Mr. MCLAUGHLIN. They were numbered; as, Pere Marquette No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, et cetera-and the "Hill" boats. Col. KELLER. They do not, any of them, draw as much as sixteen feet, as I recall them. Mr. MCLAUGHLIN. Well, a little more water than the actual amount the ship draws is always necessary or advisable, as I understand it. Col. KELLER. Oh, yes; they need more outside in case of rough water. Mr. MCLAUGHLIN. And there have been offers of other boat lines if they could get into the harbor, and Gen. Sears speaks of the time the dredging was done. Even at that time when we had the money for it it was not known by the steamship lines when the dredging was to be done and when the harbor was to be made available, so that when those steamship lines were making their schedules for the year, conditions at Pentwater being uncertain they did not put Pentwater on their schedules; and when they had promise of early dredging and did put Pentwater on the schedule they would come to the harbor and lie off there: there was doubt and uncertainty in the mind of the captain whether there was water enough, and on account of that uncertainty he steamed away, and if the dredging was not done early enough they got into the habit of passing by and did not take up that port at all as one of their stopping places. Several times when the money recommended by you gentlemen has been available the harbor has not been kept in good shape, with the result that the trips of the boats were intermittent and uncertain and shippers of fruit cannot do business under those conditions. They must know that a boat is coming. Fruit is a perishable product; growers will not bring it and leave it all night and all day for two or three days until a boat is free to come, or feels that it can safely come on account of the condition of the harbor. The harbor must be dredged early; the owners of the ship lines must know it is going to be dredged, and it must be kept in shape so that the harbor can be put on their list, made one of their ports, and that they will know to a reasonable certainty that that harbor is open at all times so that they can go in. The boats will not come if there is an uncertainty. They will not put it on at all if there is a delay in the spring, and the people there, having the perishable fruit, will not patronize them while these uncertain conditions exist. Col. SANFORD. What are the fruit months there? Mr. MCLAUGHLIN. Peaches are perhaps the earliest product. They come in July; late summer and early fall, other kinds of fruit follow along, of course, in their order, just when I am not able to say definitely. Mr. SEARS. There is a large amount of small fruit too that comes earlier. Mr. MCLAUGHLIN. And there is an immense production of potatoes. Potatoes are a profitable crop, more expeditiously carried and delivered by water than by rail. So, as to the withdrawal of this money, as to the times of dredging, as to the failure to dredge at the proper time and the uncertainty growing out of it, and on those things altogether I base my statement, and urge that Pentwater has not been given a fair show. Gen. Sears says he has nothing futher to say. We thank you for your time and attention. (Thereupon, at eleven o'clock a. m., the hearing was concluded.) H D-66-1-vol 32-24 CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. { COLORADO RIVER, TEX. LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR, TRANSMITTING WITH A LETTER FROM THE ACTING CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, REPORT ON PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF COLORADO RIVER, TEX. WITH A VIEW TO DEVISING PLANS FOR FLOOD PROTECTION AND DETERMINING THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE UNITED STATES SHOULD COOPERATE WITH THE STATES AND OTHER COMMUNITIES AND INTERESTS IN CARRYING OUT SUCH PLANS, ITS SHARE BEING BASED ON THE VALUE OF PROTECTION TO NAVIGATION. NOVEMBER 19, 1919.-Referred to the Committee on Flood Control and ordered to be printed, with illustrations. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, November 18, 1919. The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, a letter from the Acting Chief of Engineers, United States Army, of 14th instant, together with report of Col. Spencer Cosby, Corps of Engineers, dated June 30, 1919, with maps and photographs, on a preliminary examination of Colorado River, Tex., authorized by the river and harbor act approved July 27, 1916. Very respectfully, NEWTON D. BAKER, WAR DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, From: The Acting Chief of Engineers. 1. There is submitted herewith for transmission to Congress report dated June 30, 1919, with maps and photographs, by Col. Spencer Cosby, Corps of Engineers, on preliminary examination authorized by the river and harbor act approved July 27, 1916, of Colorado River, Tex., "with a view to devising plans for flood protection and determining the extent to which the United States should cooperate with the States and other communities and interests in carrying out such plans, its share being based on the value of protection to navigation." 