Project evaluation studies in "pilot" watersheds have been completed also. These included trap efficiency studies to determine water and sediment outflow from reservoirs. As of June 30, 1970, out of a total of $44,933,362 obligated for the pilot watershed program, $2,610,275 was for project evaluation studies. These studies were made to obtain data over a sufficient period of time to provide a reliable long-range appraisal of the effectiveness of works of improvement installed under the watershed protection program. The following table shows the total federal cost of the completed "pilot" watershed projects: 1/ Includes $1,264,860 for project evaluation studies charged to project costs prior to the fiscal year 1960. 2/ Effective with fiscal year 1960 costs of evaluation studies were determined not properly allocable to the individual projects. : 62 : 43,588 : : : : : 1,345 : : : : 44,933 : Works Installed in "Pilot" Projects The following tabulation shows by State descriptive information concerning the extent of the program and funds obligated for installation of works of improvement in "pilot" projects: sponsors. a Includes one project which was discontinued before completion at request of b/ Obligations for evaluation studies subsequent to 6/30/59. Prior to the fiscal year 1960, a total of $1,264,860 of evaluation costs was charged to projects. Status of PL-566 Watershed Projects Watershed work plans are prepared by sponsoring local organizations with the Department's assistance or with their own resources. After the work plans have been approved by the Department or the Congress as suitable for federal participation, technical and financial assistance can be provided for installation of works of improvement specified in the work plans. Projects involving an estimated federal contribution in excess of $250,000 for construction, or construction of any single structure having a capacity in excess of 2,500 acre feet, require congressional committee approval. Engineering services and assistance with land treatment are furnished on approved projects before they are advanced to the actual construction stage. During this stage, surveys and investigations are made and detailed designs, specifications, and engineering cost estimates are prepared for construction of structural measures. Areas are delineated where sponsors need to obtain land rights, easements and rightsof-way. Technical assistance is furnished to land owners and operators to acoelerate planning and application of needed conservation land treatment measures in the watershed. The project construction stage begins with the execution of the first project agreement or contract for construction of works of improvement. Under a project agreement, the sponsoring local organization agrees to construct a segment of the project which may consist of an individual or interrelated group of structures. The project agreement obligates the government and the sponsoring local organization to share the construction costs as agreed to in the work plan. Engineering and other services are provided for the preparation of contracts and inspection of construction. When the local organization does the contracting, payments are made to them as the work progresses in accordance with the terms of the project agreement. When the local organization requests the SCS to do the contracting for works of improvement, the SCS makes payments directly to the contractor as the work progresses. This includes both amounts financed from federal funds and contributions received from local organizations for their share of construction costs. Technical assistance in planning and installing conservation land treatment measures is continued as agreed upon in the watershed work plan. In fiscal year 1970, 64 projects were approved for operations which brought to 1,001 the total number of projects approved as of June 30, 1970. Two-hundred and thirtyeight of these projects were completed prior to 1970. of the 763 projects in operations in 1970, 223 were receiving preconstruction land treatment and engineering services and 429 were in construction at the end of the year. Thirty-eight of the latter were new construction starts in 1970. Thirty-five projects were completed in 1970, which brought the total number completed to 273 as of June 30, 1970. Land treatment assistance was continued on 18 projects on which construction had been completed prior to 1970. Fifty-eight of the approved projects did not require federal funds during the fiscal year 1970 because of project inactivity, approval late in the fiscal year, or having no work scheduled for that year. Projected PL-566 Project Activity and Obligations The following tabulation shows the status of Public Law 566 projects by stage of assistance and amounts obligated or estimated to be obligated. The table also shows minor obligations for project evaluation studies, advances for future water supply, and balances remaining in the undistributed equipment account which have not been distributed to projects. 59-584 O 71 pt. 3 33 Installation Progress in "P. L. 566" Projects The following tabulation shows by state descriptive information concerning the extent of the program and rate of progress in obligating funds for the installation of works of improvement in P.L. 566 watersheds. On the line with the name of the state there is shown information concerning projects wholly within a state. Data for interstate projects are listed on separate lines. Those identified with the letter A- identify interstate projects for which the state has primary responsibility. Letter B- identifies interstate projects for which other states have primary responsibility. Only the applicable portion of an interstate project is included in a state. |