Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30,1893 $9,100,00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix V V 2.) 3. Sacramento and Feather rivers, California.-Before improvement began on these rivers navigation was dangerous on account of snags, besides which, on the upper Sacramento River and Feather River, there were numerous shoals which were obstructions to navigation. In 1874 a project was made for the improvement of their low-water channels, to consist of the removal of snags, scraping of bars, and the building of temporary wing dams for concentrating the currents and reducing widths where required. Since that time work has been continuous on this project when funds permitted. Up to June 30, 1890, there had been spent on the improvement of these rivers $390,588.53, and during the present fiscal year a further sum of $78,246.02 has been expended. At the end of the last fiscal year the rivers were in a fair navigable condition, the closure of the crevasse just opposite the city of Sacramento being about completed at a cost of $69,148.07. The county of Yolo built a substantial levee behind the works. The river fell shortly afterwards and on August 1 the snag boat was put to work in the upper Sacramento River. By October 22, 855 snags had been removed, leaving a good and safe channel to the head of navigation, and the boat was again laid up. Late in October, 1890, the channel of the Feather River was found to be deteriorating from sand bars formed in consequence of crevasses in the levees. A contract to repair the levees was accordingly made and these crevasses, aggregating 479 feet in length, were closed by the end of November, 1890, at a cost of $4,018.23. Near the close of the present fiscal year the snag boat was again put in commission and is now at work in the upper Sacramento River. In consequence of the improvements made there has been no interruption to navigation during the past fiscal year, there having been no less than 6 feet depth in the lower river. Snags will reform with each annual high stage of the river and operations to remove them must be carried on each year. If this is not done navigation in the upper Sacramento River must cease during the low-water stage, and it is during this stage that the heaviest freighting is done, as the wheat crop is then being moved from the Sacramento Valley. The upper river had during the present year a least depth of 30 inches of water. The commerce of the Sacramento River is carried on 8 steamboats and 21 barges belonging to the Sacramento Transportation Company, 2 steamers belonging to the Southern Pacific Company, and 5 steamers and 7 barges of the California Transportation Company. Only the steamers and barges of the Sacramento Transportation Company run above Sacramento. On the Feather River only one steamboat is run, making one round trip per week. It is owned by the Southern Pacific Company. In compliance with the provisions of the river and harbor act approved September 19, 1890, a Board of Engineers, consisting of Col. G. H. Mendell, Maj. A. Mackenzie, and Capt. Dan. C. Kingman, Corps of Engineers, was constituted by authority of the Secretary of War to consider Sacramento and Feather rivers, California, with a view to project for future improvement. The report of the Board was submitted under date of February 3, 1891, and was transmitted to Con gress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 246, Fifty-first Congress, second session. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. $74, 411. 47 30,000.00 104, 411. 47 78, 246.02 26, 165. 45 1.447.85 24,717.60 July 1, 1891, balance available..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 420,000. 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix V V 3.) 4. Petaluma Creek, California.-Before improvement this creek was crooked and, in places at low water, bare. In 1880 a project was made and adopted for improving it by making cutoffs and dredging a channel 50 feet wide and 3 feet deep at low-water stage. Work was done by contract, and in 1884 the project was completed at a cost of $27,656.91. In 1888, the channel having deteriorated was again dredged to a depth of 1 foot below low water, at a cost of $2,116.39. The channel having again refilled, bids were invited and a contract made in June, 1891, to redredge it. This work, which will again relieve the immediate wants of navigation, will be commenced at once and leave the creek in fair steamboating condition, but, as the channel is not self-maintaining, redredging will be necessary every few years, Without occasional dredging navigation on this creek would soon be entirely stopped. One steamboat, 294 tons, makes daily trips between Petaluma and San Francisco, and schooners run as regularly as wind and weather permit. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year............ $2,016.46 4,000.00 6,016. 46 July 1, 1891, balance unexpended July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. (See Appendix V V 4.) 63.05 5, 953. 41 5, 953. 41 30,000.00 30,000.00 5. Humboldt Harbor and Bay, California.-Prior to commencing work in 1881 the channels in Humboldt Bay were shallow, and vessels sometimes had difficulty in getting to wharves in Eureka, Arcata, and Hookton. They were dredged out, a depth of 13 feet at low water was obtained to Eureka wharves, and channels having 10 feet in depth at low water were dredged to Arcata and Hookton. This was the project which was originally adopted, and which was completed in 1884. In 1882 a project was adopted for building a low training wall so as to improve the entrance to Humboldt Bay. This wall was to be about 6,000 feet long and to extend from the south spit in a northwest direction out towards the bar. Up to June 30, 1890, $196,927.47 had been spent on the improvement of Humboldt Harbor and Bay; of this sum $96,061.55 had been spent on the completed project of dredging the channels in the bay, and $100,865.92 on the improvement of the entrance. At that time the jetty had been extended from the south spit 3,327 linear feet, but was as yet in too incomplete a condition to have any material effect on the channel. The contractor was still at work on it, but was delivering stone in a slow and uncertain way, and by October 31 had only delivered an additional quantity of 10,777 tons. This left a balance of 41,649 tons to be delivered to complete the contract. The contractor failed to deliver this, ceased work, and his contract was annulled. In October, 1890, a Board of Engineers was convened to consider and report upon a project for the improvement of Humboldt Bay. The Board met at Eureka on December 11, 1890. After study of the subject it was decided to modify the existing project to embrace shore protection work on the north spit, and the construction of another jetty starting from the north spit, extending seaward a little less than 7,000 feet and leaving an open entrance at the outer end, both jetties to extend out to the 18 feet contour and be raised to the plane of high water. The cost of completing this project, in addition to the sums already appropriated, was estimated to be $1,715,115. This modification of the project was approved. The old contract being annulled, fresh bids for the work were invited and a new contract made on February 7, 1891. By May 5, the contractors commenced delivering stone