Geological Survey map of the region contiguous to the city of San Antonio. None of these maps give sufficient elevations along the stream to construct profiles, even approximate.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SAN ANTONIO RIVER.

6. The San Antonio River rises in a series of large springs in Breckenridge Park, in the city of San Antonio, at an elevation of about 635 feet above sea level. The watershed of the stream, which is somewhat indeterminate, extends about 15 miles above its source, but does not contribute any water except after heavy rains.

7. Masonry walls confine the young stream to its chanel during most of its tortuous course through the city of San Antonio; two small dams and a rock fill cause the current to be rather sluggish and the depth to be greater than normal. The average section here has a depth of about 3 feet and a width of from 30 to 50 feet.

8. From San Antonio the river follows a general southeasterly course for about 180 miles to its junction with the Guadalupe River at tidewater; this is about 12 miles above where the latter empties into San Antonio Bay, which is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by a narrow sand island.

9. The San Antonio River has no tributaries that contribute any considerable amount of normal discharge; the principal ones are the Medina River, and Leon, Salado, Cibolo, Ecleto, and Manahuilla Creeks. The Medina River formerly contributed some water at all times, but since the construction of a large dam near its headwaters its flow into the San Antonio is limited to occasional flood waters from the watershed below the dam and to waste and return water from irrigation. Salado Creek contributes similar intermittent discharge.

10. Other than from these two tributaries there are practically no contributions to low or normal flow of the river. All the other creeks run dry at times, often for long periods.

11. The extent of flood contributions is not known with any degree of exactitude, but is not believed to be very great.

12. Throughout the length of the river pools and rapids alternate. The pools vary greatly in size and are formed by bars or ledges at the lower ends; depths in these range from 1 to 10 feet, the shallower depths predominating. The width of the river varies, but is seldom over 40 feet at low water. The average fall between San Antonio and the mouth is 3.5 feet per mile, and with such a steep slope the normal discharge of possibly 100 to 150 cubic feet per second does not occupy a very large section.

13. There are no irrigation, or power, or other developments of the San Antonio River below the city of San Antonio.

14. Drift has not collected in appreciable amounts except near the mouth, where small quantities show a tendency to form a raft.

NAVIGATION.

15. No knowledge could be obtained of commercial navigation ever having existed in the San Antonio River. At present only small craft, such as skiffs and small motor boats, are in use at favorable localities.

16. The discharge of the stream, while constant, is of too small a volume to fill a channel of sufficient size to permit of navigation under present conditions. Riffles, gravel, sand bars, obstructions, and channel constrictions are frequent, and there is no constant depth or width in the channel. At the riffles over bars and ledges at the lower end of the pools the water often spreads in a shallow sheet, flowing thus for long distances.

17. The highway bridges over the river are, as a rule, well-built structures of steel, with ample channel spans and overhead clearances of about 40 feet above low water.

18. The country traversed by the San Antonio River is well provided with railway facilities. The San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway parallels the stream from San Antonio to near Goliad, while the Southern Pacific and St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railways cross the river about 20 miles apart below there.

19. No statistics of freight tonnage are available. The class of freight handled is principally cattle, feed, cotton, and other agricultural products, with some few manufactures near San Antonio consisting of clay products.

20. From San Antonio to Goliad about 40 per cent of the country is in cultivation, and from there to the mouth of the stream nearly all of the land is used for grazing, the bulk being included in five or six large ranches.

21. There are no terminal facilities of any kind on the river.

LOCAL COOPERATION, ETC.

22. There is at present no local organization for furthering the improvement of the San Antonio River. The Manufacturers' Club, of San Antonio, would like to lower freight rates to that city and have taken some steps toward securing this preliminary investigation, but no great public interest appears to be taken in the matter. The possibility of rendering the river navigable at a reasonable cost is so slight that it is not believed that any development of power, irrigation, or other interests could lessen the cost sufficiently to make the improvement desirable.

RECOMMENDATION.

23. In view of the many and costly difficulties that would have to be overcome to secure navigation and of the little demand or necessity for it, it is recommended that the San Antonio River be not considered worthy of improvement by the United States.

SPENCER COSBY,

Colonel, Corps of Engineers.

[First indorsement.]

