918 Mills, Hon. Wilbur D., Representative in Congress from the State Monroney, Hon. Mike, Representative in Congress from the State Montgomery, Capt. H. A., district engineer, Tulsa, Okla.... Mundt, Hon. Karl E., Representative in Congress from the State of Munns, Edward N., Forest Service, Department of Agriculture....... Noble, Robert E., president, National Bank, Adams, Mass. Norrell, Hon. W. F., Representative in Congress from the State Olds, Hon. Leland, Chairman, Federal Power Commission_. 826 357 Poage, Hon. W. R., Representative in Congress from the State of Rabb, Frank, member of Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board__ 287 149 Reber, Capt. Miles, Assistant Chief, River and Harbor Section, Office 231,261, 705, 766 Rees, Hon. Edward H., Representative in Congress from the State Reichelderfer, Francis W., Chief, United States Weather Bureau, Robb, Lt. Col. H. L., acting division engineer, Baltimore, Md. 286 818 78 Rohan, George, waterworks superintendent, Waco, Tex. 424 Rosenheim, Dr. W. S., managing director, Chamber of Commerce of 142 Ruthven, Hon. R. M., county judge of Baxter County, Ark_- 255 Schley, Maj. Gen. Julien L., Chief of Engineers, United States Army-- 1,651 477 Shiras, Thomas, editor, Mountain Home, Ark. 351 Short, Hon. Dewey, Representative in Congress from the State of 326, 863 Simons, P. T.. civil engineer, Missouri Pacific Railroad, St. Louis, Mo.- 755 Smith, Maj. Bernard, district engineer, Nashville, Tenn_- Smith, Hon. Martin F., Representative in Congress from the State of Snyder, Hon. J. Buell, Representative in Congress from the State of 999 South, Hon. Charles L., Representative in Congress from the State of 468, 925 Spence, Hon. Brent, Representative in Congress from the State of 139, 892 Starnes, Hon. Joe, Representative in Congress from the State of 1021 Stewart, Hon. Tom, United States Senator from the State of Tennessee- Sturdevant, Col. C. L., division engineer, Missouri River Division, Talle, Hon. Henry O., Representative in Congress from the State Tarver, Hon. Malcolm C., Representative in Congress from the State 731, 886, 890 Treadway, Hon. Allen T., Representative in Congress from the State Tucker, E. C., representing Chamber of Commerce of Holyoke- 843 652, 677, 693 Whittington, Hon. Will M., Representative in Congress from the Wilson, B. L., chairman, Guyandotte Flood Control Wall Association_ Winter, Hon. Thomas D., Representative in Congress from the State Wolcott, Hon. Jesse P., Representative in Congress from the State 997 FLOOD CONTROL HEARINGS, 1940 MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1940 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee this day met, Hon. Will M. Whittington (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. This meeting has been called in accordance with the notice to the members and to Congress, for the primary purpose of hearings on all flood-control projects that have been reported by the Chief of Engineers since the act of 1938 was reported by this committee to the House, and for suggested recommendations with respect to amendments, or for the clarification of existing acts. We have with us this morning, gentlemen, the Chief of Engineers, and, in accordance with the schedule of hearings, the Chief of Engineers has been asked to make a statement this morning, and the hearing this morning will be confined largely to his statement. In accordance with the procedure of this committee, after General Schley, the Chief of Engineers, has concluded his statement we will go around the table, beginning at my right, and after the members on my right have concluded their questions, then we will begin on my left, so that gentlemen on both sides may have an opportunity to propound questions. General Schley, we will be very glad to hear you at this time. STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. JULIAN L. SCHLEY, CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY, ACCOMPANIED BY BRIG. GEN. THOMAS M. ROBINS, ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS; CAPT. JOHN R. HARDIN, ASSISTANT IN CHARGE OF RIVER AND HARBOR SECTION; AND CAPT. MILES REBER, OFFICE OF CHIEF OF ENGINEERS General SCHLEY. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, 4 years have passed since Congress, in the Flood Control Act of June 22, 1936, authorized the inauguration of the first Nation-wide flood-control program. In that act and in supplements and amendments thereto in 1937, 1938, and 1939, Congress has approved the prosecution by the War Department of comprehensive plans and widespread improvements throughout the Nation under this general flood-control program and has authorized for construction in the initiation and partial accomplishment of this program by this Department the amount of $692,291,000. The authorized improvements, numbering 377 individual projects, are located in 37 States of the Union. 1 I should like first to review briefly the status of authorizations and the progress of work in each of the major river basins of the Nation where the greatest number of authorized flood-control improvements are located. In the Merrimack River Basin, N. H., and Mass., Congress has approved a comprehensive plan for flood control and for other purposes at an estimated cost of $21,000,000, and has authorized this amount for the completion of that plan. Work is now in progress on two reservoirs in that basin and plans are now in preparation for an additional reservoir. The construction of these three reservoirs will exhaust the presently available authorization. A comprehensive review study for the Merrimack Valley is now substantially completed by the field personnel of the Department, but the results of this study are not yet available to forward to Congress. In the Connecticut River Basin, Vt., N. H., Mass., and Conn., a comprehensive plan at an estimated cost of $47,000,000 has been approved by Congress and there has been authorized to be expended in the initiation of that plan the sum of $11,524,000 for local protection projects and $10,028,900 for the construction of reservoirs. At this point I would like to call attention to a fact in connection with that project which will appear also in connection with others. This fact is that the present plan is estimated to cost $47,000,000, whereas the authorization by Congress for appropriations is limited to a smaller amount. Congress has taken that action in recent authorization measures for flood control. Work is now under way on three reservoirs and seven local protective projects in the Connecticut Basin and construction plans have been substantially completed for three additional reservoirs. In order that a progressive and systematic accomplishment of the comprehensive plan for this basin may be continued, an additional authorization is needed at the present time to provide for additional reservoirs, for essential adjustments in design as the work has progressed, for unforseen construction difficulties, and to some extent for increased costs resulting from the employment of hired labor with relief funds. There is an example that I want to point out, at this stage in my statement, of a reason for additional authorizations in some basins. In other words, the studies which have been made since the time when the original project was presented have shown that additional structures should be built; also, that the engineering design has developed conditions not entirely known at the time when the first estimate was made. Both of those things, therefore, call for a change in the authorization which we now have on our books. In the Susquehanna River Basin, N. Y. and Pa., construction has been initiated or completed on three reservoirs and on local protective works at eight centers of population and industry. These projects together with five other reservoirs and nine other local projects, scheduled for construction in the near future will exhaust existing authority. An additional authorization is now needed in this basin to provide desired and justifiable local protection at one other city. In the Ohio River Basin, in addition to the 14 reservoirs completed and in operation in the Muskingum River Watershed, Ohio, and the Tygart Reservoir, a multiple purpose project in West Virginia, con |