Big Sandy River 1901

We are rather fond of the river that flows in front of Pure Water Hollow and touches our property, and I had found another government report the mentions our part of the river. It is in a 982 page report entitled "Annual Reports For the War Department for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1901, – Report of the Chief of Engineers Part 4".

I have only copied here a small part that deals with the Big Sandy river near us, and a couple of other interesting tidbits. Of most interest to me was learning how they manipulated the river bank in front of our house to try to lessen the effect of the shoals on boats.

The following may not be of much interest to anyone but my family, but that is the main focus of this blog, anyway. I have the entire report downloaded, but I thought I would go ahead and record some of it here, as well:

Captain: I have the honor to submit the following report, with accompanying maps and profiles, of the survey of the Big Sandy River, Kentucky and West Virginia, including the Levisa and Tug forks, made under the act of Congress approved March 3, 1899…..

The information obtained will be found in the tables. It does not indicate that pool level can be maintained with daily lockages during the dryest seasons or during the extremely dry portion of the average season, but it is believed that with a dam as tight as that at Louisa it will be possible to maintain pools of sufficient depth for all ordinary navigation purposes throughout the summer and fall and a 6-foot or barge stage the greater part of the time.

Map*.—The total number of maps pertaining to the survey is 100, with 1 index and 3 title sheets, divided as follows: Sheets.

Big Sandy River 18

Levisa Fork 51

Tug Fork 31

Index and title 4

The size of the sheets inside of border is 25 by 38 inches. These maps were all traced from pencil copies. It is the intention to make ink originals later on, if the funds are sufficient for the purpose, for file in this office. These will show contour lines and other information of use in locating the works of improvement.

One complete set of blue prints was made for your office and one for this office; also two sets to accompany your report……


III. DESCRIPTION OF RIVERS.

General features.—The Big Sandy River is formed by the junction of the Levisa and Tug forks, at Louisa, Ky. It flows in a northerly direction to the Ohio, about 27 miles, at Catlettsburg, Ky. It is the division line between the States of West Virginia and Kentucky.

These tributaries have their sources in Virginia. That part of Levisa surveyed below Pikeville, Ky., is 88 miles long, and that part of Tug surveyed below Pond Creek is 58 miles in length, making the total length of survey, including the 27 miles of Big Sandy, 173 miles.

The Levisa Fork flows northwesterly to Prestonsburg, Ky., where its course changea to northeasterly, while the Tug keeps a northwesterly course and forms the boundary between the States of Kentucky and West Virginia.

The average width of the Big Sandy at mean low-water level is about 300 feet, and it is about 500 feet between tops of banks. Levisa and Tug are, of course, considerably smaller, the former being about 350 and the latter about 300 feet in width between tops of banks. The banks are usually sandy and unstable, and the bed is sand, except in the upper portions of the two forks, where some gravel is found……

On Tug Fork the following-named places have been improved with works worthy of mention……


On Levisa Fork the total fall between Pikeville and Louisa is 116 feet, an average of 1.3 feet per mile. There are about fifty shoals and ripples in this part of the river, but most of them are of no importance, particularly in the lower portion of the stream. When the survey of 1875 was made there was considerable fall at nearly all shoals, but the pools between them have filled with sand, and some of the shoals have been gradually cut down in the removal of rocks from the chutes? until now they are little more than ripples, and do not show except in extreme low water….

Charactеr of commerce.

—Considering the shortness and uncertainty of the navigable periods these streams carry a remarkable quantity of commerce. This is largely in saw logs, cross-ties, and staves, but there is also considerable live stock, poultry, and produce sent out of the valley by water. It is not upon this commerce, however, that the people must rely for their wealth and support, but upon that to be developed by the advent of slack water, the opening up of the vast coal deposits found in almost all sections along the rivers and their tributaries…..

Navigation.

—As will be noticed in the discharge reports there is not sufficient flow for constant navigation on either of the three streams surveyed. In addition to the lack of water may be mentioned the obstructions which constantly form in the sandy bed. These obstructions are much more numerous because of the sandy character of the banks, which are easily undermined, and thus whole trees are thrown into the channel with their roots and branches intact. An attempt has been made for several years to remove these obstructions during the low-water season, and it has been fairly successful, but the funds have usually been insufficient for complete and perfect maintenance. Another cause of the shortening of the navigation season and probably as effective as any other, if not the chief difficulty, is the tendency of the river bed to pile up in sand bars covering the entire width of the stream. It is not practicable to maintain a low-water channel in such a formation, the water spreading out over the whole bar in a sheet barely covering it. This is particularly troublesome in the Big Sandy itself and in the lower portions of the two forks. The length of the navigation season varies greatly. Some years boats may run every month, while others the time is reduced to three or four months in the winter and spring. In the Big Sandy the season is, of course, much longer than in either fork, and in the forks Levisa usually has navigable water considerably longer than Tug.

The character of boats employed for general traffic is a light-draft, side-wheel, flat-bottom, single-deck affair, about 120 feet long and 18 feet wide, with a carrying capacity of about 50 tons. Their draft is from 12 to 24 inches. There are, however, a few better boats—stern-wheel, 120 to 140 feet in length, from 20 to 25 feet in breadth, and carrying about 100 tons, with a draft of 3 feet. In addition to these, towboats 120 to 130 feet in length make trips with barges of staves, tanbark, spokes, etc., during times of sufficient water, and push-boats operated by men run during low-water periods. The latter are usually about 8 feet wide and 75 feet long, and when loaded usually have a draft of less than 7 inches.

