RESOLUTION OF WEST RIVERSIDE TOWNSHIP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION BY CONGRESS OF THE SANTA ANA RIVER PROJECT Upon motion of Director Roy Crumpacker, seconded by Director R. J. Ogden, and duly carried, the following resolution was adopted, to wit: Whereas the West Riverside Township Chamber of Commerce is an organization representing all of the communities north and west of the Santa Ana River in Riverside County; and Whereas some 1,800 acres on the right side of the Santa Ana River including a large section of the town of West Riverside has in the past suffered damage from floods, causing severe and extensive property damage and taking the lives of a number of people; and Whereas the population since the last major flood in 1938 has increased over 60 percent and property values subject to overflow now are estimated at over $2,000,000; and Whereas it is vital to the security of the citizens of West Riverside Township and also necessary for the continued growth, development, and prosperity of our area that protection be secured against the possibility of overflow from the Santa Ana River; and Whereas we have been informed that the Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives is holding a hearing in Washington, D. C. on May 23 for the purpose of hearing testimony regarding the proposed Santa Ana River project; Now, therefore, the board of directors in a meeting held this 10th day of May 1949 hereby wishes to inform said committee of Congress that the West Riverside Township Chamber of Commerce is in full accord with the Santa Ana River project as proposed in the report by the district engineer of the Corps of Engineers, and that this organization strongly urges that the Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives take favorable action on recommending the authorization of the Santa Ana River flood control project; and be it further Resolved, That the secretary-manager be and he is berely instructed to forwa`d copies of this resolution to the lionorable W. M. Whittington, chairm of e Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives; to the Honorable California Senators Knowland and Downey; to the Honorable Congressmen from our area, John Phillips and Harry Sheppard in the House of Representatives. The foregoing resolution is a full and true copy of the minutes made and entered on the 10th day of May 1949. W. M. BUSCH, President. K. B. SWALLEY, Secretary-Manager, Riverside, Calif. RESOLUTION BY THE WEST RIVERSIDE TOWNSHIP FARM BUREAU CENTER, WEST RIVERSIDE, CALIF., ON THE SANTA ANA RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES FLOOD-CONTROL PROJECT Upon motion of Carl M. Fuller, seconded by Hans Jorgenson, and duly carried, the following resolution was adopted, to-wit: Whereas the West Riverside Township Farm Bureau Center is an organization representing farmers within the West Riverside area having a membership of over 200 farm families, and Whereas this organization is concerned with the preservation and conservation of their farm lands, and the productive capacity of these lands, and Whereas the Santa Ana River in the past has caused considerable flood damage and destroyed by erosion and inundation valuable agricultural lands and crops and endangered the lives and safety of these people in the West Riverside Township, and Whereas it is understood that surveys and studies have been made and completed by the Corps of Engineers for flood-control improvements which will afford the desired and urgently needed protection, and Whereas this organization has been informed that there will be public hearings to be held by the Committee on Flood Control by the House of Representatives on May 23, 1949, in Washington, D. C., for the purpose of hearing testimony concerning this project; Now, therefore be it Resolved by the West Riverside Township Farm Bureau Center at a regular meeting held this 6th day of May 1949, That this organization is in full accord with the plan proposed by the Corps of Engineers and requests the Committee on Flood Control by the House of Representatives to recommend favorable authorization on the Santa Ana River flood-control project; be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be signed by the director and secretary of this organization and forwarded to the secretary of the Committee on Flood Control of the House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.; to Hon. Sheridan Downey, and Hon. William F. Knowland, United States Senators, Washington, D. C.; and to Hon. Congressman John Phillips, Member of the House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DALE H. DREW, Director. Mr. LARCADE. Mr. Chairman, I also have a communication from the State Water Resources Board for the State of California, signed by Edward Hyatt, State engineer, secretary, which is submitted for the record. (The communication referred to follows:) STATE OF CALIFORNIA, STATE WATER RESOURCES BOARD, Hon. HENRY D. LARCADE, Jr., Member, Flood Control Subcommittee of the House Public Works Committee, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. LARCADE: The State water resources board has been notified that hearings will be started by the Flood Control Subcommittee of the House Public