Contract with Munford & Reynolds, dated December 29, 1890, for the foundations of Dam No. 7, or immovable parts of the navigation pass and weir, and of a central pier and an abutment with shore crib and bank protection, to be completed December 31, 1892.

Contract with C. Irwin McDonald, dated March 3, 1891, for the foundations of Dam No. 8, or immovable parts of the navigation pass and weir, and of a central pier and an abutment with shore crib and bank protection, to be completed December 31, 1892.

The amount expended in the year ending June 30, 1892, exclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $206,631.38.

Had funds been available, all the locks and dams needed for this improvement could have been begun at the same time and finished in three years with much economy to the United States and with manifest advantage in the use of the improved waterway. The development of commerce on this river has been very great since the improvement by the United States, although the project has as yet been only partially executed for want of money.

During the seasons of low water the value of the improvement is shown in a very marked manner, as free and sufficient navigation is then easily maintained over the improved part of the river, while navigation may be entirely suspended below the lowest dam and above the upper pool.

The estimate for the project for the improvement of the Great Kanawha River by the method of locks and movable dams was prepared in 1875, seventeen years ago. As the work is now approaching completion it seemed to be expedient to revise the estimate, which will be found in a special report of the officer in charge in Appendix F F 1.

July 1, 1891, balanced unexpended

June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.

$414, 531.40

206, 631.38

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.

207, 900. 02

July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities

July 1, 1892, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.

$4,000.00 181, 469. 21

185, 469. 21

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..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1894...

Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

(See Appendix F F 1.)

22, 430. 81 225,000.00

247, 430. 81

1,080, 700. 00

500,000.00

2. Operating and care of locks and dams on Great Kanawha River, West Virginia. The amount of expenses during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, has been $22,003.96.

(See Appendix F F 2.)

3. Elk River, West Virginia.-The Elk is one of the chief tributaries of the Great Kanawha. Its course is tortuous, but the country through which it flows is rich in minerals and well fitted for agriculture and grazing.

The average low-water width is about 200 feet, with narrows at the rapids of about 150 feet in width and occasional portions of about 300 feet in width. The pools vary in depth from 3 to 10 feet, and are separated by rapids over shoals of cobblestones and gravel, on which there

has been at low seasons a depth of but a few inches of water. The average fall per mile in the river from Braxton down is about 2 feet, but is not uniformly distributed, being greatest (about 4 feet per mile) in the central section and less (about 2 feet) in the upper and lower sections. Freshets of small height are of frequent occurrence, but rapidly pass off. The annual rise in the spring is about 10 or 12 feet. extraordinary rise is sometimes had of 25 to 30 feet, but the duration is not great.

An

The approved project of improvement has been the removal of rocks, snags, overhanging trees, etc., and the cutting of narrow sluices through the rapids and shoals. The principal interests to be served are those of lumbering and rafting, but much country produce is also carried down stream in small boats, which return with merchandise, etc.

A few days were spent in July, 1891, in removing snags near the mouth of the river; and in September and October the small balance available was expended in blasting a channel for logs through the large, loose rocks in the shoals in the upper river near Webster, in building, repairing, and altering chute walls and dikes, and in removing rocks between Clay and the mouth of the river.

A serious obstruction to the navigation of this river at some stages consists of several milldams. The attention of the proper authorities

has been called to these in compliance with the law.

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended..

June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year..

$2,754.31

2, 595. 42

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.......

Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893...

(See Appendix F F 3.)

158.89 2,500.00

2,658.89

4. Gauley River, West Virginia.-Gauley River takes its rise in Webster County, W. Va., its tributaries having their sources in Pocahontas County and Greenbrier County. It is about 115 miles in length, flowing through Nicholas and Fayette counties in a southwesterly direc tion, sometimes nearly west, and near its mouth almost due south; it is entirely in the State of West Virginia. Its head waters and those of its tributaries are covered with a virgin forest of the finest timber, with only clearings of a few acres here and there; and on the north side of the river, in Webster and Nicholas counties, some glades a few miles wide and in extent 20 or 25 miles, which give only a stunted growth, to break up this vast timber section.

