MERMENTAU RIVER, LOUISIANA.

LETTER

FROM

THE SECRETARY OF WAR,

TRANSMITTING,

WITH A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, REPORT OF EXAMINATION OF MERMENTAU RIVER, LOUISIANA.

DECEMBER 13, 1905.-Referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 11, 1905.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, dated December 7, 1905, together with copy of a report from Capt. J. F. McIndoe, Corps of Engineers, dated July 20, 1905, of a preliminary examination of Mermentau River, Louisiana, made by him in compliance with the provisions of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1905.

Very respectfully,

WM. H. TAFT,

Secretary of War.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, December 7, 1905.

SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith, for transmission to the Congress, a report dated July 20, 1905, by Capt. J. F. McIndoe, Corps of Engineers, upon preliminary examination authorized by the river and harbor act of March 3, 1905, of Mermentau River, Louisiana," from its headwaters at the junction of bayous des Cannes and Nezpique (including those portions of Lake Arthur, Grand Lake, and White Lake lying directly across its course) to a point in

the Gulf of Mexico beyond the bar at its mouth, with a view of securing a permanent channel to a depth of at least 20 feet."

In the opinion of the local officer, of the division engineer, and of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors whose duty it is under the law to review all reports of this character, Mermentau River is not worthy of improvement by the General Government to the extent indicated in the section of the act as above quoted.

I concur in this opinion.
Very respectfully,

Hon. Wм. H. TAFT,

A. MACKENZIE,

Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army.

Secretary of War.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF MERMENTAU RIVER, LOUISIANA, FROM ITS HEADWATERS AT JUNCTION OF BAYOUS DES CANNES AND NEZPIQUE

(INCLUDING THOSE PORTIONS OF LAKE ARTHUR, GRAND LAKE, AND WHITE LAKE LYING DIRECTLY ACROSS ITS COURSE) TO THE GULF OF

MEXICO.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

New Orleans, La., July 20, 1905. GENERAL: In compliance with Department letters dated March 16 and April 3, 1905, I have the honor to report upon the preliminary

examination of

Mermentau River, from its headwaters at the junction of bayous des Cannes and Nezpique (including those portions of Lake Arthur, Grand Lake, and White Lake lying directly across its course) to a point in the Gulf of Mexico beyond the bar at its mouth, with a view of securing a permanent channel to a depth of at least 20 feet.

called for by river and harbor act approved March 3, 1905.

The river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, called for a preliminary examination of this river, including its tributaries and course through Lake Arthur and Grand Lake, to the Gulf of Mexico. The examination was made under the direction of Capt. W. L. Fisk, Corps of Engineers, who recommended that the river be surveyed to obtain data for a reliable estimate of the cost of improvement. (Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1891, p. 1858.) The river was surveyed in 1891, under the direction of Maj. James B. Quinn, Corps of Engineers, and reference is invited to his report for a general description of the river. (Annual Report for 1891, pp. 1862-1865.)

At the present time the following sections of Mermentau River have a depth of less than 20 feet: Through Lake Arthur, a distance of about 8 miles, the depth is only about 7 feet; at upper end of Grand Lake, a bar about 1,000 feet across, over which there is a depth of only 4 feet; through Grand Lake, a distance of about 12 miles, the average depth is only 6 feet; a bar at lower end of Grand Lake, about one-half mile across, over which there is a depth of only 3 feet; from Upper Mud Lake to Lower Mud Lake, a distance of about 9 miles, the average depth is about 15 feet, the least depth being about 10 feet; through Lower Mud Lake, a distance of about 3 miles, the depth is only about 4 feet; for the next 3 miles to mouth of river there is a depth of about 10 feet; the least depth over

the bar at mouth of river is about 4 feet, the distance to the 20-foot curve in the Gulf of Mexico being about 3 miles. White Lake does not lie across the course of Mermentau River.

