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 U 3.)

$22,500.00

4. Cedar Bayou, Texas.-A survey of this locality, with a view to removal of the bar at the mouth of the bayou, was made in 1889. The natural depth on the bar was 3 feet at mean low tide. The cost of improvement to afford a depth of 5 feet was estimated as $18,150, which sum was appropriated by act of September 19, 1890. This sum was applied during the past fiscal year to dredging and protection of the excavated channel by walls of brush and stone mattress, resulting in a channel 1,840 feet long and 64 feet wide with ruling depth of 5 feet over the distance dredged.

5. Buffalo Bayou, Texas.-The channel between the city of Houston and Simms Bayou, a distance of 11 miles, the extent of bayou under improvement, was, in its natural condition, narrow and tortuous and the natural depth in many places was not more than 6 feet. The project for improvement was adopted in 1881, the object being to straighten the channel and to widen it to 100 feet and to deepen it to 12 feet; also to remove such snags, stumps, and overhanging trees as obstructed navigation. The total amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $155,700.36. It resulted in clearing the channel of the most prominent stumps, snags, and overhanging trees, in easing most of the bends, and in removing such shoals as obstructed a 7-foot navigation. The amount expended during the past fiscal year was $10,103.63. It has resulted in further easement of bends and in still further relieving the channel and bends of obstructions. The obstructions are renewed in more or less degree every year, through action of floods. The project is not capable of permanent completion.

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 191, 549.75 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

(See Appendix U 5.)

6. Harbor at Brazos Santiago, Texas.-In its natural state the channel over this bar was shifting, and its depth varied from 6 to 8 feet. The present (original) project for its improvement was adopted in 1881,

the object being to fix the position of the channel over the bar at the entrance and to deepen it. The total amount expended to June 30,1891, was $189,608.59, besides an appropriation of $6,000 in 1878, applied to removing a wreck. It has resulted in no useful effect upon the bar, and the works heretofore constructed have practically disappeared. The amount expended during the past fiscal year was $190. It was applied to the keeping of a record of commercial statistics and incidental engineering expenses. The officer in charge considers $600,000 as the least amount that should be available before beginning construction of the jetties. Taking into consideration the balance available ($57,686.41), the sum of $542,000, in round numbers, would be needed to make up the amount named.

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... 1,071, 090. 22 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and

harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

(See Appendix U 6.)

EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEY, MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SÉPTEMBER 19, 1890.

The required preliminary examination of Brazos River, Texas, from its mouth to Waco, was made by the local engineer in charge, Maj. Allen, and report thereon submitted through Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Southwest Division. It is the opinion of Maj. Allen and of the division engineer, based upon the factsand reasons given, that this locality is not worthy of improvement. This opinion being concurred in by me, no further survey was ordered. The reports were transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 63, Fifty-second Congress, first session. (See also Appendix U 7.)

The required preliminary examination of West Galveston Bay, Texas, from Christmas (Christians) Point, with a view of reopening the channel through West Bay, was made by the local engineer in charge, Maj. Allen, and report thereon submitted through Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Southwest Division. It is the opinion of Maj. Allen and of the division engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that this locality is worthy of improvement. This opinion being concurred in by me, Maj. Allen was charged with and has completed its survey and submitted report thereon. The proposed improvement contemplates straightening and slightly deepening the channels and removing the points bordering them by dredging, so as to afford a least width of 200 feet and depth of 34 feet in West Bay between the railroad bridges, near Galveston, and San Luis Pass, and a least width of 100 feet and depth of 3 feet in Oyster Bay along Christmas Point, and marking the channel by beacons. The total cost of this work is estimated at $28,998.80. The reports were transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 22, Fifty-second Congress, first session. (See also Appendix U 8.)

WESTERN RIVERS.

IMPROVEMENT OF CERTAIN RIVERS AND WATER WAYS IN LOUISIANA, TEXAS, ARKANSAS, MISSISSIPPI, AND TENNESSEE, TRIBUTARY TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER; WATER GAUGES ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND ITS PRINCIPAL TRIBUTARIES.

Officer in charge, Capt. J. H. Willard, Corps of Engineers; Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers.

1. Red River, Louisiana and Arkansas.-This improvement was begun in 1828, and appropriations aggregating $535,765.50 were made between 1828 and 1852. Between 1841 and 1852 no appropriation was made, and a longer interval elapsed between 1852 and 1872, during which the results of former work were lost.

The present improvement, from Fulton, Ark., to mouth of Atchafalaya River, commenced in 1872, at which time the upper river was closed by the great raft, extending from Carolina Bluffs, 33 miles above Shreveport, La., upstream 32 miles to within 4 miles of the Louisiana and Arkansas line, which was added to by each flood. The falls at Alexandria were impassable at low stages. Navigation below Shreveport was affected seriously by the gradual enlargement of Tones Bayou Outlet, 19 miles below Shreveport, which depleted the main channel, and the river was greatly obstructed by snags, sunken logs, wrecks, and leaning trees throughout its entire length.

The project of 1872 contemplated removing the great raft and closing Tones Bayou. Subsequently this project was enlarged to include the removal of jams, snags, wrecks, leaning timber, etc.; opening and enlarging the channel through the falls at Alexandria, La.; deepening the channel at shoal places, and closing the Sale and Murphy Outlet, on the right bank, 66 miles above Shreveport, in order to improve and keep navigation open from Fulton to the Atchafalaya. Also to protect the bank at Alexandria from erosion, and to make a thorough and comprehensive survey from Fulton to the mouth on which to base plans and estimates for permanent improvement.

