(d) Special studies.-The amount of $350,000 is requested for prosecution of two studies during fiscal year 1965. Tentative allocations by studies follow: Great Lakes-Hudson River Water- NE. way, N.Y. A study of the existing project to determine the advisability of providing improvements beyond those authorized by the 1935 River and Harbor Act, as modified by the 1962 River and Harbor Act which sets a $28,000,000 limitation on Federal expenditure. Also, a study of a deep water channel between Oswego and Syracuse, and whether the State-owned canal system should be transferred to the Federal Government, if desired by the State of New York. Jersey Meadows, N.Y. and N.J. This is a study for flood control, major drainage, navigation, and land reclamation in the following streams; Hackensack River, Passaic River, Raritan River, Arthur Kill and Kill Van Kull. It will develop an orderly plan of improvement for the area and recommend construction of such improvements as are advisable in the near future. Total... MA.. (e) Comprehensive basin studies.-The amount of $400,000 is requested for prosecution of one study during fiscal year 1965. Mr. KIRWAN. General Dalrymple, we are glad to have you with us. Mr. PILLION. I would like to ask a series of questions out of order concerning the Hudson River-Great Lakes study, which is within your jurisdiction. General DALRYMPLE. That is right. 32-218-64-pt. 1-54 Mr. PILLION. Is that the project known as the New York State barge canal? General DALRYMPLE. That is correct, sir. Mr. PILLION. What is the appropriation this year for that? Mr. PILLION. How much is it for 1965? General DALRYMPLE. We are asking for $200,000 in 1965. Mr. PILLION. I see. What is the engineering capability? General DALRYMPLE. Our capability, subject to the usual qualification, is $486,700. Mr. PILLION. How much will be left over after this 1965 appropriation or recommendation? General DALRYMPLE. $737,000. Mr. PILLION. What is the nature of this study? What are you studying? What do you propose to determine? General DALRYMPLE. Last year, as you may recall, I testified we were working on an interim report which would consider the complete modernization of the waterway. We completed that interim report and submitted it to the Office of the Chief of Engineers. It was unfavorable. Now we are studying whether there is justification for certain lesser improvements on the waterway, not the complete modernization as in the first interim report. That is the present status. Mr. PILLION. What generally would you do in the nature of improvements other than a complete modernization? What do you have in mind? Do you have in mind deepening it? General DALRYMPLE. In certain areas we could consider improving the alinement of the canal to afford better navigation. We could make some improvement on the lock structures themselves. Mr. PILLION. Are you contemplating deepening that, in your studies? General DALRYMPLE. In certain areas there would be some increase in depth. It would not be substantial in this partial modernization program. Mr. PILLION. How does your study mesh into the study going on by the State of New York concerning the possibility of transferring the whole waterway to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers? General DALRYMPLE. This is a consideration that will be undertaken at a later stage in our study when we finally come to the conclusion as to whether we should partially modernize or not. Another step will be raising the ceiling on the project from $28 to $35 million. And, finally, we will consider any request by the State for the taking over of the canal by the Federal Government. As to your question about the study the State is making, the only one I am aware of is a study that paralleled our first interim report, or the conclusions did parallel it. That was made by an independent research organization, and it, too, considered the full modernization of the barge canal. As I recall, the recommendation of that independent agency was unfavorable. Mr. PILLION. The ultimate purpose of the studies, both by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and by the State of New York, is the modernization or improvement of the whole barge canal with the ultimate intent or possibility of having the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers take over the whole barge canal? General DALRYMPLE. The end result would be, that we would consider it if the State requested the Federal Government to take over. Mr. PILLION. They are trying to arrive at that point? General DALRYMPLE. Yes. Mr. PILLION. What is the cost of the operation and maintenance of the barge canal to the State of New York at the present time? Do you have any idea? General DALRYMPLE. Yes, sir. It is our understanding that the cost of operation and maintenance to the State is approximately $6 million annually for the entire barge canal system. Mr. PILLION. Under the contemplated plan, eventually that would be assumed by the U.S. Government? General DALRYMPLE. Yes, if the canal were taken over for navigation. However, the details having to do with maintenance for other than navigation would have to be worked out. GATHRIGHT RESERVOIR, VA. Mr. PILLION. Congressman Richard Poff of Virginia is most seriously interested in the restudy of the Gathright Dam on the Jackson River in Alleghany County, Va. He has inquired of me a number of times as to the status of our committee's action on the study. What is the current status of the restudy for which we appropriated $40,000 2 years ago? General DALRYMPLE. A report on that restudy is in my office and we are expediting our review in order to present our recommendation to the Chief of Engineers as quickly as possible. The report indicates that a project for flood control, water quality, and recreation is economically justified and hence the project should be removed from "deferred for restudy" category