tion of Gathright and Falling Spring Reservoirs with dams located on the Jackson River about 19 and 11 miles, respectively, upstream from Covington, Va., for alleviation of flood damages, production of electric power, abatement of pollution, and provision of recreational areas. On further motion, duly passed, it is Ordered, That B. C. Moomaw, Jr., be directed and authorized by the Board of Supervisors of Bath County, Va., to represent the board at the hearing of the Flood Control Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C., on Tuesday, the 9th day of April 1946. [SEAL] A copy-Teste: D. L. MARSHALL, Chairman. VIRGINIA D. CLEEK, Clerk. FLOOD CONTROL COMMITTEE, COUNTY OF ALLEGHANY, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, Covington, Va., April 6, 1946. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: The postwar planning commission wants to express their hope that nothing will interfere with the proposed construction of the two dams across Jackson River, north of Covington. We are heartily in favor of this project and know that we are expressing the consensus of opinion of the vast majority of the inhabitants of Alleghany County as well as some of the largest industries. We have asked Mr. B. C. Moomaw to present this letter to you and to represent us at the hearings before your committee. By order of the chairman. ALLEGHANY COUNTY POSTWAR PLANNING COMMISSION, COUNTY OF ALLEGHANY, FLOOD CONTROL COMMITTEE, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, Covington, Va., April 6, 1946. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: This is to advise you that the Board of Supervisors of Alleghany County, Va., have unanimously endorsed the proposed multiple-purpose dam known as the Gathright Dam on Jackson River, north of Covington, which is a headwater stream of the James River in accordance with a resolution, copy of which is hereto attached. Mr. B. C. Moomaw, Jr., secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of Covington, Va., has been asked to represent the board at the public hearing of your committee scheduled for April 9. This letter is his authority to represent this board in favor of this project. Respectfully yours, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Whereas it is proposed to build two dams on Jackson River, above Covington, for the purpose of flood control, regulation of stream flow, pollution abatement, and manufacture of electric power; and Whereas these purposes, particularly regulation of stream flow and pollution abatement, are of vital importance to Alleghany County and its citizens; and Whereas all of the purposes of this project are of great value to this entire section of Virginia: Be it Resolved, That the Board of Supervisors of Alleghany County do hereby strongly endorse this project and urge its approval and authorization by the Congress of the United States; be it further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to His Excellency, William M. Tuck, Governor of Virginia, the Honorable J. Lindsay Almond, Jr., the Honorable A. Willis Robertson, and Senator Harry F. Byrd, with the request that they assist us in securing the authorization of this project. RETAIL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION OF COVINGTON, INC., FLOOD CONTROL COMMITTEE, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: This is to advise you that this association has indorsed the Gathright Dam project, on the headwaters of the James River, and have asked Mr. B. C. Moomaw, Jr., secretary of the chamber of commerce, Covington, Va., to represent us on your hearing on April 9 in favor of this project. This letter is Mr. Moomaw's authority to appear as our representative. RETAIL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION,, Chairman, Legislative Committee. FLOOD CONTROL COMMITTEE, ALLEGHANY POST, No. 4, AMERICAN LEGION, DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: Our post of the American Legion, composed of over 300 members, all citizens and taxpayers of Alleghany County, Va., strongly favors and endorses the erection of a dam or dams on the Jackson River, the principle one of which is referred to as the Gathright Dam, for the purpose of flood control, etc. The post endorsed the project at a regular meeting held July 25, 1945, copy of resolution passed unanimously at that meeting being attached to this letter. Mr. Ben Moomaw, executive secretary of the Covington (Va.) Chamber of Commerce, will attend a hearing on the above project before the Flood Control Committee on Tuesday, April 9, 1946, and it is our wish that Mr. Moomaw represent the post at this hearing. Very sincerely yours, ALLEGHANY POST No. 4, AMERICAN LEGION,. Whereas engineers of the United States Army have, for the past 5 years, been conducting a study of flood control involving the Jackson River, which flows through Alleghany County, Va., and have recommended the construction of a dam to control the flow of