The present project was adopted in 1874, and provides for obtaining by diking and dredging, and where necessary by drilling and blasting rock, a channel 200 feet wide and 10 feet deep, mean low water, from the mouth to New Brunswick, at a cost of $2,093,662.05. It was modified in 1881, pursuant to the river and harbor act of that year, by adding to it the dredging of the South Channel, about 13,000 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 5 feet deep at mean low water, from Kearney Dock to Crab Island. The amount expended to June 30, 1892, under this project was $555,489.18. The above amount was expended in the construction and maintenance of certain dikes required by the project at "The Stakes" and "Middle Ground," in dredging channels 200 feet wide and 12 feet deep at mean low water at these points, and in blasting and dredging a channel of the same dimensions across the rocky shoal at Whitehead Sand Dock, and thence up the river with a width of 100 feet and depth of 10 feet to within 2,280 feet of the canal lock at New Brunswick. Under two special allotments made for it in the acts of March 3, 1881, and August 2, 1882, the South Channel was dredged to the required depth for a distance of 4,000 feet. These improvements have been of great benefit to navigation, permitting the large tows in use on the river to reach a point 2,280 feet below New Brunswick at all stages of the tide. The commerce of the river is reported for the calendar year 1892 to be 1,120,302 tons, against 1,566,888 tons for 1891. The expenditures during the fiscal year amount to $21,877.09. With this amount the channel has been given a width of 100 feet and depth of about 10 feet, at mean low water, for a distance of 400 feet, through a river bed of extremely hard shale rock, bringing the 100-foot channel to within 1,880 feet of the canal lock at New Brunswick; the channel to Acken Dock redredged to a width of 50 feet and depth of 6 feet at mean low water, for a distance of about 600 feet, and repairs to the dikes at the "Middle Grounds" completed. ... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...: 1, 482, 412.05 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix F 9.) 100,000.00 10. South River, New Jersey.-Before the improvement of this stream was undertaken by the United States the navigation of the lower 2 miles of its course had been abandoned and a private canal dredged from near Washington to Sayreville, on the Raritan River. In 1880, when the present project for improving the river was adopted, the mouth of this canal, on account of its faulty location, had shoaled considerably. Above Washington a depth of 2.7 feet existed to Bissetts, 3 miles, and of 2.5 feet to Old Bridge, the head of navigation, 6 miles above the mouth of the canal at Sayreville. ENG 938 The project adopted in 1880 provided for closing the river below the head of the canal, correcting the direction of the mouth of the latter and obtaining by diking and dredging a depth of 8 feet, mean low water, to Washington, 6 feet to Bissetts, and 4 feet to Old Bridge, straightening the channel at two points by cutting across the meadow; estimated to cost $194,695. This was modified July 30, 1892, by omitting the proposed cut-off and dikes and substituting therefor the dredging of the river between Washington and the Raritan River Railroad Bridge, removing 39,000 cubic yards of material, reducing the original estimate to $176,975. The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1892, was $69,552.87. With this amount the direction of the mouth of the canal had been changed, the dikes below Washington completed and maintained, a small amount of dredging done on a shoal above Washington, a shoal at the mouth of Washington Canal removed, and a channel dredged 60 feet wide through the canal and 50 feet wide across the shoal in the river below Washington. The channel below the draw of the Raritan River Railroad Bridge was given a depth of 4 feet at mean low water, with additional width of 25 feet for a distance of 350 feet, and for a like distance above the bridge the width was increased to 70 feet. At Rourke Reach the channel was given a depth of 6 feet at mean low water, and width of 60 feet for a distance of 860 feet; in addition a bar opposite Whitehead's brickyard was removed to a depth of 8 feet at mean low water, and width of 60 feet for a distance of 450 feet, and at the junction of the canal and South River a channel was excavated 350 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 6 feet deep at mean low water. The expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, amount to $6,486.10. With this amount