was usually the shoalest of the three and so was little used. The North Channel, besides being long and tortuous, was so studded with rocks as to be considered unnavigable. Owing to the shifting nature of the bar, these channels were constantly changing both in position and in depth. The mean rise of the tide was 7.1 feet. The project adopted in 1881 was to run out a dike or jetty on the south side of the entrance, so as to cause the South Channel to shoal up and the flow to be deflected northward, with a view to opening and maintaining the Central Channel with a least depth of 17 feet at high water. The present project, adopted in 1888 (see report of Board of Engi neer Officers hereto attached), is to raise the south jetty to full high water without extending it seaward, thus making its total length 3,748 feet, and to construct a mid-tide jetty on the north side of the entrance, about 2,300 feet in length, extending from the North Head, along and behind the reef putting out from the Head, to a point opposite the end of the south jetty, and distant from it about 1,000 feet. The amount expended to June 30, 1888, including outstanding liabilities, was $234,333.09. At that date 2,977 feet of jetty and 450 feet of dike had been constructed, but not completed to full height and strength. The 450 feet of dike, built as a shore protection, was practically destroyed by the action of the sea during the year 1888. The jetty, however, remained intact. The South Channel had been permanently deflected from the south rocks and made to unite with the Central Channel. The prevailing depths over the bar were greater by 3 or 4 feet, and the channel was less shifting and much safer than formerly. During the year ending June 30, 1889, $98,453.66 was expended in making additions to the plant, in raising the south jetty and extending it shoreward, in work on the north jetty, and in making a hydrographic survey of the bar and entrance. This survey shows the present condition of the bar to be the best on record, there being 14 feet at mean lower low water, with the channel running straight out nearly parallel with the south jetty. The money asked for, if appropriated, will be used in the construction of the north jetty. It is expected that the concentration of the water into one narrow channel, which will result from the construction of the north jetty, will insure a considerable increase of depth over the bar. It is expected that the south jetty will be entirely completed this season, and that the north jetty will be partly completed for a length of about 1,000 feet. Appropriations have been made for this improvement amounting to $385,000. July 1, 1888, amount available Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888... July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities, about.. July 1, 1889, balance available $75,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. (See Appendix S S 4.) 5. Tillamook Bay and Bar, Oregon.-The channel over the bar is direct, and shifts but little, so that the bar is considered one of the safest on the Oregon coast. A fair depth of water is maintained throughout most of the year, and vessels drawing as much as 13 feet can usually enter without difficulty. The bay at low tide consists of three channels running through vast sand and mud flats. These channels are of fair depth near the entrance, but gradually shoal up, giving depths of only 1 or 2 feet, near the head of the bay. Tillamook, the principal town of the region, is situated on a tidal slough above the head of the bay, and can be reached only by light draught vessels at high tide. The project for the expenditure of the money appropriated by the act of August 11, 1888, is to make a survey of the bar and entrance, so that a general project for the improvement of the bay and bar may be studied; to deepen the water over Dry Stocking Bar at the mouth of Hoquarton Slough, on which Tillamook City is situated, by constructing longitudinal and spur dikes and shore-protection works, and to cut down overhanging trees, and do snagging work along Hoquarton Slough, as far up as Tillamook City. Active operations for the carrying out of this project will be begun early in July. There are large bodies of the finest kind of timber on and tributary to the bay. It is therefore probable that the lumbering interests which will grow out of this.will demand an improvement, both of the bar and of the channels in the bay. At present the demand is for a better channel from the Lower Bay to Tillamook City. The act of August 11, 1888, appropriated $5,200 for this improvement. Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888 $5,200.00 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888 $47.78 July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities.. 68.81 July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts 3,600.00 3,716, 59 July 1, 1889, balance available 1,483. 41 (See Appendix S S 5.