The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1909-05-08
The Bayou Lafourehe Locks.

The Donaldsenvilie Chief calls at
tention to the complications which
now exist in regard to the dam at the
head of Bayou Lafourche at Donald
sonyille, where that stream joins the
Mississippi, and the necessity of taking
some action in regard to it at az early
day, as this dam, which interferes with
the navigation of a naVigable stream,
exists only by sufferance Of the fed
eral government, and the permit to
that effect may, at any time, be re-
moved.
The Atehafalaya and Lafourehe
levee boards proposed, some years
ago, to do away with the necessity Of
levees along Bayou Lafourche by cut
ting that stream from the Mississippi,
and constructing locks so that vessels
could easily pass between the bayou
and the mother river. As it would
require some years to construct the
locks, the levee boards asked and OBJ
tanned permission from the govern
ment to temporarily close the bayou
with dam, to be removed when the
locks we're completed. It has not been
possible, for financial as we'll as other
reasons, to build the locks, but the
dam has remained, to the great injury
of the bayou, and to the inconvenience
of the people of Donaldsonville. The
time limit was extended by the federal
government, but this extension expires
the first of next January, only eight
months distant. Col. L. Fl. Beach,
the United States engineer in charge
of the district, has notified the two
Louisiana leyee boards of this fact.
The lock can not, of course, be com
pleted in the short space OF eight
months remaining; and, as a matter of
fact, there is no present intention to
build them. Major Kerr, the chief
state engineer OF Louisiana, is pre-
pairing reply to Col. Beach's notice,
explaining why the Louisiana boards
have been unable to do the work they
stand pledged to, explaining that it
has been found impossible to get a
reasonable bid for lock construction
within their financial resources, and
that it is wholly impossible for them
to undertake the work now or in the
near future.
It is presumed that this answer win
be satisfactory, and will secure
another extension of time. The United
States engineers would be acting
clearly within their powers il they cut
and removed the dam which closes a
navigable stream; but there is not the
slightest probability that they will do
so, for in consequence OF. the protec
tion from overflow the Lafourehe dis
triet has enjoyed through this dam,
the leyees along the bayou have been
being indeed no longer
necessary, and the removal of the d am
would mean the flooding OF many
thousand acres and much loss and
damage.
We do not think that there will be
much difficulty in securing this extern
sion of time, if the entire Louisiana
delegation works together TO that end,
as it will be asked to do; but why
keep On asking for these extensions,
when it is evident that after the next
expires and still another, we will be
asking for more time? Would It not
be better for all concerned to build
the desired locks, thus removing a
nuisance, restoring the bayou to naVi- 4
cation and yet leaving it protect
against danger of overflow. The OBJ
legation for the work rests on the
federal government, not on the State
or leyee boards; and If properly pre-
sented We have little doubt that con
gress will see to it, especially in view
of the interest now being taken in the
of our interior water
ways. The levee boards were induced
to undertake the work of constructing
the locks because the closure of the
bayou relieved them from the expense
of#repairing and maintaining the La
fourehe levee, which previously gave
them a great deal of trouble when the
river was high; but the obligation
does not rightfully belong to them;
the Improvement is properly the duty
Of the United States; and there should
not be much difficulty in persuading
congress of this in its present temper
and persuading it to make the needed
appropriation. So necessary work
should not be indefinitely postponed
because the Louisiana leyee boards
have SO heavy an expense in building
and maintaining the levees that they
can not undertake. at the same time,
the construction of the DonaldsonviIle
lock. We agree with The Chief that
this lock construction is a matter
which the Louisiana congressman
should take up and get busy over at
an early day.
Death. of Gelestin Masin.
There died at his home on Wednes
day last, the 9Th instant, Celestin
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