PREPARED STATEMENT

Mr. BAKER. I have a brief statement here.

Chairman HAYDEN. That may be included in the record. (The statement referred to follows:)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

STATEMENT OF ARTHUR A. BAKER ON ALASKAN SUPPLEMENTAL

This statement is in support of the request for supplemental funds for fiscal year 1965 to conduct engineering geologic and scientific studies of the Alaska earthquake.

Working as a member of the Scientific and Engineering Task Force of the Federal Reconstruction and Development Planning Commission for Alaska, the Geological Survey has planned the work in cooperation with the Commission. The earthquake caused major damage in southern Alaska to communities, transportation routes, and short installations. Detailed studies of the sites of damage to manmade structures supply geologic and hydrologic information needed to guide safe economical reconstruction and to determine the relations between damage, the nature of the ground, its response to seismic shock, and distance from the epicenter of the main shock. Study of the effects of the earthquake over an area of about 60,000 square miles supplies data concerning (a) the amount of regional uplift and subsidence; (b) ground breakage; (c) landslides; (d) differential compaction of unconsolidated sediments; (e) the origin, nature, and extent of submarine slides, which along with the local sea waves they generated, caused much of the catastrophic damage to the water fronts at Valdez, Seward, and Whittier; and (f) effects of seismic sea waves.

Studies are planned to determine the kinds and extent of changes to the hydrologic regime. These studies include changes on water wells, erosion effects of streams, tilting of lakes, and activation of glaciers.

REASON FOR REQUEST

Chairman HAYDEN. Please explain in detail why you now ask for this sum; and why you cannot do this out of the regular appropriations for this work.

Senator SALTONSTALL. Also the emergency appropriations which Congress was asked for in connection with Alaska.

Mr. BAKER. This work was undertaken in connection with the request from the Alaskan Reconstruction Commission. It set up a task force of which the Geological Survey was a member. Under the charter to this task force and in cooperation with the Commission, a program of work was developed for providing at the earliest possible timethe information that was necessary for intelligent, efficient reconstruction of the damage in the area.

Forty-eight hours after the earthquake we had the first members of our team in Alaska doing work. Prior to the 1st of July, the costs of the work were absorbed out of our regular appropriation.

After the 1st of July we have had 20 to 25 people up there and the wages of these people are absorbed in our regular appropriation. They were provided for in the regular appropriation.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

What is asked for here are extraordinary expenses, operation of helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, barge, extraordinary travel expenses, and so on.

We were very fortunate in connection with some of the equipment in the early stages to be able to obtain it on loan from Scripps Institute

of Oceanography. After we had made a start we had to return the equipment to Scripps and terminate our investigation by sonic methods of the nature, distribution, and to some extent the constitution of the submarine slides, which were one of the principal causes of the more devastating effects of the earthquake together with the local waves they generated that hit the shore and wiped out the docks.

Seantor SALTONSTALL. Could you do all this out of the funds that you already have? That is mostly salary, and so on? Mr. BAKER. No, sir.

Senator SALTONSTALL. They are doing extra work?

Mr. BAKER. Well, they were sent up there from various other assignments. Their salaries are already provided for in the regular funds appropriated for this fiscal year. So, there are no salary items in here except for a few temporary field assistants.

Senator SALTONSTALL. What it amounts to is that you are taking money from other programs to take care of this emergency purpose. Mr. BAKER. Yes, sir.

Senator SALTONSTALL. Now, you want a supplemental?

Mr. BAKER. It is either that or something comes to a halt.

Senator SALTONSTALL. What is the amount involved?

Mr. BAKER. $385,000 for the Alaskan supplemental.

Senator SALTONSTALL. Will you insert a statement on the request? I have no more questions, Mr. Chairman.

(The statement referred to follows:)

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR-GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

ALASKA EARTHQUAKE SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCING INVESTIGATIONS

Each agency involved in the Scientific and Engineering Task Force of the Federal Reconstruction and Development Planning Commission for Alaska was advised by the Commission to obtain through its regular channels the funds needed to support investigations in connection with the Alaska earthquake.

MONTANA FLOOD

Mr. BAKER. Then there is a second item on the Montana flood. Chairman HAYDEN. The Geological Survey has developed a need for $160,000 additional in fiscal year 1965 to replace and repair stream gaging installations destroyed in the recent Montana flood, and to obtain needed flood information for future planning of water facilities.

The justification statement will be included in the record.

(The justification referred to follows:)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR-GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Surveys, investigations, and research

Appropriation to date_-_-
Request

JUSTIFICATION

$67, 165, 000 160,000

Water resources investigations.-Supplemental funds are requested to replace and repair stream gaging installations destroyed or damaged by the recordbreaking floods of June 7-9, 1964, in northwestern Montana, and to obtain urgently needed flood information for future planning of reservoirs, spillways, flood control works, bridges, canals, and other waterway structures in the region-$160,000.

Need for supplemental appropriation.-Permanent reconstruction of bridges, culverts, reservoirs, canals, and other waterway structures severely damaged by the recent spectacular floods in northwestern Montana will require speedy accumulation and interpretation of peak flows, runoff rates, and other flood information essential to sound planning. Much of the work must be done before high-water marks become obscured or obliterated. Stream gaging installations must be promptly restored to minimize gaps in critical water records. Representatives of the Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Weather Bureau, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Forest Service, and Geological Survey have met and assessed the situation and generally agreed upon the needs for flood information and the responsibilities of the several agencies for obtaining the information without duplication of effort.

Funds budgeted by the Geological Survey for water resources investigations in fiscal year 1965 are fully committed to the continuing national program which already lags behind the growing demand for water information. The modest increase planned for fiscal year 1965 will be required for other critically needed work, including the rehabilitation of key streamflow stations and associated facilities on the Colorado River and elsewhere, basinwide water resources studies coordinated with other agencies, and ground water studies in areas where water problems are prevalent.

Plan of work.-Extensive damage sustained at stream gaging installations will require :

Replacement of 15 gaging stations.

Replacement of five cableways for making streamflow measurements.
Repair of many damaged gaging station structures and cableways.

As agreed to by the several Federal agencies coordinating their plans for obtaining needed flood information, the Geological Survey will determine peak discharge rates and prepare flood hydrographs at critical locations in the flood region. Approximately 125 indirect measurements of flood peaks will be made in the field. A comprehensive flood report will be prepared and published as quickly as possible so that other agencies will be able to make necessary revisions of design criteria for waterway structures.

Chairman HAYDEN. Also your statement will be printed in the record.

(The statement referred to follows:)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR-GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

STATEMENT ON MONTANA SUPPLEMENTAL

Recordbreaking floods in northwestern Montana June 7-9, 1964, caused severe damage to bridges, culverts, reservoirs, canals, and other waterway structures including stream gaging installations operated by the Geological Survey.

Records collected by the Geological Survey provide flood information essential to sound planning for rehabilitation or replacement of damaged facilities and for design of projects planned for the future. To maintain continuity of the streamflow records it is necessary to replace 15 gaging station installations, 5 cableway structures from which streamflow measurements are made, and to repair many other gaging station structures and cableways.

Representatives of the Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Weather Bureau, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Forest Service have met with the Geological Survey to coordinate their immediate data requirements. To meet these needs it is necessary that field surveys be completed and a report prepared as quickly as possible. The Geological Survey must bring flood experts in from across the country, involving unusual expenses for transportation, subsistence, and overtime pay.