Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 107 Series N, Water Power, 8 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTEEIOE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR WATER POWERS OF ALABAMA AN APPENDIX ON STREAM MEASUREMENTS IN MISSISSIPPI BENJAMIN M. HALL WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1904 CONTENTS. Page. Letter of transmittal...................................................... 7 Introduction.....-.._.._.......-.............-...__...............-...... 9 General topographic and geologic features.................................. 10 Field work............................................................... 13 Explanation of tables .................................................... 14 Gage heights. ........................................................ 14 Discharge measurements.............................................. 15 Eating table ......................................................... 15 Estimated monthly discharge ......................................... 15 Horsepower ......................................................... 16 Tallapoosa River and tributaries........................................... 17 Tallapoosa River at Milstead.......---..-..-..-...-..........-..-..... 17 TaDapoosa River near Susanna............ ............................ 25 Tallapoosa River at Sturdevant........................................ 29 Description of Tallapoosa River....................................... 35 Proposed dam on Tallapoosa River near Double Bridge ferry, Talla­ poosa County -.....-...--.----.....-..-.......-...-......-..... 40 Big Sandy Creek near Dadeville....................................... 47 Hillabee Creek near Alexander, Ala................................... 53 Tributaries of Tallapoosa River above Milstead ........................ 59 Coosa River and tributaries .......-----.......-...--.-....-......--.-...-. 61 Coosa River at Riverside.............................................. 61 Coosa River at Rome, Ga.............................................. 77 Survey of Coosa River................................................ 90 Talladega Creek at Nottingham ....................................... 97 Choccoloceo Creek at Jenifer.......................................... 104 Tributaries of Coosa River ............................................ 106 Alabama River and tributaries ............................................. 108 Alabama River at Selma ..---....-..-.-...-..........---..-........... 108 Cahaba River and tributaries.............................................. 118 Cahaba River at Centerville........................................... 118 Water powers on Cahaba River, Alabama..............__.........-..__ 126 Black Warrior River and tributaries..-....---..-....---.--.-..-.--........ 131 Black Warrior River at Tuscaloosa .................................... 131 Black Warrior River near Cordova ..-.......-...........-.--...--...-. 147 Locust Fork of Black Warrior River at Palos. .......................... 155 Survey of Black Warrior River........................................ 161 Tributaries of Black Warrior River.................................... 166 Tombigbee River and tributaries -.-.....-...-...-..-..-...-.--.-....--.... 167 Tombigbee River at Columbus, Miss................................... 167 Tombigbee River near Epes........................................... 175 Tributaries of Tombigbee River ....................................... 179 3 4: CONTENTS. Page. Tennessee Eiver and tributaries ........................................... 180 Tennessee Eiver at Chattanooga, Tenn.."........... .............. t ..... 180 Shoals in Tennessee Eiver near Florence, Ala .......................... 205 Tributaries of Tennessee Eiver ..................-...---.-----.....--.. 207 Utilized water powers .................................................... 208 Appendix Stream measurements in Mississippi............................ 238 Pearl Eiver at Jackson, Miss ..............'..........--....-..-.....-.. 238 Yazoo Eiver at Yazoo City, Miss ..-----...-.-.......-.-..---......--.. 243 Miscellaneous measurements ..........-.....--.-.-.........-.---.---.. 248 Index ................................................................... 249 ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATE I. Hydrographic map of Alabama .................................. 10 II. Canal, power house, and mills of Tallassee Falls Manufacturing Company on Tallapoosa Eiver at Tallassee, looking across from east bank..................................................... 34 III. Dam and shoals of Tallassee Falls Manufacturing Company on Tallapoosa Elver at Tallassee, looking upstream................. 