the channel was given a depth of 6 feet at mean low water, with widths of from 50 to 100 feet for a distance of 1,850 feet, extending from the Turnpike Bridge and connecting with a channel of similar depth, existing as far as the Raritan River Railroad Bridge; a width of 100 feet being maintained for the first 200 feet of its length, 75 feet for an additional 585 feet, and 50 feet for the remainder. The present condition of the river is such that it may be navigated at any stage of the tide by vessels of 6 feet draft for a distance of about 3 miles above its-mouth. The commerce of the river was reported for the calendar year 1891 to be 370,335 tons and for the calendar year 1892 it is given as 162,462 tons. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year........... July 1, 1893, balance unexpended Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix F 10.) $1,447. 13 7,000.00 8, 447. 13 6, 486. 10 1, 961.03 98, 975.00 30,000.00 11. Keyport Harbor, New Jersey.-Keyport Harbor was originally accessible at low water only to vessels drawing less than 4 feet. Before its improvement was undertaken by the United States a 6-foot channel had been dredged at private expense, which had shoaled in 1872 to 5 feet and in 1882 to 5 feet, the range of the tide being 4.7 feet. A large commerce was carried on, however, valued at $2,932,000. The project for the improvement was adopted in 1873 and provided for dredging a channel 4,700 feet long, 8 feet deep at mean low water, and 200 feet wide from the steamboat dock to the 8-foot contour in Raritan Bay, at an estimated cost of $30,475. The revised estimate of 1884 was $40,475. The amount expended on this improvement to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, is $30,475. With the above amount a channel had been dredged from the 8-foot depth in Raritan Bay to Keyport Wharf, a distance of 5,000 feet, with a width of 200 feet for the first 4,200 feet and 160 feet for the remainder. A survey made in October, 1892, shows that this channel has not maintained itself, having contracted to widths of from 60 to 175 feet with mean low-water depths of from 6 to 8 feet. There had been no appropriation for this work since 1882, until July 13, 1892, when $5,000 was made available by the river and harbor act of that date. The expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, amount to $4,914.32 with which the channel in front of the steamboat dock was dredged to the required mean low-water depth of 8 feet, and widths of from 70 to 140 feet for a distance of 400 feet, thence for a distance of 2,200 feet outward, a cut 35 feet wide was dredged to a similar depth along the northerly side of the old channel. The commerce is reported for the calendar year 1892 to be 358,391 tons, against 241,252 tons for 1891. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 July 1, 1893, balance unexpended Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix F 11.) $5,000.00 4, 914. 32 85.68 5,000.00 5,000.00 12. Mattawan Creek, New Jersey.-Before its improvement by the United States this small stream was obstructed at its entrance into Keyport Harbor by a mud flat, on which the best depth at the worst section was 3.1 feet at mean low water, though the 3-foot channel was too narrow and tortuous for use. Above this flat a good 4-foot channel existed to 1 miles above the mouth, and thence to the steamboat dock at Mattawan 3.5 feet, shoaling to 1.8 feet at the freight dock 600 feet above and 13 miles from the mouth. The range of the tide is 4.7 feet. Notwithstanding the above difficulties it carried commerce valued in 1880 at $800,000. The project for the improvement was adopted in 1881 and provides for dredging a channel 4 feet deep at mean low water and 100 feet wide from the mouth to Winkson Creek, and thence 75 feet wide to the railroad bridge at Mattawan, 250 feet above the freight dock, at an estimated cost of $33,120. To June 30, 1892, the amount expended under this project was $23,485.87. With this amount channels had been dredged in 1881 and 1882 to the required depth from the mouth to the freight dock at Mattawan, with widths varying from 100 to 30 feet, and, in 1891, a cut 35 feet wide was redredged to the required depth along the northerly side of the channel for a distance of 1,420 feet upstream from the mouth of the creek. A survey made in November, 1892, shows that the channels dredged in 1881 and 1882 have almost reverted to their original condition, hence the appropriation available for completing the improvement in accordance with the approved plans will be insufficient for that purpose. Work during the fiscal year consisted in dredging under a contract entered into with Alonzo E. Smith, of Islip, N. Y., May 3, 1893, for the removal of about 25,000 cubic yards of material. Operations were begun June 24, and at the close of the fiscal year 2,617 cubic yards had been removed. The commerce for the calendar year 1892 is reported to be 326,500 tons, against 199,850 tons for 1891. 