For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price $2.50 (cloth binding) 1946 IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS AND HARBORS IN THE ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, DISTRICT This district comprises those portions of southwestern Illinois and eastern Missouri embraced in the drainage basin of the Mississippi River and its western tributaries, exclusive of the Missouri River, between the mouth of the Ohio River and mile 300 above the same, and of its eastern tributaries to Hamburg Bay at mile 261 on the left bank, exclusive of the tributary basin of the Illinois Waterway upstream of the new La Grange Lock and Dam at mile 80.15 above the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The district also includes the drainage basin in Missouri tributary to the Little River Diversion Channel. Report on Mississippi River between the Missouri River and mile 300 is included in the report on Mississippi River between Missouri River and Minneapolis, Minn. Report on that portion of the Illinois River downstream of the new La Grange Lock and Dam is included in report on Illinois Waterway, Ill., contained in the report of the district engineer, Chicago, Ill. District engineer: Col. Lawrence B. Feagin, Corps of Engineers. Division engineer: Col. Malcolm Elliott, Corps of Engineers. 1. MISSISSIPPI RIVER BETWEEN THE OHIO AND MISSOURI RIVERS Location. The Mississippi River rises in Lake Itasca, Minn., and, from that lake, flows in a southerly direction about 2,450 miles and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The portion included in this report embraces the 195-mile section known as the middle Mississippi, between the tributary Ohio and Missouri Rivers, about 1,081 to 1,276 miles from the Gulf. Previous projects.-The original project for the improvement of the Mississippi River between the Ohio and Missouri Rivers was recommended by a Board of Engineers in a report, dated April 13, 1872, and concurred in by the Chief of Engineers. For further details see page 1879 of the Annual Report for 1915 and page 1014 of the Annual Report for 1938. Existing project. This provides for obtaining and maintaining a minimum channel depth of not less than 9 feet, a minimum width of not less than 300 feet at low water, with additional width in bends from the mouth of the Ohio River (about 1,081 miles from the Gulf) to the northern boundary of the city of St. Louis, 191 miles; thence 200 feet wide, with additional width in bends to the mouth of the Missouri River, 4 miles; to be obtained: First, by regulating works, for closing sloughs and secondary channels, and narrowing the river; by building new banks where the natural width is excessive and protecting new and old banks from erosion where necessary to secure permanency; Second, by dredging or other temporary expedients to maintain channels of project dimensions; Third, by construction of works authorized for the Chain of Rocks reach in the River and Harbor Act of March 2, 1945, which approved a comprehensive plan for development of the Mississippi River at Chain of Rocks so as to provide for construction of a lateral canal at an estimated first cost to the United States of approximately $10,290,000, with annual maintenance and operation cost of $70,000, subject to such modification as the Chief of Engineers may find necessary when the project is undertaken; and to authorize the relocation of the river channel and reclamation of the area in Sawyer Bend for airport, park, recreational, and similar purposes at a cost to local interests of approximately $17,555,000; provided that any modification of the present river channel required by the civic development be deferred until completion of the lateral canal in the interest of navigation and that the river diversion work connected with such civic development be under the supervision of the Chief of Engineers in order to insure that the interests of interstate and foreign commerce he properly protected; and further provided that local interests hold and save the United States free from any claims for damages that might be incurred due to the construction, maintenance, or operation of such civic development or any part thereof (H. Doc. No. 231, 76th Cong., 1st sess.). The estimated cost of new work, revised in 1945, is $53,266,000, with $1,370,000 for annual maintenance. The existing project was authorized by the following river and harbor acts: June 13, 1902 Dredging introduced as part of the project. Mar. 2, 1907 1 June 25, 1910 Jan. 21, 1927 July 3, 1930 Mar. 2, 1945 These acts practically abrogated that part of the Regulating works restored to the project and ap- For a depth of 9 feet and width of 300 feet from Modified to provide for construction of a lateral 1 Also joint resolution, June 29, 1906. Annual Report, 1881, p. 1536. H. Doc. No. 50, 61st Cong., 1st sess.. and H. Doc. No. 168, 58th Cong., 2d sess. Rivers and Harbors Committee Doc. Rivers and Harbors Committee Doc. H. Doc. No. 231, 76th Cong., 1st sess See House Document No. 669 (76th Cong., 3d sess.) for report of Chief of Engineers dated February 27, 1940, containing a general plan for improvement of the Mississippi River between Coon Rapids Dam and the mouth of the Ohio River for purposes of navigation, power development, the control of floods, and the needs of irrigation. Terminal facilities.-The water terminal and transfer facilities of the district are fully described as of December 31, 1918, in House Document No. 652, Sixty-sixth Congress, second session, pages 1211-1239. Additional data for water terminal and transportation facilities are also contained in Transportation Series No. 2, 1929, Transportation in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, and as of 1941, in volume 1 of the four-volume report of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, entitled "Survey of Terminals and Landings on the Inland Waterways of the United States." Operations and results during fiscal year.-Construction work by contract and hired labor was curtailed due to high river stages. Stages in excess of 32 feet were recorded during March, April, May, and June, and for the third consecutive year a stage in excess of 30 feet (flood stage) was recorded on the St. Louis (Market Street) gage. Regulating works were maintained and project dimensions of channels were secured by dredging. The district's |