Valley, and with your permission, we will resume Mr. Stanley as soon as we conclude, if that is agreeable with you. It won't take us very long, if I my suggest Colonel Gee, we have under consideration now the matter of increased authorizations along the Ohio River Basin. We have the report of the upper Allegeny that you brought to our attention and we also have the report on the Lost River. OHIO RIVER BASIN Now, while your assistants are preparing the map, I will ask you to give us the over-all authorizations for the adopted projects along the Ohio River and in the Ohio River basin and tell us the amount of funds on hand that have not been appropriated, that have been authorized. Colonel GEE. The total estimated cost of all authorized work in the Ohio River basin is $1,390,131,000. The CHAIRMAN. The approved work? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How much has been authorized for the initiation of that work? Colonel GEE. The authorization for appropriation now stands at $130,439,800. The CHAIRMAN. How much has been appropriated up to and including the current year? Colonel GEE. The appropriations to date are $321,481,100. The CHAIRMAN. One or two questions. We have the bill, H. R. 2863 to authorize the construction of works along the Allegheny River Basin at Warren, Sheffield, and Franklin. Those projects have not been reported and included in a House document on that item; is that true? Colonel GEE. That is correct, sir. The CHAIRMAN. So you are not in position to make any recommenda tion in view of the fact that the former report of the Chief of Engineers has not been submitted to the Congress. Colonel GEE. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Now then, we have also an authorization in the vicinity of Bradford and we have already heard you on that, have we not? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. That is a new project as recommended to you by Senate Document 20, Eighty-first Congress; is that true? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. We then have a modification of the projects there on a bill introduced, H. R. 3356, to exclude some projects, and my understanding is that you submitted no report in favor of excluding those projects. Colonel GEE. That is correct, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Now then, we also have H. R. 3608 authorizing an appropriation for the Redstone Creek project. You have not submitted a report on that or made an authorization for that? Colonel GEE. That is true, sir. The CHAIRMAN. When are we likely to get it? Colonel GEE. Might I explain with reference to that bill that the project in reference was authorized last year and is now in line to receive an appropriation when the projects are considered in the regular way by the Bureau of the Budget and the Congress. The CHAIRMAN. I see. Now then, we have here a petition for a review on the Connecticut River and this report goes on that petition for reveiw. We have a rather unusual case in this instance. You recommend that inasmuch as there is no adopted project for you to review that it can be included in this bill as a preliminary examination and review authorization; am I correct about that? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir; and the preliminary examination is estimated to cost $6,000. The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, there is ample room for increased authorization to the adopted projects along the Ohio River Basin; is that true? Colonel GEE. That is correct, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any other preliminary examination and survey reports pending that you know anything about that are in the form of bills? Colonel GEE. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Then back to the project we have under consideration, the Lost River at Orleans, Ind., House Document 185. We will be glad to have your statement. LOST RIVER (H. Doc. 105, 81st Cong.) Colonel GEE. The report on the project at Orleans, Ind., was authorized in the flood-control resolution of November 15, 1945. The project involves the watershed of Old Sulphur Creek, a tributary of Lost River, which flows into the small community of Orleans, Ind., from the northeast. This small tributary of Lost River has a drainage area of about 8.6 square miles. The normal flow of this stream disappears entirely into a limestone sink within the limits of the town of Orleans, Ind. This country consists of cavernous limestone formation, and the town of Orleans is located within 20 miles of the famous bed for limestone quarries of southern Indiana. During flood periods the underground channel, which normally accommodates the full flow of Sulphur Creek, is inadequate to carry the floodwaters. As a consequence, floods in the village of Orleans overflow the area shaded in blue on the map before you and cause considerable damage within the limits of the town and in addition cause the sewer lines to back up and flood the community area with the sewage effluent from that small town; septic tanks are inundated and their contents are floated out on the grounds. Past floods in the area have occurred in 1907, 1908, 1910, 1913, 1921, 1933, 1937, and 1945; floods of maximum record having occurred in 1913, 1937, and 1945. The average annual damage from these floods is $52,800. The 1945 flood alone caused damage of $130,200. There was one life lost in the 1945 flood in this community. The plan of improvement to solve the problem of local flood protection involves the lowering of the grade of Third Street within the town limits to provide a floodway within the town of Orleans, utilizing the right-of-way of that city street, and in addition, the building of an outflow channel from the town to connect with Lost River by means of land cuts. The total length of this connecting channel to Lost River is about 3 miles. The CHAIRMAN. What does Lost River empty into? Colonel GEE. Lost River is a tributary of the east fork of the White River, which is a tributary of the White, which, in turn, is a tributary of the Wabash, and that is a tributary of the Ohio. The CHAIRMAN. And the Ohio is a tributary of the Mississippi. The Mississippi flows into the Gulf of Mexico. (Laughter.) Colonel GEE. The areas indicated on the channel on the map in red are those portions which require excavation. The excavations, in brown, are low levees to confine the flow to a narrow channel. The areas in blue are low limestone sinks which require no treatment and are low enough to carry the flow of that water without any change. The CHAIRMAN. Orleans, to which you referred to sometimes as a village, otherwise as a town, maybe as a city-what is the type of countryside there when you leave Orleans down there toward Lost River? Is that highly improved or not? Colonel GEE. That is generally rolling terrain, typical of the limestone sink regions of southern Indiana; the principal agricultural crop is corn, and a considerable amount of livestock raising is done in that area. The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed further. Colonel GEE. The town of Orleans has indicated a willingness to furnish the usual requirements of local cooperation in support of this recommended plan which is estimated to cost a total of $347,000, of which the non-Federal charges will be $145,000. The CHAIRMAN. The Government is to perform the construction and the local interests are to furnish the project site? Colonel GEE. And in addition, to repave or resurface that Third Street within the town limits of Orleans. The CHAIRMAN. The only burden of the Federal Government is to do the work of construction outside of repaving that? