Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-12-27

Louisiana Levee District.
(SEAL.)
Office of the Board of Commissioners
For the Fifth Louisiana Levee District.
Tallulah, La, December 10th. 1912.
To the President and Members of the
/ Board of Commissioners for the
Fifth louisiana Levee District:
On retiring from the Board as a
Member and its President, I deem it
proper to present to you a list of work
under contract by the District (see
table attached) for your information.
and suggest the levees which should
next be undertaken. The yardage will
be somewhat greater than the table
submitted herewith.
Comforting with Mr.. NJ. p. Robert
son, Member of the Board of State
Engineers. it has been determined TO
materially increase the section
and grade at Reid-Biggs in
Madison Parish. This is an iso-
lated location-7very difficult TO get
labor during times of high water. and
has to bear the brunt of an abnormal
overweight should any crevasse DC
cur on the east side of the river. as
the return water from the NYazoo
Basin comes directly against 1t.
also take the liberty of suggest
ing levees which should have first at
tention after the contracts now in
force are finished, and funds and out
fits can be had to do the work:
PUNCHES BEND-The ten-mile
stretch around Old River in East Car
roll Parish is very weak in sections.
and as it is on a permanent location
should be finished to full grade and
section 1t Is in the extreme northern
portion of the District and a crevasse
in it would cause general overflow and
disaster to the whole District 1 have
presented conditions here to the Mis-
sissippi River Commission. and the
United States Engineer in charge has
submitted it as a project for future
care; but the Commission is not al
ways able to take care of all the pro-
jects furnished, and the District has
to do what the State and United
States does not undertake.
COTTONWOOD AND LQNGwooD:
Should also be raised and enlarged:
Elton Slough north and Hagaman,
south of Lake Providence are being
prepared for repair of defects devel-
oped during the high water of 1912.
All of the crevasses in the District
for twenty years (exceptBiggs in Mad
ison Parish, which was an overtop-
ping by the return water from the
Yazoo) have occurred between Lake
Providence and Henderson. THIS
STRETCH OF LEvEE is TREACH-
EROUS, and If it were an animate
thing, I'd believe it had formed a habit
of ''crevassing:" at any rate there
must be something in the soil or in
the manner of the water piling up
causing the trouble.
The levees from Lake Providence to
Atherton (skipping the new Atherton
Loop to Wilton as far as Alsatia
plantation have been enlarged recent
ly; from Alsatia to Salem crevasse is
now under contract. and from Salem
crevasse to Henderson is also under
contract for enlargement.
There have been so many crevasses
along this stretch that deposit has
closed up all drainage and made a
very quick-sand : foundation; this
/ vhola sfratoh .ho,,Il ha.va n .,r,ta~,,
of drainage, especially around Holly
brook and Point Lookout, and from
Alsatia to Willow Point, including the
! new Salem Loop. by Landslide canals
connecting with drainage system
which would take off the seep water
from the levees. It is proposed, / un-
derstand. by the Good Roads Depart
ment of the Board of State Engi-
neers to drain from Alsatia station on
the railroad for the benefit of the pub
lie road. and this Landslide canal
might be connected there.
Drainage should also be done at
Reid Biggs in Madison Parish; White
Oak Lake and Kempe in Tensas Par
ish, and Green Levee in Concordia
Parish.
The levee from Millikens Bend
south to the Cabin Teele new Loop
showed low during high water; the
Cain-Teele levee (south Of the new
loop) also showed low. but the cav
ing there is so active in front at the
latter place that it would not be wise
to enlarge 1t as new levee will have
to be considered in the near future.
BY examination of the work under
contract 1t win be seen that the levees
from Carolina madison Parish) to
Diamond Island. there are several
contractors covering the levees which
need charging.
White Oak Lake and Raritan in
Tensas Parish should both have at
tention. There were quite a number
Of contracts let in Tensas and Con-
eordia Parishes by the United States
on December eth (see letter Of Can't.