IMPROVEMENT OF CONNECTICUT RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT, AND OF RIVERS AND HARBORS ON LONG ISLAND SOUND, CONNECTICUT AND NEW YORK, AND ON SOUTHERN SHORE OF LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. Officer in charge, Col. D. C. Houston, Corps of Engineers. 1. Mystic River, Connecticut.-This is a tidal river about 4 miles in length, extending northward from Fishers Island Sound. Its natural depth for the lower 2 miles was 15 feet or more at low tide, in a very crooked and narrow channel; thence for a mile farther, to the village of Mystic, the depth shoaled to about 9 feet. Above Mystic there has been little navigation. In 1888 an exami nation of the river was made, and subsequently a project was adopted for dredging to carry the depth of 15 feet at mean low water, with width of 100 feet up to the highway bridge, and to widen five bends in the stream, at an estimated cost of $30,000. Up to July 1, 1891, $1,644.33 had been expended in dredging to deepen the channel near Mystic; this was the first work done, and the improvement was not then sufficiently advanced to affect navigation or commerce. During the past fiscal year the channel was deepened to 15 feet at and near Mystic, making an available depth of 15 feet at mean low water up to the village wharves, where the previous depth has been about 9 feet; and the sharp turn at the mouth of the stream was widened by from 25 to 75 feet. The total amount appropriated for improving Mystic River is $20,000. Future appropriations will be applied to dredging in accordance with the project. 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 D 1.) $8,355.67 8, 130.07 225.60 10, 000. 00 10, 225, 60 10,000.00 2. Thames River, Connecticut.-This river is a tidal stream extending from the city of Norwich 15 miles south to Long Island Sound. For 11 miles above its mouth the depth ranges from 13 to 80 feet. Until 1889 improvements were confined to a stretch of 34 miles below Norwich, in which the most troublesome bars lay. In 1829 the channel depth over these bars was about 6 feet at mean low water. In 1836 a project was adopted for making the channel 100 feet wide and 14 feet deep at mean high water (11 feet at low water), by dredg ing and by building piers. In 1878 a channel 14 feet deep at low water was projected, and in 1882 a modification was adopted providing for a channel 200 feet wide and 14 feet deep at mean low water, to be obtained by dredging and by building five dikes or training walls along the outer sides of the channel curves. The estimated cost was $208,080, and a balance of $20,000 from previous appropriations was then available. In 1888 the project was extended to include making 16 feet depth as far up as Allyn Point, and 14 feet from there to Easter Point at an additional cost of $40,000. Up to July 1, 1891, three of the proposed dikes had been completed, and the fourth nearly so; and the channel had an available depth from Norwich to Easter Point (32 miles) of nearly 12 feet, with width of 75 feet or over; from Easter Point to Allyn Point, 14 feet depth with 175 feet width; below Allyn Point, 16 feet depth with 200 feet width. At extreme high water the depth was sufficient for the commerce of the river, but the channel was too narrow for convenience and safety. During the past fiscal year the channel for 2 miles above Fort Point (about 3 miles below Norwich) was made fully 12 feet deep, and widened to 100 and 125 feet; from Fort Point to Easter Point (about a half mile) it was deepened to 14 feet at mean low water, facilitating navigation of the upper part of the river. Future appropriations will be applied to dredging and, if necessary, to repair and extension of the dikes. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.... June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.... $28, 901: 78 24, 360. 83 July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 55, 600. 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix D 2.) 3. Connecticut River, Massachusetts and Connecticut.-Above Hartford.-From Holyoke, Mass., 34 miles above Hartford, down to Enfield Falls or Rapids, a distance of 18 miles, there is a fair channel 4 to 5 feet deep. Enfield Rapids extends about 5 miles over a rocky and uneven bed, with a total fall of 32 feet. From the foot of Enfield Rapids to Hartford, a distance of 11 miles, the river bed is broad and sandy, with a channel from 2 to 5 feet deep at low water. Several years ago the Connecticut River Company constructed a small canal around Enfield Rapids, through which boats of 3 feet draft and 80 feet length can pass. The several projects under which work has been done have been for dredging at Barbers Landing and for wing dams. In 1878 plans and estimates were submitted for construction of a canal 8 feet deep around Enfield Rapids. These estimates were revised in 1880. The estimated cost of the canal was $1,322,805. It was not considered advisable to commence construction with a less sum than $450,000, which has not yet been appropriated. Up to the close of the present fiscal year $100,000 has been appropriated for this part of the river, of which $91,059.70 has been expended. All the work done has been dredging, and the construction and repair of 7 wing dams. No work was done during the past fiscal year. The last appropriation for this part of the river was made in 1880, and the last work done was repair of wing dams in 1886. Except the fixing and defining of the channel by wing dams, the results of the improvement so far made have not been permanent. The funds on hand from previous appropriations are sufficient for * Of which $10,000 may be expended in improvement of Shaws Cove, New London Harbor. such repairs and temporary improvement as may be needed during the ensuing fiscal year; no other work is at present contemplated. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended $8,940.30 Connecticut River, below Hartford.