for dredging a channel 100 feet wide and 9 feet deep through the bar. The project was modified in 1879 by increasing the width to 150 feet, and again in 1885 by increasing the width to 200 feet. In 1890 a further modification was made, proposing the construction of two jetties parallel to the outer channel, retaining the width of dredging at 150 feet. The total cost of this modified project was placed at $72,500. At the close of work in 1883 a channel about 100 feet wide and 9 feet deep had been dredged through the bar. During the suspension of work from 1883 to 1889 the cut was reduced in depth and width by deposits of sand. In 1889 the outer channel was widened and redredged on the westerly side for a width of 94 feet and a length of 1,470 feet, the depths being from 8.9 to 13.8 feet. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, the channel at and outside of White Point was dredged, the width attained being from 130 to 150 feet, and the depth 9 feet. A riprap dike was built inside White Point to check the cross tidal current. Up to June 30, 1891, $39,947.89 had been expended. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, no work was done, the funds on hand not being sufficient for the prosecution of active operations. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended. June 30,1892, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893...... $2,552.11 2,263. 87 288.24 10,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 6.) 10, 288.24 20,000.00 7. Patuxent River, Maryland. The present head of navigation on the Patuxent River is Bristol, Md., about 46 miles above the mouth. Prior to the commencement of the improvement navigation below Bristol was obstructed by two mud bars (1) Swann Point Bar, about 43 miles above the mouth, having a least depth of 7.8 feet, and (2) Bristol Bar, at Bristol, having least depths in front of the two wharves of 7.6 and 4.2 feet. Two other bars below, viz, Pope Shoal (24 miles above the mouth) and Warren Reach Bar (34 miles above the mouth), were mentioned in the report of the preliminary examination as worthy of survey, but they offer no obstruction to the present standard of navigation. The original project was adopted in 1888, and contemplated dredging a cut, 200 feet wide and from 12 to 13 feet deep, through Swann Point Bar and Bristol Bar, so as to secure a permanent channel about 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep at low tide. This project was modified in 1890 so as to provide for a channel 120 feet wide and 12 feet deep (then already dredged) at Bristol Bar and a channel about 100 feet wide and 9 feet deep at Swann Point Bar, these last-named dimensions being regarded as sufficient for the present and immediately prospective demands of commerce. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $9,816.66 had been expended. A channel, 120 feet wide, 12 feet deep, and 794 feet long, had been dredged at Bristol Bar, and a channel, 9 feet deep, about 100 feet wide, and about 2,250 feet long, through Swann Point Bar. This work completes the existing project, unless it should appear from future examinations that works of contraction are needed to maintain the channel at Swann Point Bar. At the present time no further appropriations are recommended. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended ... June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended (See Appendix J 7.) $1, 184.84 263.97 920.87 8. Rappahannock River, Virginia.-The obstructions to navigation of the Rappahannock River before improvement were 9 bars between Tappahannock, 41 miles above the mouth, and Fredericksburg, 106 miles above the mouth, over which the ruling depths were from 4 to 10.5 feet. The chief obstructions were in the 12.5 miles of river below Fredericksburg, where 7 of the bars are found. Of these bars, Fredericksburg Bar, with a least depth of 4 feet, and Spottswood Bar, 4 miles below Fredericksburg, with a least depth of 6 feet, caused the most delay to steamboats and vessels. The original project, adopted in 1871, proposed a channel, 10 feet deep and 100 feet wide, through all the bars. This was modified in 1879 by increasing the dimensions of the channel between Port Royal and Tappahannock to 15 feet in depth and 200 feet in width to accommodate the larger class of vessels. Up to June 30, 1891, $111,786.24 had been expended, and depths of from 8 to 9.5 feet secured through the bars between Fredericksburg and Port Royal by dredging and the construction of dikes. Wrecks and snags obstructing navigation had also been removed. