For that reason we heartily endorse the engineers' report because it contains in there the Willamette Valley project which is necessary to us. It also contains sufficient funds for building up our levees and dikes in the Portland area. And from the long-range standpoint it controls floods on the headwaters of the Columbia River. Mr. ANGELL. Mr. Sterrett, I called to the attention of the committee this morning that I have introduced H. R. 3774, which has for its purpose the improvement of certain works on Johnson Creek. That is a tributary of the Willamette River, as you know, and lies pretty largely within the corporate limits of the city of Portland. Will you say a word as to the urgent need for the construction of that project? Mr. STERRETT. I think that project is one that should be expedited. I happen to live within two blocks of Johnson Creek. Fortunately, I am about a hundred feet above it. But I do know in the early spring we have flash floods on the Johnson Creek which are very damaging to the residents that live along it in the Portland area. think that should be expedited. Mr. ANGELL. It is a project included in this 308 report? Mr. STERRETT. It is. I Mr. ANGELL. I also have introduced another bill, H. R. 3968, which has for its purpose the strengthening of the levees of peninsula drainage district No. 1 in the Portland area, and which is the drainage district where the break-through occurred which destroyed Vanport. Will you say a word as to the emergency need of strengthening that dike? Mr. STERRETT. I concur in your feeling that those dikes in peninsula drainage district No. 1, and the other drainage districts along the Columbia River in the Portland area should be fixed up and improved as soon as possible. Mr. ANGELL. It is true, is it not, that the so-called dike where that break occurred was really not a dike but a fill made by the railroad to carry its tracks, used for some 30 or 35 years, and was not constructed as a dike? Mr. STERRETT. It was constructed principally as a railroad fill, and the people unfortunately thought it was a dike. But it was not constructed for that purpose. Mr. ANGELL. All that has taken place now since the break occurred is the filling of that earth fill by the railroad so that they might resume traffic on their railroad, and needed work by the Army engineers to strengthen the dike is necessary to prevent another disaster of that sort. Mr. STERRETT. That is so. If we had another flood of as high as last year, that fill would go out again, I am sure. Mr. ANGELL. In a very brief statement, what was the result of the break-through at that point? Mr. STERRETT. That precipitated the disastrous Vanport matter which caused $25,000,000 damage, wiped out the Vanport housing project which housed over 15,000 persons in that area, which we had to take care of in other dwellings there. Mr. ANGELL. And their homes were completely destroyed and have never been rebuilt, and the Vanport area now is vacant? Mr. STERRETT. The area is vacant there except that the district along the Columbia River on little higher ground is still to be protected by peninsula drainage district No. 1; we have such industries as Swift & Co., Western Waxpaper, that are still in that district. Mr. ANGELL. Those are very substantial industries, are they not, with large pay rolls? Mr. STERRETT. Very substantial. Mr. ANGELL. And they are subject to being flooded out again? Mr. STERRETT. They are, if something is not done to strengthen those dikes. Mr. ANGELL. Unless some emergency relief work is done in accordance with the bill that I have introduced? Mr. STERRETT. That is right. Mr. ANGELL. One other point, Mr. Chairman. I have also introduced H. R. 3969, which has for its purpose the construction of works for improvement on the lower Columbia River to prevent flood damage such as took place in the 1948 flood to reinforce and strengthen those dikes, those on the Oregon side and the Washington side. Part of that territory is in my district. What would you say with reference to that? Mr. STERRETT. All those projects are included in the United States engineers' review report. I think they should be expedited if they can. Mr. ANGELL. In your judgment they are of an emergency nature? Mr. STERRETT. They are. Mr. ANGELL. Thank you, Mr. Sterrett. Mr. Chairman, I have introduced another bill, H. R. 4679, pending before our committee which I will ask later to consider and present the report of the Army engineers thereon and to submit other testimony in support thereof. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much. You may file your statement. (The statements referred to follow :) STATEMENT PREPARED BY MAYOR'S CITIZENS COMMITTEE ON FLOOD CONTROL PLANNING, PORTLAND. ÖREG., ON UNITED STATES ENGINEERS' REVIEW REPORT, COLUMBIA RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES SUMMARY STATEMENT As the first anniversary of the disastrous flood of May 1948 approaches, this committee of interested Portland citizens appointed by Mayor Dorothy McCullough Lee, submits to Congress its endorsement of the review report of the United States engineers prepared by the division engineer of the North Pacifie Division on October 1, 1948. Although the primary concern of this committee is to implement the protection of the Portland area from any floods that may occur in the future, we urge the speedy adoption of this comprehensive plan of development of the Columbia River and its tributaries, because it is our opinion that only through the completion of this whole program can the maximum flood protection be provided Portland and other communities in the lower Columbia and Willamette River Valleys. It is estimated that the backwater of the Willamette River in the 1948 flood inundated 5,000 acres in the Portland area, and caused a damage to property in the amount of $10,275,000. This figure does not include the damage done to the neighboring community of Vanport. This housing project was completely destroyed with attendant loss of life, destruction of buildings, and loss of furniture and personal belongings. It is the feeling of this committee that adequate protection of the Portland area can only be accomplished by three main coordinated programs. (a) Completion of the Willamette Valley project in Oregon. (b) Completion of an over-all flood-control system on the upper Columbia by the construction of multipurpose