The St. Mary banner., 1922-11-25

Basin by means Of canal from
BAYOU Portage about two miles
above its mouth at Lake DauterlVe
to Bayou Teche a short distance
above Loreauville, La.
Messrs. James A. Peterman and
Porteus R. Burke, Committee.
Gentlemen:-
Pursuant to a telephone conversa-
ton with Mr. P. r. Burke, | went
to New Iberia on Wednesday, Oct
ober 25th, and the next day made
preliminary examination of the con-
ditions which would be encountered
in dredging a canal from the Atcha-
falaya basin to Bayou Teche, with
view to supplying fresh water 70
Bayou Teche and creating a current
therein for the promotion of santa
ton, irrigation and navigation.
Presently, Bayou Teche is, during
dry weather, tiGe 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 gulf
increases. Therefore, except IN ex-
treme tidal fluctuations, there is
practically no motion il 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 ela-
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
east and west, from Port Barre to
below JeanereSSe. 1t was made und-
er the auspices q the Atchafaiaya
Levee Board and the Board of State
Engineers, for information on which
to base levee construction.
have copy Of this survey,
One of the lines and levels runs
east and west from a point about
mile north Of Loreauville ts Lake
Dauterive at Hazard Vaughn's land
ing. / connected the water level Of
Bayou Teche at Gonsoulin's bridge,
Just above Loreauville, with 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 /
LOOk HOJSS O1 tUS CiCFcbLloAS VI Ii'N
"a a~<,a, Of 1852, 1872 and 1929. AS
suming the levels Of this surrey
made for the Levee Board to be cor
rect, land | 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 ne for The
following reason:-On the date that
fhlc IryorL- Inra tbo 1o,rn1 -
Atchafalaya was feet higher at
Melville than at Morgan City, as
was indicated by their respective
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 bacl,
up from Patterson and was practi-
cally the same level as Morgan CITY,
The feasibility of this project will
depend upon the cost, the practical
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
Sis. Hazard Vaughn and Fernand
Mestayer contemplate leaving Bayou
Teche probably mile above Loreau-
vile and running in a northeaster,y
direction, tapping Bayou Portage a.
bout two miles from it's 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 a quarter miles but
have made it something over four
and 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 low water depth of
six feet of water at Bayou Portage
and slope uniformly to the bottom !
of Bayou Teche which showed seven
and half feet of water on October
26th, 1922, at Gonsoulin's bridge {
The question of slope to the banks I
of this canal is serious ore, and !
should not be determined until an
accurate survey is made and sound {
mgs taken to determine the nature
Of the soil. Precedent would suggest !
that near BayoN Teche where the cut (
Is around twenty-five feet quick sand
will be encountered. This will call +,
for much increased slore or piling, {
both expensive. Back from the bayou,
,nxhnso kho Aonorsk