THE IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS. 



be lawful to deposit, or cause, suffer, < T procure to be deposited material of 

 any kind in any place on the l>ank of any navigable water, or on the hank of 

 any tributary of any navigable water, where the same shall be liable to be 

 washed into such navigable water, either by ordinary or high tides, or by 

 storms or floods, or otherwise, whereby navigation shall or maybe im]>eded or 

 Lawful de- obstructed: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall extend to, apply 

 to, or prohibit the operations in connection with the improvement of navi- 

 gable waters or construction of public works, considered necessary and proper 

 by the United States officers suix-rvising such improvement or public work: 



Deposits by ^,,j p rov idcd further. That the Secretary of War, whenever in the judgment 

 of the Chief of Engineers anchorage and navigation will not be inju 

 thereby, may permit the deposit of any material above mentioned in navi- 

 gable waters, within limits to be defined and under conditions to be pre- 

 scribed by him, provided application is made to him prior to depositing such 

 material ; and whenever any permit is so granted the conditions thereof shall 

 be strictly complied with, and any violation thereof shall be unlawful. 

 Go v*e foment ^EC. I4- ^ at ^ s ^ a11 not be lawful for any person or persons to take 

 works etc., in possession of or make use of for any purpose, or build upon, alter, deface, 

 ters. destroy, move, injure, obstruct by fastening vessels thereto or otherwise, or 



in any manner whatever impair the usefulness of any sea-wall, bulkhead, 

 jetty, dike, levee, wharf, pier, or other work built by the United States, or 

 any piece of plant, floating or otherwise, used in the construction of such 

 work under the control of the United States, in whole or in part, for the pres- 

 ervation and improvement of any of its navigable waters or to prevent floods, 

 or as boundary marks, tide gauges, surveying stations, buoys, or other estab- 

 lished marks, nor remove for ballast or other purposes any stone or other 

 Permits for material composing such works: Provided, That the Secretary of War may, 

 pubii" works." on the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers, grant permission for the 

 temporary occupation or use of any of the aforementioned public works 

 when in his judgment such occupation or use will not be injurious to the 

 public interest. 



SEC. 15. That it shall not be lawful to tie up or anchor vessels or other 

 r* craft in navigable channels in such a manner as to prevent or obstruct the 

 bidden. passage of other vessels or craft ; or to voluntarily or carelessly sink, or per- 



mit or cause to be sunk, vessels or other craft in navigable channels; or to 

 float loose timber and logs, or to float what is known as sack rafts of timber 

 and logs in streams or channels actually navigated by steamboats in such 



Sunken ves- manner as to obstruct, impede, or endanger navigation. And whenever a 

 sels to be , , 



marked. vessel, raft, or other craft is wrecked and sunk m a navigable channel, acci- 



dentally or otherwise, it shall be the duty of the owner of such sunken craft 

 to immediately mark it with a buoy or beacon during the day and a lighted 