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF THE RIVER AND HARBOR ACT OF AUGUST 11, 1888. The required preliminary examinations of the following localities were made by the local engineer in charge, Captain Young, and reported by him as not worthy of improvement, with facts and reasons for such opinion. The Chief of Engineers concurring in the conclusions reached in these instances, has given no instructions to make further survey with the view to their improvement. 1. Clackamas River, Oregon.-(See Appendix S S 6.) 2. Tualatin River, Oregon.-(See Appendix S S 7.) 3. Umpqua River between Scottsburgh and Hart's Rapids, near Elkton, Oregon. (See Appendix S S 8.) It appearing from the report of the preliminary examination made by the local engineer that the following localities are worthy of improve ment, and the public necessity therefor being apparent from the facts and reasons reported, which are concurred in by the Chief of Engineers, Captain Young was charged with their survey, the results of which will be submitted when received: 1. Siuslaw River and Bar, Oregon. 2. Nehalem Bay and Bar, Oregon. 3. Young's River and its tributary, Klaskuine River, Oregon. 4. Umpqua River, Oregon, between Scottsburgh and the mouth. IMPROVEMENT OF THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER, OREGON AND WASHINGTON TERRITORY-CONSTRUCTION OF CASCADES CANAL, COLUMBIA RIVER-IMPROVEMENT OF THE CHEHALIS RIVER; OF THE SKAGIT, STEILAQUAMISH, NOOTSACK, SNOHOMISH, AND SNOQUALMIE RIVERS, WASHINGTON TERRITORY—WATER-GAUGES ON COLUMBIA RIVER. Officer in charge, Maj. Thomas H. Handbury, Corps of Engineers, having under his immediate orders Lieut. Edward Burr, Corps of Engineers. Division Engineer, Col. G. H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers. 1. Mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington Territory.— The project under which this work is being carried on was adopted in 1884. It contemplates providing a channel across the Columbia River Bar, having a depth of 30 feet at mean low tide. This is to be effected by concentrating the water flowing over the bar and increasing the resultant currents to such a degree as to procure the desired depth. Any work for accomplishing this end must be more or less tentative in its character. The work which is now in progress is the building of a lowtide jetty, starting from Fort Stevens, on the South Cape, and extending in a westerly direction, with a slight curve to the south, out across Clatsop Spit, for a distance of 4 miles, more or less, as circumstances may require, to a point about 3 miles south of Cape Hancock (Disappointment). This jetty is constructed of stone, resting upon a mattress foundation about 40 feet wide and from 2 to 5 feet thick. The stone extends to the level of the mean lower low water. The materials thus far have been placed in position from a jetty tramway, supported upon piles driven along the line of the jetty, and about 24 feet above the level of low tide. This tramway is a double track, 3 foot gauge railroad, the tracks being 13 feet between centers. The materials are landed at the wharf and transported to place over these tracks, which are built in advance of the main work. Everything connected with the work is now in active operation, and the plant is being pushed to its full capacity, thus working in the most economical manner. On this basis the funds now available will be substantially exhausted, so far as actual progress is concerned, about 1st of December next, which may be called the end of the working season. It is extremely desirable that by that time additional funds should be made available for carrying on the work. The plant now provided is extensive and in thorough working order. It would be in the interests of economy to keep this continually employed to its full capacity until the project is completed. As the work progresses the jetty tramway becomes more greatly exposed to the action of the sea, and is more liable to be destroyed or damaged during violent storms. To replace this when the jetty is partially built would be difficult and expensive. It is advisable on this account also to push the work forward as rapidly as possible. Of late years the main bar channel has varied in depth from 19 to 21 feet at low water; 26 feet are required in a wide, direct, and stable channel, and 30 feet are desirable for the deep vessels needed by the Columbia River trade. The jetty proper is now under construction for a little more than 11 miles. Rock has been dumped to the height of mean low water, over an average of about 1 mile of this distance. It is expected that by the end of the present working season, which will be about the 1st of December, the jetty tramway will be advanced about one-half mile further. Within the last year a marked change has taken place on Clatsop Spit and in the channel over the Columbia River Bar. The Spit shows decidedly more bare surface at low water than formerly, and the channel of the river has a decided tendency towards a straight course out to sea. Tillamook Chute, where there were indications that a new channel was being cut southward across Clatsop Spit when the work was commenced, is now being closed, although the jetty-work is not yet within one-half mile of it. It is observed that as the mattress-work is carried out