into the jetty on the south spit and up to June 30, 1891, had delivered 8,169 tons. Owing to the erosion of the north spit, preparations were made during the month of June to build protection work on that spit, and at the end of the fiscal year a wharf and approaches had been built, track had been laid, and all was readiness to begin actual protection work. The object of this protection work, which is to consist of brush mattress work covered with rock, is to prevent further erosion of the north spit, also to narrow the entrance somewhat, and to remove a shoal which has formed just to the eastward of the entrance. The operations of this fiscal year have raised the south jetty to 6 feet above low water for the first 1,800 feet, and to from low water to 2 feet below on the outer 1,200 feet of the jetty. It is not known that the work thus far done has materially increased the depth of water on the bar, nor was it as yet expected to, but it has caused the south spit to grow seaward, thus forming a more direct channel and insuring the stability of the work. The commerce of Humboldt Bay is carried by two steamers running regularly between San Francisco and Eureka, each making two trips per week, also several steam schooners and numerous sailing vessels, engaged principally in the lumber trade. 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... $480.00 July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.... 152,027.50 July 1, 1891, balance available.... $145, 572. 78 80,000.00 245, 572.78 41,047.33 184, 525.45 152, 507.50 32,017.95 [ Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.....$1,715, 115.00 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 V V 5.) 700,000.00 EXAMINATION AND SURVEY FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. The required preliminary examination of Mokelumne River, California, for snagging, was made by the local engineer in charge, Major Heuer, and report thereon submitted through Col. G. H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Pacific Division. It is the opinion of Major Heuer, and of the Division Engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that this river is worthy of improvement as stated. This opinion being concurred in by me, Major Heuer was charged with and has completed its survey and submitted report thereon. No snagging is at present required on this river, but certain improvements are needed at obstructions which exist in the vicinity of Snodgrass Slough and New Hope Landing. The cost of this work is estimated at $7,100. The reports were transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 178, Fifty-first Congress, second session. (See also Appendix V V 6.) INVESTIGATION OF MINING-DÉBRIS QUESTION IN STATE OF CALIFORNIA, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF ACT APPROVED OCTOBER 1, 1888. In compliance with the provisions of the act of October 1, 1888, a Board of Engineers, consisting of Lieut. Col. W. H. H. Benyaurd, Maj. W. H. Heuer, and Maj. Thomas H. Handbury, Corps of Engineers, was constituted by the Secretary of War For the purpose of making a thorough examination and investigation of the mining débris question in the State of California, for the purpose of ascertaining whether some plau can be devised whereby the present conflict between the mining and farming sections may be adjusted and the mining industry rehabilitated, and for a complete examination of the injured navigable river channels, their tributaries and lands adjacent thereto, with a view to the improvement and rectification of said rivers. The report of the Board was submitted under date of February 9, 1891, was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 267, Fifty-first Congress, second session, and is now presented with the annual report of the officer in charge upon the improvement of Sacramento and Feather rivers, California. (See Appendix V V 3.) IMPROVEMENT OF CERTAIN RIVERS AND HARBORS IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON. Officer in charge, Capt. Thomas W. Symons, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. Graham D. Fitch, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders since March 6, 1891; Division Engineer, Col. G. H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers. 1. Coquille River, Oregon.-At the time the work of improvement was begun, the entrance to the Coquille River was considered very dangerIt was by a long, tortuous, and narrow channel skirting the south headland, and studded with rocks from beyond the bar on the outside, ous. to a distance of one-half mile inside. The depth at low water was only about 3 feet, and the position of the channel was constantly shifting. The channel sometimes at long intervals apart broke through the north spit, and ran directly out to sea just south of Rackliffe Rock. The entrance was then comparatively safe, and the channel at its best, but soon shifted. The mean rise of tide was 4.1 feet. The plan of improvement is to construct two parallel high-tide jetties 600 feet apart, running out to sea far enough to open and maintain an 8 foot low-water channel over the bar; the north jetty starting from Rackliffe Rock, the south jetty from a point inside the entrance on the left bank. The cost of this work, as estimated in 1878 by Maj. J. M. Wilson, is $164,000. The law of August, 1888, authorized in addition $5,000 to be expended for snagging, and the law of September 19, 1890, $3,000. Amount expended to June 30, 1890, was $74,848.48, in which is included $4,000 used for snagging. The results obtained to June 30, 1890, were highly satisfactory, there being then a straight channel out to sea with a depth of 10 feet at low water. From the outer end of the jetty a deposit of sand had formed a well-defined training wall in prolongation of the jetty, and on the north side, parallel with the jetty, a similar low sand training wall had been deposited; thus the ebbing and flowing tides and river waters were directed in a straighter and deeper channel over the bar to sea. This result was hastened by the removal of a dangerous midchannel rock just inside the entrance; the citizens contributing the necessary labor, powder, and other material, as the appropriation had been exhausted, and this office supplying only the blasting machine and skilled supervisor. The snagging between Coquille City and Myrtle Point was of great benefit to navigation. Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $9,048.03. The very satisfactory conditions prevalent a year ago have not been maintained. Winds and currents have at times heaped the movable sands into the channel, causing it to break away to the northward, shallow in depth and bad in direction. To remedy this it was decided to abandon work for the present on the south side, and to use the present appropriation in building the north jetty as far out as the funds available would permit. During the year the river was effectually cleared of snags and its navigability much improved. The appropriations, made in six acts, amount to $105,000. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890.. $151.52 30,000.00 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..... 30, 151, 52 9,048.03 21, 103.49 2,958.64 18, 144. 85 130,000.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 50,000,00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix W W 1.) |