Works Committee May 23 on authorization for certain flood-control and rivers and harbor projects in California. On March 24, 1949, the Secretary of the Army transmitted to the Speaker of the House a report of Chief of the Corps of Engineers, dated September 27, 1948, on the Santa Ana River and tributaries, California, which it is understood will be before your committee. The Governor of California, acting through the State director of public works, presented views and recommendations of the State of California, August 2, 1948, on the proposed report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, on preliminary examination and survey of Santa Ana River and tributaries, California, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, the recommendations of which are as follows: "It is recommended by the State division of water resources that plans of improvement for flood control, consisting of Mill Creek levees (zone 1); Devil Canyon, East Twin, and Warm Creek improvements (zone 5); Riverside levees (zone 7); and San Jacinto River and Bautista Creek levees (zone 9), in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, Calif., as set forth in the proposed report of the Chief of Engineers on preliminary examination and survey of Santa Ana River and tributaries be authorized for immediate construction, and that funds be appropriated by the Congress for those purposes. "2. It is recommended that the requirement that local interests contribute the sum of $200,000 to capital cost of zone 5 improvements be eliminated from that report." The State water resources board examined the Santa Ana project in the field iu November 1948 and gave it full endorsement at a meeting held in San Francisco, December 2, 1948. The motion of endorsement unanimously adopted by the board is as follows: "Mr. Chairman, I move that we approve and endorse the Santa Ana River and tributaries project as proposed in the recommendations of the Army engineers, and authorize and direct the staff to send copies of our endorsement to the proper Members of Congress and congressional committees and interested parties, urging its authorization." The California State Water Resources Board is a State agency created by law for the express purpose of dealing with proposed flood-control and water-conservation projects at State level. The board assists local agencies in obtaining appropriations on authorized projects and for that reason carefully screens the projects for which authorizations are sought. It urgently requests that your committee recommended authorization of this meritorious project by the Congress. Very truly yours, EDWARD HYATT, Secretary. The CHAIRMAN. Before we hear from other witnesses, and in order that the members of the committee may have in mind more definitely the location of this project, will you indicate on the map the location of Santa Ana River? The Santa Ana River is about 100 miles long? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And flows down to the ocean at about what point on that map? Colonel GEE. It empties into the Pacific at Newport Beach. The CHAIRMAN. And what cities are there along the Santa Ana River, beginning at the shoreline, of importance? Colonel GEE. The first is Newport Beach; the next is Santa Ana— the river flows through the northwest section of Santa Ana. The CHAIRMAN. And what is the next city? Colonel GEE. Following up the river the next city is Riverside, well up in the basin, and the largest city in the basin is San Bernardino, on the main stem of the river. The map indicates the locations of these cities. The CHAIRMAN. Now, for the record, and in order that we may understand, what are the principal tributaries and will you indicate them, and the streams on which work is recommended in your report? Colonel GEE. First is the Mill Creek tributary, directly north of Redlands, Calif. The CHAIRMAN. How far is that from San Bernardino? The CHAIRMAN. Then next? Colonel GEE. Then there are the tributaries-Devil, East Twin, and Warm Creeks-three tributaries, which joint the main stream at San Bernardino. There is another tributary, Lytle Creek, where some levee work is recommended for the protection of existing irrigation wells. The CHAIRMAN. Is this local construction work? Colonel GEE. Local construction by local authorities. In addition, there are levees on the left and right banks of the main stream of the river recommended in this report at Riverside for the protection of Riverside and West Riverside. These are situated downstream [indicating]. This shows a recommendation for improvements in this report. The CHAIRMAN. And you are recommending the Federal allotment of $14,000,000? Colonel GEE. $15,092,000, sir. The CHAIRMAN. $15,000,000 plus, and the local interest is something like $2,500,000? