Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1890 200,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

Expenditures apportioned as follows:

For services....

LEVEES.

$8.00

1

Amos Bayou to Arkansas City. The contract of the Tennessee Industrial Company was finished and work accepted on September 6, 1887, 158,436 cubic yards having been placed. Under this contract the levee was raised 1.5 feet above the high water of 1882.

At the meeting of the Mississippi River Commission at Saint Louis, Mo., in November, 1886, money was allotted for the enlarging of this line, and it was ordered that the levees should be built 3 feet above the highest water known at Amos Bayou and thence to decrease in height so that at the Louisiana line it should be 2 feet above. On July 2, 1887, $56,500 was allotted to this line by the Board of Engineer Officers on building and repair of levees, which allotment was approved by the Secretary of War. Under this allotment it was decided to build the line 3 feet above the highest water from Amos Bayou to Lucca Landing, from there to Arkansas City 24 feet above, and the rest of the line 2 feet above, except at lake crossings. Under this allotment bids were requested on July 25 and opened on August 25, 1887.

Abstract of bids received for building leree from Amos Bayou to Arkansas City, opened August 25, 1887.

These bids being considered too high were rejected and arrangements made with Purcell & Greace and Arnold & De Garis to do the work at 25 cents per cubic yard as an open market transaction.

Purcell & Greace began work on September 12, 1887, and finished February 29, 1888, 82,297.4 cubic yards having been placed in position. Arnold & De Garis began work October 4, 1887, and finished February 22, 18-8, 125,923.4 cubic yards having been placed, making a total of enlargement of 208,220.8 cubic yards at a cost of $52,055.21, exclusive of contingent and engineering expenses.

The levee is in good condition from Amos to Lucca Landing; below this the levee o near the river bank that it was not deemed advisable to spend any more money could be avoided, as a new line must soon be built.

portion of the topping between Chicot Village and Arkansas City was left for the ha County levee board to build in accordance with their agreement. This they at a cost of $2,500, the amount they had agreed to contribute.

Panther Forest Line.-This line, reported under contract last June, was finished and cepted December 13, 1887. Total yardage placed 302,466, and 91.19 acres cleared, a cost, exclusive of contingent and engineering expenses, of $63,611.38.

On this line some expense was incurred not covered by the contract in removing gs buried below the base of the levee. This levee is built of very poor material in art, and where this occurs the side slopes were made 1 on 4, and for the rest of the ne 1 on 3.

At a meeting of the Board of Engineer Officers on building and repair of levees on aly 25 and 26, 1887, an allotment of $155,083 was made for levees in my district on be Tensas Front in Arkansas, and I was directed to advertise for bids on the followig lines: Loops Amos Bayou to Arkansas City, Panther Forest Extension, Leland econd Loop, Whiskey Chute, Brooks' Break, Matthews' Bend, Grand Lake. If these could all be built it would close the entire front from Amos Bayou to Red liver, provided the State and local authorities carried out their agreements. The ensas Basin Levee District of Louisiana were responsible for the line from Arkansas ty to the Panther Forest Extension, and Chicot County, Ark., for all other gaps nd necessary topping. I was further directed to make contracts and do the work far as the money would permit, leaving out such portions as might be necessary rom the foot of the list.

These lines were advertised August 1, and bids opened September 1, 1887. Abtract herewith.

sbstract of bids received September 1, 1887, for building levees, Tensas Front, in Arkansas. [Bids made per yard.]

Name and residence of bidder.

It was found necessary to leave ont the Grand Lake line, and contracts were made for the construction of the others. Later, however, the citizens living in the neighborhood agreed to build a portion of the Grand Lake line, and a contract was made for a part of it. The following has been done :

Loops Amos Bayou to Arkansas City.-Contractors, Tapper & Fisher. Work begun

October 10, 1887; finished February 25, 1888; yardage, 123,885.4. Cost, exclusive o contingent and engineering expenses, $20,960.50.

Panther Forest extension.-Contractor, W. R. Harvey. Work begun October 1, 1887 finished February 1, 1888; yardage, 119,823.3. Cost, exclusive of contingent and engineering expenses, $22,766.41. Some extra clearing was done on this line outsid of the contract, aggregating 5.71 acres at $35 per acre.

Leland second loop.-L. C. Dulaney, contractor. Work begun October 1, 1887; fin ished April 10, 1888; yardage, 53,128. Cost, exclusive of contingent and engineering expenses, $8,500.59.

Brooks Break.-Contractor, W. R. Harvey. Work begun November 20, 1887; finished February 4, 1888; yardage, 12,566. Cost, exclusive of contingent and engineering ex penses, $2,261.88.

