that they move along, and I wish to commend you now for the very fine work you have done in the development of our record.

Mr. ANGELL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Chairman, in connection with what I said a moment ago, the hydroelectric power on the Columbia River is the greatest wealth in Washington and Oregon outside of the soil from which the people have to live, which is by far the greatest wealth of all. Mr. ANGELL. That is true, because it enters into all of the economy of the State and is an exhaustive source of revenue.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. Is there anything further?

Colonel FERINGA. I would like to answer the question about the size of the locks. As you know, Bonneville Dam was built by the Corps of Engineers and is operated by the engineers and the power is turned over at the bus bar to the Bonneville Administration to distribute.

It is an important project from the standpoint of power and navigation. The clear width of the lock chamber is 76 feet. The greatest length available for the full width is 500 feet, and the depth over the miter sills at high water is 30 feet and at adopted law water is 24.2. feet. That is a ship lock.

Mr. RANKIN. I suppose the locks to be put in at Umatilla will be the same size?

Colonel FERINGA. They should be the same size, or possibly a little larger, Mr. Rankin.

STATEMENT OF HON. LOWELL STOCKMAN, A MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OREGON

Mr. STOCKMAN. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I urge that the Committee on Rivers and Harbors of the House of Representatives approve the report of the district and division engineers recommending further improvement of the Columbia River by construction of The Dalles Harbor, Oreg., to provide a breakwater and shear boom protected basin for the mooring of shallow-draft boats.

No suitable protected mooring areas are available in this vicinity, and I am informed that shallow-draft boats have been mooring along the up-stream side of the railroad trestle that has been recently constructed there. This location is unsatisfactory, as boats are exposed to floating ice and debris, wind, waves, and the wash of passing vessels.. Commerce on this section of the Columbia River has increased substantially in recent years. Petroleum products and wood products are the major items, as well as large tonnages of wheat which are expected to be moving on this river. In addition to this, during the salmon-fishing season from May to October, commercial fishing boats operate regularly in this vicinity. The Dalles is also the headquarters for the activities of the United States Coast Guard on the upper Columbia River and for recreational and sports fishing boats.

Local interests greatly desire provision of a protected basin for the mooring of shallow-draft boats at The Dalles and will cooperate fully in furnishing rights-of-way and spoil-disposal areas, as well as constructing public landing and mooring floats within the proposed basin. Such a basin will assist barge operators in case of storms and offer a needed place for changing crews and taking on supplies. It would assist commercial fishing interests by affording them a place for mak

ing boat repairs, drying and cleaning nets, and increasing the amount of time which could be devoted to actual fishing and, therefore, result in more fish being delivered to the canners. This basin is also needed for the safety and convenience of sports fishing, recreational, excursion, and sightseeing boats.

I am informed that the estimated cost by the district engineer is $76,500 for construction of this basin, and an annual cost of $6,395, and that the annual benefits are estimated at $9,450. The estimated benefits include $1,750 for prevention of damages to existing recreational boats and boathouses regularly moored at The Dalles, $6,200 for its value to commercial fishing operations, and $1,500 for making increased catches of salmon possible, stimulating various boat activities, facilitating United States Coast Guard operations and increasing business activity in the vicinity.

I urge that this project be approved inasmuch as I believe that the port of The Dalles, being at the head of the Bonneville pool, which is the division point between the deep- and shallow-draft channels, and having facilities for the interchange of commerce between highway, railway, and waterway can be expected to have an increasingly important place in navigation activities on the upper Columbia River. A harbor of refuge for the regular use of the smaller local and transient boats which have little ability to weather storms and to resist damage and for serving the commercial fishing boats is clearly needed at The Dalles, as well as for serving tugs and tenders in emergency cases engaged in general freight commerce.

I believe that the expenditure of funds for this basin would be fully justified, and I urge that the project be approved as recommended by the division and district engineers.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. If there is nothing further now, we will go back to the Calumet-Sag Channel project, Illinois and Indiana. (The hearing on this project is printed separately.)

