The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1906-07-21
FOR BANK
REVETMENT
REMEDY FOR EVILS CAUSED
BY CAVING BENDS.
Thoughtful Letter From Chief En-
gineer Dabney of the Upper Mis-
sissippi Levee District.

SfSslppf Levee District, GTeeny1lle,
Miss:
Dear Sir-This Levee Board took
favorable action in the matter of the
proposed revetment of the oaving
bank at Malone's Landing and vicin
ity, in which both levee districts al,
concerned The order of the board
directs that negotiations be opened
with the Mississippi River Commls-
sion with view OF having this work
inaugurated by cooperation i'll the
matter of bearing the cost between
the Levee Board and the United
States.
| am afraid, however, that the com
mission IS indisposed to undertake
this project, because OF insufflciency
Of funds to meet requirements here
and to provide for other work that
may be deemed of greater Importance
at this juncture.
You doubtless are aware that the
commission adopted resolution
some years ago, by which bank revet-
ment was definitely abandoned as a
feature OF the general scheme of riv-
er control, since which time its ef-
forts have been confined to channel
dredging and 1evee building, except
in particular localities, where bank
revetment is used for special ends.
This abandonment was, as set forth
in. the report OF the commission, be-
cause of the great cost OF revetment
work and the long time that must be
consumed in its accomplishment. 1t
is very true that the limited appro-
priations at the disposal OF the COM
mission during the past years, and the
urgent demands for the expenditure
OF the money on the levees and other
work that was immediately necessa-
~. has lett an inconsiderable proper
ton OF the funds available for bank
rexetment, and that has been applied
N particular places where especially
needed.
believe that this reputation OF
bank reyetment by the commission III
definite terms was unfortunate TOR all
the interests concerned, and that a
better policy would have been to urge
sufficient appropriations to provide
Tor d certain number OF miles OF this
work each year.
The cost OF maintaining revetment
work after its completion was also
set forth as ground for its abandon
ment But | do not believe that the
subject OF the best method OF con-
struction Of brush mattresses has at
all been exhausted, and the cost OF
maintenance may be reduced with
further development of processes.
Reliance upon channel dredging
and levee building as the two sole re
sources for the solution of the Missis-
sippi River problem is a resort to
merely temporizing devices that must
be perpetually kept up, and that can
not lead to any final solution.
SO long as the Mississippi River is
permitted to continually tear down its
banks and shift its channel by the
hundreds of feet annaully, SO long
must it continue to be as a wild horse
without bit or bride, which, instead
of being harnessed and under mans
control, we must forever continue to
dodge aside and keep out of its way
to avoid being overwhelmed by its
power.
Moreover, the burden Of maintain
ing unbroken, long lines of levees
along caving banks is growing more
and more onerous and formidable
with the necessity of continual retire
ment further back from the cavine
bends, on longer lines and lower
ground, a burden that is likely TO
grow greater instead of less as time
advances, with the certain prospect
that at the end of fifty years of the
present policy, after the expenditure
of vast sums of money and the sacri
fee of large areas of the best planta
ton property, the problem shall be no
nearer a solution than now, and with
probably added complications in its
further pursuit.
The alternative is to inaugurate a
of treatment that shall give
to caving banks and fixed
ness to the rivers channel. That be-
ing accomplished, the necessity of
dredging and levee building must dis
appear or become very inconsiderable
features IN river control.
This is undoubtedly stupendous
work, but is IN my opinion the only
final solution of the problem, and is
sure to be undertaken by American
enterprise sooner or later; if not by
this generation, then by another If
the duration of a genration IS neces-
sary for its accomplishment, then
ought the work to be begun as early
as practicable and pursued diligently
to completion, each step in its pro-
gress being made permanent. But if
shape the Congress must be stimulat-
ed to make much larger appropria-
tions for Mississippi River improve
ment, such as the gravity of the sub
ject demands, and such as would be
accorded it in any European country.
The work of levee building ani
channel maintenance for navigation
must go on meantime, and provision ,
should be made for both.
There has recently been displayed
IN marked degree, the agitation of the
subject of bank revet1nent among
evee people and authorities all along
the river, as consequence of tn.
growing magnitude of the burden of
levee lines around caving
bends. The agitation recently for
more liberal appropriations for river
throughout the Missis-
sippi Valley is also markedly in evi-
1ence, being mainly due to the eff |
forts of Congressman Ransdell of |
Louisiana, member of the Rivers
ind Harbors Committee, and an en-
.husiast for this work.
People generally are seeming to