63D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (DOCUMENT 1st Session.

BAYOU CHASTAING, LA.

LETTER

FROM

THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR,

TRANSMITTING,

WITH A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, REPORT ON PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF BAYOU CHASTAING, LA.

OCTOBER 11, 1913.-Referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 9, 1913.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, of yesterday's date, together with copy of a report from Lieut. Col. L. H. Beach, Corps of Engineers, dated December 21, 1911, on a preliminary examination of Bayou Chastaing, La., made by him in compliance with the provisions of the river and harbor act approved February 27, 1911.

Very respectfully,

HENRY BRECKINRIDGE,

Assistant Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, October 8, 1913.

From: The Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army.
To: The Secretary of War.
Subject: Preliminary examination of Bayou Chastaing, La.

1. There is submitted herewith, for transmission to Congress, report dated December 21, 1911, by Lieut. Col. L. H. Beach, Corps of Engineers, on preliminary examination of Bayou Chastaing, La., authorized by the river and harbor act approved February 27, 1911.

2. This is a small stream emptying into Lake Pontchartrain from the north. The improvement desired is the opening of a channel through the bar at the mouth of the stream. The district officer, who is also the division engineer, is of the opinion that the cost of the desired improvement, which is more of the nature of the formation of a harbor for the town of Mandeville than the improvement of a navigable stream, is excessive when compared with resulting benefits, and therefore should not be undertaken by the United States.

3. This report has been referred, as required by law, to the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, and attention is invited to its report herewith, dated April 8, 1912, concurring in the opinion of the district officer.

4. After due consideration of the above-mentioned reports, I concur in general with the views of the district officer and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, and therefore in carrying out the instructions of Congress I report that the improvement by the United States of Bayou Chastaing, La., in the manner apparently desired by the interests concerned as described in the report herewith, is not deemed advisable at the present time.

WM. T. ROSSELL, Chief of Engineers United States Army.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS.

[Second indorsement.]

THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,

Washington, April 8, 1912. Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, United States Army.

This is a small stream emptying into Lake Pontchartrain from the north. At the mouth of the bayou is Mandeville, a town of about 1,000 inhabitants, where the principal interests concerned in the desired improvement are located. The depth in the bayou is sufficient for ordinary navigation, but there is an obstructing bar at the mouth, on which the depth is only about 2 feet at mean low water. The improvement desired is the opening of a channel through this bar. There is practically no commerce on the bayou at the present time. Prospective commerce consists of lumber, shells, sand, charcoal, brick, firewood, and similar heavy freight, the amount of which is purely conjectural. The district officer states that the improvement sought is more in the nature of the formation of a harbor for Mandeville than the improvement of a navigable stream, and that it would require the construction of jetties to protect the channel. Such an improvement would necessarily be expensive, and in the opinion of the district officer is not worthy to be undertaken by the General Government.

Interested parties were advised of the nature of the district officer's report and given an opportunity of presenting their views on the subject to the board, but no communications relative thereto have been received.

In view of the local character of the improvement desired, the belief that the commerce to be benefited would be small in amount, and that the work involved would be expensive and out of proportion to resulting benefits, the board concurs in the views expressed by the district officer and reports that in its opinion it is inadvisable for the General Government to undertake the improvement of Bayou Chastaing.

The district officer describes existing wharves and terminals, and the board reports that there are no questions of water power or other related subjects that have any bearing upon the improvement of this stream.

For the board:

WM. T. ROSSELL,

Colonel, Corps of Engineers,
Senior Member of the Board.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF BAYOU CHASTAING, LA.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

New Orleans, La., December 21, 1911.

1. I have to submit the following report upon the preliminary examination of Bayou Chastaing, La., as directed by the river and harbor act approved February 27, 1911.

2. Bayou Chastaing, or "Castaing," as it is more commonly called locally, is a small stream indicated as about 5 or 6 miles long in a general direction on those maps on which it is shown. It enters Lake Pontchartrain on the north and lies about 7 miles east of the Chefuncte River and about 9 miles west of Bayou Lacombe, the two nearest navigable streams. The name of the stream is also frequently spelled "Castaigne."

3. The letter of Mr. William J. Tucker, a copy of which is appended hereto, is similar to letters received from interested parties concerning the character and scope of the improvement, and may be taken as typical of the information furnished the office upon the subject.

4. The description of the stream and the character of the improvement desired, with the reasons therefor, are given in the following report of Lieut. R. P. Howell, jr., Corps of Engineers:

Lieut. Col. LANSING H. BEACH,

NEW ORLEANS, LA., May 12, 1911.

Corps of Engineers, United States Army.

COLONEL: 1. I have the honor to submit the following report of the result of an examination of Bayou Chastaing, La., made in accordance with your verbal orders. I reached Mandeville, La., at 9 a. m. on the morning of the 5th instant. By means of a gasoline boat I crossed the bar at the mouth of the bayou and went into deep water in the lake, and I also went up the bayou for a mile to a point where a small bridge stopped the progress of the launch. I then drove to other points on the bayou above the bridge. During this inspection and until I left in the afternoon at 4 o'clock I discussed with some 15 or 20 prominent business men of Mandeville the character and extent of improvement desired, the present facilities for commerce, and the benefits which the proposed improvement would give.