WITH A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, REPORTS ON PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION AND SURVEY OF YOUGHIOGHENY RIVER, PA., UP TO FIFTEENTH STREET, MCKEESPORT FEBRUARY 11, 1926.—Referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors and ordered to be printed WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 10, 1926. The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. MY DEAR MR. SPEAKER: I am transmitting herewith a report, dated the 9th instant, from the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, on preliminary examination and survey of Youghiogheny River, Pa., up to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport, authorized by the river and harbor act of March 3, 1925, together with accompanying papers. Sincerely yours, DWIGHT F. DAVIS, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 9, 1926. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, Subject: Preliminary examination and survey of Youghiogheny River, Pa., up to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport. To: The Secretary of War. 1. I submit for transmission to Congress my report on preliminary examination and survey of Youghiogheny River, Pa., up to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport, authorized by the river and harbor act of March 3, 1925, together with accompanying papers. HD-69-1-vol 19- -32 2. The Youghiogheny River is a tributary of the Monongahela River, which it enters from the east 15 miles above Pittsburgh. An existing project provides for canalization from the mouth at McKeesport to West Newton, 191⁄2 miles, but no work has been undertaken. This project was recommended for abandonment in 1916 and 1919, but Congress has taken no action thereon. Interested parties now desire a channel 10 feet deep and 200 feet wide from the Monongahela River to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport. 3. The district engineer reports that McKeesport, with a population of about 50,000, has a number of large industrial plants. Certain of these use the river for the transportation of coal, sand, and gravel. In 1924 such movements amounted to 275,000 tons, of which 157,000 tons were coal. The situation is favorable for the development of additional water terminals and an increase in waterborne tonnage. Some dredging has been done at local expense, but commerce is still handicapped by the fact that the channel in the Youghiogheny has less depth than is available on the lower Monongahela, over which the inbound and outbound tonnage must move. Monongahela River barges, which have loaded drafts of 8 to 84 feet, must underload to operate on the Youghiogheny at low water. The district engineer believes that a depth corresponding to that in the Monongahela would result in a considerably larger water movement and in an ultimate saving which would justify the necessary Federal expenditure. He recommends a channel up to Fifteenth Street 200 feet wide and 9 feet deep at datum of Monongahela River pool No. 2, at an estimated cost of $35,000, with $2,000 annually for maintenance. 4. The division engineer concurs with the district engineer as to the extent of the improvement, but considers that the local benefits which would result justify the requirement of a local contribution of 50 per cent of the first cost. These reports have been referred, as required by law, to the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, and attention is invited to its report herewith, agreeing with the district engineer. 5. After due consideration of the above-mentioned reports, I concur in the views of the district engineer and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors. The Monongahela River is one of the country's most successful improved waterways, its annual commerce being over 20,000,000 tons. The lower Youghiogheny River is essentially a harbor on the Monongahela. In its present condition a considerable traffic of general interest moves over it. The saving in transportation costs which would result from the use of fully loaded barges for the present and prospective commerce is sufficient to justify the comparatively small expenditure required of the United States for providing a deeper channel. I therefore report that modification of the existing project for the improvement of Youghiogheny River, Pa., is deemed advisable with a view to providing a channel 9 feet deep at low water of pool No. 2, Monongahela River, and 200 feet wide from the mouth to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport, Pa., in general as proposed by the district engineer, at an estimated cost of $35,000, with $2,000 annually for maintenance. The entire amount of the first cost should be made available in a single appropriation. H. TAYLOR, Major General, Chief of Engineers. REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS SYLLABUS The Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors concurs with the district engineer in recommending modification of the existing project for the improvement of Youghiogheny River, Pa., so as to provide for a channel 200 feet wide and 9 feet deep from the mouth to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport, at an estimated cost of $35,000, with $2,000 annually for maintenance. [Third indorsement] BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS, Washington, D. C., December 22, 1925. To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY: 1. The following is in review of the reports on preliminary examination and survey of Youghiogheny River, Pa., up to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport, authorized by the river and harbor act approved March 3, 1925. 2. The Youghiogheny River is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, entering the Monongahela from the east, 15 miles upstream from Pittsburgh. There is an existing project for its improvement by the United States providing for canalization from the mouth for 191⁄2 miles to West Newton, at a cost estimated in 1910 as $1,050,000. No construction work on this project has been undertaken, and in 1916 and 1919 the War Department recommended its abandonment. Congress has taken no action on these recommendations. 3. The city of McKeesport lies at the mouth of the river. The reach covered by the present item of law is about 14 miles long. It is part of the pool created by Dam No. 2 on the Monongahela River and has a governing low-water depth of 7 feet. Interested parties desire a channel up to Fifteenth Street 10 feet deep and 200 feet wide. 4. McKeesport is an important manufacturing city with a population, including that of the immediate vicinity, of about 50,000. The district engineer lists nine industrial plants, engaged principally in the production of iron and steel manufactures and tin plate, which employ a total of 17,000 men. The six leading industries had in 1923 an average monthly output of 510,000 tons, and in 1922 the total value of their products was nearly $120,000,000. Certain of these industries utilized the river to obtain coal, sand, and gravel, which in recent years have constituted the entire water-borne traffic. This commerce for the past six years has averaged 236,000 tons a year. In 1924 it was 275,000 tons, of which 157,000 tons were coal. 5. The district engineer states that the lower Youghiogheny is an important adjunct to the Monongahela. A substantial traffic has already developed at the existing