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RIVERS AND HARBORS-FLOOD CONTROL EMERGENCY ACT

THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1948

UNITED STATES SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON FLOOD CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT OF
RIVERS AND HARBORS OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS,
Washington, D. C.

FLOOD CONTROL-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA

The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., pursuant to adjournment, in room 512, Senate Office Building, Senator George W. Malone (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Senators Malone (chairman of the subcommittee) and McClellan.

Present also: Senator Holland and Representative Rogers. E. W. Bassett, Engineer.

Senator McClellan (presiding). The committee will come to order. We will resume hearings on S. 2197.

Senator Malone, chairman of this subcommittee, is expected to be here this morning. He has been delayed a little on account of another committee meeting, but he will be here in a little while and take over the hearings.

Senator Holland?

Senator HOLLAND. Mr. Chairman, since I can be here only a little while this morning, may I ask at this time there be inserted in the record certain communications from public officials who will have much to do with the meeting of the State's part of the financial burden.

First, I have from Palm Beach County, a letter of unqualified support from State Senator John R. Beacham, and from two members of the house, Mr. B. Elliott and Mr. John E. Bollinger.

From my own county, where resides the speaker of the house designate for the next session, Hon. Perry E. Murray, comes his letter assuring his full support in every way.

From the two candidates for Governor, one of whom in all probability will serve as Governor while this program is under way, and I offer them in the order in which they came to me, I have a wire from each, Dan McCarty and Fuller Warren, both very fine citizens. The president of the senate, Hon. Newman Bracken, has assured us of his having the same attitude, and the communication is on the way here.

I ask leave to put that in at the time when it comes.

John S. Burwell and George Leard, who are the house members, and senator from Broward County, will supply similar showings. In fact, I am sure there will be similar showings from other members of the legislature, and I ask leave to submit them as they come in.

Senator MCCLELLAN. They may be submitted and made a part of the record along with the other letters.

(The documents referred to are as follows:)

FLORIDA STATE SENATE, Tallahassee, Fla., May 10, 1948.

UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS,

Washington, D. C.

GENTLEMEN: As a member of the State senate of the Thirty-fifth district comprising Palm Beach County, I heartily approve the water conservation plan as approved by the United States Army engineers, and I urge your committee to act favorably on this plan. At the next session of the legislature I will work for legislation and appropriations for Florida's participation in this plan. Thanking you for your kind consideration in this matter, I am

Respectfully yours,

JOHN R. BEACHAM.

STATE OF FLORIDA,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Tallahassee, May 10, 1948.

Hon. SPESSARD L. HOLLAND,

Senate Committee on Public Works,

Washington, D. C.

DEAR SENATOR: Please be advised that I approve of the conservation area as set up by the United States engineers, and as a member of the Florida Legislature, I shall work to secure the necessary legislation in cooperation with your program.

Sincerely yours,

B. ELLIOTT.

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA., May 10, 1948.

Hon. SPESSARD L. HOLLAND,

United States Senator, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR HOLLAND: I am informed that the plan of the United States engineers for flood protection and water control for central and south Florida will be submitted to a Subcommittee on Flood Control of your Committee on Public Works, on Wednesday, May 12 next. I trust that this engineers' plan will receive favorable consideration by the subcommittee, with a recommendation to your Public Works Committee for its adoption, and that ultimately this plan will be authorized by an act of Congress. Please be assured that I have devoted considerable thought and effort over the last past 10 years toward some water- or flood-control plan which would reasonably be calculated to give relief to the citizens and taxpayers of central and south Florida. As a member of the Florida Legislature in 1949, it will be my purpose to foster and support legislation which will implement the United States engineers plan which may be necessary under an act of Congress. Please be assured that I stand ready and willing to assist you or other persons interested in the development of that plan for the benefit of the citizens of Florida. With kindest personal regards and best wishes, I am, Sincerely yours,

Hon. SPESSARD L. HOLLAND,

JOHN E. BOLLINGER.

STATE OF FLORIDA,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Frostproof, May 7, 1948.

