The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-10-21
Project for Draining One Million
Acres Of Land.

j. W. T. stephens, Interested III
sewerage, waterWorks, drainage and
reclamation projects in general, has
given much consideration to plan
which he believes is feasible, and.
would mean the draining and I'M
proYement of 100000 acres In the
parishes Of Orleans, Jefferson, PA
quemines, Lafourche, ST. James ST.
Charles, St. John, Assumption and
Ascension.
Mr.. Stephens covers the subject
fully in the following statement,
which will be of special interest be-
cause of the widespread attention
given TO land development IN this
section !,
Regarding the reclamation OF
swamp and overlooked lands in this
vicinity. l would like to call the at
tentton of those interestedoin the sub
isct to the fact that in many IN
stances there are territories which
are naturally formed drainage ba-
sins, BY: reason Of the bayous runA1ng
| through them, from near the MISSES,
sipDi river to the gulf or lakes, anu
thence to the gulf. One which ap-
peals particularly to me is that ter
ritory between the Mississippi river
Bayou Lafourche and the lakes lying
to the south.
| starting at Donaldsonville on the
river, neA.Vhe head of Gawu La
fourche, to about Point Celeste,
tnence across the prairies north OF
Bay Barataria and Little Lake, to
about Cutoff, on Bayou Lafourche,
would by the construction of a sea
| dyke or levee from the river leVee
| at Point Celeste to the levee on Ba-
you Lafourche at Cutoff, from a
| district containing nearly one million
acres, partly in the parishes OF Or
leans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, La
fourche, St. James, st. Charles, st
! John, Assumption and Ascension. BY
establishing adequate pumping plants
along the sea dyke, and on the Ba
you Lafourche, the water level could
be reduced, say three feet, within this
| district and thereby the salt water
could be excluded, making the waters
within the district suitable for irrl
CATION purposes.
/ Upon this levee railway coule
be built to connect Bayou Lafourche
and the Mississippi river.
This undertaking may appear 81
gantic, but it would greatly reduce
individual cost when distributed oyel
the included acreage.
''The whole district would have t
be formed into vast drainage dis
trict, according to the state laws
governing such matters. Then the
commission formed could issue bona:
for the amount necessary to carr!
out the works entailed, the bonds K
cover any satisfactory period OF time
The annual taxation per acre per al
mum would then be comparatively
light. / believe that the cost Of thi:
work, including the necessary deep
ening Of nayigable canals, and lock
: ing same, would not exceed $4,000,
900, OF about 81 per acre. The opera
tion and maintenance would be prop
ably Is cents per acre per annum.
1T will, therefore, be a question
of agreement between the owners a
! to the matter of creating the district
and in q few years making the lant
which now has an average value g
about $40 per acre, worth an aver
age value of 500 per acre.
II have mentioned this project T.
several of the owners, but they sa.
; the matter would take long perlot
for educating the diversified owner
up to it. @
J II submit this idea for what it ma
) produce"