between the village of Aldenville and the borough of Prompton, and to be known as the Prompton Dam and Reservoir. Now, it is necessary to secure authorization for the construction of flood-control work on the Dyberry Creek, a tributary of the Lackawaxen River, which is the location designated by the Army engineers as the proper place for the other dry dam. On February 21 of this year I introduced H. R. 2832 for this purpose. Had these two dry dams been in operation at the time of the disastrous flood of May 1942, 24 lives would have been saved. A large number of persons were injured and more than $6,000,000 in damage was done to homes and places of business. In 1936 flood waters caused considerable damage in this area and at various intervals in recent years. Completion of this project will substantially reduce flood discharges in the affected communities, and will to a great extent diminish the threat to human life by decreasing the rate of rise of floods on the main stream. I thank you. Mr. DAVIS. I notice that Senator Myers, of Pensylvania, is in the room at this time. Do you wish to make a statement with regard to the Lackawaxen River, Senator. If so, we will be glad to hear you at this time. Senator MYERS. Thank you, Mr. Davis. I have a short statement which I would like to appear in the record at this point. STATEMENT BY SENATOR FRANCIS J. MYERS, OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN BEHALF OF ADDITIONAL AND COMPLETE AUTHORIZATION FOR FLOOD CONTROL ON THE LACKAWAXEN RIVER IN WAYNE COUNTY, PA. Senator MYERS. I have only a very brief statement on this project because I am sure that is all that is necessary in this instance. The subcommittee has received the technical detail on the Lackawaxen program from the Army engineers who are now proceeding with planning work on one phase of the program, in connection with the Prompton Reservoir. Previously, some planning work had been done on the Dyberry Reservoir under an appropriation for the 1948 fiscal year which ended last July 1, but the action of the Senate Public Works Committee last year, in connection with the authorization for the Lackawaxen project, expressly directing that funds be spent for the Prompton Reservoir, has ended any further planning work on the Dyberry Reservoir. My purpose in appearing before you today is to urge that in the omnibus bill which you are now preparing you make it absolutely clear that it is the entire project, as recommended in House Document 113 of the Eightieth Congress, first session, which is to be authorized. This can readily be accomplished merely by providing in the bill for authorization of additional funds necessary to complete the project. I have a very close personal interest in this entire project because it was originally partially authorized last year under a bill which I introduced. This bill was S. 1908 of the Eightieth Congress. Earlier in the Seventy-ninth Congress, I introduced a similar bill, S. 2469. I in troduced those bills only after assuring myself thoroughly of the justification and need for these two reservoirs. It was most disappointing to me last year that when the Senate Public Works Committee took up this matter of an omnibus floodcontrol bill, it acted on the premise that the funds it would authorize to be spent were equivalent to their actual expenditure. Thus, even though not a single cent of Federal expenditures was actually to be spent under the legislation, the committee proceeded to cut this project in half and to authorize only part of it. Not only was no Federal money saved by such a step but I am afraid it has had a wasteful effect in that planning work then being done, for the Dyberry Reservoir had to cease. There was no indication from the committee that it did not consider the entire project, consisting of both reservoirs, to be a worthwhile one. Quite the contrary. It said in its report-Report 1568, dated June 9, 1948-that the project was a good project, made particularly so by the danger of loss of life resulting from present conditions. If the project is a good project—as the Senate committee said and as the Congress agreed in authorizing part of it last year-then I earnestly urge that it be fully authorized so that the engineers can proceed with planning work on the entire project and not merely on one part of it. CONNECTICUT RIVER The CHAIRMAN. In the Connecticut River, what are the total estimated costs in the documents of the projects along the Connecticut River heretofore approved in amount? Colonel GEE. The figure is $124,353,550. The CHAIRMAN. How much have we authorized to be appropriated? Colonel GEE. The sum of $72,957,000 to date. The CHAIRMAN. So that the amount still available for appropriation is approximately $50,000,000 to $55,000,000. Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. SOUTHERN FLORIDA PROJECT (H. Doc. 643, 80th Cong.) The CHAIRMAN. The Southern Florida project approved in the act of 1948. That project was authorized at an estimated cost of how much? Colonel GEE. Cost of $70,000,000. The first phase of that plan. The CHAIRMAN. In other words, a total project cost of about $170,208.000. What happened was that that project was heard in the Senate and in the conference it was accepted and the unit of an estimated cost of $70,000,000 in round figures was approved. Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. There was authorized to be appropriated $16,000,000 for the initiation of the project; is that right? Colonel GEE. $16,300,000, sir. The CHAIRMAN. So that there are two things open to us, both of which you have recommended in your original report and which you now recommend: One to increase the unit cost of the approved project, and the other would be to approve the entire project and increase the authorization either for the unit or for the entire project. Colonel GEE. That is correct, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Is there any other statement you want to make? Colonel GEE. No, sir; I have nothing further. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Chairman, is there anything else you have to make now with respect to the comprehensive plan along the Connecticut, the Lackawaxen, Savannah, and other rivers along the Atlantic seaboard? If not, what special bills have we here except the bill for the building of the dam along the Roanoke River which is to come up tomorrow and we can take that up? Bills for preliminary examination and survey. Colonel GEE. House Joint Resolution 102. The CHAIRMAN. We are not taking House Joint Resolution 102. What is that for? Colonel GEE. To authorize funds for the starting of construction of flood controls on the Susquehanna River in various places and areas. The CHAIRMAN. Is that under an adopted project, under a recommended project? Colonel GEE. This is a project now under investigation, Mr. Chair man. The CHAIRMAN. And we have a report on that? Colonel GEE. No, sir. The next one is H. R. 1424 by Mr. Rankin to appropriate funds for works of improvement for flood control on the Tombigbee River and tributaries. The CHAIRMAN. Would that really come in today's hearings? Colonel GEE. It would in the territorial limit you established for today's hearings, sir. The CHAIRMAN. We have no further hearing in addition to what has been presented to the Congress. Colonel GEE. No, sir. H. R. 463 to establish a Merrimack Valley Authority. The CHAIRMAN. Is that a preliminary examination and survey, please, for the establishment of that authority? Colonel GEE. No, sir; this is a bill which would establish a Merrimack Valley Authority patterned after The CHAIRMAN. We have asked for your report on that and you have not submitted it, have you-which of those did we request? Colonel GEE. You have asked us for the Connecticut River, through official channels. The Merrimack Valley is to be commented upon in these hearings. The CHAIRMAN. What is the comment you have to make with respect to the Merrimack Valley? Colonel GEE. It is the position of the Corps of Engineers that the present authorized work in the valley is proceeding in accordance with a well established plan and in accordance with the directions of the Congress and that the work now being carried out by the Corps of Engineers will accomplish the objectives sought in H. R. 463. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, you may extend that statement at this point in the record. Next one. Colonel GEE. H. R. 3795, a Merrimack River survey of hydroelectric power. The CHAIRMAN. What is your recommendation about the survey? Take up bills for preliminary examinations and surveys. That is the first one. What is your recommendation? Colonel GEE. This is an unusual bill in that it directs the Chief of Engineers and the Federal Power Commission to jointly make a complete and comprehensive examination, survey or investigation of the Merrimack River Valley. The CHAIRMAN. Have you any recommendation to make with respect to that? Colonel GEE. We believe the enactment of a bill which would authorize a review investigation of the Merrimack River Valley would achieve the objectives sought in this bill in that any such investigation would have to be referred to the Federal Power Commission for their comment during the course of its preparation. The CHAIRMAN. What is the estimated cost of such a review? The CHAIRMAN. That will have to be passed over because under our rule we have to have an estimated cost of what these preliminary examinations and surveys cost and unless you have that with your recommendation, it will not be necessary to go into the rest of it. In other words, we ask what the estimated cost of the preliminary survey or examination is. Colonel GEE. Next is H. R. 3648 which would change the name The CHAIRMAN. We want preliminary examinations and surveys, Colonel. Colonel GEE. This is H. R. 3791 which would authorize preliminary examinations and surveys for flood control and other purposes in the Georgia area for all streams in the State of Georgia flowing into the Atlantic Ocean between Ogeechee River and the Altamaha River. The CHAIRMAN. Have you a report on that and a favorable