The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-05-23
REPORT ON LAFOURcHE DAM.
Continuance of Earthern Barrier
Great Concession on Part OF
National Government-Situati
Should be Adjusted

| We are in receipt of a copy of the
report of the Board of State Engi-
neers for the biennial period extend.
! ing from April 90, 1912, to April 20,
1914, and extract therefrom the fol
/ lowing paragraphs relating to Bayou
Lafourche:
During the past two years, the
joint organization of the Atchafalaya
basin and Lafourche Ieyee districts,
charged by law with carrying out
certain projects for the improvement
Of Bayou Lafourche. has confined its
operations to such dredging as was
demanded to maintain a suitable
channel for navigation by such craft
as now ply upon that stream, to
guarding against congestion by the
water hyacinth, and to the maintain
ing of fresh water connection with
Lake Verret.
In regard to the lock near the head
OF Bayou Lafourche, at Donaldson
vile, revised plans and specifications
for its construction, on less exten-
sive and simpler lines than at first
contemplated, are, at the request and
at the expense of the joint organi-
zation, being, by courtesy, prepared
under the direction of the q. S. A.
engineer in charge OF the division
Of the gulf
In the meantime the dam in the
bayou, authorized by the secretary Of
war pending the construction of
lock, will no doubt be permitted to
remain. However, it should not be
overlooked that this is, under all
circumstances surrounding it, a great
concession on the part of the nation
al government, and steps to adjust
the situation to comprehensive and
permanent lines should not be de-
1ayed any longer than can possibly
be helped.
The project for permanently clos
ing Bayou Lafourche at it's head, at
Donaldsonvlile, by a. lock or dam con-
tinues in favor, the benefits to the
entire section of the state contigu-
Gus to Bayou Lafourche being mani
fold and convincing beyond the most
sanguine expectations Of its promoters
With special reference to the dam
at the head of the bayou, owing to
copious sipage at and In it's vicinity,
and numerous 'boils'' in the
land slope, banquette, ETC., of
the embankment proper, during
each and every recurring period
of high water, and even at stages OF
the river materially lower than
high water, much anxiety and con-
cern as to its safety and efficiency,
under all conditions and circum-
stances, has been widely felt BY
those depending upon its Integrity
to insure the exclusion from Bayou
Lafourche of high water in the Mis-
sissippf river.
Approaching this fact, the state,
during the high water of 1913, caus-
ed row Of corrugated interloeking
steel sheet piling, forty-five feet in
length, to be driven on line par
the axis of the dam, and
at a distance therefrom generally in
dicatfng the edge of its base on the
river side, to serve as an intercept
ing wall to this sipage, if the source
Were located in that direction.
The penetration reached by this
wall was generally as low as S8 C.
D.. or 11.5 feet below mean gulf
level, the minimum being Ill c. D.,
or so feet below mean gulf level.
Much to the disappointment of
those in interest, the result of
this work was negative, and condi-
tfons apparently little If at all i'm
inducing the state to further
effort to discover the source of
the trouble.
To this end, it was decided to
construct a new dam to the river
side of the old dam, about on a line
with the levees in the Atchafalaya
basin levee district and Lafourche
levee district above and below, and
to improve both Of the latter for
some distance above and below the
bayou proper.
In connection with the earthWork,
the project, as finally revised, COM
pretended a line of sub-surface wood