For the first 12 miles from its mouth the Gauley falls only 4 feet per mile; in the next 26 miles its fall is nearly 34 feet per mile, in a gorge similar to that of New River, as seen from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway between Kanawha Falls and Hinton, the hills on either side being several hundred feet high and almost perpendicular, and the stream full of bowlders of sandstone, some very large, and so numerous as to justify the people in calling this section the "Roughs" of Gauley. From the head of the "Roughs," near Hominy Creek, 2 miles above Hughes Ferry, to the Forks, about 57 miles, the fall is estimated at 5 feet per mile. The levels from the mouth of Gauley River to the mouth of Meadow River, 29 miles, are taken from Ellet's report on the Great Kanawha River, West Virginia, made in 1858; the remainder are estimated. The levels on Meadow River were obtained from the same

source.

Gauley River is 500 feet wide at its mouth, 350 feet wide at mouth of

Meadow River, 200 feet wide at mouth of Cranberry River, 150 feet wide at mouth of Williams River, and 75 feet wide at the Forks.

Operations for the improvement of the Gauley River were instituted after an examination made in 1878 in accordance with the provisions of the river and harbor act of August 5, 1886. It was then pointed out that a valuable improvement of the 12 miles of river from the mouth to the "Roughs" could be made at an expense of $10,000, and that a great advantage would follow the expenditure of $65,000 in the 26-mile reach called the "Roughs" in facilitating and cheapening the bringing to market of millions of feet of lumber of the most valuable and varied kinds.

The approved project has consisted in the removal of ledges and loose rocks and the making of channels through shoals of loose rock and bowlders from the mouth of the river to the "Roughs" to improve the navigation for boats and rafts, and in blasting down the very large bowlders in the "Rough" to permit the more free passage of logs. The amount expended to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $2,881.04, with decided advantage to the navigation over the worst shoals below the "Roughs."

The amount expended in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, has been $2,856.28, with which the channels below the "Roughs" have been improved in width and position, and a good beginning has been made on the formidable "Roughs" themselves.

In the money statement in the last Annual Report under the head of Gauley River, West Virginia, the following is found, "Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project, $4,000."

The project under which Congress has given two appropriations contained two heads, namely, the improvement from the mouth of the river to the "Roughs" for bateaux navigation, $10,000, and for the improvement of the "Roughs" and above them, $65,000, total $75,000; see Annual Report for 1888, Part III, Page 1762. The appropriations up to this time have been those of August 11, 1888, September 19, 1890, and July 13, 1892, each $3,000, amounting to $9,000.

Work was first begun on the portion below the "Roughs," of which the cost was estimated to be $10,000, and when $4,000 was stated a year ago to be the balance estimated for completion of existing project, it was understood to refer to that portion of the river. The statement should have read " Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project below the "Roughs," $4,000."

It is proposed by the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad Company to erect a bridge over this river near the mouth; but the plan has not been fully determined upon at the close of the fiscal year.

July 1, 1891, balance nnexpended.........

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......

$2,938.96

2,856.28

82.68

3,000.00

3, 082.68

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... 66,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and

harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

(See Appendix F F 4.)

5. New River, Virginia and West Virginia.-The last appropriation was that of August 5, 1886, of which a balance remains of $2,341.79. In compliance with a recommendation of the local engineer, it was ENG 92-19

decided by the Secretary of War not to expend the existing balance at present.

There were no operations or expenditures in the year ending June 30, 1892.

It is proposed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad to construct a bridge over the unnavigable portion of this river not far above its junction with the Gauley.

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended..

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended

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 F F 5.)

$2,341.79

2, 341.79

159,000.00

IMPROVEMENT OF CERTAIN RIVERS IN KENTUCKY AND WEST VIR

GINIA.

Officer in charge, Maj. D. W. Lockwood, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. W. L. Sibert, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders; Division Engineer, Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers.