recommendation? If so, what is the estimated cost? Colonel GEE. Five thousand dollars. It is believed the preliminary examination should be undertaken. Next one. The CHAIRMAN. All right; we will remember that one. Colonel GEE. One additional one. Two tributaries of the Potomac River, H. R. 3976, to provide for preliminary examination for Port Tobacco and Gilbert Run, both in Charles County, Md., and both preliminary examinations estimated to cost $4,000-each one. We recommend it. The CHAIRMAN. You may extend your justification in the record for both of those when you come to revise your remarks on all of these where you made favorable recommendations. Colonel GEE. We have a prepared statement which we will insert in the record. The CHAIRMAN. That includes that $5,000 one on the Georgia coast. (The statement referred to is as follows:) GILBERT RUN, CHARLES COUNTY, MD. Description.-Gilbert Run (shown on the U. S. Geological Survey quadrangles as Gilbert Swamp and Gilbert Run) flows into the Wicomico River, a minor tributary on the left bank of the lower Potomac River. The mouth of Gilbert Run is a submerged marsh and the lower half of the stream is marshland. Gilbert Run is about 34 miles south of Washington, D. C., by land measurement and about 8 miles below the Port Tobacco Run. The drainage basin, said to be about 45 square miles, is similar to that of Port Tobacco Run, namely, consisting of a farming area. Port Tobacco Run and Gilbert Run are parallel but the drainage areas are not adjacent. There is no existing project for Gilbert Run and no existing project for the Wicomico River. Estimated cost of preliminary examination.-The estimated cost of a preliminary examination is $4,000. Information is not available for estimating the cost of a survey, since drainage reports have not been submitted previously by this office. Other pertinent information.-The Soil Conservation Service reports that the problem in Gilbert Swamp consists of the improvement of outlet drainage for agricultural land now in production, and the improvement of agricultural land gone out of production because of poor drainage. There is considerable interest among the farmers in the drainage basin relative to the problem although no legal action has been begun to set up a tax-ditch organization. Inclusion of this item is recommended. PORT TOBACCO RUN, CHARLES COUNTY, MD. Description.-Port Tobacco Run (designated as Port Tobacco River and Port Tobacco Creek on the U. S. Geological Survey quadrangles) is a tributary of the lower Potomac River. The stream is located 55 miles south of Washington, D. C., by water, on the left bank of the Potomac River. The tidal section is known as Port Tobacco River and the fluvial section as Port Tobacco Creek. Widths in the tidal section vary from 1 mile at the mouth to 30 or 40 feet near the head of tidewater. Depths of 6 to 10 feet available in the lower reaches of the river decrease to 3 feet at Warehouse Point. Upstream therefrom the river flows through marshland in a narrow, winding channel obstructed by stumps, logs, and debris. The drainage area is 43 square miles. The principal occupation in the area is farming, and the tobacco crop was valued at 1.5 million dollars annually in 1945. There is no existing project. War Department examinations and surveys for navigation, dated from 1882 to the most recent dated 1945, were unfavorable. Estimated cost of preliminary examination.-The estimated cost of a preliminary examination is $4,000. Information is not available for estimating the cost of a survey, since drainage reports have not been submitted previously by this office. Other pertinent information.-The sponsors are the Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco, Inc. The improvement desired is a drainage ditch from State Route No. 6 to open water, according to the public hearing for navigation held by the Washington district at La Plata, Md., in May 1945. The stream, which at one time was navigable up to Port Tobacco, has been filled in by sedimentation, and a 10.5-foot channel dredged by local interests in 1930 has since shoaled. Inclusion of this item is recommended. Colonel GEE. Here is a bill on streams in the New England States and again directing examination and survey for the purpose of developing hydroelectric power projects. It is believed that this should be handled as a regular review investigation. We have no estimate of the cost to furnish the committee at this time. The CHAIRMAN. Unless there be objection, that will be put aside; no recommendation to make for that. You mentioned some bill about changing the name of a dam. Colonel GEE. Change the same of the Peterboro (N. H.) Reservoir to Edward McDowell Dam. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Any other bill in mind? It has not been the policy of the committee to change any of those. We might go into that a little later. Very well, sir. The committee is adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. (At 5:15 oclock, the committee adjourned until 10 a. m. Tuesday, May 17, 1949.) |