water in said stream; and Whereas this investigation is part of a program for flood control of the Federal Government covering the entire United States; and Whereas, believing that the erection of the proposed dam, as outlined by the United States Army engineers, will tend to provide a uniform and controlled flow of water in the Jackson River, along with certain recreational facilities, and the erection of a hydroelectric plant to produce a limited amount of electricity for the benefit of the people of this section of Virginia, we feel that the benefits derived therefrom will justify the expenditure of the cost of construction: Therefore be it Resolved, That Alleghany Post, No. 4, the American Legion, Covington, Va., composed of veterans of World Wars I and II, all citizens and taxpayers of Alleghany County, Va., hereby unanimously endorses this project as outlined by the United States Army engineers; and be it further Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the commanding officer, United States Army engineers, Norfolk, Va.; United States Senator Harry Flood Byrd; Congressman Clifton A. Woodrum; the Board of Supervisors of Alleghany County, Va.; the Town Council of Covington, Va.; the Covington Virginian, for publication; and a copy be spread on the minutes of Alleghany Post, No. 4, the American Legion, Covington, Va. Attest: JULY 25, 1945. A. N. STINNETT, E. R. LAWRENCE, Post Adjutant. FLOOD CONTROL COMMITTEE, TOWN OF COVINGTON, VA., April 6, 1946. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: This is to advise you that postwar planning commission ow town of Covington, Va., unanimously approved the construction of the multiple-purpose dam and regulating dam in the James River Basin north of Covington. This letter authorizes Mr. B. C. Moonaw, Jr., secretary of Chamber of Commerce of Town of Covington, to represent the committee at your hearing of this project. Respectfully yours, COVINGTON PLANNING COMMISSION, FLOOD CONTROL COMMITTEE TOWN OF COVINGTON, VA., April 6, 1946. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: This is to advise that the Town Council of Covington, Va., has endorsed the flood-control project on the headwaters of the James River above Covington known as the Gathright Dam. This letter is presented by Mr. B. C. Moomaw, Jr., secretary of the Covington Virginia Chamber of Commerce, who is authorized to represent the town council as proponents of this project at the hearings held by your committee. Respectfully yours, TOWN COUNCIL, Mayor. Hon. B. C. MOOMAW, Jr., Covington, Va. COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, HOUSE OF DELEGATES, DEAR BEN: Many people in our section are recommending and supporting the report of the Army engineers concerning the proposed Gathright-Falling Springs Dam. This, in my opinion, is a very practical multiple-purpose project for power, flood control, and pollution abatement. I want to go on record in support of this project and shall appreciate you presenting my views as I understand you expect to appear before a committee hearing in the near future. Very cordially, CHAS. N. LOVING. Mr. MOOMAW. This project is of interest to Covington. Covington is an industrial town of about 12,000 population and it is growing. Downstream from it is Clifton Forge, which is largely a railroad town but also an industrial town, and both of them are built right on the river banks of the Jackson River on both sides. The CHAIRMAN. How far is Staunton from those two communities? Mr. MOOMAW. Oh, 60 miles, 60 or 70 miles. That is, respectively, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Is it in the James River watershed? Mr. MOOMAW. No, sir; Staunton is, again, in the Potomac River Basin. The CHAIRMAN. I want the record to show that. Mr. MOOMAW. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Go ahead. Mr. MOOMAW. We have this situation with us, sir, and I want to say that this dam while it has very wonderful flood-control conditions for us at Covington and downstream to us, the principal value of the dam is in the regulation of the stream flow. For two very important reasons—one is that the Jackson River, which drains an area of about 440 miles, doesn't it, Colonel? Colonel HERB. About 900 square miles, sir. Mr. MOOMAW. It is subject to great variation in flow. It gets down sometimes to 60 cubic feet per second. Our biggest industry there, a big paper industry, gets its water supply from the Jackson River, and during these low-water periods the whole river is running through the plant. We now have a shortage of water for this industry and also for our municipal water supply, the greater portion of which is gotten from the Jackson River. It will be impossible for this industry or any other of our industries or large commercial users to get additional supplies of water from Covington, because in low-water periods the supply simply does not exist. Every year our town council has to issue restrictions