Read Landing and Minneiska, and in vicinity of Prairie du Chien; and, by informal agreement, at Read Landing, Burlington, and Port Byron. Temporary work in deepening channels by dredging was performed at several points. The work of the year has resulted in increased width and depth of channel at all the points mentioned above. It is estimated that there can be expended to advantage during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, for the continuation of the improvement of the low-water channel of the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to Des Moines Rapids, the sum of $1,500,000. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended..... Received by transfer settlement with Quartermaster's Department, account of sale of fuel to officers. Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. $64, 196.24 156.29 500,000.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix A A 2.) .1,500,000.00 3. Des Moines Rapids, Mississippi River.-This work was commenced in 1866. The adopted plan provided for the building of a closed canal 8 miles long and for cutting an open channel in the rock bed of the river over the remaining 4 miles of rapids. The canal was opened in August, 1877, though not fully completed, and has been in operation since that time. During the past year the work of protecting the outside slope of the canal embankment was nearly finished, as well as the raising of the middle lock walls. The work remaining to be done under approved proj ect is the removal of a small amount of rock above grade, the completion of sluice at Price Creek, and the completion of the lock grounds, and of the protection of canal embankment. There has been appropriated and allotted for this work the sum of $4,574,950. The net cost to the United States has been, to June 30, 1890, $4,538,013.68. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890 June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.......... (See Appendix A A 3.) $348. 14 22,000.00 22,348. 14 12, 117. 15 10, 230.99 4. Operating and care of Des Moines Rapids Canal and Dry Dock.During the past year the Des Moines Rapids Canal was open for navigation 234 days, during which time there passed through it 878 steamboats and 357 barges, carrying 15,801 passengers, 45,217 tons of merchandise, and 364,878 bushels of grain. There also passed through 193,358,089 feet B. M. of lumber, 37,176,150 feet of logs, 87,259,690 shingles, and 59,350,595 laths. The expenses of the year have been $44,998.20 and the estimates for the coming year amount to $70,000. The cost of operating and care of the canal is provided for by an indefinite appropriation made by act of March 3, 1881. July 1, 1890, balance on hand.. June 30, 1891, amount drawn from Treasury under indefinite appropriation $1,004.20 43,995.80 45,000.00 June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year.. 44,998. 20 1.80 June 30, 1891, balance on hand. (See Appendix A A 4.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEY FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. The required preliminary examination of slough at Hamilton, Illinois, with a view to dredging out the same, was made by the local engineer in charge, Major Mackenzie, and report thereon submitted through Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Northwest Division. It is the opinion of Major Mackenzie, and of the Division Engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that this locality is not worthy of improvement. This opinion being concurred in by me, no further survey was ordered. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 72, Fifty-first Congress, second session. (See also Appendix A A 5.) The required preliminary examination of Mississippi River at and above Clinton, Iowa, with view of removing bars north of Little Rock Island, was made by the local engineer in charge, Major Mackenzie, and report thereon submitted through Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Northwest Division. It is the opinion of Major Mackenzie, and of the Division Engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that this locality is worthy of improvement. This opinion being concurred in by me, Major Mackenzie was charged with and has completed its survey and submitted report thereon. The only work which appears advisable or necessary at the present time in connection with the removal of bars above the island is a closing dam between Little Rock Island and the tow-head to its left, the cost of which is estimated to be $5,000. This locality is a part of the Upper Mississippi River, for the improvement of which an appropriation is provided; and while the locality is certainly worthy of improvement at the proper time, there are no conditions which necessitate a special appropriation for the work. All necessary work in this locality can be carried out, whenever found necessary, under allotments from the general appropriation for improving the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to the Des Moines Rapids. The reports were transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 135, Fifty-first Congress, second session. (See also Appendix A A 6.) IMPROVEMENT OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER ABOVE FALLS OF ST. ANTHONY, MINNESOTA, OF CHIPPEWA RIVER, WISCONSIN, OF ST. CROIX RIVER, WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA, OF MINNESOTA RIVER, MINNESOTA, AND' OF RED RIVER OF THE NORTH, MINNESOTA AND NORTH DAKOTA; GAUGING MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT OR NEAR ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. Officer in charge, Maj. W. A. Jones, Corps of Engineers, having under his immediate orders Lieut. William E. Craighill, Corps of Engi neers, to May 31, 1891, and Lieut. Hiram M. Chittenden, Corps of Engi. neers, since June 5, 1891; Division Engineer, Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers. 1. Mississippi River above Falls of St. Anthony, Minnesota.-The present project, adopted in 1880, consists in improvement of the river between Aitkin and Grand Rapids, a distance of 130 miles, by removal of snags, bowlders, bars, and leaning trees from the channels, and construction of wing dams, where necessary, to afford 3 feet depth during low-water stage, the cost being estimated at $54,127. In 1889 the estimate was increased to $63,000. Under the appropriations of 1880, 1881, and 1882 the river between the points named was well cleared of large numbers of obstructions. But between 1884 and 1888, and during the flood of the latter year, large numbers of snags and overhanging trees were formed. The appropriation, $10,000, by the act of August 11, 1888, was applied to removal of obstructions between Grand Rapids and a point about half way to Aitkin, and in addition a number of bowlders were removed to within 20 miles of the latter point. Before improvement commenced in 1880 the stream between Aitkin and Grand Rapids was so obstructed that navigation was difficult and at times almost impossible for steamers of lightest draft. Total expended to June 30, 1890, including outstanding liabilities, $44,960.13. There was then a general depth in the improved channels, except on the rapids, of 3 feet at low water. On the rapids the channel depths were but 2 feet; a few snags and leaning trees offered some obstruction, but did not seriously interfere with navigation. During the past winter work was carried on in improving all the rapids between Brainerd and Aitkin by removing bowlders, excavating sand and gravel, and constructing wing dams where necessary. The result of the season's work was an increased depth of 1 foot over the shoal places, making a continuous channel between the points named with a least depth of 3 feet at low water. Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, including outstanding liabilities, $10,479.22. For a number of years previous to the present season several steamers have navigated this portion of the Mississippi, carrying passengers and freight to the settlements and supplies for lumber camps. The opening, winter before last, of the Duluth and Winnipeg Railroad, from Duluth to the Mississippi River, resulted in one steamboat being withdrawn from the freight and passenger business, though at the beginning of the season of 1891 she was again put into commission. July 1, 1890 balance unexpended............ Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1891, balance unexpended July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 1891, balance available (See Appendix B B 1.) $43.54 18,000.00 18, 043.54 10, 451. 27 7,592.27 31.62 7,560.65 2. Reservoirs at headwaters of Mississippi River.-The object of the reservoirs is to collect surplus water, principally from the precipitation of winter, spring, and early summer, to be systematically released so as to benefit navigation upon the Mississippi River below the dams. The reservoir project is the outcome of surveys and examinations made in 1869, 1874, 1878, and 1879. From the results of these examinations and further examinations made in 1880, the first cost of constructing reservoir dams in Minnesota and Wisconsin was placed at $1,809,083. The cost of land and other damages to result from construction and operation of the proposed dams was not included in that estimate, as they could not be predicted with any approach to accuracy. The present project consists in constructing reservoir dams at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota, that locality having been selected for commencing the work, in consequence of an appropriation made by the river and harbor act approved June 14, 1880, for construction of a reservoir dam at Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota, and for other reasons, given in Appendix Y to the Annual Report for 1886. By 1886 four of the reservoirs had been created. Total expended on this work to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, including examinations at proposed dam sites, land damages, amounts set aside as awards to Indians, and care and maintenance of the works, $623,986.63. During the past year, the operations have been in the main confined to operating the reservoirs. Condemnation proceedings to acquire title to lands between Pokegama Falls and Blackberry Brook that are liable to be overflowed by the operation of the reservoirs were commenced, but afterwards discontinued as it was deemed more economical to obtain title, or the right to overflow, through private purchase. Plans for the Sandy Lake Dam have been prepared and preparations for its construction are being made. Expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, including outstanding liabilities, $11,526.74. The reservoirs were operated, 1885-'90, during the seasons of low water, to the benefit of navigation on more than 165 miles of the Mississippi River, viz: Between Grand Rapids and Aitkin, 1304 miles, and from St. Paul to some distance below the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers. The officer in charge recommends appropriations for constructing a navigable pass in the Sandy Lake Dam, now in course of construction; for excavations at Leech Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish, in order to increase the facility for releasing water from the reservoirs at those places, and in hydrological and meteorological observations, to determine the effect of the reservoir water. The latter purpose is specially worthy of consideration, for the result of the observations extending over a period of several years would determine the true effectiveness of the reservoirs. The amounts asked for are Navigable pass in Sandy Lake Dam Excavations at the two upper dams.. Hydrological and meteorological investigations.. Total.... July 1, 1890, balance unexpended... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. $30,000.00 19,000.00 11,000.00 15, 000, 00 75,000.00 11, 799.34 80,000,00 91, 799.34 11, 772.23 80, 027. 11 1,040, 48 78,986.63 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.....$1,094, 583. 50 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix B B 2.) 75,000.00 3. Chippewa River, including Yellow Banks, Wisconsin.-The plan for improvement of the Chippewa River consists in revetment of caving bends and construction of dams and jetties from Eau Claire to the confluence of the Chippewa and Mississippi, a distance of 57 miles, to confine the low-water volume to a channel of nearly uniform width and depth. The general plan was adopted in 1877, and the work has been carried on in accordance with it, varying, however, more or less, as to location and extent of dams, jetties, etc. The protection of the Yellow Banks consists in a revetment of piling and fascines, the latter to be crowned with rock. The object of the Yellow Banks protection is to prevent their erosion, and thus to relieve the channels of the Chippewa River and of the Mississippi below the junction of the two streams from the masses of sand contributed by those banks. The plan for protecting the banks was adopted in 1883. The improvement of the river and the protection of the Yellow Banks were regarded as separate and distinct works until the act of August 11, 1888. Estimated cost of the consoli dated improvement, including all expenses from the commencement, $272,487.72. Before the improvement commenced the depth on the bars at low water seldom exceeded 18 inches, and the crossing at the mouth of river was extremely difficult at that stage, owing to the volume of the river joining the Mississippi through a number of channels of insufficient depth. These latter-named channels were contracted into one of good depth by means of long parallel jetties. Generally, wherever works for improvement were constructed by the Government, the low-water depths were increased from 18 inches to 3 to 4 feet, and the general im provement not only greatly facilitated the passage of steamers and rafts, but also greatly reduced the expense of rafting manufactured lumber. Localities remaining to be improved have a least depth in the channel of about 2 feet. Total expended from commencement of operations in 1877 to June 30, 1890, including outstanding liabilities, $156,048.25. Owing to the lateness of the season when the current appropriation became available, no work other than care of plant has been done dur ing the past fiscal year. Work will be resumed in July or August. Expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, including outstanding liabilities, $1,359.41. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890 June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.. July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 1891, balance available...... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... $904.35 10,000.00 10,904.35 1, 468. 48 9,435.87 93.53 9,342.34 105, 737.72 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30,1-93 60,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix B B 3.) |