During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, the north arm of the breakwater was extended 300 feet. Superstructure was built for a length of 850 linear feet. The depth of water at the present end of the breakwater is 27.7 feet. It is proposed to expend the present available balance and the funds appropriated by the act approved July 5, 1884, in extending the breakwater southward 600 feet more or less, and in continuing the building of the superstructure upon cribs already placed. The funds asked for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, are to be applied to the extension southward of the east arm of the break water. The harbor will not begin to be available as a harbor of refuge until after the first section of the east arm of the breakwater is completed. July 1, 1883. amount available. July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883.. July 1, 1884, amount available.......... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1885.. $90,744 85 79,646 83 11,098 02 85,000 00 96,098 02 515,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886... (See Appendix G G 1.) 280,000 00 2. Milwaukee Harbor, Wisconsin.-The present project was adopted in 1852 and was directed to securing 12 feet of water at the entrance to the river, and to protecting this channel by parallel piers. Since that date, a channel of 18 feet in depth and of sufficient width has been secured by extending the piers and dredging out the channel. The project is completed. The original depth of water at the mouth of the river was at times not more than 33 feet. There has been expended upon this harbor by the United States Government up to June 30, 1884, $273,602.35 in addition to $321,355.66 by the city of Milwaukee. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, current repairs have been made to pier-work where needed. The present available funds and the money asked for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, are to be applied to the maintenance of the present piers and channel and to replacing the superstructure of the north and south piers built in 1871 and 1872, which are now rotten. July 1, 1883, amount available.. July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883... $14,128 53 2,882 81 July 1, 1884, amount available.. 11,245 82 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. 20,000 00 (See Appendix G G 2.) 20,000 00 3. Racine Harbor, Wisconsin.-The entrance to this harbor was originally varied in depth from absolute closure after storms to about 6 feet. The present plan was adopted in 1843, and contemplated originally a channel of 12 feet in depth, maintained by dredging between parallel piers at the river's mouth, extending into the lake. The piers have since been further extended and the channel deepened to 16 feet. At present the channel is 134 feet in depth. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, minor repairs to piers have been made and channel deepened to 16 feet by dredging; but the channel has deteriorated as shown above. There was expended on this harbor up to June 30, 1884, $214,659.28. It is proposed to apply the available funds for the year ending June 30, 1885, to replacing superstructure on 340 feet of the north pier built in 1869 and 1870, now much decayed, and to maintenance of the channel. The funds asked for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, are to be applied to the extension of the south pier, as explained in the annula report for 1883, and to dredging the channel. It is estimated that an annual expenditure of $8,000 is necessary to maintain the existing work and channel. July 1, 1883, amount available July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883 $6,887 79 4,507 85 28,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. 28,000 00 (See Appendix G G 3.) 4. Kenosha Harbor, Wisconsin.-The original depth of water at the entrance to this harbor was 4 feet or less. Sometimes it was entirely closed. The present plan of improvement by parallel piers and dredging was at first directed to the securing a channel of 12 feet in depth. At present the depth of water is 11.5 feet. It is now intended to increase the navigable depth to 15 feet by extending the piers and dredging. During the past year 170 feet of the north pier have been sheet-piled to prevent the passage of sand through the pier into the dredged channel. The north wall of the north pier was also raised 1 foot in height for 162 linear feet, and minor repairs have been made as needed. There was expended on this harbor up to June 30, 1884, $211,004.19. It is proposed to apply the funds available for the year 1885 to replacing the superstructure of the outer section of the south pier 355 feet in length, now dilapidated, and to maintaining the present channel. The funds asked for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, are to be applied to replacing the superstructure over 415 linear feet of the inner section of the south pier, to pier extension, and dredging. July 1, 1883, amount available July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883.... $2,341 25 July 1, 1884, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1885............... 1,391 87 949 38 5,000 00 5,949 38 46,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. 20,000 00 (See Appendix G G 4.) 5. Waukegan Harbor, Illinois.-The present project was adopted in 1880 and, as since modified, consists in a small basin excavated in the low ground between the lake and the bluffs to form the harbor, and an entrance between parallel piers from the lake to the basin-the entrance and basin to be formed by dredging. The harbor here is to be created, and will not be available for com mercial purposes until the piers can be sufficiently extended into the lake to allow the entrance to be dredged with hope of permanency, and the basin excavated. During the year ending June 30, 1884, the pile pier limiting the south side of the proposed entrance to the basin has been extended 179 feet. There has been expended upon this harbor up to June 30, 1884, $49,201.46. It is proposed to expend the appropriation for the year ending June 30, 1885, in extending the north pier into the lake as far as the money will allow. The amount asked for the year ending June 30, 1886, is needed to complete the pier-work at the entrance to the basin and to dredging in the entrance and basin. It is important to proceed rapidly with the work as the filling in with drifting sand is rapid. The cost will be, therefore, increased by delay, and the work already done being of wood will deteriorate without benefit therefrom, if not made available by sufficient progress. The estimated cost of the work to be done is $111,000. July 1, 1883, amount available.. July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883.. $8,678 21 7,879 67 July 1, 1884, amount available .... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1885. 798 54 20,000 00 20.798 54 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... 91,000 08 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. 75,000 00 (See Appendix G G 5.) 6. Fox and Wisconsin rivers, Wisconsin.