Mr. CANNON. We shall now hear from Congressman Burdick and Congressman Short, appearing for North Dakota projects. Mr. BURDICK. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I will say at the outset that the program that we appear for this afternoon has the united and joint support of all segments of the North Dakota economy and in furtherance of that united support in the State, Congressman Short, a Republican, and myself, a Democrat, have filed with this committee a joint report symbolic of that feeling of unity in the State. At this time, to save time, I ask unanimous consent to have the joint statement incorporated in the record as though read. Mr. CANNON. It will be included in the record at this point. (The statement follows:) JOINT STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE DON L. SHORT OF MEDORA AND THE HONORABLE QUENTIN N. BURDICK OF FARGO, REPRESENTATIVES AT LARGE, NORTH DAKOTA This joint statement of Representatives at Large from North Dakota, Quentin N. Burdick and Don L. Short, is made by us in support of the recommended budget estimates, and a small additional item, for public-works activities in our State for fiscal year 1961. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION We wholeheartedly favor approval of the entire $2 million estimate for investigations and advance planning of the Missouri River Basin project. Included therein is $450,000 for continuing work programed on the Garrison diversion unit in North Dakota and South Dakota, with special emphasis on preparation of definite plan reports for the service areas. This amount will also permit the completion of reports on the Oakes area and LaMoure section and continuing work on the Warwick-MeVille and Karlsruhe areas. The revised and renamed Garrison diversion unit was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 for construction as an initial unit of the Missouri River Basin project. Certain aspects of the unit make some legislative modifications desirable, in equity to a few landowners who would be adversely affected by project structures and to clarify the Federal interest in proposed recreational features. The unit report together with his recommendations was transmitted by the Secretary of the Interior to the Congress on February 3, 1960. Scheduling of hearings thereon by the appropriate committees is anxiously awaited. In the meantime, and notwithstanding any unavoidable delay in holding hearings or obtaining the modifying legislation sought, we believe that investigations and planning work to advance the program should continue. To stop or even slow down such work already underway would appear to us to be inefficient and costly. Stopping, restarting, and accelerating a program is not only uneconomical but highly disruptive to orderly and integrated planning of other phases and features of the basin project. We therefore most respectfully, earnestly, and sincerely plead with you to allow and approve the $450,000 budgeted for the Garrison diversion unit so that work during the ensuing fiscal year may go forward as programed. Although the Bureau of the Budget in commenting upon the unit report did not recommend favorable action at this time, we believe that its position should not be considered as tantamount to disapproval of the modifications proposed and recommended by the Secretary. Hearings on the report and recommendations, we feel, will fully justify the development and suggested modifications of the project authorization. The people of the State are vitally interested in and unanimously support this development. This is demonstrated by enactment of legislation authorizing 25 counties to levy taxes to help pay construction and operation costs. Seven irrigation districts containing over 316,000 acres of irrigable lands have already been formed and organized. These landowners are now waiting for water to serve their irrigation potentials It is pertinent, we believe, to remind the Congress that North Dakota sacriced, in the interest of the Missouri Basin program, 548,000 acres of good farm nd ranch land for the construction of the Garrison and Oahe main stem reseroirs. Ultimate construction of the Garrison diversion unit will compensate nly in part for the permanent loss of the land and resultant loss of tax revenues. The authorized Missouri River Basin project provided benefits for every State nvolved. North Dakota was to receive extensive irrigation development, of which the Garrison diversion unit is the major feature. The first 15 years of asin development has emphasized main stem reservoir construction, with benefits rom flood control and navigation accruing primarily to lower basin States. rrigation has not kept pace with other authorized project purposes. Irrigation hases of the basin project, with particular emphasis on development in North Jakota, should proceed as planned in the interest of maximum utilization of he water and land resources, and in equity to our State which has given up and ost so much valuable land to main stem construction features. We also support and request your approval of the $11,300,000 budgeted for North Dakota activities in the Missouri River Basin project transmission division estimate of $24,415,000. Work programed in the State would provide maximum progress on the 443 miles of transmission lines now under construction. Individually these lines are: Garrison-Jamestown (230 kilovolts), JamestownFargo (230 kilovolts), Jamestown-Grand Forks (115 kilovolts), and GarrisonMinot-Rugby (115 kilovolts). In addition the 99-mile Bismarck-Jamestown Line No. 2 and the 209-mile Dawson County-Bismarck 230-kilovolt lines are scheduled for completion. Substation additions are scheduled for completion at Bismarck, Carrington, Devils Lake, and Edgeley and additions will be in progress at Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, and Rugby. Minor additions to the metering and communications systems will be made and installation of tie line load and frequency equipment will be undertaken. CORPS OF ENGINEERS We also most respectfully ask allowance and approval of the budget estimates for the following civil functions activities: Construction: Garrison Reservoir, multiple purpose- Lower Heart River, vicinity of Mandan, flood protection‒‒‒‒‒ Investigations and surveys: James River, N. Dak. and S. Dak., flood control_ 18, 000 Missouri River, N. Dak., S. Dak. and Nebr., navigation (slack water), bank stabilization, other improvements-- Missouri River, Garrison, N. Dak., Oahe, S. Dak., bank erosion and stabilization___. 