55TH
CONGRESS,
HOUSEOF
OF REPRESEN'I'a.TIVUS.
REPRESENTATIVES. DOCUMENT
55rs Ooxennss.
) HOIISE
lDocumnNr
N o .112.
112.
I No.
2d
2 dSession.
,Bessi,on
I .'l
'E
PRELIMINARY
EXAMINATION OF
OF YAQUINA
YAQUINA AND
AND BIG
BIG ELK
Ei]K
PR,EI"/IMINABY EXAMINATION
RIVERS, OREGON.
OR,EGON.
BIYEBS.
LETTER
IATTER
FROM
THE
OX' WAR,
WAR,
SECRETARY OF
TFIE SECRETARY
TRANSMITTING,
TRANgMITTING,
CIIIEI' OP
OPENGINEERS,
WITH
FROM THE
THE CHIEF
ENGINEEN,S, REPORT
REPORT OF
W.ITEI A
IJETTER FROM
OI.
A LETTER
AND BIG
BIG ELK
EXAMINATION
OF YAQUINA
YAQUINA AND
EIJK RIVERS,
RMR'S, OREGON.
OREGON.
or'
E:rAMINATION
DECEMBER
1897.Referredtototho
the Committeo
Committeeon
onRiverg
Rivers anal
and Harbors and
anclordered
Dncnursn 8, 8,
orclorotl
189?.-Rsforrocl
to be printetl.
printed.
DnplnrMnNr.
WAR
Wln DEPARTMENT,
Washington,
December6,
1897.
Wash'ington,D.
D, C.,
C.,December
6,7897,
herewith aa letter
inclose herewith
letter from
from the
the Chief
SIR:
honor to
havo the
thehonor
to inclose
Chief of
of
Srn: I have
Engineers, dated
dated December
together with
with aa copy of
of aa report
1, 1897,
1897, together
December 1,
report
Engineers, dated
October15,
15,1897,
from
Capt. W.
W. L.
L. Fisk, Corps
of Engineers,
datedOctober
1897,of
lrom L)apt.
Corps of
a preliminary
with the
the pro.
by him,
him, in compliance
propreliminary examination
compliance with
examination made by
visions
of the
the river
river and harbor act
act of
June3,
3,1896,
1896, of Yaquina
Yaquina River,
of June
River,
visions of
Oregon.
Oregon.
-
Very respectfully,
Very
B.
R,.A. ALGER,
Alenn,
Secretary
Secretaryof War.
War.
'xHEHOUSE
REPRISENTATTYES.
The
Housn OF
oFREPRESENTATIVES.
ol. THE
Tho SPEAKER
Spnl.nnn, OF
OFFICE
ENGTNEERS,
oF THE
TEE CHIEF
Osrnl OF
oF ENGINEERS,
Otrrcn OF
llnrrno
UNITED STATES
Anlry.
Surrs ARMY,
Washington,
ington, December
December1,
1, 1897.
7(J97.
Waslt
theaccompanying
SIR: II have
honor to
submitthe
accompanying report,
report, dated
tlated
the honor
tosubmit
have the
Srn:
October 15, 189?,
1897,with
withmap,
map,by
byOapt.
Capt.W.
W. Ir.
L. Fisk,
Fisk, Oorps
Corps of Engineers,
Engineers,
prelirninary examination
of
Yaquina River,
Riverr Oregon,
of Yaquina
Oregon,
of aapreliminary
examiuation of
of the
results of
tlre results
from
the town
town of
ofI/aquina
Yaquinatotohead
headofoftide,
tide,including
includingBig
Big Elk
Elk River
River to
from the
Sunset
provisions of
of the river and harbor
made to
comply with
with provisions
Sunset Quarry,
to comply
Quarly; made
1896.
act
June 3,3,1896.
act,of
ofJune
For reasons
Captain X'isk
Fisk is of
in
opinion. which
of opinion,
which is concurred in
reasous given, Oaptain
For
by Col. O.
0. E.
R. Suter, Corps
Corps of
of Engiueors,
Engineers, d.ivision
division engineer, and
and by me,
2
o
yaeurNA AND BIe
YAQUINA
AND BIG ELK
ELr( RIvERs,
oREcoN:
RIVERS, OREGON
tlrat
these streams
that these
stroams are not
OREGON.
