The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-01-26

Louisiana.
Mr. Bradford discovered that a
point on Red river in Natchitoches !
parish, opposite Grand Encore, which |
is situated between the mouth OF Ba-
you Pierre and old bed of Red river |
and the head OF Cane river (another 1
old bed of Red river has an elevation |
of 122 feet above the Gulf OF Mexico, !
while the Southern Pacific railroad, .
where it traVerses the open prairies OF
south Louisiana, has an elevation Of
eighteen to thirty feet above the
Gulf, this fall of about 100 feet occur
ring in Decline of about 10 miles.
Or taking for the example the city of
Crowley, the principal rice center,
with it's elevation of twenty-four feet
above mean Gulf level, is ninety-eight
feet lower by actual measurement
than Red river valley.
Canal System Prepared
This discovery gave Mr.. Bradford
the key to the situation He had
found water from Red river would
by its own force flow from that
stream through canals and irrigate
every rice farm in Southwest Louis
! lana
Then he applied his engineering
skill to figuring on a canal system.
He found that by constructing canal
with gradient of two-tenths of one
foot per mile, the silts from Red
river would be carried by gravity flow
directly into the fields on either side
OF the canal, serving as a most valu-
able fertilizer of the land.
Investigating still further Mr..
Bradford learned that the many
streams along the route that can be
used for canal purposes, Bayou Coco
drie amcHng them. Next he ascer-
tanned that there were lakes and lake
lands available for the use in impound-
ing water and holding it until it was
needed. He then mapped out a
complete spstem for the canal routes
and reservoirs.
The head gates of the canal will be
in the upper part of Natchitoches,
paralleIling Red river until it reaches
Bayou Cocodrie, and thence into
Lake Cocodrie, just below a concrete
dam and locks will be constructed to
control the water and to furnish
power for the first hydro-electric
plant that will be constructed.
At the upper end of Lake Cocodier
: another canal is to be constructed
: that will connect Red river with the
: reservoir by system Of locks. On
! the western end of Lake Cocodrie a
4 canal is to be constructed that will
' form with the Calcasieu river where
! two more reservoirs and two more
: hydro-electric plants are to be built
A fourth hydro-electric plant is to
J. be constructed on the Mermentau
J. river at a point north of Jennings.
5 The canal system will be connected
l. with the Calcasieu river, the Mer
t. mentau river, Bayou Cocodrei ant
s other streams, thus reducing tn:
y cost Of construction to a minimum
o figure. When the streams are clean
2 ed by dredgeboats the water viii
il have an uninterrupted flow. The
n whole canal system will be somewhat
It in the shape Of huge fan, with tht
J. handle starting above Natchitoch9'
l. and the fan spreading out over South
2 west Louisiana below Rapides parish
It When completed the canal system
l. will serve five purposes, one irriga
ton two drainage, three hydro-elec
It trio power, four transportation ant
a fifth highways.
r Will Reclaim Waste Lands
< The water will be carried where
n is needed for irrigation, and at tn
G same time the canals will drain thous
e ands of acres of waste lands and con
vert them into farms. In passing
y through the canal locks and dams
Y the water will be harnessed witt
l. turbines and electric current genel
1t ated for lighting and power purposes
d The canals being navigable, the
d will furnish routes for cheap tran;
portation. The company plans, afte
the hydro-electric plants are built, t
d construct a trolley system along tn
1t entire route for the purpose of furE
y ishing power to electrically propelle
d barges. Barges equipped with elec
IS trio motors would take their powe
e from the trolleys. This would ful
/ nish the cheapest transportation 70
< all fuel costs would be eliminated
The entertainments made for excavs
It tions along the canal would be surfaC