$49 51 July 1, 1885, amount available July 1, 1886, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1887..... 49 51 6,500 00 6,549 51 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30,1888 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 3.) 19,500 00 10,000 00 4. Nomini Creek, Virginia.—This stream is an important tributary of the Potomac, 82 miles below Washington, draining a large area of productive country. Navigation was obstructed by a bar of sand and oyster shells at its mouth, over which but 3 feet could be carried at low water, and the danger in passing the bar was further increased by the cross-tide and an exceedingly rapid current. The length of the bar to the 9-foot curve in Nomini Bay is 5,700 feet. After passing the bar 8 feet can be carried to Nomini Ferry, 3 miles above the mouth. The engineer in charge recommends the enlargement of the width from 150 to 200 feet; also to dredge a training-channel and to sink a mattress for the purpose of diverting a cross-current detrimental to the integrity of the main channel and obstructive to steamers which enter it. The amount recommended in 1885 for this purpose was $30,000. The landings in Nomini Creek are the most important of the Balti more and Potomac River boats. The amount expended to June 30, 1886, was $32,500, which resulted in securing a channel 100 feet wide and 9 feet deep from the 9-foot curve in the bay to White Oak Point, a distance of 4,400 feet. $30,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project........... (See Appendix J 4.) 5. Harbor at entrance of Saint Jerome's Creek, Maryland.-Saint Jerome's Creek enters the Chesapeake Bay 91 miles south of Baltimore and 6 miles north of Point Lookout. The outer bar in the bay has a length of 2,193 feet from the ninth-foot curve in the bay to Corsey's Point in the creek. The least depth of water on it before improvement was 2.8 feet. The average depth in the channel to the ponds used by the Fish Commission for hatching oysters was one-half foot. The length of the inner channel to the wharf of the Fish Commission is 3,742 feet. The project for the improvement of this harbor was adopted in 1881, and contemplated dredging a channel 100 feet wide and 9 feet deep at low-water through the outer bar at the mouth of the creek, and a channel 40 feet wide and 6 feet deep through the south prong of the creek, the material therefrom to be thrown up in a dike, if practicable, so as to form a pond of a portion of this south prong for the purposes of the United States Fish Commission. This harbor is situated at a desirable point for a refuge for oysterboats. Up to June 30, 1885, $20,289.37 was expended, and during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, $3,779.10 have been expended, making a total, to June 30, 1886, of $24,068.47. July 1, 1885, amount available..... $6,210 63 July 1, 1886, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1885 July 1, 1886, outstanding liabilities... $3,739 10 3,779 10 July 1, 18-6, amount available 2,431 53 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... 26,000 00 18,000 00 (See Appendix J 5.) 6. Rappahannock River, Virginia.-The distance from Fredericksburg to the mouth of the river is 106 miles. The present project for the improvement of this river was adopted in 1871 and modified in 1879, the object being to provide a channel 150 feet wide and 10 feet deep through the bar at Fredericksburg, channels 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep through the bars between Fredericks. burg and Port Royal, and channels 200 feet wide and 15 feet deep through two bars between Port Royal and Tappahannock, where a larger class of vessels should be provided for. Between March 3, 1871, and June 30, 1879, $90,500 was expended on the first project. The amount expended on the present project from June 14, 1880, to June 30, 1886, is $75,898.70. This expenditure has resulted in securing, by means of dredging at various times and the construction of longitudinal and spur dikes, navigable channels at Fredericksburg, Pollock's, Bernard's, Pratt's, Spottswood, Castle's Ferry, and Farley Vale bars, extending over a distance of 12.6 miles. July 1, 1885, amount available ... July 1, 1886, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1885.. July 1, 1886, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 1886, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1887..... $11,554 69 $10, 154 83 298 56 10, 453 39 1,101 30 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... (See Appendix J 6.) 20,000 00 21, 101 30 194,000 00 30,000 00 7. Totusky River, Virginia.-The obstructions to the navigation of this river consisted of two bars, one at its mouth, which forms a part of the wide flat between the outlet of the river and the navigable channel of the Rappahannock, having a least depth of 43 feet, and the other about 2 miles above the mouth, known as Booker's Bar, having a ruling depth of 3 feet. The improvement of Booker's Bar is needed for purposes of navigation. Ten thousand dollars have been appropriated for this work up to August 2, 1882. This sum has been expended in building a longitudinal dike 2,117 feet in length, the effect of which has been to scour out the channel to a depth of 34 feet at low water, but this action is slow in its results. The channel should be dredged if prompt improvement of the navigation is desirable. For this object $12,000 will be required. July 1, 1885, amount available..... July 1, 1886, amount available............. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. (See Appendix J 7.) $400 82 400 82 12,000 00 5,000 00 8. Urbana Creek, Virginia.-This creek is a tidal tributary of the Rappahannock, which it enters 91 miles below Fredericksburg, Va. Prior to the commencement of this improvement the navigation was obstructed by a bar at the mouth, over which but 6 feet of water could be carried. The present project was adopted in 1879, the object being to excavate a channel through this bar 150 feet wide and 10 feet deep at low water. The amount expended up to June 30, 1884, was $15,431.41. No appropriation has since been made. The expenditure resulted in securing a channel through the outer bars of 10 feet in depth at low water and a width of 120 feet at the narrowest part, with the ends of the channel widened for facility in entering. A turning basin 200 feet wide, 300 feet long, and 10 feet deep has also been made at Urbana Wharf; and a channel of approach within the creek 1,090 feet long, 80 feet wide, and 10 feet deep at low water. This is one of the landings of the Baltimore and Norfolk boats. The engineer in charge asks, for the completion of this work, an appropriation of $6,000 for the year ending June 30, 1888. July 1, 1885, amount available... $68 59 July 1, 1886, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1885.. 