of the land within the watershed. The project will serve approximately 26 owners of bottom land.

The work plan prepared by the sponsors of the watershed project provides for two floodwater retarding structures and 11.94 miles of mains and laterals with appurtenant structures. The total cost of the structures is $482,002 of which the Public Law 566 share is $341,895; $5,000 in Public Law 566 funds will be used for accelerated technical assistance in connection with land treatment measures within the watershed for a total Public Law 566 figure of $346,895.

The construction of the planned structures will bring many benefits to the watershed area in the form of flood prevention and in increased net value of crop and pasture production. The benefit ratio of the project is 2.9 to 1. Benefits from the use of local unemployed or underemployed labor and from land treatment measures will increase this ratio.

The Frogville Creek watershed is of great importance to the citizens of Choctaw County and particularly to the landowners and operators within the watershed. The work plan will show in detail the manner in which the project will benefit the area. I respectfully urge that the subcommittee recommend approval of the plan.

Mr. Chairman, the people of my district in Oklahoma are deeply appreciative of the consideration which they have received from you and the members of the subcommittee in the past and I am confident that your distinguished subcommittee will extend them the same consideration in connection with this project. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

CHOCOLATE, LITTLE CHOCOLATE, AND LYNN BAYOU WATERSHED, TEXAS

Mr. POAGE. We will now pass on to the Chocolate, Little Chocolate, and Lynn Bayou watershed in Texas.

As is our custom we will ask the Department to explain this project first.

CHOCOLATE, LITTLE CHOCOLATE, AND LYNN BAYOU WATERSHED WORK PLAN

Size and location: 43,168 in Calhoun County.
Tributary to: Chocolate Bay.

Sponsors: Calhoun-Victoria Soil Conservation District, Calhoun County Drainage District No. 11, and Calhoun County Commissioners Court.

Purposes: Watershed protection, flood prevention, and drainage.

Principal measures: Soil conservation practices on farms; and structural measures consisting of 69.7 miles of channel improvement.

Benefit-cost ratio: 4.8 to 1. With secondary benefits excluded, the benefit-cost ratio is 4.1 to 1.

Area benefited: 25,663 acres.

Number of beneficiaries: 83 landowners and operators.

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 program developed each year in consideration of approved State and National programs and the annual authorization by the Congress.

2 Consisting of

Construction cost for drainage..

Land, easements, or rights-of-way.

Administration of contracts...

* The value of measures already applied ($54,372) increases this to 65 percent.

$37, 118 332, 085 2,000

Prorated Public Law 566 structural cost per acre benefited: $15. Carrying out the project: The Calhoun County Drainage District No. 11 assumes all local responsibilities for installing, operating, and maintaining the structural measures.

The estimated annual cost of operation and maintenance is $14,580.

Mr. BOWEN. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, the Chocolate, Little Chocolate, and Lynn Bayou watershed, Calhoun County, Tex., is sponsored by the Calhoun-Victoria Soil Conservation District, Calhoun County Drainage District No. 11, and Calhoun County Commissioners Court. The sponsors have paid the cost of preparing the work plan. The 43,168-acre watershed, which is located on the gulf coast of Texas, midway between Galveston and Corpus Christi, is a typical coastal area watershed. The topography of the area is nearly level, ranging in elevation from sea level to some 75 feet above. The watershed includes Port Lavaca, a city of about 10,000 people. The land use is almost equally divided between cropland and grassland with about 8 percent in miscellaneous use. Crop distribution is about 38 percent cotton, 58 percent grain sorghum, and 4 percent forage crops. All the watershed is privately owned. There are some 111 farms averaging in size about 250 acres each and having a net value of about

$50,000, or about $200 per acre. Flooding and inadequate drainage adversely affect the agricultural production on some 23,663 acres of crop and pastureland. Port Lavaca is damaged by large infrequent floods, but the average annual damage to the city is only $325. The project purposes are watershed protection, flood prevention, and drainage.

The plan of improvement envisions the installation of individual farm conservation practices along with structural measures consisting of 69.7 miles of channel improvement. The channel improvement is designed to remove the runoff from a 5-year storm from cropland in 2 years, and to protect against a 100-year flood in Port Lavaca. The installation of the project is expected to cost $14 million, with Public Law 566 funds paying 37 percent and other funds paying 63 percent. The prorated Public Law 566 structural cost per acre benefited is $15. The estimated annual cost of operation and maintenance of structure measures is $14,580. The Calhoun County Drainage District No. 11 assumes all the local responsibilities for installation, operation, and maintenance of the structural measures. The benefits are expected to be almost entirely agricultural and are estimated at $240,819, annually.

The benefit-cost ratio is 4.8 to 1. When the secondary benefits are excluded, the ratio of benefits to cost is 4.1 to 1.

Mr. POAGE. Are there any questions about this project?

Mr. GATHINGS. Mr. Bowen, would you explain the meaning of your statement with respect to runoff? I believe you said that this project would make for a 3-year runoff instead of a 5. Did I understand you correctly?

