Amount (estimated) required for completion of the project submitted above. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880 (See Appendix G 1.) $2,592, 000 00 244,000 00 2. Improvement of Accotink Creek, Virginia.-This work, which was commenced in 1872, has since remained suspended, no appropriation for its completion having been made. The amount required to complete the channel between the town of Accotink and the bay is, according to the original estimate, $14,000. (See Appendix G 2.) 3. Improvement of Occoquan River, Virginia.-The appropriation made by the act approved June 18, 1878, for the completion of this improvement, will be expended in dredging a channel through the bar at the mouth of the river where it enters Occoquan Bay, and should the funds permit, in dredging at other points where the channel has deteriorated. The depth of channel proposed is 5 feet, which is the ruling depth in the bay. No work was done during the last fiscal year for want of funds. July 1, 1877, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878.. July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year......... July 1, 1878, amount available.... (See Appendix G 3.) $202 01 10, 000 00 $10, 202 01 202 01 10, 000 00 4. Improvement of Aquia Creek, Virginia.—This work will be completed with the appropriation of $5,000 made June 18, 1878. But as this is only one-third of the estimate, the dimensions of the channel will be correspondingly reduced. A channel 5 feet deep at low-water will be dredged above and below the railroad bridge, where the depth is insufficient, and the material deposited on the sides of the cut. Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878. July 1, 1878, amount available.. (See Appendix G 4.) $5,000 00 5,000 00 5. Improvement of Nomoni Creek, Virginia.-A material increase of trade and additional facilities for transportation have resulted from the improvement effected at the mouth of this creek. The work has, however, remained suspended during the year, owing to the lack of funds. The action of winds and currents, together with constant passage of steamers through the cut, has caused the material to wash from the slopes, and it is important that the channel should be widened and deepened at several points in order that the work may be satisfactorily completed. For this purpose an appropriation of $10,000 is recommended by the engineer in charge. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... $10,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. 10, 000 00 (See Appendix G 5.) 6. Improvement of Rappahannock River, Virginia.-At the date of the last annual report dredging was in progress at Fredericksburg, under the appropriation of $10,000 made August 14, 1876. This work was continued until July 26, 1877, when the available funds were exhausted. The act of June 18, 1878, appropriates $13,500 for the continuation of the improvement. This sum will be expended in the construction of dikes along the river near Fredericksburg, for the purpose of contract ing the width and providing a place of deposit for the sand which it is proposed to dredge from the channel. It is probable that the work already executed at Fredericksburg Bar, together with that proposed during the present season, will insure permanent results at this point. The engineer in charge, therefore, recommends that the improvement of the river between Fredericksburg and Tappahannock be resumed in accordance with the original plan. The estimated cost of a channel 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep at low water, through the bars and shoals between those points, is $50,000, of which $30,000 could be profitably expended the next fiscal year. July 1, 1877, amount available (not including $631.62 due on contracts). Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878... $2,287 39 July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year (not including $631.62 due on contracts).... July 1, 1878, amount available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... (See Appendix G 6.) $15, 787 39 2,287 39 13,500 00 50,000 00 30,000 00 7. Improvement of Leonardtown Harbor, Maryland.—A survey of this harbor was made in 1874, and a report, with estimates of cost of improvement, will be found in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1875, part 2, page 108. The improvement proposed is the excavation of a channel, 150 feet wide and 9 feet deep, from the 9-foot curve in Breton Bay to the wharf at Leonardtown. The sum of $5,000, appropriated June 18, 1878, will be applied to the commencement of the work during the present season. For its completion $25,000 will be needed, and the engineer in charge recommends an appropriation of $15,000 for the next fiscal year. Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. $5,000 00 5,000 00 25,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. 15, 000 00 (See Appendix G 7.) 8. Improvement of Hampton River, Virginia.-The obstruction to the navigation of Hampton River is a bar at its mouth. A survey of this bar was made in 1874, and a report, with estimates of the cost, will be found in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1875, part 2, page 152. The act of June 18, 1878, appropriated $10,000 for this work, which will be expended in dredging a channel 8 to 9 feet deep and of such width as the funds allow through the bar. The sum of $6,000 will be required for the completion of the work according to the original estimate. Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878 July 1, 1878, amount available.. $10,000 00 10,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. 6,000 00 6,000 00 9. Improvement of Elizabeth River, Virginia.-During the past year a cut-off has been dredged near the lock of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal in order to counteract the effect of tidal currents at a sharp bend in the river at that point. The work has been attended with successful results, greatly increasing the safety of navigation. The "Gap," a short distance below, has also been widened so as to facilitate the passage of steamers and long tows. An appropriation of $5,000 was made June 18, 1878, for this work, which was required to complete the deepening of the approaches to the "Gap" and to remove small bars which cause some obstruction below this point. 10. Improvement of Norfolk Harbor, Virginia.-This improvement was commenced in October, 1877, under the appropriation of $35,000 made by the river and harbor act of August 14, 1876. A channel from 20 to 22 feet deep at low water with an average width of 530 feet has been dredged through the bar at the mouth of the eastern branch of Elizabeth River in the immediate harbor. The material found was a very soft blue mud, which was deposited on Craney Island Flats, 64 miles from Norfolk. Dredging was suspended in April, 1878, and some additional dredging along the Berkeley Flats will be required to complete this channel. The United States Advisory Board to the Harbor Commissioners of Norfolk submitted in May, 1878, a plan for the general improvement of the harbor and approaches so as to secure 25 feet of water from Hampton Roads to the navy-yard. An estimate of the cost of this work, the total amount of which is $317,955, was prepared by the engineer in charge, and, together with the report of the United States advisory board, will be found in detail in the appendix to this report. 