36 IV. A, Canal and dam of Tallassee Falls Manufacturing Company on Tallapoosa River at Tallassee, view across canal from left bank; B, Dam and new mill of Tallassee Falls Manufacturing Company on Tallapoosa Eiver at Tallassee, during construc­ tion, view from right bank of river below old mill........... 38 V. A, Dam and power house of the Montgomery Power Company on Tallapoosa Eiver, 3 miles above Tallassee, view from right bank below dam; B, Interior of power house of Montgomery Power Company........................................... 40 VI. A, Shoals near High Shoals, Eandolph County, on tributary of Talla­ poosa Eiver; B, Giles mill, near Ofelia, Eandolph County, on tributary of Tallapoosa Eiver ............. ...^............. 60 VII. A, Lock No. 4, near Lincoln, on Coosa Eiver, 3 miles above Eiver- side, during construction; B, Pratt Cotton Gin Manufacturing Company's plant on Augusta Creek at Prattville, showing dam with flash boards to raise as flood gate.................. 92 VIII. A, Dam and lock No. 1 on Black Warrior Eiver, at Tuscaloosa, view from east bank; B, Dam and lock No. 2 on Black War­ rior Eiver, at Tuscaloosa, from west bank.................... 164 I.. Big spring at Huntsville......................................... 206 FIG. 1. Map of Tallapoosa Eiver from Griffin Shoals to Milstead............. 37 2. Map of Tallapoosa Eiver between Double Bridge Ferry and Central of Georgia Eailway, showing reservoir above Cherokee dam site...... 38 3. Topographic plan and location of cross sections of Tallapoosa Eiver at the Cherokee dam site--.....-.--.....-.--.-....-------.--.---.-- 39 4. Cross section of Tallapoosa Eiver at the Cherokee dam site........... 41 5. Plan of proposed development of Tallapoosa Eiver at Cherokee power site ............................................................ 42 6. Map of Coosa Eiver from Greensport to Wetumpka.................. 91 7. Map showing part of Cahaba Eiver surveyed by Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army..;..............-.............-...........--........ 126 8. Map showing part of Black Warrior Eiver surveyed by Corps of Engi­ neers, U. S. Army .............................................. 161 9. Map showing shoals in Tennessee Eiver, near Florence, Ala ......... 205 5 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, HYDROGJIAPHIC BRANCH, Washington, D. O., February 87, 1904. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript entitled "The Water Powers of Alabama, with an Appendix on Stream Meas­ urements in Mississippi," and to request that it be published as a water-supply paper of the Survey. Very respectfully, F. H. NEWELL, Chief Engineer. Hon. CHARLES D. WALCOTT, Director United States Geological Survey. 7 WATER POWERS OF ALABAMA. By BENJAMIN M. HALL. INTRODUCTION. Prior to 1896 no systematic investigation had ever been made of the water supply and water powers of Alabama. In 1885 Prof. Dwight Porter, in his report for the Tenth Census of the United States, Volume XVI, upon the water powers of the eastern Gulf slope, gave an excellent description of the most important water-power streams in the Mobile .drainage basin, with such estimates of power as were possible from a reconnaissance and a study of rainfall, drainage areas, and the navigation surveys made by the United States Engineer Corps. During the last seven years the systematic stream measurements by the United States Geological Survey, at stations maintained by the army engineers, the Weather Bureau, and the State geological survey, have furnished a reliable basis for water-power estimates. The United States Geological Survey has also made measurements of many smaller streams in order to compare their discharges with those at the regular stations and to ascertain the percentage of water furnished to the main rivers by different tributaries. It has also run levels along some of the streams that have not been surveyed by the army engineers. In 1902 the writer prepared for Dr. E. A. Smith, State geologist, a report embodying all data obtainable at that time. This was published by the Alabama geological survey as Bulletin No. 7. This paper con­ tains all of the material of Bulletin No. 7, and includes also the results of hydrographic work in 1902 and 1903. It gives an estimate and short description of the water powers in the crystalline and Paleozoic regions, and is intended to meet the demands of those who are inter­ ested in water powers and desire to have in one volume the records and results of all the hydrographic investigations from 1896 to the present. Very recently two large water powers have been developed on Tal- lapoosa River; one of these is at Tallassee, Ala., and the other is 3 miles above Tallassee. 10 WATEB POWERS OF ALABAMA. [NO. 107. Some of the largest undeveloped powers in the State are mentioned below: Power site No. 3, on Tallapoosa River, at Double Bridge Ferry, about 10 miles above Tallassee,