1. Tradewater River, Kentucky.-This river was practically closed before the work of improvement commenced by a rock bar near its mouth, and higher up by logs, snags, drift piles, leaning trees, and bars.

The present project, adopted in 1881, provides for clearing the river and its banks of obstructions, and opening up a channel 40 feet wide and 24 feet deep during six months of the year, the improvement to extend 41 miles up-stream from its mouth in the Ohio.

Up to June 30, 1891, $15,481.46 had been expended, resulting in securing a channel through the rock bar near the mouth of the river, and in removing obstructions in the channel and on the banks of the river for a distance of 41 miles, the distance covered by the present project.

During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, no field work was done, the amount expended, $111.44, being for care of property and incidentals.

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended....

June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended............

(See Appendix G G 1.)

$1,018. 54 111.44

907. 10

2. Operating and keeping in repair locks and dams on Green and Barren rivers, Kentucky. When the United States acquired possession of these improvements, December 11, 1888, navigation of the system was broken at lock No. 3, Green River, the river wall of that lock having fallen into the river, the lower end of the land wall of No. 1, Barren, was badly cracked and liable to fall at any time, and both walls of No. 2, Green River, were in a dangerous condition. The channel of the river was much obstructed by snags and slides.

Up to June 30, 1891, $344,251.73 had been expended, resulting in the removal of the old river wall at lock No. 3; the construction of a cofferdam inclosing the site of the new wall and in the rebuilding of the wall and reopening the lock to navigation; the taking down and reconstruction of the lower half of the river wall at No. 1, Barren; the rebuilding of dams No. 1, Barren, and No. 3, Green, from the crest to foot of lower slope; the raising of lock walls at No. 1, Green, and in grading and

paving behind the land wall at No. 1, Barren, and in rear of both walls at No. 1, Green, and the building of seven lock-keepers' houses.

A large number of snags, etc., were removed by the snag boat Wm. Preston Dixon.

During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, $75,686.26 was expended and resulted in general repairs to locks and dams; grading and pav ing lock grounds; construction of guide and protection cribs; removal of snags, and dredging of lock entrances. Navigation has been practically continuous throughout the year.

The estimate of the cost of operating and care, etc., for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, is $56,139.

(See Appendix G G 2.)

3. Rough River, Kentucky.-This river is very much obstructed by overhanging trees on the banks, and by snags, logs, etc., in the bed of the river. The lower 8 miles of the stream are affected by backwater from the Rumsey dam (No. 2), on Green River, but above this the stream has but little depth at low water.

The project for the improvement adopted in 1890 is to clear the river of obstructions, to wit, overhanging trees on the banks, and snags, logs, and stumps in the bed of the river, and to locate and construct a lock and dam near the site of the old ones to carry slackwater to Hartford.

The amount of money expended to June 30, 1891, was $708.54, and resulted in the survey for the site of lock, dam, and lands, preparing plans for the lock, dam, etc., in the construction of a quarter boat for working party, and the deadening of trees and removal of obstructions over 2 miles of the lower river.

The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $5,123.50, and resulted in deadening the timber on the banks of the river to Hartford, and clearing the bed of the river of snags, sunken timber, and logs up to the same point.

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 G G 3.)

$24, 291.46

5, 123.50

19, 167.96 15,000.00

31, 167.96

65, 556.05

4. Kentucky River, Kentucky.-The condition of the river when the United States assumed charge of its improvements was as follows: The five locks and dams with their approaches, built by the State of Kentucky, were in a dilapidated condition, and the channel was much obstructed by snags and leaning trees.

The project for the improvement, adopted in 1879, called for the necessary repairs to the five locks and dams and the extension of slackwater navigation for a draft of 6 feet, by the construction of additional locks and dams to Beattyville, a distance of 261 miles from the mouth of the river.

Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $1,196,183.41 had been expended, resulting in restoring the locks and dams to a navigable condition, clearing the channel and banks of obstructions, and the commencement of a lock,