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<br />O[JOM15
<br />
<br />2 MISSOURI RIVER FROM KANSAS CITY, MO., TO THE MOUTH.
<br />
<br />Engineers, on reexamination of the project for improvement of Mis-
<br />souri River, Mo., mouth to Kansas City, directed by the river and
<br />harbor act approved March 4, 1915.
<br />2. The existing project was formally adopted by the act of July 25,
<br />1912, alt,hough the first appropriation was made by the act of June
<br />25, 1910. The project provides for securing a permanent channel
<br />6 feet deep between Kansas City and the mouth, at an estimated cost
<br />of $20,000,000, to be completed, except for maintenance, in 10 years.
<br />The work includes the removal of snags and the regulation and con-
<br />traction of the channel by means of bank revetment and dikes.
<br />The f'stimated cost of maintenance of the' completed project is
<br />$500,000 per year. There has been appropriated or allotted for this
<br />work a total of $6,250,000 in six "years, or at the rate of a little more
<br />than $1,000,000 a year, while the project calls for $2,000,000 a year.
<br />The district officer analyzes the project on the basis of cost and bene-
<br />fits, and exprl'sses the opinion thut present and reasonably prospec-
<br />tive commerce is not sufficient to warrant its continuance. He
<br />recommends thut the present project be modified so as to provide for
<br />snagging alone, at an estimated cost of $40,000 per year, and that all
<br />other work be stopped. The division engineer concurs with the dis-
<br />trict officer as to the discontinuance of the prcsent project for per-
<br />manent work, but bl'lieVl's that the work alrl'ady done should not be
<br />completl'ly abandoned, and he recommends an annual appropriation
<br />of 5150,000 for snagging and the maintenance of existing work.
<br />3. This report has been referred, as recLuired by law, to the Board
<br />of Engineers for Rivers und Harbors, and attention is invited to its
<br />report herewith, dated December 8, 1915. On account of the im-
<br />portance of the subject, the bonrd made a personal inspection of the
<br />river and held a public hearing at KUllims City on October 19 1l.I).d 20,
<br />1915. The board finds that the gelleral method of improvement is well
<br />adapted to this strcam and if syst.ematically applied under adequate
<br />appropriations, will rcsult in a permanent channel depth of 6 feet
<br />or more. The nonrd suggests the temporary use of dredging at a few
<br />of the most obstructive crossings to facilitate low-water navigation
<br />while the permanc'nt work is under construction. The board believes
<br />that if any improvcmcnt is undert.aken aside from snagging it should
<br />be under the plan of complete improvement contemplated by the
<br />existing project. .
<br />4. At the time the ndoption of the present project was under con-
<br />sideration, and with the understanding that improvement of the river
<br />would follow the estahlishment of actual navigation of a.substantial
<br />character, a number of shippers and other business men of Kansas
<br />City organized a company for the purpose of operating a line of boats
<br />especially designed to meet the rC'quirements of navigation on this
<br />river. The compuny hus adopted the towboat and barge method of
<br />navigation unt! has tuken steps to remedy certain conditions that
<br />have contributed largely t.o the decline of transportation on our
<br />western rivers. It uses terminul facilities ut KansRS City and East
<br />St. Louis, havin'" mechanical devices for transfer of freight, and thesl'
<br />terminals have Jirect rail connections, therehy facilitating the transfer
<br />of freight from rail to boat or vice versa. It is handling commercl'
<br />on through bills of lading under joint traflic arrangements with
<br />connecting rail ILnd wILter carriers. .It receives and delivers goods
<br />in cars on shippers' sidings, paying switching charges within cert.ain
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