OREGON.
RMRS'
BIG ELK RIVERS,
Y&QUINA
AND BIG
YAQUINA ANI)
:
.
the
Government at tlto
General Government
the General
improvemeut by tho
of improvement
ot believed
believed worthy of
time.
esenttime.
present
cov'
River coyYaquina River
of Yaquifla
portion of
sketoh of the portion
snbrnittod a sketch
herewith
i* submitted
ff""l#tn is
ered bv
by tho
the exarnination.
examivat10L
""vfi
servant'
obedient servant,
i*p""it"tivr vorrr
Very espectf1.ilhY,
your obed'ient
r,.l.rsr,
w. L.
W.
PisIc,
Eng'tneers'
of Engineers.
CorPsof
Captain,
CaPtai'n,Corps
J^gT\ M.
Brig.
Gen.
WILSON, - Gen.JOHN
Brig.
$;WrLsoN'
"
/''
B' A.
U' S.
Engineers;U.
oJEngineers,
C,]ief
CJif of
Engineer')
the Division Engineer.)
(Throughtho
(TbroU
worfhv of
nf improvemeut
are not worthy
of
Gover'ment
the General
improvement bv
by the
Ge,e.al
rr
r#p?;3",lftt[3l'ot
Government
at the
present time.
very respectfully,
respectfirlty,your
Very
yo,rr-obedient
oleaient servant,
servant,
Eon.
R.A.Ar-epn.
Hon. B. A. ALGER,
Beuetar,il
of Wan
Secretary of
War.
o
JOHN M. WILSON,
t'a'
d'7I\lf+Y'It"Eiff'L*n,
Brig. Gen.,
Chief of Engineers,
U. S. Army.
"tffi.{'fl
IJ,Ti*o*fr*8I,,.T,3,$#{B
ttl$Wffil'ff""&'dgHT$,fl
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF YAQUINA RIVER,
TOWN OF YAQUINA TO HEAD OF TIDE,
OREGON, FROM THE
INCLUDING BIG ELK RIVER TO
SUNSET QUARRY.
lFirst
[First
indorsomont']
orsement.l
'
Orrrcrt
Erqerrnrn OFFICE,
S.ENGiNEER
U. S.
DrvrsroN,
Pacmrc DIVISION,
PACIFIC
19r7897'
1897.
October
Cal",October
San
Cal.,
19,
Wrancisco,
BanFrancisco,
States
United'
of Engineers'
Engineers, United States
Ohiof of
Respectfully
forwardedto
to the Chief
-Respectfnllyforwarcled
ArmY.
tmy.
officer'
district 0fficer.
the district
viows of the
the views
ii?o.ot
concur in the
Surnn'
Surn
Csls. R.
Csls.
CRAS.
B. SUPER,
Engi'neer'
DiaisdonEngineer.
Colonel
o.ffrngineers,
Engineers, DiviSiOn
Colonel,of
Uwrrnn SPATES
Sr;.rns ENGINEER
UNITED
Ewerrvnr*, OFFICE,
Ollrol,
Portland, Oreg., October 15, 1897.
GENERAL: I have the honor to submit
herewith a report on preliminary examination of Yaquina
-
GENnnar.;rhavetl."^lr:llg_r#;!$:;"?i;{,^-r;T:tr:',;;:::;,.
#.*r"1"uf"".,.,:s:un
tljr;?i[4it"]i.:9
ru,T"f;
iil;ir,?]f
River, Oregon, from town of Yaquina to
head of tide, including Big Elk
River to Sunset Quarry,
made in
accordance with river and harbor act ot
'rune
of June
3,a,-rsbo,'u?,i
1896, awl Chief
b,ii;;';-;
or,i"r
or
of
Engineers' rJr#
letter l',",?1,
dated 3ttJ'iJ:i;03"'
June 16, 1896.
