STATEMENT OF C. S. CHRISTIAN-Resumed

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Christian, I understand Mr. Kitchens desires to ask you a question.

Mr. KITCHENS. I will let him make his own statement.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. The State flood control commission in consideration of the Ouachita River introduced a resolution covering the matter of flood control in the protection of approximately 615,000 acres of land in the valley of the Ouachita and its tributaries.

The CHAIRMAN. Is that acreage all in Arkansas?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Yes, sir; it is all in Arkansas.

The CHAIRMAN. All right, sir, go ahead.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. The resolution is, or states, that floods of the Ouachita River and its tributaries in the State of Arkansas periodically flood more than 615,168 acres of land in the valleys and causes widespread land damage and crop losses and it requests that investigations be made to indicate whether such floods can be controlled by the construction of dams and levees and channel improvements at a reasonable cost and further, that the House Flood Control Committee be requested to include in the flood control bill of 1940, subject to the approval of the Secretary of War and Chief of engineers, construction of flood control dams on the Ouachita River at Blakely Mountain, the Caddo River, the Little Missouri River, and Saline River, and also levies and channel improvements to the Little Missouri and Saline Rivers, and such of their tributaries as can be economically justified.

Mr. KITCHENS. Will you file that resolution with the reporter?
Mr. CHRISTIAN. Yes.

(The resolution referred to by Mr. Christian is as follows:)

OUACHITA RIVER BASIN, ARKANSAS

No reservoirs have been authorized for this river basin; however, Act, Public No. 761, Seventy-fifth Congress, third session, which was approved June 28, 1938, conferred upon the Secretary of War and the Chief of Engineers, the power to participate in behalf of the United States in the cost of the multiple-use reservoir at Blakely Mountain. A sum not to exceed $2,000,000 was appropriated for this purpose.

Authorization is requested for surveys, reports, and estimates on the following reservoirs and channel rectification projects:

At a meeting of the State Flood Control Commission of Arkansas, held in its offices in the State Capitol Building, Little Rock, Ark., the following proceedings were had:

Mr. Williamson introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: "Whereas floods of the Ouachita River and its tributaries in the State of Arkansas periodically flood more than 615,168 acres of land in the valleys and cause widespread land damage and crop losses, and

"Whereas investigations made indicate such floods can be controlled by construction of dams and levees and channel improvements at a reasonable cost, be it "Resolved, The House Flood Control Committee be requested to include in the flood control bill of 1940, subject to the approval of the Secretary of War and Chief of Engineers, construction of flood control dams on the Ouachita River at Blakely Mountain, the Caddo River, Little Missouri River, and Saline River; also levees and channel improvements to the Little Missouri and Saline Rivers, and such of its tributaries as can be economically justified."

Which resolution, upon a vote being taken, was declared unanimously carried and adopted.

Approved:

(The chart referred to is on file with the committee.)

Chairman.

Mr. KITCHENS. Did your committee take any action on the Blakely Dam matter?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. They requested only that it be constructed. The whole thing is in abeyance right now, as I understand it, until some definite decision is given by the Federal Power Commission and what action will be taken then I have no way of knowing and no one else has, presumably. But at any rate the Blakely Mountain Dam is the key project in the flood control of the Ouachita River, and regardless of whether it is built for a dual purpose or for flood control only, we want it built.

In conjunction with flood control we ask that certain work reported upon by the Army engineers in the No. 196 report, filed on the Ouachita, that this work in the way of channel improvements on the Little Missouri, the Saline, and the Terre Noir Creek be undertaken.

The valley of the Little Missouri has approximately 90,000 acres of the richest land in that section of the country.

The CHAIRMAN. What are the principal towns in this valley? Mr. CHRISTIAN. There are none in the valley. They don't dare get into the valley. Prescott, Murfreesboro, Arkadelphia-they are close to it. Camden, of course, is just below where the Little Missouri goes into it. The Turnwall (?) is one of the streams that we are requesting improvements be made on. There is land in there that is very very fertile and the floods are increasing each year.

