STATEMENT OF NORTHCUTT ELY, SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR THE STATE ENGINEER OF CALIFORNIA MEMORANDUM TO COMMITTEE ON BEHALF OF GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA AND OTHERS I am authorized on behalf of the Governor of California, Hon. Earl Warren; the director of public works, Hon. C. H. Furcell; and the State engineer, Hon. Edward Hyatt, to submit to the Appropriations Committee the following memorandum relating to certain flood-control projects in California: To: Mr. Northcutt Ely, From: Edward Hyatt, State engineer. Subject: H. R. 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session. FEBRUARY 28, 1946. This memorandum is prepared for your use in connection with your appearance before the subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee holding hearings on H. R. 5400, which is an act making appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1947, for civil functions administered by the War Department, and for other purposes. As passed by the House, the bill includes for flood control, general, $110,814,000; flood control, Mississippi River and tributaries, $46,000,000; emergency fund for flood control on tributaries of Mississippi River, $500,000; flood control, Sacramento River, California, $2,000,000; power plant, Fort Peck Dam, Mont., $1.505,000. Included in the $110,814,000 is an amount of $3,000,000 for construction on Los Angeles River, Calif., as shown in the report of the subcommittee. This is the only project in California included in this item for construction funds. Included also in the $110,814,000 flood control general is the sum of $7,900,000 for the preparation of detailed plans and specifications for flood-control projects. The following California projects are set up in the House subcommittee report for advance planning: Santa Ana River Basin: San Juan Reservoir, Calif.. San Antonio Reservoir, Calif. Carbon Canyon Dam and Channel, Calif.. Los Angeles County drainage area : Pacoima Wash, Calif. Rio Hondo Channel, Calif Rubio Canyon and Eaton Wash, Calif__ Ventura River Basin: Ventura River, Levees, Calif. Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin: Hogan Reservoir, Calif_ Farmington Reservoir, Calif. Success Reservoir, Calif__. Tuolumne River Reservoir, Calif. New Melones Reservoir, Calif. Folsom Reservoir, Calif Kings River and Tulare Lake Basin, including Pine Flat Reservoir, Calif___ Merced County stream group, Calif. Pacific coastal area: Pajaro River, Calif Total California projects‒‒‒‒‒ $60,000 80,000 50,000 35,000 51,000 40,000 40,000 50,000 27, 000 80,000 120,000 5,000 285,000 150, 000 200, 000 50,000 25,000 1,348, 000 On January 14, 1946, the writer sent to you a telegram, which reads in part as follows: "This will constitute an authorization for you to appear before the subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives on behalf of the State engineer of California and request or support requests of War Department for funds to include construction on certain projects authorized by Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, and adopted and approved by chapter 1514, California Statutes of 1945." In that telegram were listed certain projects with recommended appropriations. A copy of that telegram is attached to this memorandum. On February 12, 1946, C. H. Purcell, director of public works, sent a telegram to Lt. Gen. Raymond A. Wheeler, Chief of Engineers, United States Army, making certain comments and recommendations on four projects in the southern San Joaquin Basin; namely, Isabella Reservoir on Kern River, Success Reservoir on Tule River, Terminus Reservoir on Kaweah River, and Pine Flat Reservoir on Kings River. The foregoing projects were approved and appropriations recommended for inclusion in H. R. 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session. for their construction. These particular projects were authorized by Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, and were adopted and authorized by chapter 1514, California Statutes of 1945. The telegram of the director of public works, dated February 12, 1946, is a partial report on the report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, on the Sacramenta-San Joaquin Basin streams, submitted to Gov. Earl Warren for review and comment in accordance with section 1 of Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, and constitutes an approval of these four projects. A copy of that telegram is attached hereto. In view of the foregoing you are hereby authorized on behalf of Go. Earl Warren and of the director of public works, C. H. Purcell, to appear before the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations holding hearings on H. R. 5400, and urge the approval of the items presently in the bill for California projects, both for construction and planning, and further request inclusion in the bill of the following all of which have been authorized for construction by Public Law 534, Seventyeighth Congress, second session: Isabella Reservoir on Kern River as recommended in House Document No. 513, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir, 550,000 acre-feet, $2,000,000 for construction. Terminus Reservoir on Kaweah River as recommended in House Document No. 559, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir 100,000 acrefeet, $1,000,000 for construction. Success Reservoir on Tule River, as recommended in House Document No. 559, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir 500,000 acre-feet. $500,000 for construction. Pine Flat Reservoir on Kings River, as recommended in House Document No. 630, Seventy-sixth Congress, third session, capacity of reservoir, 1,000,000 acrefeet, $3,000,000 for construction. Merced County stream group, as recommended in House Document No. 473, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, $500,000 for construction. Folsom Reservoir on American River as recommended in House Document No. 649, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, definite reservoir capacity to be determined $2,500,000 for construction. Levees and channel improvement on San Joaquin River as recommended in House Flood Control Committee Document No. 2, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, $500,000 for construction. Local improvements on minor tributaries of Sacramento River; namely. Antelope, Chico, and Butte Creeks, Cherokee Canal, Elder, Deer, Thomas, and Willow Creeks, as recommended in House Document