towards Bayou Lafourche,
stopping at a distance about three
and half or four miles from the
bayou, and heads back Of the Elm
Hall plantation. This canal they
found to be about thirty-six feet
wide and seven feet deep and good
waterway. From there they went
further down along Lake Verret to
a canal which had been undertaken
by drainage district of the parish
Of Assumption to drain into Lake
Verret. Very little OF this canal could
be seen from the lake, or by going
10 skiff through the swamp, as APP
parently only the right OF way had
been cleared Of trees and no excava-
tion had been made near the lake,
but the colonel says that considera-
BILE excavation has been made inland
at some distance from that body of
water.
From the lake the party went to
the southern extremity Of Lake Yer
ret into Bayou Maxile, thence into
Four-mile Bayou, Bayou Long, across
Flat Lake and down the Atchafalaya
river, finally reaching Morgan City.
As a result of his investig alton,
Colonel Perilliat believes that an
ample supply of fresh water can be
secured from Lake Verret for Bayou
Lafourche. At high-water times the
level of Lake Verret rises to a height
OF four feet above mean gulf level,
which is the present level Of the wa
ter in Bayou Lafourche. This would
cause a good supply to flow into the
bayou. AT low water, however, the
level of the lake is practically no
higher than that of the bayou. For
such times pumping plant will have
to be established along the banks
of any canal which might be cut. and
a lift Of two or three feet would bring
an unlimited supply Of fresh water
into the Lafourche
Colonel Perilliat will, within the
next few days, start survey parties
making Investigations Of the two
canals which were explored, begin
mug at the bayou end, instead of
the lake end, and on these SURVEYS
nc VIA OuSO q Il CPC1 U W Vie Two i6N66
boards, giving in detail his views on
5he subject.
Up to the last session of the gen
eral assembly it was not possible
10 use Lake Nerret as a source of
fresh water supply, but the last ses-
sion Of the legislature passed laws
the levee boards to cut
such canals from Bayou Lafourehe
70 Lake Verret as, in their iudg-
nent, might be necessary to main
5ain suitable supply of fresh water
IA Bayou Lafourche. Colonel Peril |
hat believes that if such project is
properly outlined and carried out an |
unlimited supply of fresh water can
oe obtained from Lake Verret. This
y a matter Of vital interest to the
planters of Bayou Lafourche.
Potts Urges Reduction of Acreage.
Paul M. Potts, Of Natehitoches,
louisiana member of the executive
sT..-