The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1916-12-02
REVETIlNG Of GRAND BAY LEvEE
Work Of Greatest Importance to Southwest Louisiana
Now Under Va

Much interest is now being mani
tested by citizens of Morgan City
and ST. Mary Parish in the work of
revetting Grand Bay Levee on the
Mississippi River, where Government
Engineers are working extra crews
in order to complete the job before
the spring rise, following the winter
months, when the annual swell of
the Father of Waters" threatens
agricultural industries of South
Louisiana During the rise of last
spring Grand Bay Levee enjoyed
considerable publicity, thru the
efforts of citizens Of this section
who made representations to the
Mississippi River Commission, call
ing their attention to the grave dan
ger Of this section Of any weakening
of this particular levee. 1t is estima-
ted that break at this point would
place nine feet of water on the
streets Of Morgan City and cover
every foot of ground in St. Mary
Parish
Mainly thru the efforts of Mr..
Andrew Gay, Jr, and Mr. Humph-
reys of the Atchafalaya Levee
Board, this work has now been un-
dertaken by the Federal Govern
ment, and it is thought the levee will
be in good shape by next spring.
The boils at Grand Bay Levee were
calculated to send chills over persons
with financial interests in St. Mary
Parish, and an organization was
formed in Morgan City last year,
having for its object the protection
of the right bank of the great river
This organization is called the Atcha
falaya Basin Levee Protection AS
soc;ation and is corpose.i of leading
cit; ems # St. Mary n. re -han
$4,000 was raised in 1915 to patrol
the banks Of the river, and Mr.. Far
ley O'Brien of this City was engaged
to operate crews abov. ana below
the Grand Bay location. Mr. O'Brien
did excellent work last year with his
crew of workmen, and it is proposed
to keep the organization going
concern for future good it may ac-
complish. This organization strongly
advocated the revetment of Grand
Bay Levee, while Mr.. Gay and Mr..
Humphries were also instrumental in
pointing out to the Federal River
Commission the Importance of look
ing after this impending danger.
For fortnight or more, day and
night crews have been at work with
hydraulic dredges washing down the
banks of the rivers edge to slope
Of a to l, preparing for the big rock
laden willow mattresses to be sunk
at the waters edge and the rock fac
ing on the sloping bank, which will
prevent the erosion and undermining
Of the bank by the strong river cur
rent directed at this point with its
fufl force.
Grand Bay levee has been called
by the levee authorities the term that
Sherman applied to war. During high
water the low land behind the levee
has been filled with what are called
"sandboils," where the water oozes
out of the ground on the land side |
and fear of the heavy water pressure
on the river side keeps up the con-
stant fear of the levee being under
mined. The constant caving of the
bank during the low water stage is a |
source of worry to the levee en-
gineers and the levee board because
it means that every few years a new
levee will be needed
The national government is under
taking the revetting of this bank.
Hydraulic dredges, which are moth
ing more than larger heavy water
hose with ITS pounds pressure, are
being used to slope the 25-foot bluff
banks to the desired incline. This
slope is to be paved with rock to pre-
vent further erosion.
The government towboat, the
Plaquemine, brought down eight