The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-01-31
< 0o"AA0so~erlzla :. s4rvzD%r JANUARY 81. 1914
The DonaldsonvilIe Locks.

The DonalosonvilIe Locks.
Under the foregoing caption the
New Orleans Tine1-Democrat publish
ed in its issue OF the 26th instant
the following timely and Well-consid-
cred editorial:
The question Of the construction Of
locks in Bayou Lafourche at Donald
| sonVille, where it joins the Missis-
sippi, is again under consideration,
and the promise is bright that some
PLAN for action will be agreed on
t that will reopen this former important
! tributary Of the lower Mississippi.
! The improvement rests with the two
! levee boards along Bayou Lafourche,
the Atchafalaya Basin and the La
fourche Basin boards, and with the
federal government, which is direct
~ interested in the work of reopen
ing a former naVigable stream. The
only objection, or rather hesitation,
comes from the ALchafalaya district,
on the ground that it is not finan-
ciaIly able at this time to provide
the needed money. This levee dis
trict has had heavy expenses thrown
on it by recent floods. The Atcha-
faiaya has been one Of the serious
problems o. the last two years. It
is proposed to construct along it's
banks this year one OF the largest, if
not the largest and most expensive,
IeVees ever built i'll that section to
protect from overflow several parishes
that have suffered heavily from the
high water OF the last few years.
The great cost Of this undertaking
is given as a reason why the board
cannot do its full share now in the
building Of the Donaldsonville locks.
Congressman Morgan, whose district
includes D0naldscnVilIe, feels conf
dent the federal government will do
its share toward orening waterway
which for nearly Two hundred years
gave the people o. a rich and prosper
Gus section a cheap and direct route
TO market.
The Lafourche was damned up
some years ago to prevent the fre-
quent breaks that occurred in the
levees along its banks during periods
of exceptional high water; but with
the understanding that, as in the
case of Bayou PIaquemine, locks
would be constructed to keep the
Lafourche open to navigation, and
permit it to ship its produce to New
Orleans and other markets, and to
receive it's supplies by the same
route.
The country along the bayou-the
parishes of Lafou"che,. Assumption
and Ascension, anC neighboring par
ishes connected by canal or bayou-is
densely populated, very fertile, pro-
ductive and prosperous. In view Of
the large amount of truck, yegeta-
bles, poultry and similar produce
raised in that sectioI., it is of the
utmost Importance, and to the public
that the people along. the
bayou, as wen as these of New Or
produce is shipped, should have wa
ter transportation to market. The |
city is thus deeply interested in the |
proposed improvement. Some of our |
friends are complaining that |
New Orleans is not showing the in
terest in affairs that concern them |
and itself also it should show, as for |
Instance the intercoastal canal and the
DonaldsonViIle locks. New Orleans !
should promptly disabuse them of
this idea that it is lacking in inter-
est. It IS, as matter of fact, vital
ly interested in everything that in
creases the activities and business of |
the neighboring sections, and direct
ly interested in everything that viii
tend to bring more business to this
port.
Another conference will be held at
an early day on this subject, and it
is hoped to find some plan that will
render it possible to construct the
locks at once. New Orleans
should use all it's influence to help
to bring this about.