have an increasing population the way we have had without a great drain on the facilities, the money, and everything else, of a State. For the sake of emphasis, I should like to read one paragraph of my statement that is on file:

In 1920, when State studies were started that led up to the authorization of the Central Valley project, California had a population of only 3,426,000 people. By 1940, when the flood-control program for the State was being formulated by the United States Corps of Army Engineers, the population had doubled to 6,900,000, Then 10 years later in 1950 it had jumped to 10,527,000. And now comes a recent estimate made by the United States Bureau of Census that our 1960 population. will be 14 million people.

In other words, before we have completed the present program of flood-control projects developed by the Corps of Engineers in 1940 and authorized by Congress in 1944, our population will have more than doubled.

And the problems that we have are simply insurmountable. The chief problem is the proper control of the water. With a runoff such as we have had out there this year, it is absolutely necessary that our flood-control program be carried out and in fact accelerated as much as possible.

I just want to speak of one thing in regard to the result of the House committee action, and that is the fact that there were some drastic cuts made, which will be brought out a little later by Colonel Hedger, in the Los Angeles drainage district that are simply not understandable way, way beyond the general percentage of flood-control cuts throughout the United States-and the projects cut are in some of the most densely populated areas in the State.

I certainly hope that this committee will diligently consider restoring funds for some of these projects that have suffered the tremendous cut from the present budget.

Now this year, as in the past, we have carefully screened the requests that came to our board by representatives of the various floodcontrol projects in the State. I would like to present to you the request for appropriations that we presented to the House side, with the feeling that the figures that we are asking for are the amounts necessary to properly carry on the program.

By the way, we have divided these requests into two categories: construction funds and advance-planning funds.

SACRAMENTO DISTRICT FLOOD-CONTROL PROJECTS

In the Sacramento engineering district, the Cherry Valley Dam. $2,815,000; the Folsom Dam, $18,130,000; the Isabella Dam, $6,237,000; Merced stream group, $645.000; Pine Flat Dam. $12 million; Sacramento River, old project, $3,500,000.

Now, it is also true that it is quite necessary and proper for the corps to have some advance-planning funds available for their use. Chairman MCKELLAR. The House cut out all advance planning funds?

Mr. GRIFFITH. Yes.

We are suggesting in the Sacramento district four projects that should have advance planning money: Black Butte Dam, $100,000Hogan Dam, $25,000; New Melones Dam, $25,000; San Joaquin River levees, $100,000.

RUSSIAN RIVER PROJECT

In the San Francisco engineering district there is only one project that is the Russian River project on which we are asking for advance planning money of $80,000.

LOS ANGELES FLOOD-CONTROL PROJECTS

In the Los Angeles engineering district, on seven projects that will be discussed a little later by Mr. Hedger, we are requesting a total of $17,445,000; for the Whittier Narrows Dam, set up as a separate item,. $5,500,000; and for the San Antonio Dam, $3 million.

That San Antonio Dam figure of $3 million was cut out entirely by the House side. It is hard to understand that action because this is one of the important dams we have in southern California, and it is in the course of construction.

Senator ELLENDER. How much of it has been constructed?

Mr. GRIFFITH. It is in the course of construction-the San Antonio Dam.

Senator ELLENDER. Can you tell me how much of it has been constructed?

Mr. GRIFFITH. I understand the property has been secured, the reservoir property, and the contract has been let for the spillway and a portion of the construction of the dam. I would rather that Mr. Hedger answer that question, because he is more familiar with it. Would you like to have it answered now?

Senator ELLENDER. No; that is all right.

Mr. GRIFFITH. He will go into that a little later.

Senator ELLENDER. Are all the projects all over California to which You are now referring strictly for flood-control or irrigation and other purposes?

Mr. GRIFFITH. No; these are flood-control projects.

fits.

Senator ELLENDER. Purely flood control?

Mr. GRIFFITH. Purely flood control; but with some irrigation bene

Chairman McKELLER. No power?

Mr. GRIFFITH. No power is connected with any of these projects except Folsom Dam and that is a matter where the power comes in under the Bureau of Reclamation, As far as the Army is concerned,. Ley have the construction of the dam proper. The Bureau is constructing of the power features.

ADVANCE PLANNING FUNDS

Now, in the Los Angeles district we also have some requests for advance planning funds for the San Antonio channel. That is a channel below the San Antonia Dam I spoke of. The amount is

$50.000.