the sand-spit builds up on the south side abreast of and sometimes ahead of it. At extreme low water one can walk on the sand out as far as the mattress work extends. The indications now are that the work has progressed to such a point that it is having a manifest influence upon the natural forces at work in the vicinity, and that these forces are bringing about the result desired. The amount appropriated for this work is $787,500. The amount expended to the end of the present fiscal year is $614,252.92, leaving a balance of $173,247.08 yet applicable to the further prosecution of the work. This amount will be practically exhausted about the 1st of December next. July 1, 1888, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888....... July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888.. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts.. July 1, 1889, balance available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... 2, 423, 000.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1891.... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix T T 1.) 700,000.00 2. Construction of canal at the Cascades, Columbia River, Oregon.-The general scope of the improvement which it is desired to effect at the Cascades of the Columbia hiver includes a reach of about 4 miles. The principal obstruction to navigation occurs at the upper end of this reach at what is known as the Upper Cascades. The project contemplates that the river should be improved below the Upper Cascades by removing bowlders and projecting points in the bed and banks, so as to give good navigable water from its lowest up to a 20-foot stage. The falls at the Upper Cascades is to be overcome by digging a canal about 3,000 feet in length across the neck of a low projecting spur and placing in this a lock and suitable other structures, which will permit of the passage of boats up to a 20 foot stage of water in the river; this lock to be so arranged that additional structures may be made, which will permit navigation at higher stages. So far as is contemplated for the present, the first part of the project is completed. The principal work done during the year was excavation in the lockpit and foundation for the masonry of the lower gates, which was prac tically finished; also excavation in the lower tail bay, cutting granite and basaltic dimension stones for this masonry, and laying up the dry stone side-walls of the lower tail bay. The amount appropriated for this work is $1,442,500, of which sum $1,361,987.66 has been expended, including amounts covered by existing contracts, leaving at the end of the present fiscal year $80,512.33 available for the further prosecution of the work. With this it is proposed to continue the cutting of the stones for the masonry of the lower gates and to commence at once the construction of this masonry now that the foundation is prepared. The construction of the lower bay sidewalls will be continued. The construction of the masonry of the lower gates will be pushed forward as rapidly as practicable and as available funds will permit, with the view to placing against this a temporary bulkhead, which will keep river-water out of the lock-pit to a higher stage than the present arrangement admits of, in that advantage can be taken of a longer and better season for carrying on the work. The amount now available will be practically exhausted in these operations about the end of November next. In order that the work may be economically continued and the time hastened when some return can be had for the large amount of money already expended on this project, and to avoid the expense which is a necessary incident to every suspension of operations, additional funds should be made available at the earliest practicable moment. July 1, 1888, amount available... Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888.. July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888... July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts.. July 1, 1889, balance available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1891 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix T T 2.) 1,250,000.00 700,000.00 3. Chehalis River, Washington Territory.―The project for the improvement of this river consists in removing logs, snags, and other obstructions from its bed and banks, so as to provide a navigable channel-way during its medium and higher stages for steam-boats from Claquato to its mouth in Gray's Harbor. This distance is between 80 and 100 miles. Montesano, 12 miles from its mouth, is the head of coasting navigation. Eighteen feet at high water can be carried to this point. The head of tide-water is at Elma, 16 miles above Montesano. Between these points navigation is obstructed by snags and fallen trees, by the removal of which a good all-the-year-round channel can be provided from Elma to the mouth. Above Elma the river is practically block aded during the summer and fall by snags, shoals, and principally a want of water. At this time the river bed is a succession of shoals and pools; the depth of water on many of the shoals is reported to be |