terminals in the stretch under consideration, which traffic also moves on the Monongahela and contributes to the commerce and economic benefits of that stream. The locality is advantageously situated for the development of additional terminals. Local interests in 1919 dredged at their own expense 74,000 cubic yards of material in the river channel, which work has materially facilitated the existing commerce. Water movement is, however, handicapped by the fact that the controlling depth is less than that on the lower Monongahela, over which inbound and outbound commerce must move. Typical Monongahela River barges are designed for loaded drafts of from 8 to 834 feet. Such barges. must underload to operate on the Youghiogheny at low water, which not only increases the cost of water transportation but tends to discourage its use. The district engineer believes that the provision of a depth corresponding to that in the lower Monongahela would result in a considerably larger water movement, and that the producers of iron and steel products and tin plate at McKeesport would ship by water certain of their products which they now ship by rail. He estimates that the savings on moving the existing traffic would be about 65 cents per ton on coal and 30 cents per ton on sand and gravel. These savings are for the entire haul, on both the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Rivers. If prorated between the two on a distance basis, the saving allocated to the Youghiogheny would be materially less than the computed annual cost to the United States of the work now proposed. The district engineer believes, however, that the increase in commerce, including the movement of iron and steel at a prospective saving of 45 cents a ton, will ultimately show a saving even on this basis; and if the savings on all or a reasonable part of Monongahela haul are considered, the total is much in excess of annual charges. He recommends a channel 200 feet wide up to Fifteenth Street, and 9 feet deep at Monongahela River pool No. 2 level, at an estimated cost of $35,000, with $2,000 annually for maintenance. Maintenance dredging would be required only about every 7 years. An 8-foot channel would cost initially $20,000, and maintenance cost would be about the same as for a 9-foot channel. In view of the difficulty of allocating the benefits of the work, he believes that cooperation should be limited to the maintenance of proper depth from the main channel to the individual terminals. 6. The division engineer points out that this section of the river is comparable to a siding on a main-line railroad. It serves primarily as a terminal or harbor for the delivery of coal, sand, and gravel, and in his opinion if it were improved this would still be its primary use. The localization of benefits is indicated by the dredging carried out by private interests at their own expense. He recommends improvement as proposed by the district engineer, but only on condition that local interests contribute 50 per cent to the first cost. Capitalizing this first cost, and adding 4 per cent of it to the annual maintenance to obtain the total annual charge, such a contribution would correspond approximately to 20 per cent of this charge. 7. The lower Youghiogheny River is essentially a harbor on the Monongahela, handling in its unimproved condition a considerable traffic of bulk commodities. The savings on these, if allocated partially to the Youghiogheny on a mileage basis, are, as pointed out by the district engineer, less than would be the annual charge of the proposed improvement. Such an allocation is not, however, fair to the project. The tonnage moves for considerable distances on the Monongahela. It is reasonable to assume that, were the Youghiogheny not navigable, the Monongahela tonnage would be reduced correspondingly, and it is therefore fair, in considering the propriety of the improvement, to credit it with the full measure of benefits derived from the entire water movement of the material in question. On this basis it is evident that the savings, even with the present commerce, would outweigh the cost of the proposed work. While the traffic is low grade, this is also true of the Monongahela, 98 per cent of the traffic on which is of this character; nevertheless the Monon gahela is considered one of the most successful waterway improvements of the United States. The high efficiency of the Monongahela commerce is due largely to the standardization of the carriers and their utilization of the maximum available depth. It is proper that any important tributary should be provided with the same depth, in order that this highly efficient system of water transportation can be extended to it. There is good reason to assume that the work would result in the stimulation of the present traffic, and eventually in the development of a water movement of metals and their manufactures and miscellaneous cargo, nearly half a million tons of which now move on the Monongahela. The cost of the proposed work is small, and the dredging heretofore done in the main channel by private interests, at their own expense, is nearly equal in yardage to that now proposed to be done by the Government. The board considers that the improvement is a worthy one, and that further cooperation on the part of local interests should not be demanded, in view of the work already done by them, the diversity of the beneficiaries, and the present and prospective importance of McKeesport as an element in the Pittsburgh industrial district. It therefore concurs with the district engineer, and recommends that the existing project for the Youghiogehny River, Pa., be modified so as to provide for a channel 9 feet. deep at low water of pool No. 2 Monongahela River, and 200 feet wide from the mouth of the river to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport, Pa., along the general lines proposed by the district engineer, at an estimated cost of $35,000, with $2,000 annually for maintenance. The entire amount of the first cost should be made available in a single appropriation. 7. In compliance with law, the board reports that there are no questions of terminal facilities, waterpower, or other subjects so related to the project proposed that they may be coordinated therewith to lessen the cost and compensate the Government for expenditures made in the interests of navigation. For the board: HERBERT DEAKYNE, PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF YOUGHIOGHENY RIVER, PA. SYLLABUS The improvement desired is the dredging of an adequate channel in the Youghiogheny River from its mouth up to Fifteenth Street, McKeesport, Pa., a distance of 6,530 feet. In view of existing commerce thereon and its probable increase, this reach is regarded as an important adjunct to the Monongahela River. The benefit to be derived from this improvement will not be local but will extend to the Monongahela River and the Allegheny River and quite possibly the Ohio River. No survey is required. The district engineer considers this reach of river worthy of improvement. WAR DEPARTMENT, UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Pittsburgh, Pa., July 7, 1925. Subject: Preliminary examination of the Youghiogheny River, Pa. To: The Chief of Engineers, United States Army. (Through the Division Engineer). 1. The following report on the preliminary examination of the Youghiogheny River, Pa., is submitted in compliance with instruc |