Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-12-24

Perhaps comparatively few who
ACCESSIBILITY of condemning the
Clearwater river as a navigac!e
stream are familiar with The history
of the various projects that have
been entertained for the improve
ment of the river, or are situated 50
that they can conveniently gain &C
cess to the federal records relating
to the subject. For the benefit of
these people the following history,
taken from the government reports,
has been compiled:
Appropriations Began in 1879
The original project was for low
water navigation from the mouth of
the river to Kamiah, and an appro-
priatton of $4,000 was authorized in
1879, at which time a survey and
estimate of cost of Improvement
were made. The estimate was based
on a low water depth of four and a
half feet below the North Fork, and
of three feet above that point, and
aggregated $34,424 The following
year another appropriation of $4,000
was made and resurvey of the riv-
er resulted in an estimate of $S7, 900
for the completion of the project
below the North Fork alone. No es-
mate was then made on the cost of
Improvement above the North Fork.
First Plans Abandoned
In 1882 a third appropriation of
$4,000 was authorized, after which
no further appropriation was made
until 1896, when a third survey of
the river resulted in the abandon
ment of the project to secure low
water navigation, and the substitu-
ton therefor of a project to secure
high water navigation, the engineers
having found that there were but
few inches of water on many of the
bars during periods of low water.
The estimated cost of completing
work necessary under the new pro-
ject was $4,000. Congress voted
$3.50 makingra total of $4,000
appropriated up to that time.
All Plans Practically Stopped.
In 1902 there remained in the
Clearwater fund an unexpended bal
ance of $4,000, and this was trans
ferred, by act of congress, to the
fund for the improvement of the
upper Columbia and Snake rivers.
This was a practical abandonment
of the project for high water navi-
cation. The government took no
further notice of the river until
f1 905, in which year survey was
made to ascertain the advisability of
improving the Clearwater river for
barge navigation; but the report of
the engineers was so. adverse to the
project that it was given no further
consideration.
Report on the Barge Proposition
AS the infeasibility of improving
the Clearwater river for barge navi-
cation practically means that the
river is unfit for improvement with
view to any form of navigation.
with the possible exception of log
ging and rafting of cordwood and
shingle bolts, it may be we'll to quote
from the reports on which the final
abandonment of the river is based.
The following is from the report
of David B. Ogden, assistant enei-
neer, and is countersigned by Major
S. w. Roessler corps of engineers,
United States army:
My examination of the river was
made September 25 and 26, during
the extreme low stage, ami the
stretch between Kamiah and Basalt,
some 50 miles in length, was cover
ed in small boat. On this particu-
lar stretch there are 10 distinct zap
ids and 10 swift rifles, all more or
less INSTRUCTED with rocks and howl
ders, and several of the rapids are so
swift and the narrow low-water
channel so crooked that a skilIfully
manned skitf was safely navigated
with difficulty. On the stretch be-
tween Basalt and Potlatch Junction,
distance of four miles, there are
two more INSTRUCTED rapids and sew
eral swift rifles, and from this y int