The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1922-09-02
STATE TO PLAN BIC
LEGAL BATTLE ON
RIVER SP|LLWAY
Proposed Flood Control of Father
of Waters" in louisiana Is Held
Menace to Mississippi Sound
Would Fill the Sound With Silt,
Destroy the Oyster and Fishing In
dustry and Close the Harbors of
the Gulf Coast to Shipping-Plan
Would Be Hard Fought.
MAKE RIVER ASSET RATHER
THAN LIABILITY, SUG-
GESTED.

Mississippi Legislature Has Request
ed Mississippi Delegation In Con-
gress to Oppose Such a Project as
the Spillway-If Necessary, Matter
of Opposition To Be Brought to
United States Supreme Court
Project Is Seri>as and Not To Be
Countenanced.
Kill the oyster and fishing indus
try and close the harbors of the Mis-
sissippi Gulf Coast to shipping, to say
nothing Of destroying the salt water
bathing destroyed by such an action,
the plan to convert the Poydras Gre
vase below New Orleans into spill
way for the Mississippi river by the
members of the flood control COM
mittee, if attempted to put into ex-
ecution, would meet with the most
vigorous opposition. The committee
should make a thorough investiga-
ton before they attempt to put
through their scheme. Otherwise they
will find their path strewn with
| trouble" says writer in the New
! Orleans Times-Picayune of Wednes-
day.
Continuing, the writer of the ar
ticle, who makes a most sensible and
timely suggestion, that the Mississip-
pi river be made an asset rather than
liability, says:
The people of the Gulf Coast of
Mississippi never will stand for a
spillway at any place on the east side
of the MississirpI.~rivsr that VIII
jeopardize Mississippi Sound. If an
attempt is made to put through any
such scheme it will meet with the
most determined opposition, not only
from the people of this section, but
from the State of Mississippi.
The policy of the State of Missis-
sippi toward a spillway on the east
side of the river was laid down by the
Mississippi Legislature in concur
rent resolution adopted by that body
in 1916. The resolution was adopted
| when the construction of spillway
that was designed to connect the Mis-
sissippi river with Lake Pontchartrain
was being agitated.
The Legislature requested the Mis-
sissippi delegation in Congress to op-
pose such a project, and in effect,
gave notice that the state would fight
it to the last, even should it become
necessary for the state to apply to the
United tSates Supreme Court for an
| injunction.
Spillway Held Menace to Sound.
The conversion of the Poydras Gre
vase into spillway would, citizens
of this section believe, fill up Missis-
sippi Sound with silt, destroy the oys-
ter and fishing industry and close the
! harbors of the Gulf Coast to ship
ping. The State of Mississippi has
| too much at stake to permit the con-
struction of a spillway that would
| jeopardize her interests.
Citizens of this section cannot un-
derstand why the flood control COM
mittee does not work along lines to
convert the Mississippi river into an
asset instead of liability and men
ace. People in this part of the coun-
try believe that the river can be used
| to advantage in several ways.
! For instance, the construction of a
system of canals connecting the Mis-
sissippi river with the rice district of
Southwest Louisiana would supply
that section with an abundance of
fresh water at time when it is need
ed most. Development of the rice in
dustry that would follow would more
than pay the cost of constructing the
canal system.
Would Help Rice Fields.
Reopening former outlets on the
west side of the Mississippi river
would carry off large quantities of
water and put it where it could be
utilized to advantage. Bayou La
| fourche is an illustration of what
could be done. The construction of
locks and a spillway at Donaldson
vile would reopen that stream to
navigation and supply water for rice
irrigation. 1t is well known that
there are hundreds of thousands of
acres of land at the lower end of
Bayou Lafourche too wet for sugar
cane, but which would make the best
| rice lands in the world.
The construction of ship channel
from point nearly opposite New Or
leans to the Gulf of Mexico, a dis
tance of about forty miles, would
shorten the route to the sea and dis
pose of an enormous volume of wa