United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR SPESSARD: Colonel Matthews telephoned me today concerning the hearing that is to be held before a Senate subcommittee on May 12 on the flood-control bill, and asked me to write you concerning my attitude toward the matter.

I am keenly aware of the necessity for flood control and water conservation in the State of Florida, and, as the speaker-designate of the house of representatives for the 1949 session, it is my purpose to cooperate in every way

possible in trying to bring about an adequate system of flood control and water conservation.

I trust that the Congress will enact the necessary legislation and make the necessary appropriations to carry out the program. With kindest personal regards and best wishes, I am Cordially yours,

PERRY E. MURRAY.

Senator SPESSARD L. HOLLAND,

Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.:

FORT PIERCE, FLA., May 10, 1948.

You have assurance of my full cooperation with Federal Government and United States engineers in water conservation and flood-control program. I am vitally interested in success of this project because I feel it directly affects future prosperity of the State, and also because of my personal interest as a property owner in the affected area. I have given assurance of support in public addresses and is in my platform. I want to make it clear that my interest is not that of a candidate for public office, but as one of many citizens whose livelihoods have been endangered on several occasions because of the lack of an adequate flood-control program.

DAN MCCARTY.

COL. A. G. MATTHEWS,

MIAMI, FLA., May 12, 1948.

United States Senate Subcommittee on Flood Control: As Governor I will give complete cooperation to the Federal Government in putting into operation and maintaining a practicable water-control system for Florida. I made a personal on the spot study of the floods that nearly ruined many parts of Florida last September. Everything practicable should be done to prevent such a thing happening again. I urge the Congress to pass legislation to prevent the recurrence of such a disaster.

Respectfully and sincerely,

FULLER WARREN.

Senator HOLLAND. Aside from officials, here is a letter from the Honorable Ralph G. Cooksey, president of the Florida Wildlife Federation, which is a State-wide organization of people interested in the conservation of wildlife, with many thousands of members, promising their unqualified support.

Without taking the time of the committee, I would like to have it understood without separate asking, such letters may be inserted as they come along prior to the closing of the hearings.

Senator MCCLELLAN. They may be inserted.

(The letter is as follows:)

SENATOR MALONE,

FLORIDA WILDLIFE FEDERATION,

St. Petersburg, Fla., May 7, 1948.

Chairman Subcommittee on Flood Control,

Senate Public Works Committee, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SENATOR MALONE: The Florida Wildlife Federation, representing the largest group of sportsmen, conservationists, and businessmen in this State, earnestly solicit immediate relief in our water-control system in the lower Florida peninsula territory.

We wish to emphasize upon this honorable group the importance of having this work under control at the earliest possible moment for the protection of our great industries-farming, citrus, cattle raising, game protection-and above all relief to the health hazard and the potential hazard of the loss of human life and untold suffering of the inhabitants of this great portion of the State of Florida that is jeopardized by the lack of adequate water control.

Respectfully yours,

RALPH G. COOKSEY, President.

Senator MCCLELLAN. Who is your first witness this morning?

Senator HOLLAND. I was not sure but what you might want to hear the engineers first, so I decided I would await the pleasure of yourself and of the committee on that score.

Senator MCCLELLAN. The only thing I had in mind was I would like for Senator Malone to hear the engineers' testimony.

I thought maybe if you had two or three more citizens you could put on until Senator Malone gets here, we would go ahead and hear the engineers then.

Senator HOLLAND. We will gladly follow that suggestion, Mr. Chairman.

Congressman Rogers suggests that Mayor Kurtz of Fort Myers, Fla., also a large agricultural operator in the lake region, be called. Senator MCCLELLAN. We will be glad to hear from Mayor Kurtz.

STATEMENT OF R. E. KURTZ, MAYOR, FORT MYERS, FLA.

Mr. KURTZ. My name is R. E. Kurtz. I live in Fort Myers, Fla., where I am mayor.

In 1920, I went to the Everglades. I lived there until the morning of the 1926 hurricane. After that hurricane, I took my family to Fort Myers, where I have since lived, and I am now the mayor of the city of Fort Myers.

About all I had left after the 1926 hurricane at Moore Haven was my wife and family and my land.

I went back the morning after that hurricane, and helped bury some of my best friends who were lost at the time.

