3 COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION SEVENTY-SECOND CONGRESS. FIRST SESSION ON THE BILL H. R. 7446 TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION, AND MAY 25, 27, JUNE 1, 2, 3, AND 13, 1932 Printed for the use of the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation CONTENTS Hadley, Hon. L. H., Representative from Washington. Mead, Dr. Elwood, Commissioner of Reclamation, Department of the 165, 175 O'Sullivan, James, executive secretary Columbia River Development 205, 260 Summers, Hon. John W., Representative from Washington___. 193 III THE COLUMBIA BASIN PROJECT WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1932 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION Washington, D. C. The committee met pursuant to call of the chairman, at 10 o'clock a. m., in the committee room, No. 333 House Office Building, Hon. Robert S. Hall (chairman) presiding. Present: Representatives Hall, Chairman, Cross, Gasque, Fulbright, Chavez, Miller, Overton, Martin, Smith, Leavitt, Swing, Arentz, Butler, and Loofbourow. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. We have met this morning to consider the bill (H. R. 7446) to provide for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Columbia Basin project in Washington, and for other purposes, which was introduced on January 11, last by Congressman Hill, of Washington. At this point, the reporter will insert a copy of the bill for the information of the committee. (The bill referred to is here printed in full as follows:) [H. R. 7446 Seventy-second Congress, first session] A BILL to provide for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Columbia Basin project in Washington, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purpose of conserving the water supply, controlling floods, improving navigation, and regulating the flow of the Columbia River, providing for the storage and delivery of water for the irrigation of lands in what is hereby designated as the Columbia Basin project, embracing such lands in the eastern part of the State of Washington as may be found feasible of irrigation; and for the generation of electrical energy as a means of making the project hereby authorized a selfsupporting and financially solvent undertaking, the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized as follows: (1) To construct, operate, and maintain a dam of the greatest practical and necessary height and incidental works in the Columbia River at Grand Coulee in the State of Washington; (2) to construct, equip, operate, and maintain at said dam a complete plant and incidental structures suitable for the fullest development of electrical energy from the water discharged from the reservoir created by said dam; and (3) to construct, operate and maintain such diver sion dams and storage reservoir, pumping plants, canals, laterals, and other in, cidental facilities as may be found necessary or advisable for the diversion, storage, and delivery of water from said river for the irrigation of lands embraced within or tributary to said Columbia Basin project. The works last described may be constructed in such divisions or units as the Secretary of the Interior may find most feasible, and at such times, after the completion of said dam at Grand Coulee, and in such sequence, as the agricultural and economic conditions and the general welfare of the country may justify. The Secretary of the Interior shall determine the part of such costs of pumping plant, dams, canals, laterals, and other necessary works in connection with the irrigation of the lands, that is just and equitable and necessary to the success of such irrigation project, which shall be paid from power revenues. 1 |