Smyrna times., 1927-10-26
INDIAN RIVER ALMOST CLOSED
Sussex Residents Are Losing Thous-
ands Annually as Result of Stagnation


Despite the fact that the Indian
River, which has its source within the
corporate limits of Millsboro, is tide
water stream making its way into In
dian River bay and thence into the
Atlantic Ocean, a distance of twelve
miles, and annually produces thous-
ands of dollars in fish and crabs for
the residents of lower Delaware, the
Board of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors, in Washington, do not seem
to be convinced of the advisability of
spending money for the construction
Of jetty and dredging out the sand
bar at the mouth of Indian River In
let so as to permit the salt water
from the ocean to come into the
stream and feed the fish and crab.
For many months the mouth Of the
inlet has been almost closed and the
consequence is that thousands of dol
lars worth of crabs have been lost to
commerce and propagation has al
most ceased. The supply of fish has
also been diminished many thousands
of dollars
/ At the last session of the Delaware
Legislature, the urgent necessity for
remedical legislation was taken up
with the result that an appropriation
of $4,000 was made to start the work
1t was found that this amount, by
lgovernment surveys, was inadequate
to do the work, and Colonel Earl /.
Brown, who was then in charge Of the
III. S. Engineers Office for the Will
mington District made a recommen-
Idation that the government take some
steps to make the stream navigable
and conserve the fish and crab supply.
Repeated hearings were had at diff
Iferent places and those conversant
with conditions told of the thousands
of acres of valuable farm land that it
Idrained and what a great source it
was for sea foods. 1t was variously
estimated that the fish and crab in
Idustry alone in this river would pos
sibly reach $250,000 annually. These
facts 50 convinced Colonel Brown that
something should be done that he gave
a favorable report that an approprla-
ltion be made. The contention of the
Board of Engineers, it is said, was
that the desired improvement appear
led to be chiefly of local value and for
other purposes than navigation.
Those back of the movement state
that the cutting of the inland water
way from Lewes through to the In
dian River Bay and also the digging
of the Assawaman Canal, which last
year caused a bone of contention, is
responsible for the closing of the in
let and the diminishing of the sup
lply of sea food.
With the hope of blowing out the
inlet, many residents Of Baltimore
District last year, placed sandbagS
across the Assawaman Canal a gov,
ernment prospect, but they were not
allowed to remain there long enough
to prove the theory of the contentious
Even the government engineers, 1t Is
stated, expressed the opinion that BY
backing up the waters of the canal II
the river it would have increased the
volume and had a tendency to blow
out the sandbar at the Indian Rivel
Inlet.
1t is estimated that it will require
more than 100000 to dig out the in
let, and if the work is to be accom-
plished it will require an additiona
appropriation from the Delaware Leg
lislature or the raising Of the none!
by private subscriptions. Whateve
method is pursued, the consensus 0
opinion Of the people of the state j
that the Washington authorities ough
to give the proposition more care
full study and consider the river no
only as a source of revenue, but on
| which could be made navigable.