and placed on the "active" list for resumption of advanced planning. Mr. PILLION. Thank you very much. RARITAN AND SANDY HOOK BAYS Mr. KIRWAN. Please explain the need for and interest in the two new studies you are budgeting. Take the Raritan study first. General DALRYMPLE. In this instance, when the initial flood control study was made, certain areas were not considered. More recently those areas have been subject to floods and to tidal inundation. They are Union Beach, Keyport, Cliffwood Beach, Port Monmouth, and Highlands, N.J. The purpose of this study is to take care of those areas not included initially. JAMES RIVER, LYNCHBURG, VA. Mr. KIRWAN. James River at Lynchburg. General DALRYMPLE. This is a study to determine the need for increased flood control at Lynchburg, Va. It began as a response to a request for improvement of the streams in Rockbridge County, and it was determined at that time we could study this under the Senate resolution of 1948. We are requesting $50,000 for fiscal year 1965. Among other things, we plan to hold a public hearing, initiate an economic base survey, and update all our flood-stage damage relationship data. JERSEY MEADOWS, NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK Mr. KIRWAN. Please explain the increase for Jersey Meadows, from $450,000 to $1,295,000. General DALRYMPLE. The original request was based on our preliminary evaluation of the problem before we really knew all the factors and all the interests involved. After a public hearing and contacts with many Federal and State and local agencies, it was soon apparent to us the study was much more complex than we first envisioned. It is virtually at the center of the metropolitan area of New York. It has important widespread and regional implications. There are some 22 Federal and non-Federal agencies which are either concerned, cooperating, or participating with us in this study. That is the basic reason for this increase. Mr. KIRWAN. Has this not been thoroughly studied before by a responsible engineering firm? General DALRYMPLE. Are you talking about Jersey Meadows? General DALRYMPLE. May I supply that for the record? (The requested information follows:) There have been several earlier studies by private engineering firms. In 1930 General Jadwin, retired Chief of Engineers, formulated a plan for the New Jersey State Meadows Reclamation Commission. The Passaic Valley Citizens Planning Association developed a plan in 1958 for the Meadowland Regional Planning Board. Also, for the same board, a plan was prepared in 1958 by the Netherlands Engineering Consultants. Generally, these studies were limited to plans of engineering works and costs. None included a detailed analysis of economics and justification. None were implemented. Mr. KIRWAN. Was not your job to review the other study? General DALRYMPLE. The study for the Jersey Meadows was authorized by section 206 of the Flood Control Act of 1958 which provides for a "survey for flood control and allied purposes on *** streams, river basins, and areas in New York and New Jersey for flood control, major drainage, navigation, channel improvement, and land reclamation, as follows: Hackensack River, Passaic River, Raritan River, Arthur Kill, and Kill Van Kull, including the portions of these river basins in Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, Passaic, Union, and Monmouth Counties, N.J." As we do in all cases, we review any pertinent data generated by previous studies. CONSTRUCTION, GENERAL (ADVANCE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN) AYLESWORTH CREEK, PA. Mr. KIRWAN. Now we come to Advance Engineering and Design. The first project is Aylesworth Creek, Pa., $80,000. Please place the justifications in the record at this point. (The justifications follow :) AYLESWORTH CREEK RESERVOIR, PA. (Initiation of planning) Location and description.—The project is located on Aylesworth Creek, approximately 1 mile above its confluence with the Lackawanna River, just below East Jermyn, Pa. The plan of improvement provides for an earthfill dam with uncontrolled outlet and an uncontrolled spillway. Major floods have occurred in the Lackawanna River Basin in March 1936, May 1942, and August 1955. As a result of these floods, severe damage has occurred to commercial, industrial, residential, and rural developments and to highway and railroad facilities throughout the basin. In addition, three persons lost their lives in the August 1955 flood. The flood of May 1942 was the most severe flood in the upper portion of the Lackawanna Basin and also caused the greatest damage in the lower basin prior to the August 1955 flood. The 1955 flood caused the greatest damage on tributary streams entering the Lackawanna River at or below Scranton and also along the river itself from Scranton downstream. The following tabulation shows estimated damages which would result from a recurrence of similar floods and reductions effected by the proposed reservoir : 1 Residual damages after construction of Stillwater Reservoir and the Scranton local protection project. Residual average annual damages after construction of Stillwater Reservoir and the Scranton local protection project would amount to $550,000 at July 1963 prices. Average annual flood-control benefits attributable to Aylesworth Creek Reservoir would amount to $116,000, a reduction of 21 percent. The project is located in an area designated category 5(a) by the Area Redevelopment Administration and classified as an area of substantial and persistent unemployment. Non-Federal costs.-None. Status of local cooperation.-None required. Comparison of Federal cost estimates.-No change from the latest estimate submitted to Congress except for rounding. Mr. KIRWAN. Aylesworth Creek Reservoir, $80,000. General DALRYMPLE. This proposed reservoir is a unit in the flood protection plan for the Lackawanna River Basin. There are other |