United States Congressional Serial Set

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS.

[Third indorsement.]

BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,

To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY:

July 15, 1919.

1. The following is in review of the district engineer's report authorized by the river and harbor act of March 2, 1919, on preliminary examination of Lorain Harbor, Ohio, with a view to the extension of the east breakwater and enlarging and deepening the harbor area.

2. Lorain Harbor is located at the mouth of Black River about 30 miles westerly from Cleveland, Ohio. The existing project provides for an outer harbor formed by converging breakwaters, the west breakwater extending to the shore; for an entrance 500 feet wide between pierheads; for parallel piers at the mouth of the river 300 feet apart; and for dredging to a depth of 20 feet at low-water datum, 2 feet below mean lake level, 1860-1875, the outer harbor within designated limits and a channel 250 feet wide between the piers and extending upstream from the outer ends of the piers a distance of about 3,000 feet to the Erie Avenue Bridge. The project has been completed, except the shoreward extension of the west breakwater and dredging in the outer harbor outside the entrance channel. The United States has expended on the harbor and river below the Erie Avenue Bridge $1,208,416.54. The city of Lorain has expended approximately $598,000 in dredging and maintaining a 20-foot channel in Black River above the Erie Avenue Bridge to the plant of the National Tube Co., located about 3 miles above the mouth of the river, with a turning basin at the upper end, and in constructing a public wharf.

3. The commerce of Lorain Harbor has in recent years averaged about 7,115,000 tons, having a value in excess of $25,000,000. It consists almost entirely of iron ore and coal, all handled in the river, either above or below the Erie Avenue Bridge, the outer harbor being used only as a turning basin.

4. The present breakwaters serve to protect the entrance to the river. Any commercial development of the outer harbor east of the piers would entail a considerable extension of the east breakwater. General conditions of currents and sedimentation in the outer harbor will be much improved when the west breakwater has been extended to the shore. The extension of the east breakwater is apparently desired to prevent erosion of the shore line and the consequent shoaling of the harbor area. The district engineer's study of conditions here leads him to the conclusion that no extension of the east breakwater short of connecting it with the shore would prevent erosion, and that such full extension would involve a length of breakwater of about 4,000 feet, at a cost entirely out of proportion to any possible benefits. Moreover, he questions the propriety of the United States undertaking the construction of breakwaters for the prevention of shore erosion. With reference to deepening the harbor area, the report shows that the project depth has been obtained in the entrance channel through the outer harbor and in the river, and that this

depth compares favorably with the depths at other lake ports where most of the cargoes of iron ore originate, and, unless a general project for increased depths at all lake ports is contemplated, no increase at Lorain Harbor is warranted. For these several reasons the district engineer expresses the opinion that improvement beyond that authorized by the existing project is not advisable at the present time. The division engineer concurs in this view.

5. Interested parties were informed 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. 6. Under authority of the river and harbor act of March 4, 1915, an investigation of this harbor was made, with a view to preventing erosion of banks, if any, caused by the extension of the Government breakwaters on either side of the harbor. Report on this subject is printed in House Document No. 980, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session. The conclusion was then reached that erosion on the west side of the harbor was caused by the breakwater construction, but that erosion on the east side was not due to the breakwaters. Recommendation was made for extension of the west breakwater to the shore to correct this condition, and an appropriation for the work is contained in the river and harbor act of August 8, 1917.

clusive evidence has now been presented to show that the east breakwater is responsible for the erosion complained of, while the location of this breakwater with respect to the shore line, as well as the configuration of the latter, are both such as to negative the assumption that the breakwater has had any harmful effect. As stated by the district engineer, an extension of no less than about 4,000 feet would be required to protect the shore line now subject to erosion, at a cost out of reasonable porportion to resulting benefits. The depth authorized by the existing project conforms to the depth obtaining generally at the Great Lakes harbors and required by the ore-carrying vessels, and there is no apparent reason why it should be increased, nor is there any probability of such commercial use of the outer harbor as would warrant an enlargement of the area now under improvement. The board, therefore, concurs in the opinion of the district and division engineers that it is not advisable at this time for the United States to undertake the improvement of Lorain Harbor to a greater extent than is authorized by the existing project.

7. In compliance with law, the board reports that there are no questions of terminal facilities, water power, or other related subjects which could be coordinated with the suggested improvement in such manner as to render the work advisable in the interests of commerce and navigation.

For the Board:

PETER C. HAINS,

Major General, United States Army (Retired),

Senior Member of the Board.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF LORAIN HARBOR, OHIO.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

From: The District Engineer.

Cleveland, Ohio, June 11, 1919.

To: The Chief of Engineers, United States Army (Through the Division Engineer).

Subject: Preliminary examination of Lorain Harbor, Ohio.

1. The river and harbor act approved March 2, 1919, contains the following:

The Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed to cause preliminary examinations and surveys to be made at the following-named localities:

Lorain Harbor, Ohio, with a view to the extension of the east breakwater and enlarging and deepening the harbor area.

The duty of making preliminary examination was assigned to this office by department letter dated March 14, 1919.