For Carbon Canyon, $20,000; San Jacinto, Bautista Creek, and Riverside levees, $50,000; Mill, Warm, East Twin, Devil, and Lytle Creeks, $100,000; Santa Clara and Santa Paula Rivers, $114,000; and Stewart Canyon Dam, $26,000. These are authorized projects on which construction has not been started but the planning has not been. carried on to a point where construction will be ready to start.

TOTAL REQUEST

That makes a total of funds of all districts in both categories of $72,962,000.

There is one other item I would like to speak of for the sake of the record, and that is survey money.

We realize clearly that money, as far as new starts are concerned, new construction is concerned, is a pretty difficult matter at the present time. There are too many obligations, too many calls on the United States Treasury. But, at the same time we do feel that the Corps of Engineers should have some survey money so as to be ready when the time comes that funds will be released for these important projects Now, in closing I want to say that we in California have been very very careful not to suggest anything but what is not only State-wide but of national interest, for the protection of life and property. W have no apology whatsoever to make for our requests. We think they are proper. We think, taxwise, California is doing its job.

As far as the expenditure of local money, State, municipal and country money, we have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, we ar very proud of it.

FLOOD CONTROL FUNDS EXPENDED BY CALIFORNIA

You might be interested in a figure which I think I have given yo before, that the Los Angeles County flood control district has sper of its own tax money around $100,000,000. We have spent in th State of California $300,000,000 for flood-control projects, anothe $300,000,000 for kindred work, such as irrigation canals and all tha sort of thing.

All that does not count the vast expenditure on the Colorado proje in southern California, an obligation of around $450,000,000; t Hetch Hetchy project in San Francisco of around $180,000,000; ar the East Bay municipal project, which, as I recall the figure I gave year ago, is around $80,000,000 or $90,000,000.

Therefore, California really comes to you with a feeling of pri and satisfaction in the way we have tried to do our own job. Now, Mr. Chairman, I should like to call on several additional w

nesses.

PINE FLAT AND ISABELLA DAM PROJECTS

Chairman McKELLAR. Yes, sir. Before that is done, I have sever letters from Members of Congress and other citizens of your St: which I think should be put in the that is be done.

(The letters referred to follow :)

Hon. KENNETH MCKELLAR,

record. I ask unanimous conse

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Washington, D. C., April 4, 195.

Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee,
Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. MCKELLAR: I am writing you to call your attention to the gr concern and fear of extensive flood damage in the Kings River service area is presently prevailing in the Tenth Congressional District of California, du the heavy snow pack of record proportion that is reported on the drainage a this year, and which only last year caused serious flood damage in the same a

To offset a repetition of this possibility, it has been suggested to me by many residents in the area that advantage should be taken of the flood-control benefits that are presumably obtainable this year from partial operation of the Pine Flat Reservoir, should this be possible without impairing the security of the dam structure in its present state of construction. I have been reliably informed that the work under construction has progressed to approximately one-fifth of the ultimate capacity on completion of the project and that there is a possibility that some 200,000 acre-feet of water may be stored this year, which would be a major factor in offsetting possible flood damage from the expected runoff of the Kings River during the period from April to June.

I am advised that there is some question as to the authority of the Army engineers to use existing funds heretofore appropriated, and those contemplated under the present civil-functions appropriations, for the operation of Pine Flat at this time and prior to its completion. I do not believe such expenditure would be contrary to law. However, I believe it is advisable that the Senate committee make some expression in this regard to the Army engineers when the subject is considered in the Senate committee. I have discussed possible storage during the present emergency with the Army engineers and they believe that they may be of some assistance this year. It is not my intention to influence the decisions of the Army engineers as to when flood-control storage should commence or when, in the interest of flood control, water should be released. It is my intention that they be advised they will not jeopardize their position before the Congress if they spend a small amount of money for operation expenses at this time.

In view of the imminent danger of floods in that area, it is of the utmost urgency and importance that the necessary legislative authority be granted to the Army engineers which will enable them to proceed with this project as hereinabove requested.

Sincerely yours,

THOMAS H. WERDEL, M. C.

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., April 29, 1952.

