Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Operations 62-365 O U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1971 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office KF27 .6636 COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS JACK BROOKS, Texas CHET HOLIFIELD, California, Chairman L. H. FOUNTAIN, North Carolina BENJAMIN S. ROSENTHAL, New York FERNAND J. ST GERMAIN, Rhode Island FLOYD V. HICKS, Washington DON FUQUA, Florida JOHN CONYERS, JR., Michigan FLORENCE P. DWYER, New Jersey GARRY BROWN, Michigan BARRY M. GOLDWATER, JR., Ca:'fornia Elliot, Reed A., Director, Division of Water Control Planning, Grant, Kenneth E., Administrator, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; accompanied by Norman A. Berg, Associate Administrator; Hollis R. Williams, Deputy Administra- tor for Watersheds; and Joseph Bray, Office of General Counsel, Koisch, Maj. Gen. F. P., Director of Civil Works, Office of the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army. Maughan, W. Don, Director, Water Resources Council Mosiman, Donald M., Assistant Administrator for Field Coordination, Environmental Protection Agency- Nassikas, John N., Chairman, Federal Power Commission Reed, Nathaniel P., Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Letters, statements, etc., submitted for the record by- Elliot, Reed A., Director, Division of Water Control Planning, 506 393 Target date on three-volume report entitled "Comprehensive Plan for Water Quality Management in the Tennessee Valley". Grant, Kenneth E., Administrator, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Changes in land use after installation of Public Law 566 approved watershed projects, water regions, June 30, 1966, table_ Comments on report entitled "Fish and Wildife Studies on Con- Information on the effect of channel improvement on water Letter, dated August 6, 1969, to Hon. Clifford M. Hardin, Sec- Letter, dated August 28, 1969, to Hon. James R. Smith, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Interior, from Kenneth E. Grant, Administrator, SCS, Department of Agriculture, re work plan for the Alcovy River watershed in Georgia (reply to 540 543 548 Stream channel work in process or started during period of 545 537 Letters, statements, etc., submitted for the record by-Continued Koisch, Maj. Gen. F. P., Director of Civil Works, Office of the Chief Article by Maj. Gen. Frank P. Koisch entitled "In the Broad. Publication entitled "Environmental Guidelines for the Civil Maughan, W. Don, Director, Water Resources Council: Letter, with Letter, dated June 23, 1971, to Chairman Reuss, re some examples Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Division of River Basin Photographs depicting stream channelization activities and field Report entitled "Effects of Channelization on Stream Fish Page 584 560 556 612 503 493 509 463 396-408 Summary of B.S.F. & W. and SCS project classifications-SCS Reuss, Hon. Henry S., a Representative in Congress from the State Exchange of letters, dated August 6 and November 3, 1971, 464 485 415-427b Letter, dated June 1, 1971, from James M. Shepard, director, the Letter, dated May 28, 1971, from James R. Smith, Assistant Letter, with enclosure, dated May 27, 1971, from Boyd H. APPENDIXES (Appendixes 1-9 appear in part 1 of these hearings) 576 610 391 467-484 Appendix 10.-Materials referred to in chairman's opening statement on 617 Appendix 11.-"Stream Alteration and Its Effects on Fish and Wildlife,' by Ernest C. Martin-submitted for the record by Assistant Secretary of the Interior Nathaniel P. Reed___ Appendix 12.-Materials submitted for the record by Federal Power 1106 Appendix 13.-Materials submitted for the record by Soil Conservation 1141 STREAM CHANNELIZATION (Part 2) THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1971 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 2247, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Henry S. Reuss (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Henry S. Reuss, Dante B. Fascell, Floyd V. Hicks, Guy Vander Jagt, Gilbert Gude, Paul N. McCloskey, Jr., and Sam Steiger. Staff members present: Phineas Indritz, chief counsel; David B. Finnegan, assistant counsel; Michael B. Gross, legal assistant; and J. P. Carlson, minority counsel, Committee on Government Operations. Mr. REUSS. Good morning. The Subcommittee on Conservation and Natural Resources will be in order for continued hearings begun last month on the dredging, modification, and channelization of waterways which is conducted or financed by Federal agencies. At our hearings on May 3 and 4, a dozen national environmental organizations presented testimony that channelization is causing severe environmental damage. Today, we will hear from the Federal agencies administering these programs and those charged by the Congress to protect and enhance our environment. Next week we will hear from State agencies, scientists, biologists, and proponents of these projects. Our hearings today will focus on the policies, practices, and procedures of such agencies as the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Soil Conservation Service. We want to know, also, whether or not such agencies as the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Water Resources Council, and the Environmental Protection Agency are carrying out their responsibilities effectively. We are particularly interested in learning the extent to which the corps has given adequate environmental consideration to the comments of EPA and the Fish and Wildlife Service on its water resource projects, such as the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway project. This project was first proposed in 1808 and was authorized by the 79th Congress, over 25 years ago. The most recent economic analysis, based on a 50-year life at 34-percent interest, produced, according to the corps' final environmental statement, "a benefit-cost ratio of 1.6 to 1.0." The project extends for 253 miles from Demopolis, Ala., on the (389) |