13. Shoal Harbor and Compton Creek, New Jersey.-Shoal Harbor is an indentation of the shore on the south side of Sandy Hook Bay, 5 miles west of the entrance to Shrewsbury River. It is bare at low water and the water deepens so gradually outward that the 5-foot curve, mean low water, is only reached at a distance of 3,000 feet from the high-water line. Compton Creek, which flows into Shoal Harbor, is 5 to 6 miles long with 3 to 5 feet of water in the lower reach. At onequarter of a mile from its mouth it is crossed by a fixed bridge, which limits navigation. Between this bridge and the harbor there is a harbor of refuge of limited capacity, having a depth of 9 feet in places, to which fishing vessels resort when the tides allow them to cross the shoal at the entrance. The range of tides is 4.5 feet. The plan of improvement adopted in 1884 had in view the connection of the 5-foot mean low-water curve of the creek on the inside with the 5-foot curve of the bay by means of a dredged channel 150 feet wide, and the protection of this channel against shoaling by means of a timber dike placed on the west side of the harbor, at a total estimated cost of $64,130. The amount expended to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $5,000, with which the channel was dredged to a mean lowwater depth of 4 feet for a distance of 1,200 feet, beginning near the bulkhead at the mouth of the creek, with a width of 100 feet for the first 800 feet, and 70 feet for the remainder. A survey made in October, 1892, shows that this channel has not maintained itself, having contracted to widths of from 60 to 80 feet and mean low-water depth of from 3.2 feet to 4.2 feet. An appropriation of $3,000 was made in the river and harbor act of July 13, 1892. No work has been done during the fiscal year, as no bids were received under advertisement of February 18, 1893, inviting proposals for extending the channel through Shoal Harbor toward Raritan Bay by dredging. The commerce of the creek has increased, being reported for the calendar year 1892 as 62,000 tons against 48,000 tons for 1891. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 July 1, 1893, balance unexpended ... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. $3,000.00 139.29 2, 860. 71 56, 130.00 8,000.00 14. Shrewsbury River, New Jersey. When the present project for this improvement was adopted in 1879, the river was obstructed by a number of shifting sand bars, which had caused the complete suspension of navigation in the South Branch, and only permitted the passage of vessels engaged in commerce up the North Branch at or near high water. A considerable trade was carried on, however, even under these difficult conditions. The project originally adopted was to dredge a channel 6 feet deep at mean low water, and from 300 to 150 feet in width across the shoals from the mouth to Red Bank on the North Branch, 8 miles, and Branchport on the South Branch, 9 miles, maintaining these channels by longitudinal dikes. This project has not been modified as to the end sought, but estimates of the diking, dredging, and cost have been increased from time to time. The amount expended on this project to June 30, 1892, was $224,459.68. With this amount numerous dikes have been built and maintained and channels dredged and redredged in various parts of both branches and main stem 6 feet deep and from 25 to 100 feet wide. The expenditures during the fiscal year amount to $3,186.87. The work during the fiscal year consisted in making necessary repairs to the dikes at the mouth and in the North Branch, and in redredging channels at various points in the river under contract with Edgar M. Payn, of Albany, N. Y., for the removal of about 20,000 cubic yards of material. Work was begun May 6 and was completed at the close of the fiscal year, 18,565 cubic yards having been removed, resulting in the formation of channels of the required depth through various shoals in both branches of the river. The commerce of the river was reported for the calendar year 1891 to be 623,000 tons. This has increased to 672,000 tons for the calendar year 1892. July 1, 1893, balance available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30,1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix F 14.) 5, 173. 01 1,680.44 20,062.00 20,062.00 |