OFFICE DIVISION ENGINEER, GULF DIVISION,
New Orleans, La., September 12, 1919.

To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY:

1. Forwarded.

2. The San Antonio River was inspected by the division engineer September 3 and 4, 1919, at Goliad, Falls City, Floresville, and San Antonio.

3. The source of the river consists of a number of springs in Breckenridge Park, San Antonio. The river flows through the park in a succession of pools and falls. In the city proper it is confined between walls in many places and the adjacent land is improved with buildings located close to the stream and even projecting over it.

4. Below San Antonio the river is a succession of pools separated by bars or rapids, with an average fall of 3.5 feet per mile. At low stages the river is usually 35 to 40 feet wide, with depths of 1 to 10 feet in the pool and a few inches in the rapids. Under these conditions the flow of the stream is insufficient to permit through navigation by even the smallest type of boat.

5. There appears to be no record that the river was ever navigated for commercial purposes. To make it navigable would require an extensive improvement by locks and dams, at a cost not warranted by the character and amount of commerce to be handled in the territory adjacent to the stream.

6. I concur in the opinion of the district engineer that the San Antonio River, Tex., is not worthy of improvement by the United States.

HERBERT DEAKYNE,

Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer. [For report of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, see p. 2.]

CONGRESS,

GALVESTON BAY AT SMITH POINT, TEX.

LETTER

FROM

THE SECRETARY OF WAR,

TRANSMITTING

WITH A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, REPORT ON PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF GALVESTON BAY AT SMITH POINT, TEX.

OCTOBER 27, 1919.-Referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 24, 1919

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, of 22d instant, together with report of Col. Spencer Cosby, Corps of Engineers, dated May 22, 1919, on a preliminary examination of Galveston Bay, at Smith Point, Tex., authorized by the river and harbor act approved August 8, 1917.

Very respectfully,

NEWTON D. BAKER,
Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, October 22, 1919.

From: The Chief of Engineers, United States Army.

To: The Secretary of War.

Subject: Preliminary examination of Galveston Bay at Smith Point,

Tex.

1. There is submitted herewith, for transmission to Congress, report dated May 22, 1919, by Col. Spencer Cosby, Corps of Engineers,

on preliminary examination of Galveston Bay at Smith Point, Tex., authorized by the river and harbor act approved August 8, 1917.

2. Smith Point is on the east side of Galveston Bay 16 miles north of the city of Galveston. Red Fish Reef extends from Smith Point in a southwesterly direction across the bay. There is a shallow opening through this reef, and the improvement apparently desired, at the time the examination was asked for, was the deepening and widening of this channel, chiefly for the benefit of a mail boat on the Galveston-Anahuac route. This mail route has since been discontinued, and as there is no commerce present or prospective to be benefited, the district engineer regards the locality as unworthy of improvement at the present time. The division engineer is in accord with this view.

3. This report has been referred, as required by law, to the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, and attention is invited to its report herewith, dated June 24, 1919, concurring in the views of the district and division engineers.

4. After due consideration of the above-mentioned reports, I con cur in the views of the district engineer, the division engineer, and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, and therefore report that the improvement by the United States of Galveston Bay at Smith Point, Tex., is not deemed advisable at the present time.

W. M. BLACK, Major General.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS.

[Third indorsement.]

THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,
June 24, 1919.

To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY:
1. The following is in review of the district engineer's report
authorized by the river and harbor act of August 8, 1917, on prelim-
inary examination of Galveston Bay at Smith Point, Tex.

2. Smith Point is on the east side of Galveston Bay 16 miles north of the city of Galveston. A shallow channel passes through an opening in Red Fish Reef near the point, and the improvement contemplated at the time this inquiry was authorized was the enlargement of this channel chiefly for the benefit of a mail boat on the Galveston-Anahuac route. It appears now that this mail service has been discontinued, and as there is no commerce at Smith Point, present or prospective, the district engineer is of opinion, concurred in by the division engineer, that the locality is not worthy of improvement at the present time.

3. Interested parties were notified of the tenor of the district engineer's report and invited to submit statements and arguments to the board, but no communications on the subject have been received.

4. As there are no commercial or navigation interests concerned, the board concurs in the opinion of the district and division engineers that it is not advisable for the United States to undertake the improvement of Galveston Bay at Smith Point, Tex.