The amount expended from 1872 to June 30, 1891, was $926,024.52 (including outstanding liabilities of $429.46), resulting in great benefit to navigation. A channel was opened through the great raft in 1873, and subsequent operations, aided by the current, secured a greater width and depth throughout the entire reach, with a channel way constantly widening and scouring, with but little water diverted from the river proper except at flood stages. Moderate estimates, made in 1872, showed that the removal of this obstruction alone resulted in an annual saving of $150,000 to the planting interest above the raft, besides relieving to a great extent not less than 25,000 acres of productive lands from overflow. The removal of obstructions from the channel, clearing the banks, and prompt breaking of all jams, and keeping the drift in motion during high water, prevented renewal of the raft. No work has been done for the closure of Tones Bayou since 1882, when the dam under construction was destroyed. This outlet is filling up gradually with drift, and this, in connection with the work done in the old raft region above and in the narrow river below, is causing the main channel to widen and scour. The rock excavation and dam at the falls of Alexandria were completed in 1885, increasing the period of navigation about two months, and as a general thing permitting boats to pass the falls the year round. The dam and training wall built at Alexan

dria in 1884-'85 for protecting the bank accomplished the purpose for which intended. The removal of snags and clearing the banks for the general improvement of the river were not begun until 1878, but since 1885 operations were confined chiefly to that class of work. The sur vey of Red River was carried from Fulton, Ark., down to Grand Bend, La., near Alexandria, a distance of 406 miles, and was connected with the Mississippi by précise levels along the railroad from Shreveport to Delta, La.

In the past fiscal year the removal of obstructions was continued with great benefit to navigation. Snag boats worked over the entire river from Fulton to the Atchafalaya, nearly all of which was gone over twice, and narrow portions below Rush Point to Shreveport and between Tones Bayou and Knox Point were worked over three and four times. During the prolonged season of low water in the summer and fall of 1891 the entire plant available was employed in removing obstructions from the channel, and this work resulted in immediate benefit to low-water navigation. The Sale and Murphy Outlet was closed effectually by a heavy earthen dam which was completed in November, 1891, and resisted the flood of May, 1892, the highest of record, without sustaining serious damage. Fieldwork of the survey was carried from Grand Bend down to the mouth of the river and suspended in February, 1892, after which work on the maps and notes was continued to the end of the year. The estimated cost of completing the survey in accordance with the project is $97,000.

The amounts expended during the past year were:

2. Red River above Fulton, Arkansas.-The project for this improvement, adopted in 1886, contemplated removing snags, drift, overhanging trees, etc., above Fulton to the mouth of Kiamichi River, about 138 miles, to give reasonably safe navigation at high and medium stages.

The amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $11,773.82, with which a small hand-propelled snag boat was built in the fiscal year 1887, at a cost of $4,000, and employed during the succeeding two years in removing obstructions. In the fiscal year 1891 the snag boat was sold to the work of improving Red River, Louisiana and Arkansas, for $1,500, and the proceeds of the sale, with the appropriation of 1890, were applied to going over the work and removing snags, drift, and leaning trees, practically completing the project.

3. Ouachita and Black rivers, Arkansas and Louisiana.-The improvement of Ouachita River commenced in 1871. Black River, the connecting. stream between Ouachita and Red rivers, was added under the same head of appropriation by the act of 1884. The original project contemplated imimprovement by a system of locks and dams, but was abandoned on account of its cost as compared with the amount of commerce then reported. The present project contemplates removing snags, logs, wrecks, leaning timber, etc., and the improvement of shoal places between Camden, Ark., and the mouth of Black River, a distance of 341 miles. No estimate of cost is given, as the nature of the work requires that it be continuous.

The total amount expended to June 30, 1891 (including outstanding liabilities of $241.67), was $329,965.12, of which $216,377.25 was applied to operations under the project of 1874. An iron-hull snag boat was purchased in 1875 and repaired with a new steel bottom in 1886, and a small wooden snag boat was purchased in 1888. From 1875 to the end of the fiscal year 1891, operations were carried on whenever funds were available, and consisted chiefly of the removal of wrecks, snags, logs, and tree slides from the channel, and cutting leaning tim ber, though an increased depth was obtained at some of the shoals by building stone and brush wing dams.

In the past fiscal year operations with a large snag boat were continued from Logtown, on Lower Ouachita, to mouth of Black River, July1-17, 1891, after which it was withdrawn. The chopping party, which commenced operations at Camden in November, 1890, continued downstream to Alabama Landing, 1264 miles below Camden, where work was suspended December 31, 1891, on account of high water, and the stages continued too high for further work to the end of the year. The work of this party consisted of cutting leaning timber into short lengths, giving special attention to points and bends, girdling trees for some distance back from the river, and removing obstructions from the channel as far as practicable with explosives and hand capstan; and, as it was done at low stages of water, resulted in much benefit to navigation of the upper river.

Since the project for locks and dams was abandoned three examinations have been ordered and made with a view to slack-water navigation, the last in 1889, and the reports on all agree that for the present work should continue under the adopted project.

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended

Amount received on account of overpayments in June, 1891.

$12, 776.55 145.00

12, 921.55 10,872. 22

2,049.33

13. 17

2,036. 16 40,000.00

42, 036. 16