Hon. KENNETH MCKELLAR,

Chairman, Committee on Appropriations,
United States Senate, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I address this letter to you as the Congressman from the
Tenth Congressional District of the State of California. I know that you are
advised of the present flood conditions in that State. I want to confirm my pre-
vious warnings to Members of the House committee and to the Senate committee
of the very serious threat of flood presently existing in the Great Central Valley.
The crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is approximately 100 miles east of
the Pacific Ocean. The prevailing cyclonic winds from off the Pacific and
Aleutian Islands are forced to rise to the altitude of over 14,000 feet in the course
of traveling that 100 miles. Mount Whitney is in that group. The chain of
mountains is itself perhaps 50 miles wide with hanging canyons of great altitude
and steep slopes to the valley below. The mountains drop off very abruptly to
the foothills and then to the San Joaquin Valley, the floor of which has an altitude
of only about 300 feet in the delta area of the four streams with which I am par-
ticularly concerned. The flood-control problem is different each year.
Some years there is very little floodwater. However, on a recent occasion,
a high-school teacher in Bakersfield took a group of boys by boat on the flood-
Waters of the four streams, a distance of 300 miles to San Francisco Bay.

Nearly all of the land constituting the area threatened with floods by these four streams is valuable agricultural land. In addition to agricultural values, there are oil investments of great value threatened with floods each year. The San Joaquin Valley is bounded on the east by the Coast Range Mountains and on the west by the Sierra Nevadas. The heavy snow deposits are on the Sierra Nevadas and on their westerly slope. The four rivers I am concerned about in these remarks threaten flood to the southerly end of the San Joaquin Valley. The rivers are the Kings, Kaweah, Tule, and Kern. The projects are Kown as Pine Flat Reservoir, Isabella Reservoir, Success Dam, and Terminus Lam.

The House committee has seriously cut the amount of the appropriation recommended by the Bureau of the Budget for the early completion of Pine Flat 96227-52-23

Reservoir and Isabella Reservoir. I realize that the committee contemplates the completion of those projects at the earliest possible date. However, it should be pointed out that the Bureau of the Budget recommended expenditures based upon the requests of the Army engineers for that amount of money that they could spend during the next fiscal year toward the completion of those projects. It should also be pointed out that the Isabella Dam is a dirt-filled dam, which must be completed rapidly when the main dam is once commenced. Any other approach to the subject would cause serious threat of loss. The Army engineers should have the full amount of their request for those two projects during the coming fiscal year. They will thus be able to complete the projects at the lowest possible cost and they will be able to meet their obligation and the obligation of this Congress to pay the citizens whose property will be flooded, the value of that property in condemnation proceedings. I, therefore, earnestly request that the expenditures to be made on the Pine Flat Reservoir and Isabella Reservoir, as recommended by the Army engineers and the Bureau of the Budget, be reinstated by your committee.

It is also of the utmost importance that your committee consider original construction appropriations for the Success and Terminus Dams. In years past, I have regularly appeared before your committee to remind you that inasmuch as the four rivers I have mentioned have a common flood area in their delta regions, the four streams are considered as one project. While appropriations have heretofore been made to permit the studies on Success and Terminus, original construction appropriations have not been made. Dams on those streams will have to be completed before the projects on the Kern and Kings Rivers can be considered complete.

At the present time the four streams in question have snow packs equal to the highest recorded in history. They also have a water content of from 30 to 40 percent. There is a very serious threat at the present time to the cities in the area during the runoff this year.

I know that your committee realizes the confidence placed by local citizens in the good faith of our Government when it authorizes such projects. People o very limited financial means have moved into the delta areas of these streams They have placed confidence in the announcement made many years ago that th floods would be controlled.

At the present rate of appropriation it will take over 15 years to finish th projects heretofore authorized and whose construction has heretofore been com menced. So long as we can afford to send $10 billion a year to Europe and buil 1-mile-long railroad depots in Rome, 15 years to complete those projects i entirely too long.

I therefore respectfully request that your committee consider appropriatin the full amount of the recommendation of the Bureau of the Budget for the Pin Flat and Isabella projects, and that at least $500,000 be allowed for the next fisc year to commence construction on Success and Terminus.

DEAR SIR: The Harbor Commission, City of San Diego, has just been inform that the Army civil-function appropriation bill allocates only 1 percent to hart and waterway works, with the remainder to be used for flood-control purpos The differential between these two phases of the Army's civil-functions activit are so tremendous that your attention toward a thorough investigation of t matter is requested.

With the importance of the United States harbor and waterways toward commerce and defense of this country uppermost in the minds of all citize serious consideration should be given a reapportionment of these funds to refi more accurately the expenditure of moneys on the basis of importance s national well-being.

Your cooperation toward this end will be sincerely appreciated.

Very truly yours,

JOHN BATE, Port Directo