The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1912-08-24
SUGGESTIONS ABOUT LEVEE
BUILDING.


The present plan of leVee building
is to build or rebuild leyee as
near to the river bank as will per-
nit securing the necessary earfh
from the river side. The reason OF
this is that the strip of land front
ing on the river is higher and much
more valuable than that further back,
and owners protest vigorously against
losing any more of this land than 10
absolutely necessary. 1t Is q fact
that from the front of the new ie-
wee to the rivers edge there is a
filling of alluvial deposit to within
about one foot of the flood level.
Considering the depth of the barrow
pits, the filling in front of the Myr'
tie Grove new levee this season was
nearly to the flood level.
My first suggestion is to buNd the
new levee we'll to the rear OF instead
of close to the river shore, surrender
ing the use Of the land, however,
fer one or two years only. Then,
after the river has raised it's bank In
front of the levee, build new levee
within one or two hundred feet OF
the shore This levee, OF course,
would need to be only Of small height
and base and easily protected. The
strip of raised land would be much
nore valuable and the riparian pro-
pretor should be paid for any dam
age entailed to orchards, buildings,
etc, and for the loss Of use OF the
land. This plan would be a safe
guard from overflow on the front,
but there might stillbe danger OF en-
croachment from water on the TANKS
or rear.
cannot conceive of any plan which
would obviate all danger, but any
steps which would diminish the flood
level and volume would naturally les
sen the danger. To effect this, !
would offer as
Suggestion No. 2, store up the
floods as far as practicable and
Suggestion No. 3. adopt system Of
outlets to assist in getting rid OF
the flood as rapidly as possible.
Suggestion No. q:
A drawback to storing the floods
is that there is not so much need
lfCr water where the great excess
fails. It is estimated that more wa
| ter is emptied from the Ohio thar
comes from all other tributaries com
bined But there is little irrigation
needed in the watershed of the Ohio
a The Missouri which gives us little
l. trouble, badly needs irrigation in III
J, watershed. However, there ar
e doubtless many valleys along TIT
y Ohio and it's branches where immens
j. stores of water might be cheapl!
It and safely impounded, and some U.s.
r for power or irrigation might b.
e found for the imprisoned flood unit
it could be allowed to escape witt
1t safety.
pl The outlet theory has been bitter
IS ly attacked by army engineers an
s, others, but every now and then Nc
e. tnre steps in, makes big crevass
ID and shows us that it is measur
IS of relief to levees further dowr
IS When more water enters the rive
ge than its banks will hold, we find thu
Of the outlets afford permanent relic
AZ but floods are not permanent and
~ can see no reason why We shout
1e not use emergency methods OF r,
IL lief.
as The Atchafalaya, the first Of n
lie great natural outlets, should not
it tempered with. Then Bayous Plaqu
se mines and LafOurohe should be lie
open. Then new outlets or spillWa!
o. should be made at or about Bonn
er Carrie, st. Bernard, Hymelia, and Z
he opening to be made, however. unle
te there is assurance that it can
III kept under adequatecontrol and pr
to vented from damaging the surroun
mt ing country.