#,ffil?x_iT,""f,'iilfi:fffi
j;:l,f
llr':41ri1,1",T%tili?,f
$
The town of Yaquina, the lower limit of
this examination, is located
on the river about 3 miles above the entrance
to Yaqniria Bay, and
oftide"
the "head of
tide"in
inYaquina
Yaquiu"
r-ti"u.i.op""
IRiver
proper is
is abour
about 23
zsmiles
lf;i-';:tff
mlesauovo
this
point.
above
Big Elk River joins the Yaquina about 4 miles
-"below
berow
the head
rt,to"tH"3tf.
the
head
tide and is *::ll
itself susceptible
or
of
*:::fs,Yqq,,ip3
to tidal.*goy!
t u4 miles
to
influence
to
"Sunset
b"oi
ai:1.u*e
sei
iiua,.y,,,
;i 4;l;ii
distance
of
miles above the
Quarry,"
a
6
;i""
l:#
:l
:l.l
"o'e
confluence.
The river at the":H;ll'
town of Yaquina is
iJ
about
ii",ir
one.rourth
or
one-fourth
of aamile
mi wide;
at Toledo, 9 miles above, about half
",iTJ:t::"'L1l&tlyl;rvi'i"i'i',
that width; ;il
at Elk
rn
bl
outhoforBig
f
3,J},
b;cElk
mouth
River, only lll
City,
near
T$ji
Di;"R?,y3,:*l
A,[tl:[Tl;*
100
feet in width.$i
On this stretch of river
river
tLbre.arg
there
are
five
n_relq"ir.,
shoals, having
having aa depth
depth
3&,"*,1|:j;T$
of
ofabout
2, feet
at time of low tide, but which do not
abour
serious obstructions to
navigation, in that the average range of tideform
at
Elk
City is about 6 feet;
hence ample depth to meet
-t""'i".;:"^:::f:i_ur
the demand of commerce
rnay be
them for several
ier-eraihours
be had
Iradon
them
may
on
lro't"* twice in each twenty-four
^commerce
hours.
Yaquina and Big Elk rivers above their
feet in width, each very crooked and shoal,confluence are from 50 to 75
o"d;;;i;s
and
at points Yil'passaue
becau
seor
*o'u
because
of snags,
and
impassable
u
Jilt#:?5i1,,i#lJt
s*l
they are believed to3l!
be
meut
for
ment for navic;tion
navigation except during time of unsusceptible to improve"Sunset Quarry," on Big Elk, is only freshet.
a quarry in name, as less than
50 tons of rock have ever been taken from
there,
may be found at other points below Elk City, and as this same rock
it is thought this quarry
will be of little commercial valueat
best insufficient to warrant the
tTili"*"fitli':teco"e'.ci"i;;i;;-;'il"'*J,l'+i.t1tT?lt-t"tii#Til{
improvement.
The general
generar character
The
character-ofthe rald
land acljacent
adjacent to
yaquina River
to Yaquina
Rivor is rough
and hilly, unsuitable forofagriculture,
agricuttur;,'in
i'.
i
t.
p_.i,,
and
its
principal
ciparproduction
{:"'
produ"iilT*,:
l$.li*l;rll
f,
i:ttfA l:large portion of the
is
building stone.
commerce on the river during
the past fourteen years has been that of
United States from quarries near Toledo rock transportation by the
and Elk City to the jetties at
the entrance of the bay. Scows, 30 by 100
erally been used in transporting the stone, by 5 feet draft, have genoin
ioall
and
arLseveral
i evcrli ihundred
;il3il{":i"t"Hunorrea
thousand
tons have
t ;} T."#
vvvtr Tjl,lt
uc'vur.uu
li; ;*,
been
delivered
and
ano ",1
uoI "
especialdifficulty
no
especial
difficulty experienced on tne
the shoals.
sloaisl",
o
ri;.[
;l^iYff..T
fr.'.tr;;T.-#h=:
ffi il*ll,l1#
* Uu
fi1",,
ji{l, {,i.+",,Tg;Tt:fl
}fJi;",1"1"u0,",,
,""tifl
tli?,?it*tn
ri'ut-'*;#l-5*r#li$tn.{:+,1*-"{ilsffi;
,u$rl''r+iru.-:ll'
ffit*$l+1q$#i::Hffi
ft
experi-
The above would seem to indicate that the
river in its present condition is sufficiently navigable
to meet all demands of
ancr
prospcctive,
commerce, present
and prospective, and
arrd therefore
tnEreriire"valiii"u'iiru",
Yaquina River and
and its tributaries
tributaries are
aro
*:*ff
::!!8,.r"-l$fiftk},":i+iift
,t{t,i:,t:,'$,'jl,;n,*:ffi,":.T"l