anticipated that in 1944, 9-foot navigation will be available throughout the entire length of the river from its mouth to Knoxville.

17. Terminals for public use are available at Paducah, Ky.; Sheffield, Ala.; and Chattanooga, Tenn. A coal tipple has been constructed by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad at Danville, Tenn. A number of railroad inclines and minor landings are available at other points, but most of these will be submerged by the reservoirs of dams under construction or contemplated. Privately owned terminals for the transfer of petroleum products have been constructed at Perryville, Tenn.; Sheffield, Ala.; Decatur, Ala.; and Guntersville, Ala. These facilities are, in general, not now adequate for modern river transportation. In view of the prospects for a through waterway for modern barge equipment, it is anticipated that adequate terminal and transfer facilities will be constructed at suitable points along the river.

18. Yellow Creek.-Yellow Creek rises in Prentiss County, Miss., flows in a northeasterly direction through Tishomingo County, Miss., and empties into the Tennessee River near the Mississippi-Tennessee State line about 10 miles below Riverton, Ala. Its length is about 30 miles. In its lower reaches the stream has a width of about 50 feet, but in its upper reaches is hardly more than a drainage ditch. The total drainage area is approximately 196 square miles. While hard chert, shale, and limestone appear in the hills along the creek near its mouth, the valley floor consists mostly of alluvial deposits. The flood plain is broad, varying in width from 1% to 2 miles. The banks are relatively low. From its mouth to the Illinois Central Railroad crossing, a distance of about 23 miles, the fall is about 5 feet per mile. above this railroad crossing, the creek divides into several branches. The main branch, about 5 miles long, flows practically north from a low point on the divide, known as Phiefers Gap, opposite the source of Mackeys Creek. The elevation of this point is about 600 feet. The total fall is about 130 feet. Another very small branch flows in a northwesterly direction practically parallel to the Illinois Central Railroad from a point on the divide known as Felder's Gap at an elevation of about 569 feet. This branch is about 5 miles long and has a total fall of about 100 feet. For about 12 miles downstream from the railroad crossing, Yellow Creek has been cleared, widened, and straightened by the county authorities and utilized as a drainage canal for a local drainage district. Backwater from Pickwick Dam extends about 11 miles above the mouth of the creek.

19. Mackeys Creek.-Mackeys Creek is one of the principal headwater streams of the east fork of the Tombigbee River. It rises at a point 5 miles northwest of Paden, Miss., opposite the head of a prong of Yellow Creek. One of its tributaries, King Creek, rises in the vicinity of Tishomingo, Miss., opposite the source of Cripple Deer Creek. Its length is about 32 miles, its fall 230 feet, and its drainage basin has an area of 154 square miles. The elevation of the region in the vicinity is 450 to 550 feet above sea level. Near Bay Springs, Miss., about 12 miles downstream from the divide, the creek flows through a gorge known as the "Narrows," about 200 feet wide and from 40 to 50 feet deep, cut in bed rock. With the exception of this point and the first mile or two, the valley is broad and flat, averaging about a mile wide for a considerable distance above and below the Narrows.

Throughout its course the creek has fairly high banks and its width varies from 35 to 60 feet.