The total number of boats navigating these streams has varied with the amount of commerce and length of time of navigable water. There are usually about a half dozen regular boats with now and then a few months with more. There are generally at least two regulars run in connection with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway between White House and Pikeville. There is a line of three or four plying between Catlettsburg and Paintsville, with occasional trips to Pikeville, and a large boat or two between Catlettsburg and Pikeville. There is also a boat between Louisa and the Ohio and a boat or two running up Tug Fork from the Ohio.

Regulating works.

—In Major Merrill’s report on the survey of 1875 is the following: "It is evident that the only feasible way of procuring a sufficient supply of water for navigation, and especially for a navigation by coal barges, is to canalize the river by means of locks and dams. In doing this we at once have our choice of two methods—the French method, recently invented, of movable dams, and the method in use on the Monongahela, Muskingum, Kentucky, and other rivers, of permanent dams. The first method is decidedly the better of the two where the natural navigation lasts for several months continuously, but its greater cost of establishment and of maintenance naturally causes the selection of the second method for rivers on which the total amount of navigation is not great. * * * Mr. Bell’s report shows that in many places the bed of the river is full of large bowlders that should be removed. It is also full of snags, and the banks are encumbered with inclining trees. A good work can undoubtedly be done by removing these bowlders and snags and cutting down the inclining trees. * * * If Congress should be unwilling to appropriate sufficient money for the construction of a complete system of slack water, or if money were only appropriated for one or two locks, it would still be a very great advantage to navigation to have the bowlders and snags removed."

In accordance with the latter recommendation, a project for the removal of obstructions was adopted in 1878 for Big Sandy, and in 1880 for Levisa and Tug, and on June 18, 1878, $12,000 was appropriated for the purpose. This was supplemented later along by numerous appropriations of small amounts for the work and for maintaining that already done. In addition to this the State of Kentucky had previously constructed some wing dams and other regulating works.

The project was modified in 1880 by authorizing the construction of a lock and dam at Louisa, in the Big Sandy, and this has been completed and was put into operation in 1897. Two other locks and dams have been authorized between Louisa and the Ohio River, and their construction will be entered upon soon.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the improvements so far made are almost wholly those of obstruction removal and regulation by the construction and maintenance of walls, dikes, and wing’dams. These are all of inferior character, and are usually made by piling up in ridges the bowlders removed from the shoals. They are very helpful" to navigation and extend its season materially, but of course can not be a permanent benefit or furnish sufficient depths for a continuous navigable season. It is expected that this can be secured by the carrying out of the system now inaugurated, which contemplates the construction of locks and dams in all those portions of the rivers included in this survey. Some of the more important regulation improvements which have been made from time to time by the State of Kentucky and the General Government are enumerated below. The walls mentioned were generally loose bowlders piled in ridges, and the banks and bed have filled in behind and over them frequently until they can scarcely be distinguished. No attempt has been made to show them on the map on this account. For clearness they will be mentioned on each fork separately, beginning at the mouth. There have been no such improvements on the main river. On Levisa Fork they are as follows:

A wall was built on the west side, at Bumble Bee Shoal, 250 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 3 feet high. This shoal has disappeared.

At Chestnut Shoal walls were built on each side of the chute, 300 feet long, 6 feet wide, 4 feet high, and many large rocks were blasted out.

A wall 350 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 3 feet high was built at Little White House Shoal on the west side, and a number of large rocks were removed.

At White House Shoal walls some 800 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 5 feet high were built on each side the chute. The State also built some small walls here. This was formerly one of the worst, if not the worst, shoal on this fork, but is now not a serious obstacle to navigation, although needing more work done.

At Wild Goose Shoal about 500 feet of wall has been built on the two sides of the chute.

Greasy Shoal has walls on each side of the chute about 600 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 5 feet high.

Buffalo Shoal is three-quarters of a mile in length and has a wall on each side, averaging 8 feet in width and 4 feet high. An old milldam was removed here by the State. While this shoal is much easier passed than formerly, it is still the worst shoal on the river and needs much more work done on it. It has a fall of 5 feet.

A wall 6OO feet long, 9 feet wide, and 3 feet high was built on the west side at Hells Gate Shoal.

At Devils Drawbars Shoal there is a wall 350 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 3 feet high on each side the chute.

Hager Shoal has about 400 feet of wall 6 feet long and 3 feet high.

At Wiremans Shoal a wall 700 feet long was built on the east side of the chute.

At Moody George Shoal, a flat, shallow place, the State removed some large rock and the Government has built a wall along the west shore 500 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 4 feet high.

The State also did considerable blasting at Abbott Shoal and put in a wall on the east side. The Government also built a wall 450 feet long. This was formerly a very swift place, but is now quiet.

Prestonsburg Shoal is long, flat, and shallow, and has about 600 feet of wall on each side.

Sugar Loaf Shallows was once about three-quarters of a mile in length, but has been pretty well cleaned and improved. It has no walls.

At Robert Hall Shoal there is 400 feet of wall, and at Prator Shoal there is 500 feet.

Grimes Shoal has a large wall on the west side 700 feet long and on the east side about 400 feet.

Long Shoal is about three-quarters of a mile in length, and has a wall 3,960 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 4 feet high.

This completes the list for Levisa below Pikeville.

There are many places not named where large rocks have been blasted out and other important work done, but the object here is to mention only those works which stand out prominently in the general system. These various works have been fairly well maintained, the rock cleaned out of the shoals having been piled up on the walls or used to repair breaches therein or sometimes to build cross walls between the guiding walls and the banks.