No. 649, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, $500,000 for construction. Ventura River, Ventura County, as recommended in House Document No. 323. Seventy-seventh Congress, first session, levee on left bank lower Ventura River at Ventura, a debris basin in Stewart Canyon, and concrete channel through the city of Ojai, $300,000 for construction. The reasons for requesting appropriations for the foregoing projects at this time are: (a) Necessity for preventing further flood damage to presently highly developed areas; (b) To furnish direct employment to California residents and indirectly to per sons in other States; and (c) Preparing way for postwar development extremely important in California. There are other important flood-control projects in California, authorized for construction by the Corps of Engineers, for which no appropriations for con struction are requested herein as it is believed that the Corps of Engineers is not prepared to undertake their construction in the next fiscal year. Further flood-control construction on the San Gabriel River is recommended, but in view of differences of opinion regarding the Whittier Narrows project and alternates thereto, and since the State has not had an opportunity to investigate adequately this apparently controversial project, no specific recommendation is made at this time. Approved: EDWARD HYATT, State Engineer. C. H. PURCELL, Director of Public Works. (Signed) EARL WARREN, Governor. I desire to submit for inclusion in the committee's record the following, referred to in the State engineers' memorandum: 1. Telegram, Edward Hyatt to Northcutt Ely, January 14, 1946. 2. Telegram, C. H. Purcell, director of public works, to Lt. Gen. Raymond A. Wheeler, Chief of Engineers, United States Army, February 12, 1946. 3. Telegram, C. H. Purcell, director of public works, to Lt. Gen. Raymond A. Wheeler, March 2, 1946. 4. Memorandum, captioned "Information and data pertaining to foregoing projects," dated February 28, 1946. 5. Memorandum, captioned "Compilation of Federal and State authorizations of California flood-control projects," dated January 21, 1946. (This memorandum was filed with the committee.) (The other data referred to follows:) [Telegram] JANUARY 14, 1946. Mr. NORTHCUTT ELY, Washington, D. C.: This will constitute an authorization for you to appear before the subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives on behalf of the State engineer of California and request or support requests of War Department for funds to include construction of certain projects authorized by Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, and adopted and approved by chapter 1514, California Statutes of 1945. The projects are as follows: Isabella Reservoir on Kern River as recommended in House Document No. 513, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir 550,000 acre-feet, estimated first cost $6,800,000, request for 1947 fiscal year $2,000,000; Terminus Reservoir on Kaweah River as recommended in House Document No. 459, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir 100,000 acrefeet, estimated first cost $4,600,000, request for 1947 fiscal year, $1,000,000; Success Reservoir on the Tule River as recommended in House Document No. 559, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir 50,000 acre-feet, estimated first cost, $3,450,000, request for 1947 fiscal year, $500,000; Pine Flat Reservoir on Kings River as recommended in House Document No. 630, Seventysixth Congress, third session, capacity of reservoir, 1,000,000 acre-feet, estimated first cost $19,700,000, request for 1947 fiscal year, $3,000,000; levees and channel improvement on San Joaquin River, as recommended in House Flood Control Committee Document No. 2, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, estimated first cost $2.875,000, request for 1947 fiscal year, $500,000; Folsom Reservoir on American River as recommended in House Document No. 649, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, reservoir capacity to be recommended by State in its comments to be submitted on review of reports of chief of engineers and of Bureau of Reclamation, due respectively on January 30 and February 26, 1946; estimated first cost dependent upon recommended capacity of reservoir, request for 1947 fiscal year, $2,500,000; local improvements on minor tributaries of Sacramento River, namely, Antelope, Chico, Butte Creeks, Cherokee Canal, Elder, Deer, Thomes and Willow Creeks, as recommended in House Document No. 649, Seventyeighth Congress, second session, estimated first cost $3,045,000, request for 1947 fiscal year, $500,000. No recommendation is made at this time relative to Table Mountain Reservoir (Iron Canyon site) on Sacramento. Such recommendation must await comments to be submitted by State on the reports of War Department and Bureau of Reclamation. You are also authorized to support appropriations for flood control projects in other parts of California requested by the Wir Department except as to Whittier Narrows where it is understood there is substantial local objection. We are in no position to recommend on this project at this time. Reasons for appropriations for initiation of these projects are: Necessity of preventing further flood damage, to furnish employment, and pre paring way for postwar development extremely important in California. Authorized construction program will be seriously delayed if appropriations not made at this session. Also, California in chapter 1514 has adopted and approved these projects and committed itself to appropriate in excess of $30,000,000 to defray local costs. One appropriation of $752,000 has been made for Lytle Creek and other appropriations will shortly come before the legislature which is now in special session. EDWARD HYATT, State Engineer. [Telegram] SACRAMENTO, CALIF., February 12, 1946. Lt. Gen. RAYMOND A. WHEELER, Washington, D. O.: Reference is made to your proposed report on comprehensive flood control survey report on Sacramento-San Joaquin Basin streams, California, submitted to Gov. Earl Warren, of California, for review and comment in accordance with section 1 of Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, and received by the director of public works on November 2, 1945. Although the report has been under intensive study and review since its receipt, it is not possible at this time to submit comments on all features contained in the report. However, the following comments and recommendations are submitted on certain projects: Isabella Reservoir on Kern River as recommended in House Document No. 513 Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir 550,000 acre-feet. is approved and it is recommended that $2,000,000 for its construction be included in H. R. 