The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1909-05-15
The Bayou Lafourche Locks.

The Donaldsonville Chief calls at
tentlon to the complications which
now exist 10 regard to the dam at the
head of Bayou Lafourche at Donald
sonyil,e. where thatustream Joins the
Mississippi, and the necessity of TAX
iuo some action in regard to it ut an
early day, as this dam, which inter-
feres with the navigation of Il navig-
able stream, exists only by .sufierance
OF the federal government, aud the
permIt to that effect may, at any tins.
/ be removed.
The A,chafalsva and Laf"urche
leyre boards proposed, some years ago
10 do away with the necessity of IT,
wees 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
renuire some years to construct the
locks. the leyee boards asked and Oh
taiued permission from the govern
ment TO temporarily close the hayon
with a dam, to he removed when the
locks we're completed. 1t has not
been possible, for financial as well
a. other reasons, 10 build the locks,
but the dam has remained, to the
great injury of the bayou, and to the
I ,nconvinience of the people Of Don
aldeony,lle. The time limit was ex-
tended by the federal government,
but this extension expires the first
Of aext JAM. only eight months dis
tant. Col. l.. Fl. Beach, the United
States engineer in charge of the dis
lrict, has notified the two Louisiana
levee boards of this fact.
1 The lock can not, of course. be com
pIeted IN the short space OF eight
months remaining; and, as a matter
y Of fact there is no present intention
10 build them. Mayor Kerr, the chef
state engineer of Louisiana, is pre-
pairing a reply to Col. Beacll's notice
explaining why the Louisiana boards
have been unable to 10 the work they
STAND pledge TO, explaining that it
had been found impossible to get a
reasonable bid for lock construction
within their. financial resources, and
that 1t was impossible for them 20
undertake tile work now or ID the
near future. Il
1t is presumed that this answer will
be satisfactory, and will secure an
other extension Of time. The United |
States engineers would be acting clear
" within their powers if they cut and
removed the dam which closes a nav
lgalde streams; but there is not the
slightest probability that they will TO
%, for in consequence Of The protec-
lion from over flow the Lafourche
district hss enjoyed through this dam,
tne levces along the bayou have been
neglected, being indeed no longer
necessary, and the removal of the dam
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 !,
won OF time, if the entire Louisiana I
works together to that end,
= Y will he asked to do; but why ]
Aeep on asking for these extensions,
Snen it is evident that after the next
expires and still another, we will be
l'klpg for more time? Woaid it not
'e METER for all concerned to build !
ue deslret locks, thus removing
'uisance, restoring the bayou to navi- Il
'a!'on and yet leaving 1t protect a
'alnst danger of overflow. The obi }
'aeoh Tor the work tests on the fehc-
" government, not on the State or
''ee boards: and if properly pre-
7o'ed we have little doaut that con-
s ; viii see to it, especially in view ;,
: 'us interest now being taken III the :.
SproReneDt of our inferior water +
'aYs. The levee boards were induced
: undertake the work of cons trueting :,
ie locks because the clnsure of the r
@sou relieved them f'osn itt r. p&Hss =
tpps'ritg s-,' uai,,..;4;3s. ;he Is :,
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