293,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. 100,000 00 (See Appendix G 10.) 11. Improvement of Chickahominy River, Virginia.-The improvement of the navigation of this river was provided for by an appropriation of $5,000 in the river and harbor act of June 18, 1878, which it is proposed to expend in dredging channels through Binn's Bar and Windsor Shades Bar, which are the principal obstructions, and which are near the head of navigation. An examination of this river was made in accordance with the act of June 23, 1874, the report of which will be found in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1875, part 2, page 170. Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878. July 1, 1878, amount available.. $5,000 00 5,000 00 5,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. 5,000 00 (See Appendix G 11.) 12. Improvement of Blackwater River, Virginia.-A survey of this river was made in 1874, and a report upon the same with an estimate of the cost of improvement will be found in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1875, part 2, page 161. The sum of $5,000 was appropriated for the improvement by the river and harbor act of June 18, 1878. The work proposed during the present season is the removal of snags, logs, and similar obstructions to navigation. For the completion of the improvement $10,000 will be required. Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878.. July 1, 1878, amount available Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. $5, 000 00 5, 000 00 10, 000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1830. 10, 000 00 (See Appendix G 12.) 13. Improvement of French Broad River, North Carolina.-The survey of this river was completed in September, 1877, and estimates of the cost of different methods of improvement will be found detailed in Appendix G 13 of this report. The least expensive of the plans proposed is that of securing 2 feet of water by means of wing-dams and the excavation of gravel and rock at the shoals, the estimated cost being $45,500. The removal of snags was commenced in October, 1877, and, after suspension of work during the winter months, was again resumed in the spring, and is now nearly completed. Some rock for wing-dams has also been quarried. The appropriation of $15,000 of June 18, 1878, for the continuation of the improvement will be expended in building wing-dams and in the removal of rock and gravel bars which obstruct the channel. For the completion of the work $30,000 will be required, of which the engineer in charge recommends that $20,000 be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. July 1, 1877, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878......... July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year.. $10,000 00 July 1, 1878, amount available Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project............ . Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. (See Appendix G 13.) $25,000 00 7, 162 08 17,837 92 30, 000 00 20, 000 00 14. Improvement of Perquimans River, North Carolina.-The work of removing the stumps which obstructed the navigation of the river near the town of Hertford was continued until October, 1877. A channel 200 feet wide and 8 feet deep was secured, so that steamers now pass through the river without detention. The stumps were of cypress, firmly imbedded, with large and extended roots. The diameter varied from 1 to 7 feet, with an average depth of water over them of 6 feet. They were first blasted with giant-powder, and the pieces afterward removed by snag-hooks and derrick, with the aid of a diver. July 1, 1877, amount available. July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1878, amount available. (See Appendix G 14.) $2,154 14 1,566 90 587 24 15. Improvement of Roanoke River, North Carolina.-Work has remained suspended for want of funds, no appropriation having been made since June 23, 1874. The estimated cost of removing snags from the river, and repairing the dike at Indian Highland Bar, is $5,000. July 1, 1877, amount available. July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project (See Appendix G 15.) 16. Improvement of Pamplico River, North Carolina.-The pile obstructions near Hill's Point, 6 miles below Washington, have been removed and a channel 175 feet wide and 9 feet deep at low-water has also been dredged over the bar near the town. A survey of a shoal portion of the river, about 1 mile below, showed that the deepening of the channel at this point would be of advantage to navigation, but on commencing the work it was found that under the layer of material of which the bed of the river appeared to be composed there were large numbers of stumps, which were only removed with great difficulty and by the aid of giant-powder. A 70-feet channel was, however, completed through these stumps in June. For widening this channel the balance of the original estimate, $10,000, will be required. July 1, 1877, amount available... July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1878, amount available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project $14,636 04 12,565 47 2,070 57 10, 000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. 10, 000 00 (See Appendix G 16.) 17. Improvement of Nansemond River, Virginia.-The channel through Suffolk Bar has been widened from 60 to 80 feet, with a depth of 8 feet at low-water. A channel 80 feet wide and 8 feet deep was also dredged through Shingle Creek Bar, a short distance below, which somewhat obstructed navigation at low-water. The dike at Western Branch Bar has been partially repaired and the channel at this point remains in good condition. The sum of $2,000 was appropriated for the completion of this work by the act of June 18, 1878, and no further expenditure will be required. July 1, 1877, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878 . July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1878, amount available.... $4,740 52 $6,740 52 4,639 79 2,100 73 (See Appendix G 17.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT. To comply with provisions of the river and harbor act of June 18, 1878, Mr. Abert has been charged with and is now engaged upon examinations and surveys at the following localities, the results of which will be duly submitted when received: 1. The Yadkin, North Carolina, between the bridge on the North Carolina Railroad and Wilkesborough. 2. Dan River, Virginia, from Clarksville, via Danville, Virginia, to Danbury, North Carolina. 3. Staunton River, from Roanoke Depot, in Charlotte County, Virginia, to Brookneal, in the county of Campbell, Virginia. |