The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-03-24

district officer and the division en-
gineer in the opinion that ii IL not
advisable at this time for the general
Government to undertake the i'm.
provement OF the Columbia River in
front OF the town of Hood River.
The report OF Major CsvaDaugh,
after reviewing the commerce avail
able at Hood River says
"In front Of the town an extensive
sand fat extends northward into the
Colubmia River. bare at low water
for at least baif a mile from high
water line, with shosl depths extend
ing q considerable distance farther.
Hood River, a rapid mountain
stream with a mean annual discharge
of 1900 secondfeet, runs through this
sand fiat and empties into the Col
umbia River, generally through three
mouths 1t is rapid aud, shoal at low
water, even where Ii passes through
the sand fats aud is not navigable,
so that steam boats navigating the
Columbia cannot appI oach close to
the town during the lower stages of
the liver.
During freshet stages 10 June and
July they do, however, land we'll up
In Hood River just across the rail.
road track, close to the town. At
other times of the year the steam boat
landing available at all stages Is
situated on the east side of Hood
River, sbont mile or a mile and
halt from the railroad depot.
"The prominent shippers and oitl-
nj
project OF Improvement by the geneI al
Government that will permit the
river steamboats, to land close to
town at all stages of the Columbia
River, either by the diversion OF a
channel along the high. water bank In
front of the town by dikes or other
| pei manent works or by the construo-
tion of an artificial low water chan
mel by dredging thI ough the sand tat
to the same point.
"No survey or examination of this
ocality has ever been made by the
| department and no reliable MAPS are
available on which to base an esti-
mate OF the probable cost of the
desired improvement. 1t is safe to
assume however, that the least work
necessary would require the drecg-
ing of a channel through the sand
fiat ot less than one half mile long,
| 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep, pro.
| baby much more and such channel
would require very eonsi1era BILE
| sum TOR maintenance, as the annual
freshet In the Colum ola River would
undoubtedly Gil It up yearly.
| "At low water stase the pre-. ent
| haul from the town to the boat land
| ing does not exceed ~ mile. As the
river shipment would have t. be load
ed on wagons in any event, the extra
| distance carried does not materially
effect the cost OF shipment by boat,
and 1t is not believed that the desired
Improvement, II made, would affect
the shipments by rail or the rates
upon such shipments,
a. he terminal facilities consist OF
suitable wharf, sffoIding adequate
accommodations tor the limited traffic,
| but the existing wagon road from the
town to the boat landing Is very
poor, 10th rs to grades aud surface,
| and its reconstruction including a
new bridge across Hood River, at a
| more favorable location would be q
mnoh more practical solution of the
matter than the attempt to bring the
landing place near town.
"lu view OF the comparatively
small extent OF the river commerce
to be affect d and the slight benetit
that would result to shippers by
reason OF more convenient boat
landing, the considerable cost of any
suggested improvement aud the
relatively large annual expenditure
that would be required for main.
tenanoe the Columbia River In front
OF the town of Hood River is not
considered worthy OF Improvement by
the general Government at the pre-
sent time. - Otegonian