Some work has been done in the past and the channels have filled up and logs have silted full to such an extent it just doesn't carry the water any more, and the levees have all been destroyed.

The CHAIRMAN. Any other questions, Mr. Kitchens?

Mr. KITCHENS. No questions.

The CHAIRMAN. Glad to have your statement.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. I would like to go further, if I may.

The CHAIRMAN. Go ahead.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. And after I have finished with these I have something on the Red River and the Arkansas River also.

What about the Red

The CHAIRMAN. All right, you may do so. River? What particular part do you want to take up there? We have nothing under consideration on the Red River.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Well, this is only in connection with two projects. The CHAIRMAN. What do you want to say about the Red River first?

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Mr. KITCHENS. He is referring to a different Red River.

The CHAIRMAN. What Red River are you talking about?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. The Red River in the southwest corner of Arkansas. The CHAIRMAN. And it is a tributary of what river?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Of the Mississippi River.

The CHAIRMAN. No; it is not a tributary of the Mississippi.
Mr. POAGE. It empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

The CHAIRMAN. What is your statement concerning the Red River? Mr. CHRISTIAN. There are two projects in which the landowners on the Red River

The CHAIRMAN. Have we reports covering those two projects? Mr. CHRISTIAN. I don't believe we have.

The CHAIRMAN. You may go ahead and name them, but we are only considering projects on which we have reports. What do you have in mind along the Red River? What projects do you have in mind?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Two of them.

The CHAIRMAN. What are they?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. One of them is a levee and a flood gate to close in the lower end of Little Red River district No. 1 in LaFayette County, Ark.

The CHAIRMAN. And whose district is that in? What Member of Congress is interested in that district?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Mr. Kitchens. The other is a channel-clearance project to provide an outlet for Miller levee district No. 2, and part of Garland district in Miller County, Ark.

The CHAIRMAN. What stream is that on?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. That is also on the Red River.
The CHAIRMAN. It is not a tributary?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. No, sir; it is in the Red River. Well, the clearance of the channel would not be in the Red River. It would be on a tributary to the Red River, but it is in an area that is now protected by a levee.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, I am sure you will give that information to Mr. Kitchens and if there is anything we can do to assist him, we shall do so, but we have no matter like that under report at the present time. Now, the Arkansas River. Give us the high points.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. We are requesting authorization for the Wister Dam on the Poteau River, which flows into the Arkansas River at about Fort Smith.

This stream rises in Arkansas and flows through Oklahoma and comes back into the Arkansas River at Fort Smith. It floods a very large territory.

The CHAIRMAN. What stream is that on?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. The Poteau.

The CHAIRMAN. And how far is the dam site from the mouth of the Poteau?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Probably 30 miles would be my guess.

The CHAIRMAN. Is that dam to be in your State or in Oklahoma? Mr. CHRISTIAN. It is to be in Oklahoma.

The CHAIRMAN. But you want it because it will protect your State? Mr. CHRISTIAN. It protects Arkansas. It floods a very considerable territory in Arkansas and causes a lot of damage.

The CHAIRMAN. Will it protect lands in Oklahoma?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. It will protect lands in Oklahoma as well as Arkansas. It comes right out of the mountains. There are a number of streams that rise in the same mountains.

The CHAIRMAN. You favor the Wister Reservoir?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Yes. And also there is a question of a dam-I mean of a flood protection at the city of Little Rock or, rather, between Little Rock and Pine Bluff on the south side of the Arkansas River.

The CHAIRMAN. You built a levee along the north side and that I suppose is causing trouble and you want one on the south side now. Mr. CHRISTIAN. Well, they have always had trouble on the south side and they have a levee down there, too, but right at Little Rock the water backs up through a bayou and goes inside of the city limits. There was a plan formulated but for some reason it was discarded and nothing definite has yet been done. I understand, however, that there is a new report coming in on that matter of flood protection for the south bank of the river and is about ready for publication.