Mr. BOWEN. The design of the channel is to protect the agricultural lands from a storm that may occur once in 5 years and to protect the city of Port Lavaca from a 100-year-flood event.

Mr. GATHINGS. Thank you.

Mr. POAGE. Are there any further questions?

Mr. DOLE. I think this would be a very good project.

Mr. POAGE. Yes; the ratio is good. It is a little larger project than we just had. The local contribution is much greater and the cost very low. I understand that Mr. Thompson's office is represented. Would you like to make a statement or insert a statement?

Mr. MILLER. I am from Clark Thompson's office. Mr. Thompson is tied up in Texas. He asked me to come and ask if you will take his remarks for the record here.

Mr. POAGE. Thank you.

Without objection, they will be inserted.

STATEMENT OF HON. CLARK W. THOMPSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS

Mr. Chairman, the project envisioned here is located partially within Calhoun County and partially within Victoria County, Tex., both of which are in the congressional district I represent.

I am pleased to tell the committee it is one of the most meritorious watershed projects that I have ever been associated with. The area involved has in recent years experienced rapid economic and population growth. Very soon the area will be served by a deep water ship channel, which in itself has and will continue to give great impetus to the future prosperity of that section of the country.

The presentation of the Department of Agriculture in behalf of this project appears to be enough justification for it, but I believe it is well to point out again the outstanding benefit-cost ratio: 4.8 to 1. It is also significant to note that the entire cost of developing the work plan for the project was borne by the Calhoun County Drainage District No. 11, which will assume all local responsibilities for installing, operating, and maintaining the structural measures. In addition to the drainage district, the project is sponsored by the CalhounVictoria Soil Conservation District and the Calhoun County Commissioners Court. The project also has the support of local farm and cattle organizations. As a matter of fact, I have neither received nor heard of any objection to it. I urge the committee to give this outstanding project its early and favorable consideration.

Mr. POAGE. We will now pass to the Elko project in Nevada.

ELKO WATERSHED, NEVADA

Mr. POAGE. Mr. Baring advised me that he would not be able to be here and I suggested it wouldn't be necessary for him to be here, and that if we found anything wrong with his project we would let him know about it.

ELKO WATERSHED WORK PLAN

Size and location: 28,742 acres in Elko County.

Tributary to: Humboldt River.

Sponsors: City of Elko, Humboldt River Soil Conservation District.

Purposes: Watershed protection, flood prevention, municipal water and recreation.

Principal measures: Soil conservation practices on farms; and structural measures consisting of three floodwater retarding structures and one multiple-purpose flood prevention, municipal water, and recreation structure with associated public recreational facilities. Storage capacity of the structures totals 1,434 acre-feet.

Benefit-cost ratio: 2 to 1. With secondary benefits excluded, the benefit-cost ratio is 1.8 to 1.

Number of beneficiaries: 431 owners of residential and commercial properties in addition to the many residents of the community served by the public recreational development and municipal water supply.

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 program developed each year in consideration of approved State and National programs and the annual authorization by the Congress.

2 Consisting of

Administration of contracts.

Land rights and acquisition costs.

Relocation or modification of existing improvements.

Construction and installation services cost for municipal water.
Construction and installation services cost for recreation..

$8,080 211, 775 8,300 114, 885

51, 280

The value of measures already applied ($21,760) increases these percentages to 29 and 35 respectively.

Prorated Public Law 566 structural cost per acre benefited: Nearly all of the benefits accrue to nonagricultural beneficiaries.

Carrying out the project: The city of Elko assumes all local responsibilities for installing, operating, and maintaining the structural measures. The estimated annual cost of operation and maintenance is $7,285.

Mr. SWIGART. Mr. Chairman, the Elko watershed is located in northeast Nevada on U.S. Highway 40, which is the main route between Salt Lake City and Reno.

The project comprises 28,742 acres in Elko County. It consists of tributaries to the Humboldt River. The watershed itself is comprised of a lowland area with an elevation of about 5,000 feet, an intermediate upland area with an elevation from 5,000 to 7,500 and then a highland area in the upper part and down here also [indicating] ranging up to 8,600 feet, so there is a variable difference in elevation. Elko itself, and this area right here, is located on alluvial fans formed by these streams flowing out of the highlands and the upland areas. The principal problem is damage to Elko itself, a need for additional water supply in Elko and a recreational area-water-based recreation which is so badly needed in Nevada where water is so scarce. The rainfall in this particular watershed is some 9.7 inches and the variation from year to year is from less than an inch to close to 19 inches. The only streamflow is caused by thunderstorms and the flow is for short durations with high peaks. The annual damage in Elko amounts to some $79,200 and as a result of the installation of three floodwater-retarding structures, one of them also incorporating municipal water supply and recreation, that project will reduce those damages 85 percent.

The sponsors of the project are the city of Elko and the Humboldt River Soil Conservation District.