projects. (e) Construction of an adequate system of local flood protective works in the Portland harbor and at critical points on the main stem of the lower Columbia River. As these three major programs are an integral part of the review report of the United States engineers, we urge speedy approval by Congress of this program and the immediate authorization of the project recommended in this report. The district engineer has recently been hampered by lack of funds to complete the necessary planning of flood-protective works in the Portland harbor. This preliminary engineering work is vital in determining the best and cheapest way of providing maximum flood protection in this area. Our committee urges that ample funds for this planning be provided immediately by the Congress. In any activity of this nature, time is of the essence. Although the dangers of a flood of the magnitude of the 1948 disaster are not imminent this year, considerably more snow than normal fell on the mountains of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, last winter, and although the weather has been such that there has. been an early run-off, the conditions may change and the situation get serious. Unseasonable floods in the Willamette River at a time when the water in the Portland harbor is high due to backwater from the Columbia River run-off, would cause extremely high damage in the Portland Harbor. Such a situation, although somewhat remote, is entirely possible and illustrates dynamically the need for speed in planning and building local flood protection works, as well as completing storage dams on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Additional supporting data, photographs, and a map showing the extent of the 1948 flood in the Portland Harbor, are included in this report for reference purposes. Respectfully submitted. William A. Bowes, City Commissioner, Chairman; Chester K. ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING DATA Flood damage in Portland Located on both banks of the Willamette and just above its confluence with the Columbia River, Portland is subject to floods whenever either river reaches unusually high crests. A menace to many of the cities in the valley, the Willamette almost annually rises to damaging heights for some points along the river. Draining an area that averages 40 inches or more of rain annually as well as carrying the run-off from the heavy snowbelt on the west slope of the Cascades, this river has caused several major floods and fairly regular minor Annual average flood damage on the east and west sides of downtown Portland are figured at $820,000 and $969,000, respectively. ones. The Columbia River, while not touching Portland proper, has on several occasions caused extensive flooding in the downtown and water-front area through the backwater on the Willamette which, in these instances, has risen to higher crests than those generally experienced in Willamette River-caused floods. In the May 1943, Columbia River flood, 5,000 acres in the Portland area were inundated, causing an estimated damage of $10,275,000. These property damages do not include figures for the Vanport area, or any of the district on Portland's perimeter adjacent to and flooded directly by the Columbia River itself. Although only 3 feet under the crest of the 1894 flood, the 1948 flood did considerably more financial damage to industrial and commercial establishments. Greater loss of life and economic dislocation also resulted with a dozen persons drowned, and 15,000 Vanport residents alone made homeless, causing a tremendous strain on Portland's already crowded housing conditions. Extent of the area flooded in Portland in 1948 can be seen on the attached map. Conclusive evidence of the magnitude of this disaster is clearly illustrated. Of the $10,250,000 damage already cited, downstream Portland experienced a loss of $3,200,000 on the west side, and $2,914,000 on the east side last year. The heavily concentrated business district on the west side was only saved from a loss several times greater by the existence of a sea wall completed by a local improvement district of the city in 1929. Greater protection for the west side by the extension of the west side wall and the construction of an east side sea wall, is now under study by the district engineer at Portland. The figures for damages caused by the 1948 flood in this statement, are only those for the actual physical damage to property. They do not include the economic losses to the community due to the disruption of normal rail, water, truck, air, or maritime commerce. The Nation-wide publicity resulting from a flood of the magnitude of the one in 1948, also had considerable damaging effect on the tourist business and potential industrial development of the area. These factors probably constitute a greater economic loss to the community than the actual physical property damage. Photographs included in this report show the extent of the high water in the business and commercial areas on both sides of the river, and illustrate conclusively the need for local protective works in the Portland harbor. This need is immediate, in contrast to the longer range over-all program for flood control proposed by the Army engineers. Flood protective works in the Portland Harbor The review report of the United States engineers, now under consideration by your committee in Congress, recommends an item of $22,000,000 for diking, drainage, and other flood-protective works in the Portland area. Of this estimated amount, $14,000,000 would be contributed by the Federal Government, and the balance by local interests. Included in the cost for local payment would be rights-of-way, utility relocations, operation, maintenance, and repair. The Federal Government, under this arrangement, would pay the actual cost of construction. It must be remembered that these figures are preliminary estimates. The district engineer at Portland has had his staff working on the design, location, and cost of these local flood-protective works. Perhaps the total cost of these projects will be more than has been included in the review report. If so, it is the feeling of the citizens of Portland that these projects should be given special consideration by Congress to expedite their construction. As mentioned previously, the district engineer has recently been hampered by lack