The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-01-26
THE LAFouRcHE LOCK.
Atchafalaya and Lafourche Basin Leyee
Boards Hold Important Joint Session.
Proposition to Let Federal Gov
ernment Undertake the Work
Approved-New Bids
Called For.


Plaquemine, where an inspection was
| made of the lock connecting Bayou
| Plaquemine with the Mississippi river,
| v. NJ. Lefebvre, chairman OF the At.
chafalaya board, presided over the
meeting, and the following members
of the respective organizations were
in attendance: Thos. Beary, Honore
Dugas, A. H. Gay. T. G. Erwin, ]. A.
Provost, Jas. Gotten and A. v. Du-
broca, secretary, Atchafalaya board;
v. Maurin, j. S. Brady, Camille
Templet. D. ]. Foret, Louis Hymel,
Alfred songy, T. j. Sellers, r. Perez,
George Lorio and w. J. McCune,
secretary, Lafourche board.
The action of the presidents of the
two boards in submitting through con-
gress a proposition to the federal
government to take charge of and con-
struct the Bayou Lafourche lock at
Donaldsonyille in consideration of the
payment of $3.50, 900 by each board,
was approved, and telegram to this
effect was despatched to Congressman
S. NJ. Robertson at Washington.
It was decided to re-adyertise for
bids for the construction of the lock,
and resolution was adopted request
ing the board of state engineers to
revise the specifications and eliminate
anything they may deem superfuous,
while adding whatever might be con-
sidered necessary, SO that when bids
are called for it will be for one COM
plete piece of work, instead of for sec
tional construction, as before. The ex-
ecutive committee was authorized to
take action in the premises as soon as
the revised specifications are received,
and May % was selected as the date
for the opening of proposals.
The report OF Gen. Arsene Perrilliat,
assistant state engineer, was read and
received, and motion that it be
published in the newspapers of New
Orle ans, Donaldsonyilie, Napoleon
vile and Thibodaux was adopted.
The full text of the interesting docu-
ment is as follows:
Goa the occasion of your regular
semi annual meeting beg TO submit
the following report on the prevalence
of salt water in Bayou Lafourche dur
ing the present winter:
During the season 19e4-5, which
was an exceedingly dry one, salt water
appeared in Bayou Lafourche. This
was due to the fact that there were no
fresh water feeders into Bayou La
fourche, and also that prevailing
winds caused very high tides in the
Gulf, which backed salt water up the
bayou during the grinding season, at
a time when the mills were abstracting
large quantity of water from the
bayou.
"During the winter OF 1866 quite
number of canals had been cut into
Bayou Lafourche, one of these, the
Lake BRuf canal, by your boards,
and many others by private parties.
The season 1866 wa. quite rainy
one, and the prevailiag Winds in the
Gulf did not cause high tides, there
fore very little salt water assembled the
bayou and little or no annoyance was
experienced.
'The present season 1906.7 has seen
even more canals opened into Bayou
Lafourche. This season unfortunately
has been comparatively dry one, and
again the prevailing winds have
caused high tides in the Gulf; hence
during the grinding season, when
much water was pumped out OF the
bayou, salt water aseended this
stream, to the great annoyance of the
riparian owners.
tThe following report, which have
made to the honorable chairman and
members of the executive committee Of
your joint rganization, under date of
May 2, 1905, can be appropriately re-
peated at this time, as it covered the
stu alton thoroughly:
stsIn accord ance 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 136, 900 cubic
yards was dug By you connecting Lake
Bmuf with Bayou Lafaurche. Since
that time q canal connecting Lake
Fields with Bayou Lafourche has been
opened, and canal connecting the
Acadia swamp with Bayou Lafourche
is being cut. The Company canal and
Harang Is canal have been opened into
Bayou Lafourche. The above four
canals have been cut without expense
to your boards. The Lake Fields
canal is giving, and will give during
times of rainfall, large supply of
fresh winter to Bayou Lafourche. The
Acadia canal will furnish a moderate
supply under similar conditions. The
Company and Harang's canals may
be considered of uncertain value, as
at times, during periods OF drouth,
they may be q source of salt water TO
the bayou, although during periods of
rainfall they will also give fair sup
ply OF fresh water to ths bayou. Your
boards, however, have wisely sur-
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