STATEMENT OF HON. PHIL WEAVER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEBRASKA Mr. Chairman, to save the valuable time of the subcommittee and because time is running out in this session of Congress, I will submit this written statement and will, if I may, add to it a statement from the board of directors of the Big Indian Creek Watershed Conservancy District in Nebraska. Their statement will amply demonstrate the full and wholehearted cooperation of the local people with the Federal Government in this project. Mr. Chairman, southeastern Nebraska has been vitally concerned with flooding and erosion and has taken the lead in developing watershed conservancy projects one of the most farsighted programs authorized by the Congress. The Big Indian Creek project is in southeastern Nebraska, in Gage and Jefferson Counties. The project, covering some 131,646 acres, would do much to control and curb one of the most rampant tributaries of the Big Blue River. Once curbed, this would be of general benefit to the entire Blue River Basin and would in turn cut down the flow of flood and freshet water into the Kansas River. The $4,390,000 to be spent in constructing this project will be worth every penny appropriated. The annual return in benefits has been estimated at $140,900 which makes a benefit to cost ratio of 1.2 to 1. The cost per acre in this project is a reasonable one by comparison with others-$90. There are some 160 farms in the watershed, ranging in size from 160 to 400 acres, with the average size set at about 200 acres. Direct benefits would accrue to owners of 80 farms, 14 residences, and 10 commercial establishments in the communities of Diller, Odell, and Wymore. In addition, one school would receive direct benefits through flood protection and, of course, there are the benefits to the counties through highway protection. The project would consist of the regular land treatment programs undertaken by the farmers themselves and by the sponsoring organizations. There would be 32 water retarding structures which would have capacities ranging from 224 acre-feet to approximately 2,700 acre-feet. There would also be two grade stabilization structures in the project. Mr. Chairman, I would most strongly support this project. It has a good benefit-cost ratio, 1.2 to 1; it has solid local support; the per-acre cost to agricultural areas is within reason at $90, and the project would accomplish the purposes for which it would be built, flood protection, and soil erosion control in a valuable farming and residential area of the State. Your sympathetic consideration of this project would be most welcomed. Following is a statement addressed to me by the directors of the watershed conservancy district which they have asked to be included in the record. THE BIG INDIAN CREEK WATERSHED CONSERVANCY DISTRICT, Mr. PHIL WEAVER, Diller, Nebr., August 17, 1962. DEAR MR. WEAVER: We would like very much for you to present the following letter to the House Agriculture Committee in our behalf when they hold a hearing on the work plan of the Big Indian Creek Watershed Conservancy District. The Big Indian Creek Watershed Conservancy District board members have been working and planning since 1955 to work out a feasible plan of structures and soil conservation work to retard and eliminate as much as possible any flood and water damage to land, crops, towns, and buildings in the area. This area has had many floods which resulted in severe damage to land, crops, fences, and to the towns of Diller, Odell, and Wymore. Only recently we had a 6- to 8-inch rain and at that time many people asked us when we were going to get "those dams" started, "we should have them in." Our board feels that we have worked out, with the help of the Soil Conservation Service, a plan that is feasible, justifiable, and very desirable. Any plan that reduces the flood and water damage to the extent (78 percent) that this plan does, is certainly justifiable and can only be very beneficial to the whole Big Indian area (131,000 acres) and to every person in it, directly and indirectly. Besides the benefits to the land that this project will produce, the irrigation, recreation, and wildlife possibilities will be a great boon to this area, making a much more desirable and profitable place to live in. It will, we feel, increase the value of the property as well. The Big Indian Creek Conservancy District board is 100 percent for this project and the people of the area are for it too. We feel that those few who are not now in favor will change their minds when we get into construction and they see and realize what it is all about and that we are actually trying to do the best job possible. We do not anticipate too much difficulty in obtaining the necessary easements and rights-of-way and have at least half a dozen damsites upon which we could start work, where the conservation work is up to requirements. In the last 6 months there has been a greatly accelerated land treatment program in progress. We feel that once we get started building dams that the pace of land treatment will step up even more. We are very anxious to get this project started and respectfully ask that you give this matter your favorable support. Thank you, ART CACEK, President. PAUL GRABOUSKI, Vice President. R. S. JONES, Treasurer. C. R. STEFFEN. CLYDE