2. Lorain Harbor is located at the mouth of Black River, which flows into Lake Erie about 30 miles westerly from Cleveland, Ohio. It comprises an outer harbor about 60 acres in area, created by breakwaters, and the lower 3 miles of Black River, which is from 160 to 350 feet wide. (See Lake Survey Chart No. 357.) For the latest published map of Lorain Harbor, see House Document No. 1200, Sixty-fifth Congress, second session.

3. Reports of previous preliminary examinations and surveys in this locality have been made as follows: Report favorable to providing better access to the harbor and safety for vessels therein by rebuilding piers at river entrance and constructing converging breakwaters, at an estimated cost of $695,500. (H. Doc. No. 131, Fiftyfifth Congress, second session). Report favorable to dredging channel 300 feet wide and 20 feet deep at mean lake level from the inner end of the Government piers to the Erie Avenue Bridge, at an estimated cost of $23,000. (H. Doc. No. 560, Sixtieth Congress, first session.) An appropriation of $15,000 for this work was made before the report was submitted and Congress took no action upon the recommendation. Report favorable to enlarging and improving the outer harbor by extending breakwaters toward shore and dredging shoal areas, at an estimated cost of $248,129. (H. Doc. No. 644, Sixty-first Congress, second session.) Report favorable to extending west breakwater to shore, at an estimated cost of $19,500, including $3,000 to be contributed by the city of Lorain. (H. Doc. No. 980, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session.) Report favorable to deepening the outer harbor area and the channel 250 feet wide between the piers and southerly to the Erie Avenue Bridge to 22 feet at mean lake level, at an estimated cost of $63,150. (H. Doc. No. 985, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session.) Reports unfavorable to the improvement of Black River above the Erie Avenue Bridge are contained in House Document No. 160, Sixty-third Congress, first session, and in House Document No. 1200, Sixty-fifth Congress, second session.

4. The existing project provides for an outer harbor about 60 acres in area, formed by converging rubble mound breakwaters with an aggregate length of 6,350 feet, the west breakwater extending to the shore; for an entrance 500 feet wide between pierheads of timber cribs with concrete superstructure located at the outer ends of the breakH D-66-1-vol 32- -12

waters and 1,800 feet outside the entrance of the channel between the piers; for parallel piers of timber cribs with concrete superstructure at the mouth of the river 300 feet apart and having an aggregate length of 2,765 feet; and for dredging the outer harbor and channel 250 feet wide between the piers and upstream to the Erie Avenue Bridge, a total length of about 3,000 feet, to a depth of 20 feet at lowwater datum. This datum plane is taken at 570.8 feet above mean tide at New York, 2 feet below mean lake level, 1860-1875. The project depth corresponds to a depth of 191 feet on the Lake Survey Chart of this locality. The estimate of cost for new work, revised in 1919, is $1,068,129, exclusive of amounts expended on previous projects. The latest (1916) approved estimate for annual cost of maintenance is $5,000.

5. Under the existing project, the river entrance has been improved by the construction of parallel piers and dredging up to the Erie Avenue Bridge, providing a channel 250 feet wide and 20 feet deep at low-water datum. An outer harbor about 60 acres in area has been provided by constructing breakwaters and by dredging shoal areas to 19 feet at low-water datum. The channel of approach through the outer harbor was deepened in 1918 to 20 feet. The piers were completed in 1908, the breakwaters, including pierheads, in 1915, and the dredging in the river in 1919. Expenditures to May 31, 1919, under the existing project, were $916,213.66, of which $840,098.78 was for new work and $76,114.88 for maintenance since 1903, prior to which time the amounts expended for works of improvement and for maintenance were so involved that it is impracticable to separate them. Under previous projects, prior to the adoption of the existing project in 1899, there was expended $292,202.88. Total expenditures on all projects for new work and maintenance to May 31, 1919, amount to $1,208,416.54.

The existing project has been completed except the extension (750 feet in length) of the west breakwater to shore, and dredging in the outer harbor outside the entrance channel. The project is regarded as 92 per cent completed.

6. The breakwaters and piers are in good condition except the rubble section (112 feet long) of the inner end of east pier. The controlling depth in the channel through the outer harbor and in the river to the Erie Avenue Bridge is 20 feet at low-water datum. Depths in the outer harbor outside the channel range from 15 to 19 feet. 7. The extension of west breakwater to shore, provided for in the river and harbor act of August 8, 1917, was made contingent upon the city of Lorain contributing $3,000 toward the cost of the work. This amount has been deposited by the city in the United States Treasury. The city has expended approximately $598,000 in obtaining and maintaining a channel in Black River above the Erie Avenue Bridge to the plant of the National Tube Co., located about 3 miles above the mouth of the river, with a turning basin about 600 feet wide at the upper end, and in constructing a public dock about 1,000 feet long below the Erie Avenue Bridge. The channel maintained by the city is 120 to 200 feet wide and 20 feet deep at low-water datum. The city has established dock lines at a minimum distance apart of 300 feet and, with the exception of two small tracts, has acquired all the land between these lines to the upper limit of navigation.

8. The commerce of Lorain Harbor, which consists chiefly of the receipt of iron ore and the shipment of coal, has steadily increased

and to-day ranks as one of the leading lake ports in amount and value of its water-borne commerce. All vessels entering or leaving Lorain Harbor make use of the improvement. Iron ore and coal form 98 per cent of the total tonnage of the port, and practically all vessels engaged in this trade have a draft of from 19 to 21 feet.