Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1909-04-23
Presidents Report.


GENTLEMEN-ThG rise was very
rapid in the river this season, but
1t did not attain a high stage, (at
Vicksburg 4S.1 feet and did not
stay up for il great while. 1t is
now dropping rapidly, and with
out another rise will soon be in
its banks, and the riparian owners
will be relieved from sipe water.
Only a few years ago, Il stage of
Is feet at Vicksburg would have
caused great uneasiness along some
stretches of levee.
There has not been much done
for the past sixty days in levee
construction, as it was all from
the river side, and so soon as the
water covered the batture, the
work had to stop; however most
IF the contractors are we'll adj
vanced except those beginning late
IN the season, and there is an I'M
finished contract. when n break in
the existing line might occur from
1 cave during this season.
The district has let Il small loop
at Green, in Ccncordia parish, for
about 10000 yards; there will
have to be long line put in this
bend in the future; this loop will
put all the line OH a parity and
give time for the long line to be
finished.
At Cabin Teele, in the MILL
kens Bend stretch, in Madison
parish, long line is needed, and
the district has. let portion of
this to the Board of Control of
the State Penitentiary; both these
locations are in long bends; all
serious caves occur in the long
bends. Either of these lines would
consume all the revenues of the
district if they are built OH the
locations which the engineers,
both State and United States,
Idvise, to have some permanency
or twenty year location.
/ look forward with hope to the
time when the deep-waterway pro-
Jet will be undertaken, and then
will be revetment OF caving bends,
and the long lines of new levees
will not have to be built, the ex-
lsting line will be brought to COM
mission grade.
The necessity for continued work
on the levee is most apparent and
changed conditions which will
come with diversiGcation will need
protection more from overflow
than cotton and while there NAV
he hardship to the tax payer in
The interim, an abandonment of
the efforts now being made would
mean to lose what has been ac-
complished, and also n loss of
confidence by investors and i'm
migrants. The burden must be
BORNE bravely, as it has in the
past, and i'll the meantime every
effort put forth to encourage the
National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress in their work of getting an
annual appropriation of $50,000,-
600 from Congress to improve the
waterways and harbors of the
country, and | believe the policy
has so much merit, and is so uni
versally endorsed all over the
United States, that in the near
future the Congress of the United
States will make provision for the
appropriation, which will mean
more to the development of the
country than can be imagined at
the present time.
The water just falling has done
quite great deal of damage by
wave wash to the new work, but |
| repeat that wave wash looks
worse and does less in the actual |
weakening of the levee, than any.
thing which happens to it.
There is still some depreciation
IN the levee by hog root and using
t as a roadway; these dcpreda-
ions can be entirely removed by
and owners assisting the levee
authorities in controlling hogs
long the levee passing through
heir properties; oy the Police
Jury making roads passable by
emovlng them away from the
'erme and sipe water, and proper
| earnestly ask the land owners
nd Police Juries for their assist.
nee in accomplishing the much
esired results of keeping hogs
rom roofing the levee and the
,vee from being used as roadways.
For financial condition of the
GARD | respectfully refer to the
scretary.
Respectfully submitted,
J. j. MCCLELLAN,
resident Board Commissioners =
Fifth Louisiana Levee District .