RIVERS AND HARBORS BILL

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1946

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, RIVERS AND HARBORS COMMITTEE, Washington, D. C. The committee this day met at 10 a. m., Hon. Hugh Peterson of Georgia (chairman) presiding.

APALACHICOLA, CHATTAHOOCHEE, AND FLINT RIVERS, GA. AND FLA.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. The committee will come to order. Gentlemen, we have as our first project today the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint River project.

I notice we have with us our distinguished colleagues, Congressman Pace and Congressman Cox, of Georgia, both of whom are keenly interested in this project.

We are also very proud to see some of my distinguished fellow Georgians here this morning who will be a help to the projecting, and also Congressman Andrews, of Alabama. I was just complimenting my colleague from Alabama in conversation with my colleague, but did not know the Congressman was present. I am very glad to see you here.

Mr. Pace, you and Mr. Cox are both especially interested in this project. I wonder if you would like to make your statement now, or prefer to have Colonel Feringa to outline the project and then follow? Mr. PACE. Mr. Chairman, if it pleases the committee, we will yield at this time to Colonel Feringa.

STATEMENT OF COL. P. A. FERINGA, UNITED STATES ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS

Colonel FERINGA. Mr. Chairman, if I could give my notes to the reporter, because in this case they are complete and explain the project to the committee briefly from the map, giving the principal points, I believe that would be in the interest of saving time. I know you have a very full day. Would that be all right?

Mr. PITTENGER. I prefer that procedure, myself, Mr. Chairman. Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. Without objection, the report will be inserted in the record.

Colonel FERINGA. The Apalachicola River is formed by the junction of Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. The confluence of those two tributaries is at River Junction, and the Apalachicola River then flows: into the Gulf of Mexico.

At the place where it flows into the Gulf of Mexico, it joins, or is crossed by the intercoastal waterway, which is an existing and prosperous waterway, and for which I previously presented to the committee a set of graphs showing a tremendous amount of water-borne tonnage that makes use of that waterway.

Mr. JACKSON. Is the Flint River a tributary of that?

Colonel FERINGA. The Apalachicola River itself is formed by two tributaries, one the Chattahoochee River, and the other the Flint River. Mr. ANGELL. Are they about equal in size?

Colonel FERINGA. The Chattahoochee River is a larger stream and also goes much farther upstream.

The Flint River is steeper and above Albany it is not navigable. In fact, below Albany, it is navigable, and below Bainbridge, it is really a fine highway for navigation.

Mr. RANKIN. How far upstream will this project make that river navigable?

Colonel FERINGA. May I answer your question in a minute, Mr. Rankin?

Mr. RANKIN. Yes.

Colonel FERINGA. The last rivers and harbors act provided an overall plan for the development of this entire basin and authorized for the first step that we bring 6-foot navigation as far as Columbus, Ga., and 6-foot navigation as far as Bainbridge.

We will do that by a low dam at River Junction and a low dam at Fort Benning, which is located at this point. That would be the first step which is now authorized.

Mr. PERERSON of Georgia. What is the total amount of over-all authorization for the entire project?

Colonel FERINGA. The original plan, briefly, would cost $66,629,000. The initial step would cost $6,500,000.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. Do you recall how much we had in this last appropriation bill for that?

Colonel FERINGA. There was an item which would be sufficient to start construction of the dam at River Junction, $1,000,000.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. That is in the bill we finally agreed upon now before the President?

Colonel FERINGA. Yes; and the President will probably sign it today. Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. We hope so.

Colonel FERINGA. I think he will.

Mr. PITTENGER. That is about 2 years ago we had extended hearings on this.

Colonel FERINGA. Two years ago I appeared before this committee and explained it in detail.

Mr. PITTENGER. And there was considerable fuss kicked up about the

cost.

Colonel FERINGA. I believe so. At that time the committee authorized only the first initial step.

Now, in this report, which was presented to the Board of Rivers and Harbors last month by the district and division engineer, we recommended that the project be authorized for deeper navigation. We recommend that we get 9-foot depth as far as Columbus, and that we also get 9-foot depth as far as Bainbridge.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. That is just the project before us now.