The Arkansas and White rivers enter the Mississippi River through a common inlet. The Black River in Kansas and Missouri is 300 miles long and flows into the White River at Jacksonport. It is being dredged and being made navigable from its mouth to Poplar Bluff, Mo., a distance of 239 miles, by boats of 18 inches draft and by boats of two and one-half feet to the month of Current River, a distance of 116 miles. In 1917 boats of three and one half to five feet draft operated below Current River and boats of two feet draft above Current River two months. The Black River tonnage in 1917 was 154,281 tons. The Current River is 200 miles long and is being cleared of snags from its mouth to Van Buren, Mo., a distance of 94 miles, so that flatboats may ascend that far and have ascended 33 miles farther up the river to Jack's Fork. In high water steamboats ascend from the Black River as far as Pitman's Landing, 41 miles above the mouth of Current River. In 1917 the con trolling channel depths were to Duff's Ferry, 32 miles above the mouth, three and one-half feet; to Doniphan, 53 miles up stream, 14 inches, and to \'an Buren, from 10 to 12 inches. The ton nage in 1917 was 16,762 tons.
Some work has been done toward clearing the lower reaches of the Saint Francis River. 460 miles long, the L'Anguille River and the Blackfish Bayou to render the same navigable for boats of four-foot draft at medium and high stages of water from January until August. but the controlling depths in L'Anguille River and in Blackfish Bayou are due to the backwater stages of the Mississippi River. In 1917 a steamboat of three-foot draft operated as a weekly packet in the Helena- (on the Missis sippi) Marianna- (on the Saint Francis) Black fi
The Miscbtippi Mississippi River has a total length of 2,471 miles. Its channel has a depth of 35 feet from the Head of Passes to New Orleans about 104 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and a depth of 30 feet up to a point 227 miles above the Head of Passes, which is 13 miles from the mouth of the South Pass. It has a width of 250 feet. Thence for 833 miles to the mouth of the Ohio River its channel has a depth of nine feet and a width of 250 feet and thence to Saint Louis, a distance of 188 miles, its channel has a minimum depth of eight feet and a width of 250 feet, and thence to the mouth of the Missouri, a distance of 17 miles, its channel has a depth of six feet at low water and a width of 250 feet From the mouth of the Missouri River to the Twin City Lock and Dam, it is 664 miles and to Washington Avenue Bridge at Minneapolis, the head of navigation, it is 6M miles that being 1.955 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi In that section of the Mississippi River the channel is to have a depth of six feet and a width of 300 to 1,400 feet, to be obtained by means of contracting works consisting of wing and spur dams for narrowing the main channel of the river. In 1918 the depth of water at Rock Island Rapids at the lowest stages was only four feet. From Cape Girardeau, Mo., to Rock Island, Ill., a distance of 452 miles, the Mississippi for most of the way is protected by levees as it is for 1,503 miles below Cape Girardeau. The channel has been improved at
various places below Cairo. At Keokuk, Iowa. 496 miles below the head of navigation and 173 miles above the outlet of the Missouri River, is a power dam of 41 feet crest with a lock 400 feet long. 110 feet wide with six feet of water over mitre sills. There is also a dry dock there 380 feet long, 140 feet wide with entrance gates 110 feet wide. During the 252 days of naviga tion in 1917, steamboats to the number of 489 and launches to the number of 233 passed through that lock. That replaces the old Des Moines Rapids Canal.
The Moline Lock and Dam at the foot of Rock Island Rapids. 366 miles below the head of navigation, has a length of 350 feet, a width of 80 feet and a depth of six feet of water over the mitre sills. One hundred and fifty-four steam boats, 74 barges and 270 launches passed through it during the 265 days of navigation in 1918 That lock overcomes the swiftest part of the Rock Island Rapids. Le Claire Canal has been proposed 360 miles below the head of navigation of the same dimensions as those of the Moline Canal.
Provision has been made for the construction of a power dam with a lock 350 feet long. r8 feet wide and having a lift at low water of 33'.i feet between Minneapolis and Saint Paul. That will make it possible for vessels to transport grain from the elevators and flour from the mills at Minneapolis to the Gulf of Mexico or to ocean carriers without transshipment The depth of water over the mitre sills varies from seven to 11:1*. feet. The upper Mississippi. from Saint Paul to Brainard. a distance of 170 miles, is navigable for light draft vessels, and from Brainard to Grand Rapids, a distance of US Rules, it is to have a channel 60 feet wide and three and one-half feet deep at mean low water. A lansilar improvement has been made in the river between Aitkin and Grand Rapids, a distance of IZ miles and three and one-half feet depth has been secured. The large natural reservoirs at the head-waters of the Mississippi River, in addition to Itasca Lake its source, and Cass Lake, 28.3 miles above i3rainard, the head of navigation, include Winnibigoshish Lake, Leech Lake. Poicegama Lake, Sandy Lake, Pine River and Gull Lake, having an auregate capacity of 75i billions cubic feet. Their discharge is regulated by dams and controlling works at their several outlets and their waters keep up a uniform flow in the Mississippi as far down as Lake Pepin, 52 miles below Saint Paul. The waters of Winnibigoshish and Leech Lakes reservoirs flow into Pokegarna reservoir and thence into the Mississippi The Leech River has been dredged and improved for 27 miles and has a channel 100 feet wide and eight feet and the channel of the Mississippi was made eight feet deep and 100 feet wide above the Leech River and 125 feet wide below that river, that entire section of the Mississippi improved being 65 miles in length. New Orleans has five miles of wharves, of which three and one-half miles arc covered with steel sheds. Natchez has some wharves and old landings. The harbor at Memphis is subject to thick deposits and requires much dredging as do many other harbors along the Mississippi The Saint Croix River flowing through Lake Saint Croix, which is miles long, and into the Mississippi, 26.9 miles below Saint Paul. is being improved to obtain a channel three feet in depth from its mouth to Taylor's Falls, a dis tance of 52.3 miles.