against sprinkling and washing automobiles, and that sort of thing, to conserve the water supply. Now, this dam as it is planned and proposed by the engineers would augment the low stream flow at all times by some four times as much as the normal low-water period, and six or eight times the extreme low-water period, and would provide for Covington and for the vicinities downstream a supply of water that would be adequate to our need for any foreseeable use. So that the regulation of stream flow in the way of augmenting low-water flow is the tremendously important thing to our area there and would permit industrial expansion and other development which is not now possible to us. The second feature that is important to us, sir, is pollution abatement. As I say, we have these large industries there that have some industrial discharge into the river, and the municipalities of Covington and Clifton Forge and some smaller municipalities along the stream put their municipal sewage into the river, and we have a condition of serious pollution. The question might come up as to why we don't clear our own situation there when it comes to pollution; but, Judge Whittington, our industries are very large users of water; they run a whole river through the plant at a low period and it is not economically feasible for private industries to do that much clearing up. Now, as I say, our town of Covington and Clifton Forge, and numerous villages between, are built on the river bottoms right adjacent for a distance of about 15 miles up and down the stream. It is almost continual residential industrial construction. Now, this pollution proposition is a very serious matter at low water flows, which occur in very hot weather, and you take the low water, the slow flowing stream with the concentration of pollution The CHAIRMAN. What causes your pollution? What kind of a factory do you have there? Mr. MOOMAW. Pulp and paper production and rayon production, and municipal sewage of about 25,000 people, you see? The CHAIRMAN. How many rayon factories have you got there? Mr. MOOMAW. One. The CHAIRMAN. They do cause pollution? Mr. MOOMAW. A smaller amount than the paper manufacturing, of course, but, yes, that is true, they do. The CHAIRMAN. They use pulp, I guess, largely? Mr. MOOMAW. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Anything besides the pollution? That is embraced in other sections. Mr. MOOMAW. Pollution is not serious. Pollution is very serious with us, and then, again, at Lynchburg, sir. The point that I am making is that we have a serious pollution. The CHAIRMAN. On the James River at Lynchburg? Mr. MOOMAW. The point I am making is that we have a serious pollution condition which this development will abate to a point where it will no longer be a serious problem to us. That will dilute the pollution; it will move it out of the stream faster and will create a situation that will not be objectionable as it is now so that that would be of tremendous value to us. The CHAIRMAN. Any other point that you haven't brought out in your prepared statement that you would like to emphasize before the committee? Mr. MOOMAW. Flood control, I am going to touch on flood control for my community, if I may. The CHAIRMAN. All right; go ahead. Mr. MOOMAW. The Covington, being, as I have said, built on the first river bottom, has been subjected to overflow, creating quite a serious damage. This dam, as proposed by the engineers, and operated as planned by them, would reduce the peak of our highest flood of record by 9 feet above the confluence of Dunlap Creek, which is a tributary stream that comes in at Covington. The height of the floodwater, highest flood of record below the mouth of Dunlap Creek, would be 6 feet. Throughout this area it affords us a very valuable measure of flood protection. The CHAIRMAN. What have you ever done to protect yourself with a local works? Have you ever constructed? Mr. MOOMAW. None at all, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Go ahead. Mr. MOOMAW. The reduction in the height of these floods would also bring into production some very valuable bottom lands along the river there that are not now subject to tillage because they are subject to overflow. The CHAIRMAN. Are you familiar with the types of lands above the land sites? Mr. MOOMAW. Yes, sir. As you can see up here [indicating on map] all the terrain above here is mountainous. The CHAIRMAN. What about the valley above the dam? Mr. MOOMAW. There are a little bit of narrow bottoms up there. It is mountains and wood territory. There wouldn't be as much as 2 percent of the area above the dam that would be agricultural land. There is probably 5 percent of the area above the dam that is pasture and tillage. The CHAIRMAN. Is that in that bluegrass country there? Mr. MOOMAW. Yes, sir; we have outside our mountains some very good bluegrass. The CHAIRMAN. I am talking about that particular part of the reservoir. |