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, $11,193.24 has been expended. A new plant for building and repairing dikes and for snagging on the Rappahannock, Mattaponi, and Pamunkey rivers has been completed. Channels 10 feet deep and from 40 to 80 feet wide were dredged through portions of Fredericksburg bar for the relief of steamboat navigation. A sunken scow was also removed at this bar. As each recurring freshet brings additional deposits of sand and silt into the river, the officer in charge recommends an annual appropriation of $7,500 for the maintenance of the improvement. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.. June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended. July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities. July 1, 1892, balance available.... Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893................ Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 8.) $14, 162.83 11, 193. 24 2, 969. 59 119.00 2,850.59 20,000.00 22,850.59 144, 000. 00 9. Urbana Creek, Virginia.-Urbana Creek is a tributary of the Rappahannock River, which it enters 16 miles above the mouth. Before improvement navigation was obstructed by a bar outside the mouth, over which but 6.5 feet could be carried, and a shoal within the creek having a least depth of 7 feet. The original project adopted in 1879 provided for dredging a channel 150 feet wide and 10 feet deep through the outer bar. This project was extended in 1883 so as to include dredging to 10 feet through a shoal within the creek near the town of Urbana. Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, $18,500 had been expended. The channel through the outer bar had been dredged to a depth of 10 feet and a width of 140 feet, but owing to the action of storms the width had decreased from sand filling to 90 feet. A channel had also been dredged through the shoal within the creek from 80 to 170 feet wide and 10 feet deep, and dikes and jetties had been built along the sand spit to check the movement of sand, which tends to close the natural channel at the end of the spit. In the river and harbor act approved September 19, 1890, an appropriation of $3,000 was made for continuing the improvement. Under this appropriation the natural channel at the mouth of the creek was widened 70 feet by dredging off the end of the sand spit. The depth made was 10 feet at low tide. Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, there had been expended of this appropriation $1,859.04. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.. July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities. July 1, 1892, balance available Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 9.) $3,000.00 1,859.04 1, 140. 96 175.00 965.96 3,000.00 3, 965.96 10,080.00 10. York River, Virginia.-The Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers unite at West Point, Va., to form the York River, which is 41 miles in length and empties into Chesapeake Bay about 16 miles above Old Point, Va. Prior to the commencement of the improvement navigation was obstructed by Potopotank Bar, 9 miles below West Point, on which the ruling depth was 18.5 feet; by West Point Bar, extending about 2 miles below West Point and having a ruling depth of 15.5 feet; and by shoal water in front of the West Point wharves, at the mouth of the Pamunkey. The original project provided for a channel 22 feet deep and 200 feet wide through these bars, with an increased width at the wharves. In 1884 the proposed channel width was increased to 400 feet, and in 1887 the project was amended so as to include the construction of a dike along the flats on the right of the channel, to contract the water way, and maintain the depth dredged, which had decreased from continued silting. Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $129,910.17 had been expended in the following work: A channel 105 feet wide and 22 feet deep was dredged in 1880-'81 through Potopotank Bar, which had, however, shoaled in 1890 to from 20.8 to 21.7 feet. A channel 22 feet deep and from 161 to 257 feet wide, with a center cut 24 feet deep and 40 feet wide, had been dredged at West Point Bar below the wharves, but this channel had shoaled to such an extent that the ruling depth in June, 1891, was but 18 feet. On June 30, 1891, dredging was in progress by contract at West Point Bar, under the appropriation of $30,000 made September 19, 1890. At the first-mentioned date a cut 80 feet wide and 22 feet deep had been made in front of the West Point wharves, the length of the cut being about 2,700 feet. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, these dredging operations were continued, and the channel in front of the wharves widened to 160 feet. The lower end of the channel, where shoaling to 18-foot depth had occurred, was then redredged for a length of about 3,300 feet to a depth of 22 feet and a width of 160 feet, thereby affording material relief to navigation. Great difficulty was experienced in finding suitable dumping grounds on the York River. The flats on either side of the channel are largely occupied by oyster beds whose owners object to the dumping of material or the construction of dikes. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893...... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 10.) $28,879.83 16, 054. 01 12, 825.82 35,000.00 47,825.82 115, 050.00 11. Mattaponi River, Virginia.-The Mattaponi River is navigable for small steamers from its mouth at West Point, Va., to Ayletts, Va., a distance of about 52 miles, and can be made navigable for barges for about 26 miles above Ayletts to Munday Bridge. The obstructions to 5.5-foot navigation are five bars below Ayletts, having ruling depths of from 2.5 to 3.6 feet, and wrecks, snags, logs, and overhanging trees. There were eight bars reported above Ayletts, but no improvement of them is proposed. The approved project adopted in 1880 provides for a channel 40 feet wide and 5.5 feet deep through the bars below Ayletts and the removal of logs, snags, overhanging trees, wrecks, etc., as far up as Munday Bridge. Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $16,296.89 had been expended in removing snags, wrecks, logs, and other obstructions between Robinson Bar and Munday Bridge, a distance of 34 miles, and in building 2,226 linear feet of dike at Robinson Bar. The appropriation of $3,000 made September 19, 1890, was too small to be applied to dredging operations, and was applied to removing snags, leaning trees, etc., which obstructed navigation. The plant formerly used for this purpose on the Rappahannock, Pamunkey, and Mattaponi rivers having become worn out, the construction of a new plant became necessary. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, this plant was nearly completed. The new plant was delivered on July 15, 1891, and after being employed on the Pamunkey River was brought to the Mattaponi, where snagging operations were commenced October 1, 1891. The work covered that part of the river between West Point and Dunkirk, the last-named place being about 6 miles above Ayletts; 165 snags, 27 logs, and 210 overhanging trees were removed. The season's work was concluded November 21, 1891, and the plant was then taken to the Rappahannock River for use on that improvement. ENG 92-10 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 11.) $3, 003. 11 2,870.50 132.61 4,000.00 4, 132. 61 16,000.00 12. Pamunkey River, Virginia.-The Pamunkey River has a navigable length of 59 miles and empties in the York River at West Point, Va. Navigation was originally obstructed by five bars in the upper part of the river and by snags, logs, and overhanging trees. The project was adopted in 1880 and amended in 1885, and provides for channels 100 feet wide and 7 feet deep through Spring Bar and Skidmore Bar, or to a distance of 47 miles above West Point, and channels 40 feet wide and from 3 to 5 feet deep through the bars above, together with the removal of logs, wrecks, snags, and overhanging trees. June 30, 1890, logs, snags, etc., had been removed from 22.5 miles of the river between Garlick Ferry and Hanovertown, dikes had been built at Spring Bar and Skidmore Bar, and a channel 95 feet wide and from 6 to 7 feet deep dredged through the last named bar. The amount expended to June 30, 1890, was $18,483.64. An appropriation of $3,000 was made September 19, 1890, which was applied to the removal of snags, trees, and similar obstructions, which are annually renewed by freshets. The plant formerly used for this work having become worn out and useless, it became necessary to construct a new one. This was completed and snagging operations were commenced in July, 1891. The entire river between West Point and Hanovertown was examamined, and 103 snags, 37 logs, and 103 overhanging trees were removed. Work was closed on September 26, 1891, and the plant then transferred to the Mattaponi River. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project .... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 12.) 7,000.00 EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS, MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. The required preliminary examinations of the following localities were made by the local engineer in charge, Lieut. Col. Hains, and reports thereon submitted. It is his opinion, based upon the facts and reasons given, that these localities are worthy of improvement. This opinion being concurred in by me, Lieut. Col. Hains was charged with and has completed their survey and submitted reports thereon. The reports were transmitted to Congress and printed as executive documents, Fifty-second Congress, first session. 1. Eastern Branch of the Potomac River (Anacostia River), including |