Matthews Bend.-Contractor, W. R. Harvey. Work begun September 29, 1887; fin ished February 4, 1888; yardage, 129,453. Cost, exclusive of contingent and engin eering expenses, $24,596.07.

Whisky Chute. This levee crosses the bed of Lake Chicot, and was ordered to be built 4 feet above high water. Contractors, Andrews Bros. Work begun October 1 1887, but is not yet finished; owing to the poor foundation, excessive sinking ha taken place on this levee, and it was deemed prudent to keep the contractor on the work until after the high water. Work was suspended on April 28, 1888. At thi time the water had fallen so much that the levee was safe. The overhaul has been large, and it will be a very intricate problem to determine the actual number of yards put in this levee. No settlement has yet been made with the contractors.

Grand Lake.-This levee crosses the bed of Grand Lake, and was ordered to be built 3 feet above high water. Contractors, McTighe & McKee. There was much delay in starting this work, but it finally began about the middle of December. Heavy sinking took place, but the contractors finished on March 28, 1888. No settlement has yet been made on this work.

It was found necessary to top the light I found it most economical to Isaac M. Worthington did the work. March 12, 1888. Yardage, 18,420.22. expenses, $3,028.97.

levee at Sunnyside, and as the work was very have it done as an open market transaction. Work began November 21, 1887, and finished Cost, exclusive of contingent and engineering

The Tensas Basin levee district failed to finish their work and left a gap at Old Eunice Landing through the high water. The high water passed was comparatively low at Cairo, only reaching 45.3 on guage as compared with over 52 feet, which was the highest. At Arkansas City it reached 45.2 feet, being 1.8 foot below high water of 1882. Below here the closing of the gaps in the levees caused a higher stage of water. At Greenville, Miss., 40.55 feet, being 1.15 feet below 1882, and at Lake Providence only .22 foot below 1882.

At Vicksburg it fell off, only reaching 44.18 feet, which is 4.82 feet below extreme high water. At Vaucluse Landing, 84 miles below Greenville, the water was about half a foot below the high-water mark assumed there. At Grand Lake, 21 miles below Greenville, the water stood about seven-tenths above the highest water recorded. I account for the increased height at Greenville and Lake Providence by the closing of the gaps in the levee formerly open, and at Vicksburg the flood lacked the large amount that had come down the Yazoo from breaks in the Yazoo Front levees. The exceedingly high water at Vaucluse and Grand Lake may be accounted for by the unreliability of these marks, and from the fact that they were in the immediate vicinity of large gaps. I would recommend that in levee work on this stretch of river the water of 1888 be taken as a standard, and that the levees be built 6 feet above. This would necessitate the raising of these levees from 1.2 feet at and near Arkansas City to 4.8 feet at Grand Lake. I am unable to give an estimate on the cost of this in Arkansas, but in round numbers would say 3,000,000 yards, say at a cost of $600,000. In Mississippi the levees stand higher, but it would probably take at least 1,000,000 yards at a cost of, say, $200,000.

Of the levees in Louisiana, those lying from State line to some distance below Lake Providence will also need raising, say another 1,000,000 cubic yards, at a cost of $200,000. This makes a total of 5,000,000 yards at a cost of $1,000,000. This probably is less than is actually needed, and wherever this enlarging is not done breaks will probably happen if a very high water occurs.

The United States has undertaken so much work that the margin for survey has been too small. I intend to have a survey of the line in Arkansas made at once, and hope to get the data for Mississippi and Louisiana from the State engineers. In addition to this some new loops must be built where threatened by caving banks. In addition to the gap left open at Old Eunice Landing, a break occurred in the levee about a half mile south of Grand Lake, Ark. This gap was held with but little loss, being only 300 feet wide. This levee was a new one built by the State authorities. The Matthews Bend levee, of poor material, seeped badly, but was at no time in great danger. The total expense during high water was much lower than last year.

Last year I had discharge observations, taken just below Arkansas City, published. This year I had them taken at Wilson's Point, with the following result:

This shows, disregarding the two small gaps this year, that the maximum amount harged in 1887 was 1,491,735 and in 1888 1,200,995 cubic feet per second, a differare in round numbers of say 300,000 cubic feet per second at Arkansas City. The difference in the gauge at this point was 46.65-45.18=1.47 feet. By arguing this and discussing the various discharges observed in past years, an approximate dea of the height of the river for an expected maximum discharge may be found. I send with this report money statement for levees Tensas Front, protection of levees, rees Yazoo Front, available balances third district, approximate value of plant longing to third district, and list of civilian engineers employed July 1, 1887, to June J. 1888.

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1890 600, 000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and (harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1830 15,000.0 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1890 200, 000, 0 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

RECAPITULATION.-AVAILABLE BALANCES, THIRD DISTRICT, JUNE 30, 1888.