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What is the ratio of estimated benefit to cost? The CHAIRMAN. Are there any questions by members of the committee? We are glad to have with us the former chairman of the Subcommittee on Flood Control, a former member of the committee, Honorable Earl Wilson, from Indiana. Mr. Wilson, you may remain seated there by the distinguished gentleman from Ohio, and, with his permission, you may proceed with your statement at this time. STATEMENT OF HON. EARL WILSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF INDIANA Mr. WILSON. Thank you very kindly, Mr. Chairman, for the splendid consideration you have given me and the nice compliment. I wouldn't take but 2 or 3 minutes of your time. I would like to say that the land east of the town of Orleans and south and north and even west, all around it, you might say, are highly improved agricultural lands. I am very familiar with the town of Orleans. It is made up of retired farm folk, very fine people, and they found themselves with the terrain sloping to town and dumping water on them faster than it could be gotten rid of, and they have tried with every means at their disposal to remedy this themselves. They have built sort of a flood wall or levee above the town, thinking they could keep these waters from rushing in on them and solve their own problem, but they found that was inadequate after they had spent their money and made their efforts to take care of these "flash" floods. Then they agreed to bond their city to the maximum extent of their ability. It is a little town, but they were able to raise $145,000, which is their part of this three-hundred-and-some thousand that it takes to build this project. The CHAIRMAN. That is in your district; is it? Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir. It is about 12 miles from my home. And they happened to go the full limit. They told me, being formerly chairman of the subcommittee, that they were willing and able and anxious to participate in this project, if the committee and the Congress saw fit to authorize its construction, going almost half way on the project, which is as far as they can possibly go under the laws of the State of Indiana. Thank you very kindly, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any questions? Mr. McGREGOR. I would just like to make this statement, Mr. Chairman. I know of the splendid interest and the endeavors of the former member of this committee, Mr. Wilson-he certainly worked hard and has been very fair in promoting this project, and it certainly does my heart good when you see people out in that area who are willing to do something and really try to help themselves out of a difficult situation. Here is a community that is putting up $145,000 out of $347,000. It certainly shows they are trying to do everything they possibly can to help themselves, but they find themselves in a situation where they just can't do it all. I yield to the gentleman from Texas. Mr. PICKETT. I would just like to say that I wish all witnesses who come before this committee to present their pleas for assistance would be as brief, concise, analytical, and pertinent as you, sir. Your statement would have sold me if I hadn't heard the engineers. Mr. MCGREGOR. I thank the gentleman from Texas for his contribution. I think it would be concurred in by all the members of the committee. Congressman Wilson, you have done an excellent job, and I am sure your endeavors are appreciated by your people. That is all, Mr. Chairman. Mr. WILSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have your statement, Mr. Wilson. If you decide to supplement it by an additional statement, that would be entirely satisfactory. (At this point, there was discussion off the record.) GENESEE RIVER The CHAIRMAN. The Genesee is up in western New York, is it not? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Has the project been transmitted to Congress by you and the Bureau of the Budget? Colonel GEE. The Genesee report is presently with the Bureau of the Budget for transmission to the Congress. The CHAIRMAN. What is the project? We cannot include it, of course, unless it is transmitted to the Congress. Colonel GEE. The Genesee River report involves flood protection in a number of communities located along the Genesee River. A total of four communities, Andover, Belmont, Wellsville, and Caledonia, were investigated during the preparation of this report. Of the four, only two are recommended for improvement in the report of the Chief of Engineers. They are Wellsville, N. Y., and Caledonia, N. Y. The improvement recommended in both instances involves channel improvement work. The Wellsville, N. Y., project is located in the southernmost portion of the Genesee River Basin on a tributary of the Genesee River known as Dike Creek and on the main channel of the Genesee itself. The recommended improvement at Wellsville involves channel improvement and channel straightening work on the main stem of the Genesee River to include bank stabilization in the vicinity of bridges and in addition. channel improvement of Dike Creek. The total length of channel improvement on the main stem of the Genesee is 2,700 feet. The improvement recommended on Dike Creek is 4,500 feet. The total estimated cost of the Wellsville feature recommended in this report is $687,000, of which $581,000 is Federal, $56,000 is local, under the usual requirements of the law, and $50,000 is a cash contribution to this work by virtue of certain land improvement benefits. The benefit cost ratio of the Wellsville improvement is 1.19 to 1. Colonel GEE. 1.19 to 1, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And the total cost? Colonel GEE. For Wellsville alone, the total cost of the Wellsville feature is $687,000, sir. The CHAIRMAN. The estimated cost of the local interests? Colonel GEE. That is $106,000, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You do the construction and they furnish the rights-of-way for the channelization? Colonel GEE. And maintenance after construction and they modify the bridges. The CHAIRMAN. Does the Government do anything except the chan nelization work? Colonel GEE. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Nothing else? Colonel GEE. That is all, sir. The CHAIRMAN. All right, what is the next item? The Caledonia project consists of the construction of a diversion ditch to permit a flow of 400 feet a second, intercepting the overland flow in this low ground, and diverting it into Spring Creek at this point [indicating on map], which in turn is a tributary of Oatka Creek, and that in turn flows into the Genesee River. The CHAIRMAN. And the Genesee River goes where? The CHAIRMAN. All right. |