WET LANDS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. 



35 



center line of the levee, and heavy clay was hauled in and dumped into the 

 bayou until the levee was built up sufficiently high. While the weight of the 

 clay was sufficient to force it down through the muck to the bottom of the 

 bayou, the presence of the muck caused the clay to slide laterally and made it 

 necessary to reconstruct the trestle before the levee was finished. If the muck 

 had been removed from the site of the levee before the clay was dumped it 

 would have made construction easier. 



DRAINAGE DITCH 



z\\ 



Hi 



L 



!S 



Jk. 



-A- I 



\^50' CANAL-, 



L, 



i 



w 



k 



Pumping PlanK 



\ 



& 



Levee 





to White Lake-^ 



1000 Z00O 3000 4000 5000 



10000 FEET 



Fig. 9. 



G.F:P.,de!. 



-Sketch map of Gueydan Drainage District, Subdistrict Xo. 1, showing ditches 

 and levees. 



Reservoir Canals. 



In addition to the canals that border the district, collecting canals were cut 

 every half mile. (See fig. 9.) These were from 8 to 9 feet deep and the 

 main reservoir canal from 10 to 12 feet deep. The canals have maintained 

 their original widths and have very little soft mud deposited in the bottom. 

 Their banks have stood perfectly, although a considerable amount of boat 

 traffic has been going on. They are deep enough for navigation, even after the 

 water is lowered sufficiently to drain the land. This interior navigation has 

 been of considerable advantage in the farming operations. In addition, the 

 unusually large storage capacity has furnished a water supply with which to 

 irrigate the rice crops. 