10, 000 15, 200 Souris River, at and near Minot, N. Dak., flood control__. 10, 000 Since the presentation of the budget to Congress, the Corps of Engineers has been authorized and directed to investigate, survey, and study the Green River, a tributary of the Heart River in western North Dakota, for flood control and other purposes. We are advised that $15,000 would be required next year for that project. It would be greatly appreciated and helpful if this item received your approval. We express our full support of the various amounts budgeted for operation and maintenance of civil functions projects as listed in the President's budget. It is hoped they will have your full approval. GARRISON DIVERSION PROJECT Mr. BURDICK. The principal item that we ask your favorable consideration for this afternoon is the $2 million estimate for investigations and advance planning of the Missouri River Basin project. Included therein is $450,000 for continuing work programed on the Garrison diversion unit in North Dakota and South Dakota, with special emphasis on preparation of definite plan reports for the ice areas. The revised and renamed Garrison diversion unit was authoriz the Flood Control Act of 1944 for construction as an initial unit c Missouri River Basin project. Since that time we have been pa We have been waiting for an appropriation for construction n but the authority is still there. In keeping with the act of 1944, a dam was built in North Da which used over half a million acres of some of our good farm which has been taken from the tax rolls. We have not receiv direct appropriation for construction money for the diversion We have made some changes in the engineering design. As a matter of fact the 1 million acres have been reduced to 25 in the irrigation aspect which we think makes it still more feas We are hoping for a hearing before the legislative committee of reauthorization. We believe that if this $450,000 is not allowed year, many of the works that have been done will be lost. Stopping, restarting, and accelerating a program is not only economical but highly disruptive to orderly and integrated plan of other phases and features of the basin project, so we implore honorable members of this committee to give us full consideration the $450,000. I now yield to the Congressman from North Dakota, Mr. Short. Mr. SHORT. Mr. Chairman, I could dwell on this subject much lo than we have time for this afternoon. There are many statements i will be made here. We have a couple of oral statements that wil made and they will be duplications of what I might say. I might this, that this project probably means more to North Dakota, n to North Dakota's future and development, than any other si thing that North Dakota could possibly look forward to. As my colleague said, this project was authorized many years: We find ourselves still struggling with getting into operation. STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR JOHN E. DAVIS Without taking any more of your time, Mr. Chairman, I have honor and distinct privilege of introducing to the members of committee our distinguished Governor of North Dakota, the Hon able John E. Davis. Mr. CANNON. Governor Davis. Governor DAVIS. Mr. Chairman, I am John E. Davis, Governor the State of North Dakota. I am very happy to again have the opp tunity to appear before your committee on behalf of the citizens the State of North Dakota to support the continued orderly develo ment of the Missouri River Basin project and more particularly Garrison diversion unit in my State. North Dakota's citizens w greatly heartened when Congress passed the Flood Control Act 1944 which included the authorization for the Missouri River Bas project and a Missouri River diversion in North Dakota. This proj has been the major objective of proponents of the water resour development in North Dakota since the year 1889. In 1944 Nor Dakota's Governor, John Moses, provided vigorous leadership for t development of the water resources of the basin and the Missou River diversion project in North Dakota. Each of our Governors since that time has provided the same strong leadership for water resources development and the diversion project. I am confident this support from North Dakota Governors will continue in the future. The Garrison diversion unit is North Dakota's primary interest in the Missouri River Basin project. It is an economically sound project that will bring untold new wealth to the State and Ñation. It was authorized as an integral part of the overall Missouri River Basin project in the Flood Control Act of 1944 and, understood as such, was approved by all basin States. This approval was the major factor which induced North Dakota to contribute so generously from its most precious asset-its land-to the development of the basin project. A total of 548,000 acres of crop and pasture