The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1922-11-04

above its mouth at Lake Dauterive
to Bayou Teche short distance
above Loreauville, La.
Messrs. James A. Peterman and
Porteus R. Burke, Committee.
Gentlemen:-
Pursuant to telephone conversa-
tion with Mr.. P. r. Burke, | went
to New Iberia on Wednesday, Oct
ober 25th, and the next day made q
preliminary examination Of the con
ditions which would be encountered
in dredging a canal from the Atcha-
falaya basin to Bayou Teche, with a
view to supplying fresh water tc
Bayou Teche and creating current
therein for the promotion Of SANTA
ton, irrigation and navigation.
Presently, Bayou Teche is, during
dry weather, a tide water lagoon,
the only current therein being
brought about by the ebb and flow
of tide, the influence Of which dim
inishes as the distance from the gull
increases. Therefore, except in eX-
treme tidal fluctuations, there is
practically no motion in the water
of the upper reaches of the stream.
That condition existed on October
26th, 1922, when this examination
was made.
About twelve years ago an ella
borate survey was made between the
Atchafalaya River and the lakes
comprising the Atchafalaya basin on
the east and the Bayou Teche ridge,
on the west. This survey consisted
of lines and levels every three miles
i east and west, from Port Barre to
below Jeanerette. 1t was made und-
er the auspices of the Atchafalaya
Levee Board and the Board of State
Engineers, for information on which
to base levee construction.
| | have a copy of this survey.
One of the lines and levels runs
east and west from a point about a
mile north of Loreauville to Lake
Dauterive at Hazard Vaughn's land
ing | connected the water level of
Bayou Teche at Gonsoulin's bridge,
just above Loreauville, with a bench
mark on this line and also connect
ed the water level in Lake Dauterive
with a bench mark on the other end
of the line. At the same time
took notes of the elevations Of the
floods of 1882, 1912 and 1922. AS
suming the levels of this survey
made for the Levee Board to be cor
rect, (and l feel confident that they
are correct), | found the water in
Lake Dauterive to be exactly two
feet higher than in Bayou Teche.
This was no surprise to me for the
following reason:- On the date that
this work was done, the level of the
Atchafalaya was 6 feet higher at
Melville than at Morgan City, as
was indicated by their respective
gage readings after correcting the
cages to mean gulf level. Since this
point at Lake Dauterive is nearly
half way between the two, and since
the slope is greater in the upper
Atchafalaya River than in the lake
region, two of the six feet slope be-
ing in the lower half looked about
reasonable. On the other hand, the
water in Bayou Teche had to back
up from Patterson, and was practi-
cally the same level as Morgan City.
The feasibility Of this project will
depend upon the cost, the practica-
bility of maintaining sufficient cur
rent for sanitation and for water
supply for irrigation, the danger OF
excessive flood heights and on the
effect upon navigation. | will treat
these subjects in the order named.
COST.
The route outlined to me by Mes
srs. Hazard Vaughn and Fernand
Mestayer contemplate leaving Bayou
Teche probably mile above Loreau-
Vile and running in northeaster!y
direction, tapping Bayou Portage a
bout two miles from its mouth, as
shown on the accompanying plat.
| This route appears to me to be the
most practicable because it is the
shortest and passes through more
| low land than any other route could.
The scales on the Government land
plats four and quarter miles but
have made it something over four
and a half miles in order that my
estimate be not too low. My calcula-
tions contemplate a canal with a
bottom width of forty feet and
| would have a low water depth of
six feet of water at Bayou Portage
| and slope uniformly to the bottom
of Bayou Teche which showed seven
and a half feet of water on October
26th, 1922, at Gonsoulin's bridge.
The question of slope to the banks
of this canal is a serious one, and
should not be determined until an
accurate survey is made and sound
! ings taken to determine the nature
of the soil. Precedent would suggest
that near Bayou Teche where the cut
is around twenty-five feet quick sand
will be encountered. This will call
for a much increased slope or pillng,
both expensive. Back from the bayou,
where the deposit generally consists
of a predominance of fine silt, rath-
er than sand, less slope will pro
bably suffice. For the purpose OF ar
irving at some basis of cost, | have
arbitrarily adopted a slope OF one
horizontal to one vertical for the
| first 10000 feet from Bayou Portage
one and quarter horizontal to one
vertical for the next 1000 feet and
one and a half horizontal to one
vertical for the remaining 1000 feet
to Bayou Teche This figures up to
$4,000 cubic yards. The cost per
cubic yard of this class of work has
risen So much of late that before
making an estimate of cost, more
| information would be necessary. The
method employed in digging must
| be a deviation from the ordinary
dipper dredge as the problem OF dis
posing of the dirt on the heavy cut
is serious one. / have shown a