The CHAIRMAN. I have heard of all these that are on their way. Mr. CHRISTIAN. I know the territory very well but I am not familiar with the report.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, you understand as far as this committee is concerned, we authorized the Wister Reservoirs. What we need now is some more authorizations to build it. We have approved the reservoir.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Well, the authorizations for the Arkansas River, of course, out of the total of $52,000,000

The CHAIRMAN. I say you need additional money. We have authorized a reservoir and we are with you on that, but what you want is more money.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. We understand that you favor that. Now, what is the other item you have in mind?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. There are two other levee projects, I believe, down the river between Little Rock and Pine Bluff. Levees are built there but there is some work needed on them and the people are not able to do it in many cases. Of course you know how they have even defaulted in their bond interest and principal payments.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you do work in connection with the planning board?

Mr. CHRISTIAN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You talk like a planning board is the reason I am asking you. They give us more different things to do and furnish less money to do it with than anybody I know of. But, anyway, you have a project down there.

Mr. CHRISTIAN. Well, our position is that we recommend them as meritorious projects. If we did not think there was merit in them we would not mention them.

The CHAIRMAN. I understand that. Now, these two levee projects that you speak of between Pine Bluff and the mouth of the river

Mr. CHRISTIAN. I was speaking between Little Rock and Pine Bluff.

The CHAIRMAN. We have no report on that and I suggest you see the Members of Congress interested and if there is anything we can do we will be glad to do it for you.

You brought a matter down here to Mr. Kitchens but it was not brought to our attention until yesterday. You help us out by bringing those matters to the attention of the Members of Congress and if we can help you we will be glad to do it.

Now, do you have any other matter in mind?
Mr. CHRISTIAN. No; I believe that covers it.

The CHAIRMAN. I note that Mr. Terry is here and we will be glad to have your statement at this time.

STATEMENT OF HON. DAVID D. TERRY, REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS, FIFTH DISTRICT, STATE OF ARKANSAS

Mr. TERRY. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, there was included in House Document No. 308, Seventy-fourth Congress, first session, a project for levee protection on the south bank of the Arkansas River from Little Rock downstream to Pine Bluff, Ark.; and on March 19, 1937, the Flood Control Committee of the House passed a resolution asking for a review of this report with a view to determining whether any additional flood-control work should be constructed on the south bank of said river from Little Rock downstream to Pine Bluff, Ark.

Acting under this resolution, the district engineer at Little Rock and the division engineer, southwestern division, caused an examination to be made, and under date April 29, 1939, an unfavorable report was issued by Col. Eugene Reybold, division engineer of the southwestern division, on that portion of the territory included in the project and known as Fourche Bayou, all the remaining portions of the project, including Fourche Island, Fourche Place, Woodson and Tucker Lake areas, being favorably reported.

I have been very anxious to have the favorable portion of this report passed upon and approved by the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, in order that it could be included in the authorization bill now under consideration by your committee, and the

but was sent back to the division office at Little Rock for some minor project was before the Board of Engineers in January of this year, rendjustment in regard to assessment of benefits, which, I understand, is more favorable to the landowners than the old method.

I am informed that the project has been reapproved by the office of the district engineer at Little Rock, and has been favorably reviewed by Colonel Reybold, division engineer, and is now only waiting the formal reexamination of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, which review will be had at the next meeting of that Board, which should be within the next few days.

The land included in this project is very valuable and highly cultivated farming land, and unless the levee work contemplated under this project is done, this land will be subject to overflow and heavy damage from the waters of the Arkansas River. The lands are now protected by levees which were erected privately and by improvement districts, but on account of a levee project, known as "levee work, north bank of Arkansas River from North Little Rock to Gillette,' which has been completed by the Army engineers as one of the projects in the general flood-control program, under Report 308, and the subsequent authorizations thereunder, and which project has resulted in the closing in of all gaps in the levee system on the north bank of the