6. Construction of canal at the Cascades, Columbia River, Oregon and Washington Territory.-In charge of Maj. W. A. Jones, Corps of Engineers, to October 9, 1886. The project adopted in 1877 and modified in 1880 is to build a canal and lock around the main rapid and make an open river improvement at the minor rapids below, for navigation to a 20-foot rise at the foot of the canal, with perhaps some assistance to ascending vessels at the minor rapids. The 20-feet rise includes the medium stage and obtains from 7 to 8 months of the year. The plan is arranged for subsequent extension of navigation to higher stages. The lock capacity is to be for a steamer and three barges, with a depth of water on the sills of 8 feet at low stage. The amount appropriated for the work has been $1,142,500, and the amount expended to June 30, 1887, is $1,062,895.80, including outstanding liabilities. The river improvement is reported completed to the certain points required before lock construction is cominenced. The canal excavation is well advanced; a large quantity of stone is on hand, and some accessory and extensive canal constructions are completed. A free portage wagon road through the canal grounds was opened in January, 1886; no use has yet been made of the portage. The principal operations last year were excavation, 58,000 cubic yards, and mainly in conglomerate, at the lower levels of the lock-site; stone-cutting, bowlder-quarrying, and paving slope of canal at upper entrance. The amount estimated for completion is for opening the canal for medium and low-water navigation and does not include cost of further river work. The amount asked for the next year is for continuation of canal work. July 1, 1886, amount available............... Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886.. $2,772.93 187,500.00 190, 272.93 July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886 $106, 626. 29 July 1, 1887, outstanding liabilities... 3,819. 26 110,445.55 July 1, 1887, amount available...... 79,827.38 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... 1,850,000.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1889 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix T T 6.) 400,000.00 7. Chehalis River, Washington Territory.—The project of this improvement, adopted in 1882, consists in annual snagging operations below Claquato, 82 miles from the river's mouth, at an estimated cost of $5,000. The lower river, 12 miles from Montesano, the head of coasting navigation, to Gray's Harbor, is free of bad snags. From Montesano to Elma, the head of tide, 16 miles, the river is considerably obstructed by snags, and from Elma to Centralia, on the Northern Pacific Railroad, it was practically blocked by three drift jams and numerous snags. Above that to Claquato the river is tolerably free. The expenditures on the project to June 30, 1887, are $6,245.68, including outstanding liabilities. Small openings have been made and maintained through two large jams on the upper part of the river and principal drift heaps and snags removed from there to Montesano. There has been no steam navigation above Elma, and there is now no steamer on the river suitable for navigating the upper river. The amount asked for, $3,000, is for work below Elma, the head of tide. July 1, 1886, amount available...... Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886.. July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886.. $10.69 2,500.00 2,510.69 $611.71 July 1, 1887, outstanding liabilities. 629.04 1,240.75 July 1, 1887, amount available.... 1,269.94 Amount (estimated) required for continuing existing project. 8,000.00 3,000.00 (See Appendix T T 7.) 8. Skagit, Steilaquamish, Nootsack, Snohomish, and Snoqualmie rivers, Washington Territory.-The project of the improvement of these rivers, adopted in 1882, consists in annual snagging and moderate bar scraping by a regularly equipped snag-boat for light-draught navigation to the natural heads thereof, being an aggregate length of river of about 250 miles. The natural channels are deep in the tidal sections, shoal and generally rapid in the upper portions, and much obstructed by drift through out. The amount expended on the project to June 30, 1887, is $36,263.40, including outstanding liabilities, and has permitted the construction of a snag-boat and partial work on four of the five rivers named. During the last year large snags were removed from the lower Snohomish River, and snags removed and overhanging trees cut on the Nootsack River from the mouth to Lynden, the present head of navigation. A fairly good channel was made; no work had previously been done on this part of the river. Operations are to be extended to the Snoqualmie River, where also no previous work has been done. The amount asked is for completion of the snag-boat and outfit, and for work on each of the five rivers. Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886. $10,000.00 $9,880.61 July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886 5, 987.02 July 1, 1887, outstanding liabilities.. 64.05 July 1, 1887, amount available 6, 051.07 3,829.54 31,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for continuing existing project ... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1889 15,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix T T 8.) 9. Gauging waters of the Columbia and principal tributaries, Oregon and Washington Territory.-The object is to operate an automatic gauge at Astoria and maintain staff-gauges above for pilots' information and for record of tide and stages of river, one service of the Astoria gauge being to show the condition of the bar at the mouth of the Columbia River with regard to roughness. It is also intended to measure the tidal and river volumes. The amount expended to June 30, 1887, is $2,339.30. It has permitted partial service of water-gauges, but none in measuring the water volumes. During the year 14 staff-gauges, readable from passing vessels, were generally maintained along the ship-channel from Portland to Astoria. Other staff or float gauges, on the Upper Willamette or on the Lower Willamette and Columbia rivers, were read for a few months. The Astoria self-registering gauge was run from November 15. A second gauge of the same kind was there operated to furnish daily sheets of a large scale, which were posted for showing the sea-bar condition and height and time of tides. This service was increased, subsequently, to include a daily bulletin notice of the bar condition, in words, as, very rough, rough, moderate, smooth, very smooth. The amount asked for, $5,000, is for one year's service of watergauges, including an extension to the Upper Columbia River, with a view of giving information of the approach and probable height of floods. The engineer in charge suggests that appropriations for water-gauges should be general and continuous, as they are for the operation of canals and locks. July 1, 1886, amount available... Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886. July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886...... $4.73 1,000.00 1,004.73 July 1, 1887, outstanding liabilities.. $844.03 959.53 July 1, amount available.... 45.20 Amount (estimated) required for continuing existing project.. 5,000.00 5,000.00 (See Appendix T T 9.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF THE RIVER AND HARBOR ACT OF AUGUST 5, 1886. The required preliminary examinations of the following localities were made by the local engineer in charge, Captain Powell, and reported by him as not worthy of improvement. 1. Siuslaw River and Bar, Oregon.-(See Appendix T T 10.) 2. Nehalem Bay and Bar, Oregon.-(See Appendix T T 11.) And it appearing, after preliminary examination, that the localities were worthy of improvement he was charged with the survey of the following, the results of which will be duly submitted when received: 1. Tillamook Bay and Bar, Oregon. The following localities were also, after preliminary examination, reported worthy of improvement, and no survey being necessary, estimates are submitted of the probable cost: 2. Coquille River between Coquille City and Myrtle Point, Oregon.(See Appendix T T 12.) 3. Umpqua River, Oregon.—(See Appendix T T 13.) Reports from the local engineer of the required preliminary examinations at Wood River and Link River, Oregon, have not been received. IMPROVEMENT OF COLUMBIA AND WILLAMETTE RIVERS BELOW PORTLAND, OREGON; OF UPPER WILLAMETTE, UPPER COLUMBIA AND SNAKE, AND COWLITZ RIVERS, OREGON AND WASHINGTON TERRITORY, AND OF LOWER CLEARWATER RIVER, IDAHO. Officer in charge, Maj. W. A. Jones, Corps of Engineers; supervis ing engineer, Col. G. H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers. 1. Columbia and Lower Willamette Rivers, below Portland, Oregon.The project for this improvement was adopted in 1877, and modified subsequently, the object being to afford a ship-channel of 20 feet depth at low water by contraction and shore protection works at four bars from Portland to Columbia City; by teinporary improvement at the bars during construction of the works; by temporary improvement at three shoal places below Columbia City, and by snagging operations. The natural depth of the channel at the shoalest place was about 9 feet, and on six other bars it was from 10 to 15 feet at low water. The amount expended on the project to June 30, 1887, was $424,151.52, and has resulted in maintaining a channel depth of successively 17, 18, and 19 feet at low water from Astoria over the whole reach of 100 miles. Operations during the year consisted of extensive and costly repairs upon the plant and constructions, resulting from deterioration during the suspension of work from the failure of appropriation, extensive repairs upon the dike at Saint Helen's Bar; the construction of 1,012 feet of extension of this dike; the survey of all the bars below Portland, and also Ross Island Bar above Portland, and the preparation of plans for its improvement. The increase of the estimate of the amount required for completion is due to the extraordinary expenditures for repairs arising from the failure of appropriations. The amount asked for the next fiscal year is for continuing the approved project. July 1, 1886, amount available.............. $0.51 Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886. 75,000.00 75,000.51 July 1, 1837, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886..... 50,396.46 July 1, 1887, amount available 24, 604.05 400, 000, 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix U U 1.) 2. Upper Willamette River, Oregon.-The project for this improvement was adopted in 1870, modified in 1878, and extended in later years. The object is to afford and maintain an easy, light-draught navigation from Portland to Eugene City, Oregon, and in 12 miles of tributaries, making in all a distance of 184 miles. The work consists in snagging operations, bar-scraping, and for the reach between Willamette Falls and Corvallis, in the contraction of water-way by low cut-off dams and rock removal. The natural channel from Portland to Willamette Falls, 12 miles, was generally deep and wide. Above it is narrow, tortuous, and much obstructed. The mouth of the Yamhill, 28 miles from the falls, was the head of an inconvenient low-water navigation in a draught of 21 feet. Only 1 foot could be carried above. Total appropriation to date is $84,000. Amount expended $81,089.27, of which about $22,000 has been applied to maintenance. Operations for the year have been with the snag-boat Corvallis, repaired for service until the new snag-boat be made. The amount asked for is to be applied to snagging, bar-scraping, wingdam construction, rock removal, finishing snag-boat, and surveys. July 1, 1886, amount available...... Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886. July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886..... July 1, 1887, amount available............. $15.48 10,000.00 10, 015. 48 7, 104.75 2, 910. 73 29,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... (See Appendix U U 2.) 3. Upper Columbia and Snake rivers, Oregon and Washington Territory.-The plan for this improvement, adopted in 1877, consists in rock removal at a number of very swift rapids to give channel depths at low water of 5 feet upon the Columbia and 4 feet upon the Snake; a river length of 266 miles between Celilo on the Columbia and Lewiston on the Snake. The natural channel was narrow, tortuous, and dangerous, with many very difficult rapids. The amount expended to June 30, 1887, is $126,000, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, and has resulted in improvement of fifteeen different localities. Until the current year all work had been done by contract. This year it has been done by hired labor and has resulted in a great reduction in the cost of rock blasting. The necessary plant was purchased and a drill scow built. Log Island Rapids was permanently improved by laying a sheering crib on shore at its most difficult place; Little Goose Rapids was permanently improved by the removal of all bowlders in the channel; a large quantity of rock was removed at Texas Rapids and a thorough survey was made at Texas Rapids, Monumental Rapids, Long Crossing Rapids, and Pine Tree Rapids. It is proposed with the appropriation asked for to complete the project. $2,371.60 10,000.00 July 1, 1886, amount available.... 12, 371.60 July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886 July 1, 1887, outstanding liabilities. $12, 345, 45 12, 371.60 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project (See Appendix U U 3.) 26,000.00 26,000.00 4. Lower Clearwater River, Idaho.-The present project, adopted in 1878, is to make a channel through rock-reefs and cobble-stone bars from Lewiston, at the mouth of the river, to North Fork, a distance of 40 miles, to secure a low-water draught of 4 feet. |