20. Tombigbee River.-The Tombigbee River is formed by the confluence of the east and west forks in northeastern Mississippi near Amory, Miss., and flows southeastwardly through eastern Mississippi and western Alabama to its confluence with the Alabama River to form the Mobile River 45 miles above Mobile, Ala. The Warrior River, its principal tributary, flows into the Tombigbee River just above Demopolis, Ala., 231.1 miles above Mobile. The Tombigbee River system drains an area of 19,500 square miles, including the Warrior Basin. The average annual rainfall for the entire basin is 52 inches. At the Demopolis station, which includes the Warrior Basin, the estimated discharge from the maximum stage of record is 322,000 cubic feet per second, and the minimum recorded discharge is 371 cubic feet per second. At Columbus, Miss., 146 river miles above Demopolis, the estimated discharge from the maximum stage of record is 216,000 cubic feet per second and the minimum discharge is 180 cubic feet per second. The high-water season extends generally from December through April. The extreme fluctuation of the river is 64.5 feet at Demopolis, Ala., 45.9 feet at Columbus, Miss. The upper Tombigbee River flows through a gently rolling country, most of which is excellent farming land, varying from 300 feet above sea level at Fulton, Miss., to 100 feet at Demopolis, Ala. About 50 percent of the flood plain above Demopolis is covered with timber, the balance being farming and pasture land. Below Demopolis the basin is generally covered with pine forests and swamps. The river varies in width from 75 feet at the confluence of the east and west forks in Monroe County, Miss., to 400 feet at Demopolis, with a slope of about seven-tenths foot per mile. From Demopolis to its mouth, the slope is two-tenths foot per mile. Except for snagging, the Tombigbee River above Demopolis has not been improved and is little used for navigation at the present time. The improvements below Demopolis will be described under the Warrior River, since that portion of the river forms a part of the Tombigbee-Warrior waterway. The normal pool formed by Dam No. 4, just above Demopolis, has an elevation of 42 feet above mean sea level and affords 6-foot navigation for about 15 miles above Demopolis. Above this pool the stream is obstructed by drift, snags, gravel bars, and overhanging trees. From Demopolis to Columbus the controlling depth is 1 foot at low water. Above Columbus the channel is narrow and very tortuous, varying from 50 to 75 feet in width, with a controlling depth of 1 foot at low water. Except for rafting at high water, navigation on this section of the river is now impracticable. Local interests, during the period 1910-30, enlarged and rectified channels of several tributary streams on the east fork of the Tombigbee River for drainage and land reclamation purposes. This work permitted a more rapid run-off in the tributary streams and deposited in the main channel a larger amount of silt and debris than it formerly received. As a consequence the main channel of the east fork became obstructed and the effectiveness of the drainage canals on the tributary streams was diminished. Channelrectification work and bank clearing on the east fork of the Tombigbee River, extending from the southern boundary of Itawamba County to the junction of Browns and Mackeys Creeks, was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936. The work originally authorized was

subsequently supplemented by allotments from relief funds and regular funds and the work has been extended to include tributary streams in Itawamba County and Prentiss County.

21. Warrior River.-The Warrior River is formed by the confluence of the Locust and Mulberry Forks about 20 miles west of Birmingham, Ala., and flows southwestwardly 178 miles, entering the Tombigbee River just above Demopolis. From its source to Tuscaloosa, Ala., a distance of 47 miles, the river is known as the Black Warrier River and from Tuscaloosa to Demopolis it is known as the Warrior River. Throughout this report the term "Warrior" will be understood to cover both sections of the river. The drainage basin of the Warrior River is 6,280 square miles. The average annual rainfall for the entire basin is 54 inches. The discharge at the junction of the Mulberry and Locust Forks varies from a maximum of 162,000 cubic feet per second to a minimum of 20 cubic feet per second. At Tuscaloosa the discharge varies from a maximum of 215,000 cubic feet per second (estimated from the maximum stage of record) to a minimum of 50 cubic feet per second. Rapid and frequent rises are common on the Warrior River during the flood period which usually extends from December through April. The ordinary fluctuation at Tuscaloosa is about 40 feet and the maximum 57.8 feet. Above Tuscaloosa the valley of the stream lies in the Appalachian highlands, the topography of which is rugged. Below Tuscaloosa the river flows through the Coastal Plain, which is hilly and rolling. The valley from the junction of the Locust and Mulberry Forks to Tuscaloosa varies from 4 to 1 mile in width and is several hundred feet deep, with a fall of 2.66 feet per mile. Below Tuscaloosa the valley widens and the river becomes more tortuous. The Warrior River and the Tombigbee River below its confluence with the Warrior River have been improved by 17 locks and dams, substantially 52 by 282 feet, to provide a waterway 8 feet deep extending from Mobile, 430 miles to the vicinity of Birmingham. Improvements are now in progress which will increase the depth to 9 feet and replace 3 of the existing locks with 1 lock 95 by 460 feet.