These disasters have recurred from year to year in that section. Some years we have had wonderful crops-been able to carry along because of the few years we have had. But this lack of water control has made it a serious hazard to those who live in the country and to those who finance operations there.

I am here today merely to say that the west coast of Florida is heartily in favor of this program.

When the Florida flood-control committee was formed with 19 counties, I was chosen, along with the chairman of the board of county commissioners, to represent Lee County on that flood-control committee.

The folks who live in the 'Glades realize that each individual could not take care of his farm because if he built the levees up and pumped the water off, he increased the hazard to his neighbors.

Likewise, these small drainage districts, if they built their levees and pumped the water off, they increased the hazards to the neighboring farms.

This Florida flood-control committee has had many meetings. We have heard the engineers' report, and I am here to tell you that there is no dissension in Florida with reference to this project. We believe it is a comprehensive project, and those who have had it explained to them and understand it are heartily in favor of it.

We think this is the only way to make that territory down in south Florida that has had these recurring disasters a safe place and a sound part of this Nation.

Senator MCCLELLAN. Thank you.

Senator HOLLAND. I would next like to call, Mr. Chairman, Chairman Remsberg of the Board of County Commissioners of Broward County, of which Fort Lauderdale is the county seat and the bestknown town.

Senator MCCLELLAN. We will be glad to hear Mr. Remsberg.

STATEMENT OF L. S. REMSBERG, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BROWARD COUNTY, FLA.

Mr. REMSBERG. Mr. Chairman, my name is L. S. Remsberg. I am chairman of the Board of County Commissioners for Broward County, Fla., and I am also affiliated with the Florida flood-control committee. Broward County suffered as much or possibly more from this disaster than any other county in south Florida, due to the flow of the water south and east through our river and on out to the sea.

Our most urgent need in Broward County today is the construction of the levee as proposed by the Army engineers to hold the floodwater back in the 'Glades and conserve our soil.

Broward County is 100 percent in accord with the Army engineers plan.

I offer this brief for the record.

Senatory MCCLELLAN. It will be made a part of the record. (The brief is as follows:)

STATEMENT BY BROWARD COUNTY, FLA.

1. With reference to the comprehensive flood-control plan for central and southern Florida, as proposed by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, and as outlined in the tentative first phase of construction which is estimated to cost $70,000,000, this is written to stress the vital necessity of levee construction to protect coastal towns and coastal farming area.

2. Except for a strip of land 8 miles or less in width bordering the ocean, the lands of Palm Beach, Broward and Dade Counties are composed of very flat sand and muck soils whose low elevation prevents rapid run-off of floodwaters such as normally occurs in other parts of the United States. In the fall of the year the greatest rains occur and, during the hurricane season, rains of 12 inches in 24 hours are not uncommon. At this same time south Florida experiences high tides which greatly decrease the rate of rain water discharge and result in the impounding of water in the Everglades which, during 1947, was covered to a depth of 4 feet or more. The magnitude of the drainage problem is illustrated by considering the area from the Palm Beach to the Miami Canal which includes over a million acres of Everglades land and which contained 174,240,000,000 cubic feet of water during the crest of the flood. The combined discharge from all canals draining eastward from this area at the maximum flow amounted to 17,000 cubic feet per second. After the flood had begun to recede, the discharge of these canals dropped to about one-third of the crest capacity. These factors combine to create a flood lasting months and which devastated the farming, citrus, and dairying industries, causing untold hardship to thousands of home owners in all but the ridge section. Florida roads, which are built of water-soluble lime rock, suffered damages in the millions of dollars.

3. Considering these physical conditions, it is obviously impractical in this flat country to drain this immense amount of water by gravity or artificial means and the construction of levees as proposed by the Army engineers is the only solution which provides security to the coastal communities.

4. When the proposed dikes are constructed, the water collected in the established conservation areas during the rainy season will be of tremendous value to large portions of the farm area along the coastal ridge which require irrigation during dry weather. Many profitable crops particularly adapted to southern Florida require water control. The average annual rainfall based on a 19year record is 60 inches. Tests show that 48 inches of water per year will

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