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session; Terminus Reservoir or Kaweah River, as recommended in House Document No. 559, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir 100,000 acre-feet, is approved and it is recommended that $1,000,000 for its construction be included in H. R 5400. Seventy-ninth Congress, second session; capacity of Terminus Reservoir of 145.000 acre-feet as given in your proposed report is disapproved; Success Reservoir on Tule River as recommended in House Document No. 559, Seventyeighth Congress, second session, capacity of reservoir 50,000 acre-feet, is approved and it is recommended that $500,000 for its construction be included in H. R 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session: capacity of Success Reservoir of 115.000 acre-feet as given in your report, is disapproved; Pine Flat Reservoi! on Kings River as recommended in House Document No. 630, Seventy-sixth Congress, third session, capacity of reservoir 1.000.000 acre-feet, is approved and it is recommended that $3.000.000 for its construction be included in H. R. 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session. The foregoing projects as approval were authorized by Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session. and were adopted and anthorized by chapter 1514, California Statutes of 1945. The approvals as set forth herein will be submitted in final reports of the State of California on your proposed report and that of the Bureau of Reclamation. C. H. PURCELL, Director of Public Works. Chief of Engineers, United States Army, Washington, D. C.: Reference is made to your proposed report on comprehensive flood control survey report on Sacramento-San Joaquin Basin streams, California, submitted to Gov. Earl Warren, of California, for review and comment in accordance with section 1 of Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, and re ceived by the Director of Public Works on November 2, 1945. Reference is also made to my telegram to you of February 12, 1946, submitting comments and recommendations on the following projects: Isabella Reservoir on Kern River, Terminus Reservoir on Kaweah River, Success Reservoir on Tule River, and Pine Flat Reservoir on Kings River. It is desired at this time to submit comments and recommendations on additional projects as follows: Merced County stream group, as recommended in House Document No. 473, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, is approved, and it is recommended that $500,000 for its construction be included in H. R. 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session; Folsom Reservoir on American River, as recommended in House Document No. 649, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, definite reservoir capacity to be determined, is approved, and it is recommended that $2,500,000 for its construction be included in H. R. 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session; levees and channel improvement on San Joaquin River, as recommended in House Flood Control Committee document No. 2, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, are approved, and it is recommended that $500,000 for their construction be included in H. R. 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session; local improvements on minor tributaries of Sacramento River; namely, Antelope, Chico, and Butte Creeks, Cherokee Canal, Elder, Deer, Thomes, and Willow Creeks as recommended in House Document No. 649, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, are approved, and it is recommended that $500,000 for their construction be included in H. R. 5400, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session. The foregoing projects, as approved, were authorized by Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, and were adopted and authorized by chapter 1514, California Statutes of 1945. The approvals as set forth herein will be submitted in final reports of the State of California on your proposed report and that of the Bureau of Reclamation. C. H. PURCELL, Director of Public Works. INFORMATION and Data PERTAINING TO FOREGOING PROJECTS ISABELLA RESERVOIR ON KERN RIVER Isabella Reservoir on Kern River, Calif., is authorized in Public Law 534, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, as follows: "The project for the Isabella Reservoir on the Kern River for flood control and other purposes in the San Joaquin Valley, California, is hereby authorized substantially in accordance with the recommendations of the Chief of Engineers in his report dated January 26, 1944, contained in House Document No. 513, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, at an estimated cost of $6,800,000." The recommendations of the Chief of Engineers in House Document No. 513, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, read as follows: "15. Construction of Isabella Reservoir by the Federal Government and main tenance of existing improvements by local interests will provide urgently needed flood control. Recent experience has demonstrated that to assure the expected flood-control benefits the reservoir should be constructed, operated, and maintained under the direction of the Secretary of War and supervision of the Chief of Engineers. Authority to construct should be understood to include authority to make modifications of the plans, to construct the reservoir at Federal cost, and to make arrangements for payment by the State or other responsible agency to the United States for the conservation storage when used. Local interests including the State engineer have given their approval to the plans proposed herein. "16. I recommend construction of Isabella Reservoir on Kern River, Calif., for flood control and other purposes, generally in accordance with the plans of the district engineer and my comments herein, and with modifications thereof as in the discretion of the Secretary of War and Chief of Engineers may be advisable, at an estimated first cost of $6,800,000 and $30,000 annually for maintenance and operation." The district engineer estimates annual charges at $331,000, including interest at 31⁄2 percent and $30,000 for maintenance and operation. |