—The works for the improvement of the Fox River were purchased by the United States from the Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company in 1872. These works were all, excepting one stone lock, of a temporary character, and many of them in bad condition. There was no low-water navigation on the Upper Fox and navigation on the Lower Fox was irregular and interrupted. The project for the improvement of this river adopted by the United States contemplated the rebuilding of the old locks and dams in a permanent manner; the construction of five additional locks on the upper Fox and the widening and deepening the channel and canals throughout the improvement to 6 feet deep and 100 feet width. The estimates for this work, including the Wisconsin River, made in 1874 and 1876, was $3,745,663, since which time there has been appropriated $1,780,000, leaving for completion $1,965,663. The amount expended on the Fox and Wisconsin rivers up to June 30 1884, is $2,429,229.92. The result of this expenditure has been On the Fox River.-The construction of 13 new locks of stone, 12 dams, four of which are temporary, 12 cut-offs, and 10 miles of canals dredged and deepened. Over 2,000,000 cubic yards of material have been dredged from the Upper Fox, and all of the temporary structures on the Lower Fox repaired and put in working order. The navigation has thus been made continuous throughout the season from Portage to Green Bay, on the Upper Fox there being 3 feet navigation, and on the Lower Fox 5 feet except at the entrance to Lake Winnebago, where there is 4 feet. The old locks are fast becoming unserviceable, some of them tumbling down, demanding immediate replacement. There remain to be built 12 locks, 8 dams, 5 guard-locks, sluices, or weirs in all dams not provided with them, deepening navigation by dredging and rock excavation to 6 feet throughout, and widening the channels to 100 feet, erecting lock-fenders, dwellings, and slope-walling or paving canal banks. On the Wisconsin River.—The method adopted has been to contract the channel-way by wing-dams of brush and stone to gain increased depth by scour due to the increased current produced by contraction. To date, 108,312 linear feet of wing-dams have been constructed over a distance of 50 miles, of which a section of 9.2 miles below Portage is completed. The result has been an increased depth of navigation wherever the works have been applied. There has not been and is not now any navigation on the Wisconsin, due to the prevalence of sand-bars and the lack of a defined channel for considerable distances. The general subject of the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers has been referred to the Board of Engineers, who have not yet announced their conclusions. During the past year the following work has been done: Fox River.-On the Upper For the work was confined to the maintenance of existing navigation by timely repairs to mechanical structures, to operating the locks and to repairs to plant. On the Lower Fox.-Appleton first lock was completed sluice ways and gates placed in Appleton Dam, canals and water over bars deepened by dredging; and general overhauling and repairing of old locks, dams, and canal banks made. Navigation was maintained during the season except for a short time, three weeks, when navigation was suspended on account of the breaking of the canal bank at Little Kaukauna. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885, it is proposed to apply available funds for the Fox and Wisconsin rivers to the maintenance of existing navigation, to current repairs to mechanical constructions, to purchasing sites for Menasha Dam, to making alterations in that dam recommended by the Board of Engineers and approved by the Secretary of War in 1882, and to the construction of a new lock at Governor Bend on the Upper Fox. The funds asked for, for the year ending June 30, 1886, are to be applied to the furtherance of the approved project and the maintenance of existing navigation. It is necessary to call attention to the fact that the appropriations for this work are altogether inadequate to meet the pressing demands of the case. The old structures are fast degenerating, a large part of the money is absorbed in repairs, and consequently diverted from the main project, and the balance is insufficient to forward successfully and economically the work on permanent constructions. The appropriations for several years have been almost entirely ab sorbed in maintaining old works, which are fast rotting to pieces. The money expended upon them is wasted, inasmuch as their life cannot be materially lengthened by repairs. July 1, 1883, amount available Fuel sold to officers deposited to credit of appropriation. $134,767 07 108 50 134,875 57 July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883..... 67,972 26 July 1, 1884, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884.. Amount available for fiscal yearnding June 30, 1885................ Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... (See Appendix G G 6.) 1,965, 663 00 500,000 00 EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENTS, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF THE RIVER AND HARBOR ACT OF AUGUST 2, 1882. The following locality was, after preliminary examination, reported by the local engineer as not worthy of improvement for purposes of navigation and the work not a public necessity: Wisconsin River from Portage to Merrill. (See Appendix G G 7.) IMPROVEMENT OF THE HARBORS OF CHICAGO AND CALUMET, LAKE MICHIGAN-IMPROVEMENT OF ILLINOIS AND CALUMET RIVERSSURVEY FOR HENNEPIN CANAL AND FOR THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN CANAL. Officer in charge, Maj. W. H. H. Benyaurd, Corps of Engineers. 1. Chicago Harbor Illinois.-The project of improvement now in course of execution at this harbor, was adopted in 1870 and modified in 1878. The objects sought are, first, the formation of an outer harbor, adjoining the entrance to the Chicago River, and designed also to furnish increased commercial facilities by relieving the river from its over. crowded condition; second, the creation of a harbor of refuge affording a good anchorage in deep water and safe access to the harbor and river. The amount expended upon the work for harbor at Chicago since 1870 is $1,226,982.64, and has resulted in the completion of the outer harbor (except the dredging necessary to afford the contemplated depth of 16 feet) and the completion of 3,236 feet of the exterior breakwater, with the exception of the superstructure on the westerly end thereof. In addition to needed repairs the material on hand and funds now available will complete the superstructure on the westerly end of the breakwater; will allow the building and sinking of 6 cribs; also dredging operations in the outer harbor and the purchase of additional material for next season's work. There will then remain to be completed about 1,600 feet of the exterior breakwater, the raising of the entire structure, and the dredging of the outer harbor. For carrying on these operations the sum of $225,000 will be required. July 1, 183, amount available July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883 July 1, 1884, outstanding liabilities.. $45,651 40 $28,106 55 10,440 16 38,546 71 July 1, 1884, amount available..... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884.. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1885 5908 EN-19 7, 104 69 100,000 00 107, 104 69 |