40 00 July 1, 1886, amount available...... 28.59 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... 6,000 00 6,000 00 (See Appendix J 8.) 9. Mattaponi River, Virginia.-This stream empties into York River, at West Point, Va. It is navigable for 56 miles. Previous to the commencement of this improvement, the Mattaponi River was obstructed by numerous bars and by snags, wrecks, and overhanging trees. The object of the first project for improvement, adopted in 1880, was to provide a channel 40 feet wide and 5 feet deep at low water, by the removal of snags, drift-logs, wrecks, and overhanging trees, and by dredging through the bars. The amount expended to June 30, 1885, was $6,023.80, and during the year ending June 30, 1886, $174 have been expended, making a total to June 30, 1886, of $6,197.80. This sum was expended in snagging operations and in the removal of wrecks, logs, and overhanging trees for a length of river of about 24 miles. The engineer in charge recommends making a channel through Robinson and Latane's bars, with a width of 40 feet at bottom and a depth of 6 feet at low water. The cost of this improvement would be $31,000 in addition to the amount available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887. July 1, 1835, amount available... 2,276 20 July 1, 1886, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1885 174 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.......... (See Appendix J 9.) 31,000 00 7,000 00 10. Pamunky River, Virginia.-This stream empties into York River at West Point, Va. Its navigable length is 80 miles. The present project for improvement was adopted in 1880, the object being to provide a channel 40 feet wide and from 3 to 5 feet deep from Hanovertown to Newcastle ferry, a distance of 9 miles, and 100 feet wide and 7 feet deep at low water on the lower bars. The work can be prosecuted economically if the entire sum required for completion is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888. The total expenditure to June 30, 1886, is $5,743.61. July 1, 1885, amount available.... $1,876 39 July 1, 1886, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1885. 120 00 July 1, 1886, amount available..... 1,756 39 Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886.. 5,000 00 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1887.......... 6,756 39 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 15,800 00 8,000 00 (See Appendix J 10.) 11. York River, Virginia.-This is a large tidal tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, into which it empties about 16 miles in a line north of Fortress Monroe. It is formed by the Mattaponi and Pamunky rivers, and has a deep, navigable ship-channel for a distance of 41 mites. The navigation of the river prior to the commencement of the present improvement was obstructed by a bar at the mouth of Potopotank Creek, having a least depth of 19 feet at low water, and a bar about 82 miles above, at West Point, Va., having a least depth of 14 feet. The present project was adopted in 1880, the object being to provide a channel, by dredging, 22 feet deep and 200 feet wide (to be increased afterwards to 400 feet wide) through the bars, and also a basin of the same depth at the wharves at West Point. The first appropriation ($10,000), made June 14, 1880, was applied to the improvement of the Potopotank Bar, through which a channel 105 feet wide and 22 feet deep was secured by dredging. The appropriations since 1880 have been applied to dredging the bar at West Point. The amount expended up to June 30, 1885, was $67,833.31, and during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, $10,847.30 have been expended; making a total to June 30, 1886, of $78,680.61. July 1, 1885, amount available. July 1, 1886, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1885 July 1, 1886, amount available.... July 1, 1886, outstanding liabilities.. Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1887 ..... $12, 166 69 $10,764 69 10,847 30 1,319 39 18,750 00 20,069 39 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... (See Appendix J 11.) 157,250 00 50,000 00 12. Chickahominy River, Virginia.-This river is navigable for 37 miles. The present project was adopted in 1878, the object being to dredge channels 100 to 150 feet wide through Binn's, Old Fort and Windsor Shades bars to a depth of not less than 8 feet at low water, and to remove snags, logs, &c., from points above Windsor Shades. The least depths on these bars, prior to the commencement of the improvement, were from 4 to 5 feet at low water. The appropriations, amounting to $15,000, have been expended, and resulted in securing a channel through Binn's Bar, 150 feet wide and 8 feet deep; through Windsor Shades and Old Fort bars, 100 feet wide and 8 feet deep, and through the bar at the mouth of the river, 90 feet wide and 14 feet deep at low water. For the completion of the project for the improvement of the upper part of the river $1,000 are still required, and for completing the project for improving the bar at the mouth an appropriation of $13,000 was recommended in the report for the year ending June 30, 1885. Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886 ...... $4,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.......... 10,000 00 5,000 00 (See Appendix J 12.) 13. Staunton River, Virginia, between Randolph Station and Brook Neal. The length of the Staunton is 200 miles. It unites with the Dan at Clarksville, and, thence to Albemarle Sound; the stream thus formed is called Roanoke River. The present project for the improvement of this river between Randolph Station, on the Richmond and Danville Railroad, and Brook Neal, 31 miles above, was adopted in 1879, the object being to secure a navigable channel, not less than 35 feet wide and 2 feet deep at low water, through the various ledges and sand-bars which obstruct navigation, with a slope of water surface at rapids not greater than 10 feet to the mile. The amount expended to June 30, 1885, was $25,069, and during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, $1,725.38 have been expended, making a total to June 30, 1886, of $26,794.38. |