-Between Hartford and Long Island Sound, a distance of 50 miles by course of channel, the depth on the bars was formerly 5 feet at low water, the worst places being between Hartford and Middletown, a distance of 19 miles, and at Saybrook Bar at the mouth of the river. Dredging was carried on and small wing dams were constructed by private parties, and by a State corporation up to 1868, with no permanent benefit. In 1868 a project for improvement by the United States was submitted, under which a pile dike was built at Hartford, and annual dredging done on the bars below Hartford, until 1883. In 1873 a project for the construction of three jetties on Saybrook Bar was adopted. Two of these have been built; the third will probably not be required. In 1880 a project for permanent improvement of six of the worst bars between Hartford and Middletown was adopted; it contemplated building riprap wing dams, rectifying the banks, and protecting the caving banks by mattresses, at a total estimated cost of $330,487. It was afterwards found necessary to extend the project to include annual dredging at these and other bars, and the extension and repair of the Saybrook jetties. Two of the contemplated works have been built, a training wall at Hartford Bar, and a wing dam at Glastonbury Bar, their total cost being $40,715.34. In addition to the work included in the estimate of $330,487, the east and west jetties at Saybrook have been extended and repaired, and a channel 130 feet wide and 12 feet deep has been dredged between them, and from $5,000 to $10,000 has been annually expended in dredging to maintain a depth of 9 feet on the bars between Hartford and Saybrook. Experience has shown that on account of the frequency and height of freshets in this river the permanent works projected in 1880 would be inadequate to maintain the desired depth, or even to materially reduce the amount of dredging annually required. Therefore, in December, 1887, a new project was adopted, confining future operations to the completion of the Saybrook jetties to a height of 5 feet above high water with a top width of 6 feet, and widening the channel between the jetties to 400 feet with a depth of 12 feet at mean low water, at an estimated cost of $80,000, with annual dredging to maintain a 9-foot channel between Hartford and Long Island Sound, at an average cost of $10,000 per year. In 1890 an extension of the project was adopted to provide for raising the Hartford Dike to about 15 feet above low-water level, at an additional estimated cost of $50,000. Up to July 1, 1891, riprap dikes had been built at Hartford and Glastonbury Bars, two riprap jetties at Saybrook Bar, at the river's mouth, a channel 130 feet wide and 12 feet deep had been dredged through Saybrook Bar, and channels of 9 feet depth had been made, and as far as practicable maintained by annual dredging. The Hartford Dike and jetties at Saybrook are in good condition; the jetties have secured the permanency of the entrance channel, and the dike has partly secured the channel at Hartford Bar; the Glastonbury Dike is mostly covered by sand. The channel at the entrance retains nearly full width and depth. 세 During the past fiscal year dredging was done as far as the funds would admit of to maintain navigable channels in the river; the bars were all deepened during the summer of 1891. No public improvement has been made since the spring freshets of 1892, and the depth on many of the river bars is now less than required. Future appropriations will be applied to the maintenance of the 9-foot channels, necessary for navigation of the river, to raising the Hartford Dike, and completing the Saybrook jetties, and to widening the channel at Saybrook Bar. 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 $11, 274. 67 10, 888.61 386.06 20,000.00 20, 386. 06 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 110, 000. 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix D 3.) 4. Duck Island Harbor, Connecticut.-This harbor is a broad bay on the north side of Long Island Sound, about midway between the harbors of New Haven and New London, a distance of 46 miles in the widest part of the Sound, where there is no sufficient harbor of refuge for general commerce. Duck Island Harbor is large enough for such use, but is naturally unprotected from storms from any southerly quarter. By order of Congress examinations of this harbor were made in 1883 and 1886, and subsequently a project was adopted for making it a harbor of refuge by constructing three riprap breakwaters, the west one extending westerly from Duck Island, the middle one extending northeasterly from Duck Island, and the east one extending southwesterly from Menunk etesuck Point to the east limit of the harbor. The total length of these breakwaters was to be 5,880 feet and their estimated cost is $463,540. Work under this project was begun in May, 1891, and July 1, 1891; 270 linear feet of the west breakwater had been built; the length was not sufficient to afford any appreciable shelter. During the past fiscal year the west breakwater was extended 676 feet, making its total length 946 feet, from the west side of Duck Island to a depth of 15 feet at mean low water. The breakwater and island together afford a limited shelter, which is occasionally used by vessels in storms. The total amount appropriated for this improvement is $60,000. It is proposed to continue breakwater construction under future ap propriations. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 403, 540. 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix D 4.) 5. Clinton Harbor, Connecticut. This harbor is 10 miles west of the mouth of the Connecticut River. Its channel runs for nearly a mile inside of a beach, through which a breach was made about the year 1840, after which the channel shoaled in two places to about 4 feet depth, where it had been 8 feet deep. The project for improvement adopted in 1882 provided for closing the breach, and if that did not restore the channel depth, for dredging a channel 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water through the shoals. The entire cost was estimated at $10,000. A riprap dike was built across the breach in 1883 and repaired in 1891. The channel depth has not changed since 1882. Nothing was done during the past fiscal year. Dredging with the funds now available was deferred in order not to interfere with oyster beds until the growing season is passed. Future appropriations should be devoted to completion of the dredged channel as projected. 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 D 5.) $3, 365. 22 1, 782. 47 1, 582.75 2,000.00 3, 582.75 1,500.00 6. New Haven Harbor, Connecticut.-The original available low-water depth up to the wharves in this harbor was about 9 feet. The first project for deepening the channel provided for making it 13 feet deep, which was done in 1871. It was widened at different times until 1878, when a project was adopted for dredging a channel 16 feet deep and not less than 400 feet wide. In 1882 a project was adopted for building a dike to extend out from Sandy Point, with an arm parallel to the channel and 3,200 feet long, in order to contract the channel and maintain 16 feet depth on Fort Hale Bar, when that depth should be obtained by dredging. Up to July 1, 1891, the shore arm and 2,089 feet of the channel arm of the Sandy Point dike had been built; a 16-foot channel from 400 to 700 feet wide had been made and maintained all the way up the harbor to Tomlinson's bridge, except over the Fort Hale Bar, where the depth is but 13 feet. No work was done during the past fiscal year. The previously dredged channels are in good condition; the dike has settled from 1 to 2 feet in places. Future appropriations will be applied to dredging and to extension of the dike, if required. 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 D 6.) $9,838.45 9, 120. 05 718.40 15,000.00 15, 718.40 18, 000.00 |