Congress, by act approved January 10, 1903, authorized the Rice Irrigation and Improvement Association of Louisiana to construct and maintain a lock and dam in Mermentau River near its mouth. This lock and dam have been completed, the lock having a depth of 10 feet over the miter sills at low water. Should a 20-foot project be adopted, this lock and dam would have to be removed or reconstructed.

The original project adopted by Congress for improvement of Mermentau River provided only for removal of snags, logs, and overhanging trees, and for the construction of a brush dam in Lower Mud Lake, at an estimated cost of $23,615.25. This project has been completed and subsequent projects have provided for the maintenance of the improvement.

Reference is invited to appended report of Mr. F. F. Axtell, junior engineer, as to present and prospective commerce on Mermentau River.

In my opinion Mermentau River, in view of its present and prospective commerce, is not worthy of improvement by the General Government to any greater extent than is now contemplated under approved project.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brig. Gen. A. MACKENZIE,

J. F. MCINDOE, Captain, Corps of Engineers.

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

(Through the Division Engineer.)

[First indorsement.]

OFFICE DIVISION ENGINEER, GULF DIVISION,

New Orleans, La., July 21, 1905. Respectfully forwarded to the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, concurring in Captain McIndoe's opinion that Mermentau River, in view of its present and prospective commerce, is not worthy of improvement by the General Government to any greater extent than is contemplated under the present approved project.

CLINTON B. SEARS,

Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers,
Division Engineer.

[Third indorsement.]

BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,

Washington, D. C., September 6, 1905. Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army. The Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, at its session of this date, had under consideration the within report of the district. officer with the recommendations of the division engineer on a preliminary examination of—

Mermentau River, from its headwaters at the Junction of bayous des Cannes and Nezpique (including those portions of Lake Arthur, Grand Lake, and White

Lake lying directly across its course) to a point in the Gulf of Mexico beyond the bar at its mouth, with a view of securing a permanent channel to a depth of at least 20 feet,

and in connection therewith reviewed the auxiliary report of the junior engineer and studied the history of improvements heretofore made by the United States for the benefit of navigation on this stream. Those known to be interested were invited by the district officer to submit statements and arguments for the further information of the Board, but no communications of this character have been received.

The Mermentau River has been improved under a project submitted in a report of survey made in extension of a preliminary examination ordered by the act of September 19, 1890. This project, providing for the removal of snags, logs, and overhanging trees, and for the construction of brush dams in Lower Mud Lake, has been completed and the present project, approved July 12, 1902, provides for the restoration of the brush dams in Mud Lake to their original condition and for the removal of obstructions. The improvement specified in the act would require the construction of jetties to overcome the bar at the mouth of the river, and extensive dredging, and probably costly revetments through many miles of open water in the lakes where the natural depth is but 4 to 6 feet. It is apparent that an improvement of this magnitude would represent an original outlay of several millions of dollars and a large sum annually for maintenance. The commerce of this stream has for the last five years averaged about 40,000 tons per annum. In 1904 it amounted to 45,866 tons, valued at about $713,255. The principal commodities transported are rice, cotton, and fuel oil. In the report of the junior engineer, to which attention is invited by the district officer, it is shown that very little increase in the transportation by water of rice and cotton might reasonably be expected to result from the provision of a 20foot channel. The production of fuel oil is considerable, but the permanency of a supply of this product is at least doubtful.

The Board recognizes the existence of a commerce of considerable size and importance, but believes that the sums involved in the contemplated improvement far outweigh the commercial benefits which would result from the construction of a channel 20 feet deep, and for this reason it concurs with the district officer and division engineer in the opinion that it is not advisable for the United States to undertake the improvement of Mermentau River with a view of securing a permanent channel to a depth of at least 20 feet. For the Board:

D. W. LOCKWOOD,
Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers,
Senior Member of the Board.

REPORT OF F. F. AXTELL, JUNIOR ENGINEER.

SABINE, TEX., June 28, 1905.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report upon a preliminary examination of Mermentau River from its headwaters at the junction of bayous des Cannes and Nezpique to a point in Gulf of Mexico beyond the bar at its mouth, with a view of securing a permanent channel to a depth of at least 20 feet.