of funds to complete the vital planning of flood-protective works in the Portland Harbor. This preliminary engineering work is necessary to determine the best and cheapest way of providing maximum flood protection in this area. Therefore, there can be no question of the immediate need for funds for this engineering work. Despite an unusually high snow pack in the mountains of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, major flooding from the Columbia is not anticipated this year. Weather conditions so far have been conducive to an early run-off. Nevertheless, these conditions could change and the situation become serious. With Portland continuing to grow at an extremely high rate, speed is important in planning and building local flood-protection works, as well as completing storage dams on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Willamette Basin project The Willamette Basin project was originally authorized by Congress in 1938. Two flood-storage dams were completed before the last World War and three other major projects are now under construction. Due to the tremendous population growth in the Willamette Valley (the State has grown 49.3 percent since 1940) certain changes in the original plan have been made necessary, and the revised Willamette Valley project is included as part of the review report. Willamette River floods, while seldom coinciding with Columbia River floods, occur at more frequent intervals. Major Willamette River floods of record would, on recurrence, reach a level equal to the 1948 Columbia backwater in the Portland area. In addition, these Willamette floods carry much debris, and coupled with strong currents, cause more extensive damage to docks and riverside installations, than the quiet backwaters of a Columbia River flood. The threat always exists of an extensive rainstorm in the Willamette Valley at a time when the Columbia River is in flood. This situation would cause a flood of such magnitude and damage to the Portland Harbor that it would dwarf the disaster of the highest previous floods on record. For this reason, and for the reason that the Willamette Valley project is of such vital importance to Portland's trade territory to the south, we urge speedy authorization of this revised project. Advance engineering planning funds should be appropriated simultaneously with the new authorization required for the Willamette Valley project. This procedure would permit expeditious completion of the necessary engineering work, thereby eliminating a year's delay between authorization and the appropriation of funds. Main flood-control plan Provision for adequate flood protection in the lower Columbia River area by levees alone is impractical due to engineering and economic considerations. The foundations in many instances are inadequate to withstand the pressures from levees of the height necessary to protect against uncontrolled floods. Also, the amount of storage necessary in up-river reservoirs to provide complete control of floods, is too great and too costly to consider. A practical balance of the two methods of flood control has been worked out in the United States Engineers' Review Report. The fundamental concept of this comprehensive plan is to provide levees and other lower Columbia flood-protection works that will withstand floods of a magnitude of 800,000 second-feet as measured at The Dalles, Oreg., on the Columbia River, and the provision of sufficient upstream reservoir capacity to provide storage capacity adequate to control all floods up to one comparable to the 1894 flood to a flow of 800,000 second-feet at The Dalles. Because this review report provides for this comprehensive plan of flood control of the Columbia River and its tributaries, our committee heartily endorses this program and urges immediate approval of all projects for which the United States engineers ask for authorization in this report. This committee also approves the immediate adoption of this review report from the standpoint of its recommended development of the power resources of the area, although this particular feature is beyond the scope of our committee. However, the power needs of this region are so critical that we feel there is need for speedy completion of the McNary project, the Detroit Dam, and other projects recommended in this report which will provide adequate electric power for this area. STATEMENT OF PORTLAND (OREG.) CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Portland Chamber of Commerce, an organization of approximately 4,000 business and professional men and women of the Portland area, is glad to endorse in general the plan recommended by the division engineer, North Pacific division, in his review report of October 1, 1948, and we earnestly request the Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives to take favorable action on this report. The Portland area has undergone an unprecented population and industrial growth since the beginning of World War II, and there is every reason to believe that this growth will continue in the future. The ecomony of this region has been built up on the intensive use of our land and water resources and the development of these resources has become important not only to this area alone but to the Nation as a whole. The growth of Portland has been coincident with the increased utilization of the Columbia River for navigation, power production, and irrigation purposes. A deep-water channel to the ocean has enabled Portland to become a port of world-wide importance today, for this waterway provides a means of transporting the lumber, wheat, fruit, and other industrial and agricultural products of the region to off-shore markets. In addition, raw materials from all parts of the world can be assembled at Portland's docks for manufacture into endless commodities for the American public. The development of the hydroelectric resources of the Columbia River and its tributaries in the past is an important reason why this region has reached its present industrial status. The availability of a large supply of electrical energy enabled the Portland area to play a prominent part in the winning of World War II by the production of millions of pounds of aluminum, over 1,200 major vessels for the Navy and Maritime Commission, and other goods that aided in the successful prosecution of this hostility. 92329-49- 41 |