land was removed from our tax rolls for main stem reservoir purposes. This land made up over 700 farms and ranches. The loss of these farms and ranches has reduced the annual farm income in the State by almost $9 million. In addition, 1,250 citizens of towns and villages located within reservoir areas were uprooted from their homes and moved to other places. Add to this the displacement of approximately 2,500 Indians who were well established in the reservoir areas, but who had to move to less desirable locations. The inundation of river bottom land has had an adverse effect on adjacent semiarid upland. Before Garrison and Oahe Dams existed farmers and ranchers combined the rich bottom land with the upland range and pasture and cropland to establish economical units. Now that the more productive bottom land is gone, several hundred thousand acres of semiarid upland adjacent to the reservoir has been rendered practically worthless. Added to this loss of land for main stem reservoirs should be the annual loss of approximately 500 acres of irreplaceable Missouri River bottom land between the Garrison and Oahe Reservoirs because of erosion that has increased greatly since Garrison Reservoir has been placed in operation. The Corps of Engineers has indicated that the erosion rate could easily increase to 1,000 acres annually as the releases of clear, silt-free water from Garrison Reservoir are increased. Garrison Dam, which is now virtually complete, is providing flood control, navigation, and municipal industrial water supply benefits to downstream areas. The only significant benefit available from Garrison to North Dakota comes from the allocation of about 40 percent of the 400,000 kilowatt generating capacity at the dam. By far the greater part of this capability is being transmitted out of the State of North Dakota. Irrigation in North Dakota, as in the other upper basin States, has lagged but now that the Missouri is controlled the opportunity to develop much desired irrigation is possible. We are confident that the Congress of the United States will continue to recognize and honor the entire authorization contained in the Flood Control Act of 1944 which includes the Garrison diversion unit. Several important events in regard to the Garrison diversion unit have transpired since we last appeared before your committee requesting your approval of funds for investigation work for the Bureau of Reclamation. The report on an initial 250,000-acre stage has been 54265-60-pt. 4- 13 forwarded and recommended by the Department of Interior to gress. We are looking forward to hearings before the appro congressional committees on legislation to modify the authori for the project in the near future. We are confident that the mony which will be presented will answer any criticism of the ect. The authorized Missouri River Basin project as descril Senate Document 191, provided benefits for every State inv North Dakota was to receive extensive irrigation development, would compensate for its loss of productive lands inundated by stem reservoirs. We feel that the recognition given to the be to the area and Nation, as well as those direct benefits to the irrig farmers, have been the object of unjust criticism by the B Bureau. We are confident that Congress will give proper re tion to all aspects of the Garrison diversion project and benefit will accrue therefrom when a full discussion of the project econ is presented at the hearings on the project legislation. The support for the Garrison diversion unit among North D farmers is increasing constantly. Our 25-county Garrison Dive Conservancy District and the seven irrigation districts that have established in the project area are presently negotiating repay contracts with the Department of Interior. These negotiation necessarily time consuming and involved in view of the size o undertaking. It is important to these contract negotiations tha Bureau of Reclamation's investigation and advance planning gram be continued at an orderly rate so that the essential dets information will be available for the negotiations and other purp I sincerely urge and request your committee to approve the bu estimate of $450,000 for continuing the Bureau of Reclamat investigation and planning program of the Garrison diversion during fiscal year 1961. The continued development of reclamation projects in the u basin States is essential to the growth and prosperity of this re just as the continued development of the Nation's water resou is essential to the growth and prosperity of our Nation. We re nize and commend your committee for the consistent help that been provided for the investigation and construction of many of various features of the Missouri River Basin project. We are ticularly grateful for the continued support for the investigation planning of the Garrison diversion unit in North Dakota. It is es tial that this planning continue at an orderly rate so that required detailed information can be available to permit the s of construction of project facilities on the scheduled date. I wish to have the attached resolution adopted by the North Dak State Water Conservation Commission relative to the appropriat of funds for the Garrison diversion unit investigations made a p of my statement. I also wish to add my support to the budget request for funds the transmission division, of which $11,300,000 is for work progran in North Dakota. This activity is of the greatest importance to State and I trust your committee will recommend the budget estima The Corps of Engineers program in my State includes sury planning, and construction activities. The following are the princi items for which there are budget estimates: |