SAILING. UPPER BOGUE PHALIA, MISS. UPPER BOGUE PHALIA WATERSHED WORK PLAN Size and location: 219,351 acres in Bolivar and Washington Counties. Tributary to Bogue Phalia, Sunflower River, Yazoo River, Mississippi River. Sponsors: Northern drainage district, Bogue Hasty Drainage District, subdrainage district No. 12, Bear Pen Drainage Subdistrict, Merigold Drainage District, drainage district No. 10, Lane Bayou Drainage District, Christmas Drainage District, Laban Bayou Drainage District, Pace Drainage District, Bolivar County Soil Conservation District. Size of farms: 200 acres average, from about 40 to 4,000 acres. Project purposes: Watershed protection, flood prevention, drainage. Project measures: Soil conservation practices on farms; and structural measures consisting of about 320 miles of stream channel improvement for flood prevention and drainage. 1 This is primarily the cost of applying land treatment measures by landowners. Cost sharing from Federal funds appropriated for the agricultural conservation program may be available if included in the county, State and national programs developed annually. 2 Consisting of— Construction cost. Administration of contract and legal costs. Benefit-cost ratio : 4.4 to 1. Prorated Public Law 566 cost per acre: $13 (derived from figures marked by asterisk). Carrying out the project: Each sponsoring drainage district assumes local responsibilities for installing, operating, and maintaining the structural measures within its boundaries. The annual operation and maintenance cost is $38,588. STATEMENT OF HON. JAMIE L. WHITTEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Mr. Chairman, for many years I have been very much interested in the soil conservation and flood prevention programs. In fact, in 1952 I went before the Democratic platform committee and requested the plan which was adopted that year, supporting all-out efforts for watershed and flood prevention programs. Subsequently the Appropriations Committee, which the support of leaders of the legislative Committee on Agriculture, initiated the pilot plant program which led to Public Law 566 and other fine legislation by your committee in that area. Today I request your approval, under these various programs, of the work program for the Bogue Phalia watershed in Washington and Bolivar Counties, Miss. While this is not in the district which I have represented up until this time, due to the fact that I have been serving as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture appropriations which provides funds for watershed and flood prevention projects interested persons in that area have contacted me through the years and I joined with the people in the area in urging the Soil Conservation Service and the State agencies to expedite this matter. Together with this statement I wish to present a brief summary of the land area involved, as well as other factors which enter into the request before you, and I submit it herewith. Please know I appreciate the opportunity to present this information, and I hope you will see fit to give your approval to this program at an early date. UPPER BOGUE PHALIA WATERSHED, BOLIVAR AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES, MISS. 1. Size of watershed, 219,351 acres. There are 1,127 farms ranging from 40 to 4,000 acres, with an average size of 200 acres. Average values per farm, $35,000 to $40,000. 2. Benefited acres: (a) Total area subject to floodwater damage in the project, 74,241 acres. (b) Land use and crops on the benefited acres before and after project is installed: (c) Number of landowners to be directly benefited, 600. Benefited acreage per ownership, from 1 to 1,000 acres. There are 10 farms having 1,000 acres benefited each, which are the largest ownerships. (d) Estimated average current market value of the benefited land, $150 per acre. 3. Works of improvement proposed, 319.6 miles of multiple-purpose channels (enlargement and improvement of existing channels). These works when completed will provide adequate outlets so that farm drainage can be installed. 4. Estimated costs of easements and rights-of-way, $716,480. This figure included $194,560 for cost of alterations to county and State highway bridges. 5. Sponsors will apply for FHA loan. 6. Material reduction in the floodwater damages in the project and greater improved agricultural drainage will result from installation of planned works of improvement. Protection will be provided for crops generally grown in the area-cotton, corn, soybeans, pasture, etc. Total annual monetary benefits, $1,158,308. 7. No other public projects are proposed within the watershed area. The Corps of Engineers have recently completed all their proposed works of improvement in the area. 8. Estimated installation cost of the project, $2,944,071. Public Law 566 funds, $1,039,499 (35.3 percent). Other funds, $1,904,572 (64.7 percent). 9. Cost-benefit ratio (entire project), 4.5: 1.0. 10. Average value of farms having flood plain land without project, $175 per acre. 11. Average value of farms having flood plain land with project, $250 per acre. 12. Average value of farms without flood plain land, $300 per acre. Mr. POAGE. We will now proceed into executive session. (Whereupon, at 11:45 a.m., the subcommittee proceeded into executive session.) |