The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-09-01
CUTTING or LEvEEs.
Rules and Regulations Governing the
Practice Adopted BY Joint Organize
tion of Lafourclle Basin and At

Practice Adopted by Joint Organiza-
tion of Lafourclre Basin and At
cllafaIaya Levee Boards.
A joint meeting of the Lafourche
| Basin and Atehafaya ala levee boards
was held at the St. Martin Hotel at
noon Tuesday, with Capt. Y. Maurin
| presiding and quorum of members
in attend nee. The subcommittee APP
pointed by the executive committee OF
the joint organization submitted tbs
following report, which was received
and adopted:
Your committee appointed to consider the
acts of the general assembly of the state of
Louisiana, session of 1906, authorizing the cut
ting of public IeFees On Bayou Lafourcne for
certain purposes, with the view of formulating
| general rules aud regulations for the guidance
of riparian owners, and to govern the manner
in which such cutting of the levee may be toer-
ated under the law with little injury to said
lines of public levee and the navigabie channel
| of Bayou Lafourche as possible, consistent with
practical results for the riparian owners. begs
leave to submit the following:
The laws the subject are Acts 90 and 119 of
the general assembly OF 1906.
The indiscriminate cutting of the public
levees on Bayou Lafourche, for any purpose
whatever, is deplofed by your COMMITTEES for
the reason that the sediment which drainage
will necessarily bring with it must event
ualiy cause the filling Of the bayou thereby de-
stfoying its navigahility and in the end choking
if up 10 destroy its efficiency even as
drainage channel; ; but, it is recognized by
law that this may be done, and as it is known
that the sentiment OF the larger part of the
population on Bayou Lafourchs is to the effect
that their Immediate interests will be snbServed
thereby, your committee feels constrained to
subordinate its views to law and popular de-
mand, and, therefore, recommends for adoption
the following tentative safeguards against too
indiscriminate and reckless resort to said pro-
visions Of the law on the subject:
Frst-Formal application for authority to
cut any leyee shall be made to, and formal au-
thority TO proceed with such cutting shall be
secured from thefeEeentiye committee of the
joint organization before any cutting be COM
menced.
Second-It shall be agreed and understood
that the formal author ty to proceed with tbs
cutting shall be predcated upon the Observance
by riparian owners of the following general
spechcat ions;
Cutting for road or wagonways-(a) The ele-
walton of the bottom of the road cuts where
they pierce the evee shall be at least one foot
higher than the level of the public road on the
land side OF the levee at the point where the cut
is desired, nor shall they have a greater width
than two hundred feet, as prescribed by law,
with side slopes no fatter than necessary TO
insure stability to the ends of the leyee. (b1 The
earth excayate ted in making cnts shall DO placed
on the land side of the line of leVee, at suitable
points above and below the cut, and the ends
of the embankment abutting upon the cut shall
be planted with living roots of Bermuda grass
not more than one foot apart. to prevent, as
much as possible. loose earth from washing
into the bayou.
Cuts for drainage purposes-fa) All open
drainage canals emptying into Bayou Lafourche
must be cut at the bayou end so that their bot
toms shall not be less than one foot below mean
gulf level. From thence the bottom shall slope
upward towards the swamps with slope not
sleeper than one-haH foot to the mile. Said
canals must continue for distance of not less
than one-half mile from the bayou edge. and
their side slopes must not be sleeper than liz
horizontal to / vertical. (b) Other drains cnt
into the bayou not conforming with the above
class (a1 shall be boxed or tiled from the water
edge of the bayou To distance { not less than
forty feet from the land toe of the levee liue |
(c) The side slopes of all open cuts or canals |
described in paragraph (a) from the land edge |
of the public road to mean gulf level in Bayou
Iafourche, shall be planted with living roots of
Bermuda grass not more than one foot apart. |
fd) W ater lilies, salt water, acids and undesir
able water of any description shall be excluded |
from Bayou Lafourche. ee) Failure to observe
any of the foregoing conditions specifications
shall constitute forfeiture the part of pro-
prietors of lands of all rights in the premises |
and the executive committee of the joint organi-
cation may, after ten days notice to deinauents |
without local formality of any description. TO |
close any cut or canal at the expense of the |
proprietors of the lands making and operating |
the same.
Your committee further recommends that |
when permission is granted TO applicant to I
cut the ieVee written agreement be entered |
into between the joint organization. through l
its executive COMMITTEES, and said applicant en- |
bodying the above specifications and conditions. /