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What else are the local interests required to con tribute? Colonel GEE. The local interests are required to furnish the land and rights-of-way, in addition to modification of highways, highway bridges, the modification of existing utilities which are interfered with by construction, and finally to maintain and operate the construction works after completion. The CHAIRMAN. What is the general type of Federal works for which the Federal Government is expected to pay, except levees in this case, and except improvements to channels, if any? Colonel GEE. In addition to those, the paving of certain portions of the channel improvement is recommended. The CHAIRMAN. Tell us what you mean by paving? Colonel GEE. The actual lining of the channel with concrete to improve the carrying capacity of flood waters. The CHAIRMAN. That would be somewhat comparable to what exists at Johnstown, Pa.? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Except that is very much smaller? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. And comparable to Los Angeles. The CHAIRMAN. And to the Los Angeles project? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Los Angeles is about 30 miles from where you have indicated the mouth of this river on the map? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. About how many miles of paving of the stream, and what is the estimated cost of that paving? Colonel GEE. The principal channel improvement, the channel paving is in San Bernardino, this element of the improvement. The CHAIRMAN. Within the metropolitan area? Colonel GEE. It is the element at San Bernardino; yes, sir. Colonel GEE. Covering approximately 2.5 miles in length, and passes through the eastern edge of the built-up area of San Bernardino. The CHAIRMAN. What is the estimated cost of the paving in the stream? Colonel GEE. The estimated cost of that element is about $6,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. Would that be more economical to the Government than the building of levees or construction of detention dams? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You have investigated those alternatives? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. Because of the steep slopes involved and the present alinement of existing streams which carries the water through the heavily built up portion of San Bernardino, it makes the relocation of this channel the cheapest. The CHAIRMAN. Besides the levee banks and paving what other Federal works is the Federal Government expected to pay for in this project? Colonel GEE. That is all, sir. The CHAIRMAN. That is all? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. For the information of the committee, now along the Santa Ana River, what is the normal discharge say at Riverside, what is the normal discharge at San Bernardino at low water? Colonel GEE. At low water. This stream has been known to be dry. The CHAIRMAN. You mean this 100-mile stream? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What in general are the agricultural products along that stream? And, include those that will be benefited as you have indicated in your report. Colonel GEE. The No. 1 agricultural product is citrus fruit in this basin. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. What is next? Colonel GEE. Deciduous fruit is second; walnuts that is, English walnuts, with a considerable production of wine grapes, field and truck crops, which supply the heavier metropolitan areas; the production of poultry, honey, and dairy products. The CHAIRMAN. You have indicated the cost included in the recommendations. Would you give us the number of existing projects along the Santa Ana River and its tributaries, and the estimated cost of those existing projects authorized, beginning with the act of 1936, if any, and 1938? Colonel GEE. Mr. Chairman, I will have to supply that information. for the record, in view of the fact that I do not have the cost figures for the present authorized projects. The CHAIRMAN. Can you give us an estimate for the projects now and put the correct amounts in the record? Colonel GEE. Prado Dam, total estimated cost $9,600,000. The CHAIRMAN. That is completed. Colonel GEE. That is completed, sir. San Antonio Dam, not completed. The CHAIRMAN. That has been authorized? Colonel GEE. It is an authorized project; the San Antonio Dam is authorized. The CHAIRMAN. But not active? Colonel GEE. It is an inactive project, in that there has been no money appropriated for construction. The CHAIRMAN. But it is authorized? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And the cost is estimated at what? Colonel GEE. About $7,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. That is one of the tributaries of the Santa Ana River? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Very well; go ahead. Colonel GEE. It is on the San Antonio-Chino Creek, a part of the flood-control basin. The CHAIRMAN. And what is the next? Colonel GEE. The Villa Park Dam, authorized, but not yet under construction. The CHAIRMAN. To cost how much? Colonel GEE. $2,100,000. The CHAIRMAN. What is the next? Colonel GEE. Brea Dam, completed in 1942. The CHAIRMAN. At a total cost of what? Colonel GEE. $1,190,000. The CHAIRMAN. What is the next? Colonel GEE. The Fullerton Dam, completed in 1941, at a cost of $411,000. The San Juan Dam, authorized but not constructed. The CHAIRMAN. What is the estimated cost? Colonel GEE. The estimated first cost is $3,881,000. The Carbon Canyon Dam, an authorized project, but not yet under construction, estimated cost, $3,000.000. The Aliso Creek Dam, authorized, but not yet under construction, $315,000. 92329-49- -46 |