22. The changed economic conditions and the advent of motortrucks to handle short-haul local traffic has caused the abandonment of the old river packet and also of the many landings at frequent intervals that were once used by the packet boats. At the present time there are four principal transfer points on the Tombigbee-Warrior system. These are located at Tuscaloosa, Holt, Birmingport, and near the head of navigation on the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River. At each of these points the terminal is equipped to handle joint rail-water movements. At Tuscaloosa the terminal is municipally owned, but at present it is leased to a private concern. The terminal at Holt, 3 miles above Tuscaloosa, is owned by the Federal Barge Line. It consists of a warehouse and a derrick for handling freight from barges to shore. The derrick was damaged by high water in April 1938, and at the present time there is some uncertainty as to whether it will be reconstructed. The Federal Barge Line is now using the Tuscaloosa terminal. The Federal Barge Line terminal at Birmingport, mile 419, is the largest and the best equipped on the river for handling general freight. The Warrior River Terminal Co., a subsidiary of the Inland Waterways Corporation, operates a railroad between Birmingport and Ensley, Ala., 22 miles to the east, where

connections are made with the railroads serving the Birmingham district. A chert road also connects Birmingport with the paved highway at Ensley. The Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co. also operates a terminal at Birmingport. The terminal at Lynn Park, near the head of navigation on the Mulberry Fork of the Warrior River, is being operated by a large interstate truck concern for combination barge-truck hauling of general freight. Two terminals on the river are at present equipped to handle gasoline in bulk from barges to storage tanks. One is located at Tuscaloosa and the other at Birmingport; both are privately owned. Coal may be loaded into barges at three points on the waterway at the present time. The completion of crest gates on dam No. 17 extended the pool of this dam, known as Bankhead Lake, to a point on the Mulberry Fork easily accessible to high-grade coal. The terminal at Coyle, the loading point, on the Mulberry Fork, consists of electrical belt conveying equipment capable of loading as much as 3,000 tons in 12 hours. The first tow of coal from this terminal moved downstream in November 1937. Coal has been shipped from 2 mines on the waterway for a number of years. One is located a short distance above lock No. 13 at miles 371, the other on the Mulberry Fork at mile 435. The ash content of the coal from these mines is very high and, therefore, only a limited amount of this coal is shipped for commercial purposes. At Demopolis, Ala., there are three derricks for transferring logs from the river or barges to sawmills. Similar facilities exist at Bladon Springs, mile 130. At Pelhams Landing, mile 110, near lock No. 1, an electrically operated crane has been provided for the transfer of limestone from a rock crusher to barges. This stone is towed to a cement plant in New Orleans, La.

TRIBUTARY AREA

23. Areas directly affected. The region immediately adjoining the Tennessee, Tombigbee, and Mobile Rivers, extending roughly 50 miles distant from the banks of each of the streams, is considered to be the area which would be directly affected by the proposed waterway. The effect of the proposed waterway, of course, would extend in a diminishing degree much farther than 50 miles from the banks of the streams, but in almost every direction the influence of other waterway routes would be encountered. Although the proposed waterway would connect with the Warrior River at Demopolis, Ala., thereby providing a continuous waterway route from the coal-, iron-, and steel-producing regions in the vicinity of Birmingham, Ala., to the Tennessee Valley and Midwest, the circuity of the route and the rail haul required between Birmingham and Birmingport, the transfer point for Birmingham, would eliminate practically all of the advantages that might otherwise be obtained from water transportation. The distance from Birmingport to the Tennessee River via the Warrior River and the proposed waterway would be 448 miles and the rail haul from Birmingport to Birmingham is about 25 to 30 miles. The direct rail distance from Birmingham to the Tennessee River at Decatur, Ala., is only 85 miles. The tributary area contains portions of five States, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, and Ken tucky, including 106 counties therein, having an area of 57,439 square miles and a total population in 1930 of 2,687,320. This area is graphically outlined in chart No. 4.1

1 Not printed.

1

24. Population.-An analysis of the characteristics of the population in the tributary area (with the changes from 1930 to 1935 estimated) is shown in the following table:

TABLE 2.-Analysis of the characteristics of the population in the area tributary to the proposed waterway

Sources: U. S. Census of Population, 1930. The 1935 population figures are estimates by State Health Department. The 1935 farm figures, U. S. Census of Agriculture.

25. The principal cities in the tributary area with a population in 1930 of 10,000 or more are listed in the following table:

26. Agricultural resources.-The region considered tributary to the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers contains thousands of acres of fertile agricultural lands with a wide variety in types of soil. The principal crop is cotton, but many other crops are raised in abundance. Dairying is becoming an increasingly important agricultural pursuit in northeast Mississippi. The average production of the various crops in the counties comprising the tributary area for the years 1924 and 1929, according to the United States Census of Agriculture, is shown in the following table. The period 1924-29 is considered to be typical as depression years and crop-control influences are excluded.