2. The Colorado River rises in the western part of the State of Texas and flows in a southeasterly direction for a distance of about 700 miles to Matagorda Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. It has a drainage area of 37,800 square miles. From its source to Coke County the river flows through the semiarid plains section, and at Ballinger it enters the mountain region extending to Austin, a distance of about 330 miles. Below Austin it follows a winding course through the rolling country of central Texas, until it reaches the flat coastal plain that borders the Gulf. Between mile 35 and mile 40 above the mouth the river is entirely blocked by what is known as the "Big Raft," a huge mass of drift which completely fills the river, while between mile 8 and mile 35 numerous smaller rafts obstruct the channel in various places. The section of river subject to destructive floods is practically confined to the portion from Austin to the mouth, a distance of about 290 miles. From Austin to Lagrange, a distance of 110 miles, the banks are high and the amount of land overflowed is comparatively small. Below Lagrange the banks become lower, the slope of the river decreases, and, as a consequence, the overflows are more frequent and extensive. In the six counties between Austin and the mouth there are about 270,000 acres subject to overflow. This land is stated to have a present uncertain value of $25 per acre, but if protection against floods were assured, it is claimed that it would probably be worth at least $100 per acre. On 230,000 acres of this land it is estimated that there would be a net gain of $11,500,000, after payment of $25 per acre for its protection. Conditions at the headwaters of the river and its tributaries suggest the use of reservoirs in conjunction with levees as probably the best means of flood control. 3. No work of improvement has been done on this river by the Federal Government since very early times. Under the provisions of the river and harbor act of March 2, 1919, a channel 5 feet deep is to be dredged by the Government across the bar at the mouth. What may be considered the navigable section of the river extends for about 21 miles above its mouth, and in this section there is a controlling depth of 6 feet at low stage. At present there is no commercial navigation on the river. The district engineer states that it would be possible by the construction of locks and dams, and by cutting and maintaining a channel around the raft, to make the river navigable from its mouth to Austin, but the cost of the work would be prohibitive. While a system of flood protection might be devised which, in addition to protecting agricultural lands, would be of value to irrigation and water-power interests, he does not believe that such improvement would be of any practical value to navigation, and he expresses the opinion that it is not advisable for the United States to bear any share of the cost of devising or carrying out such plans at the present time. In this opinion the division engineer concurs. 4. 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 October 14, 1919, concurring in the unfavorable views of the district and division engineers. 5. After due consideration of the above-mentioned reports, I concur in the views of the district engineer, the division engineer, and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, and therefore report that the value to navigation of the flood protection is not sufficient to justify the United States in cooperating with the State and other communities and interests in devising or carrying out plans for flood protection on the Colorado River, Tex. FREDERIC V. ABBOT, Colonel, Corps of Engineers. REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS. [Third indorsement.] THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS, 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 July 27, 1916, on preliminary examination of Colorado River, Tex., with a view to devising plans for flood protection and determining the extent to which the United States should cooperate with the States and other communities and interests in carrying out such plans, its share being based on the value of protection to navigation. 2. The Colorado River rises in the western part of the State of Texas, flows in a southeasterly direction, and empties into Matagorda Bay. Its length is about 700 miles and its drainage area 37,800 square miles. The section above Coke County is semiarid and sparsely settled. Between this section and Austin, a distance of about 330 miles, the principal tributaries enter the river. Below Austin the river flows through a rolling country until the flat coastal plain near the mouth is reached. From mile 35 to mile 40 above the mouth the river is completely blocked by the "Big Raft," an accumulated mass of drift. Below this reach there are numerous smaller rafts or piles of drift which more or less obstruct the channel. The river is navigable at present for a distance of about 21 miles above the mouth, but no commercial use is made of any part of it. Except for some work done in the early fifties, of which we have no record, the river has not been improved by the United States. The section between the mouth and Austin could be made navigable by the construction of locks and dams and a by-pass around the raft, but at great cost. 3. Some of the lowlands adjacent to the river are subject to overflow, which occasions considerable damage. Certain farming sections have been protected by levees and others are cultivated without protection, but most of the bottom lands are suitable for cultivation if protected. The lowest land immediately adjacent to the river is covered with timber and used almost solely at the present time for grazing. From the head of the raft to the mouth of the river the channels are so choked with drift that slight rises cause most of the adjacent county to overflow. The town of Bay City is protected by a levee. The area subject to overflow below Austin is reported as amounting |