industry of this area is not only vital to Cincinnati but is important to the country at large. In it are produced literally hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of machine tools, chemicals, plastics, automobile motors, shoes, soaps and toilet articles, meat products, and a great variety of metal fabrication of all kinds, to mention only a few, most of which have a wide distribution throughout the entire country. With that slight background of the area affected, I would like to discuss briefly the natural reaction to the report itself which I think would be my feeling if I was not acquainted with the conditions. It recommends a small dam and detention reservoir at comparatively small cost, controlling a drainage area of some 30 square miles, with an economic ratio of annual cost to annual benefits of about 1 to 1 and admittedly has no effect on floods in the Ohio River. So far not at all impressive in your thinking nor would it be in mine. But the real picture is this. It has the physical form and functions of a typical flooddetention reservoir but it is entirely different and is actually a purely local protection project. Its purposes could well and generally are accomplished by flood walls or levees as might be done in this case. Or channel improvement will do the job, a method sometimes used though not freqently. In addition to the dam some rectification will be required which will be done through local means. The State has already appropriated $200,000 for this purpose and I am sure the county, city, and other political subdivisions will contribute their assistance. In this case a detention reservoir has been recommended rather uniquely but very wisely only because it accomplishes the purpose more economically than the usual methods. So please look at this as a small, integral part and completion of the Cincinnati local protection project which in its entirety will protect against a flood loss of $35,000,000 as in the 1937 flood and the final economic ratio of benefits to costs of which is about 2% to 1, one of the most favorable and valuable in the list of flood-control projects in the United States. We hope that you will adopt this project on the basis of the favorable Engineer Department report now before you. And in addition, on the basis of the above brief discussion, that you will give it high priority as it has great value to the industry of Cincinnati and the country as a whole. Respectfully submitted. FRED T. BASS, Manager, Industrial Department, Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. The CHAIRMAN. We are very glad to have had your statement. Any questions by any members of the committee?" In this connection we have a communication from the North Side Business Flood Control Committee in favor of this project, representing, as they say, some 38,000 voters. Mr. HESS. They are right in the heart of it, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Hess. Mr. Hobart Wehking, county commissioner of Hamilton County. STATEMENT OF HOBART WEHKING, COUNTY COMMISSIONER, HAMILTON COUNTY Mr. WEHKING. I want to be most brief in my comments on this. Representing the unincorporated area of Hamilton County, and also the smaller communities outside the corporate limits of Cincinnati, I would just like to call to your attention that last year these communities, together with the unincorporated area, suffered a loss of approximately $300,000 in damage to private property from this particular Mill Creek flash floods. There is no question that if this project does go through, it will aid materially in the flood control of greater Cincinnati. The officials of the county, plus the other communities, including Cincinnati, definitely want to cooperate to give some relief to the valley. I have a brief prepared statement. The CHAIRMAN. You may pass it to the reporter and it will be inserted in the record at this point. (The statement referred to is as follows:) To Hon. W. M. Whittington and Members of the House Committee on Flood Control: As county commissioner of Hamilton County, Ohio, representing the unincorporated area as well as the smaller communities outside of the corporate limits of Cincinnati, I want to appeal to you Members of Congress to give approval to the Mill Creek Reservoir project, as suggested by the United States engineers. There is no question but this reservoir will aid tremendously in the flood-control program in Greater Cincinnati. I am attaching to this statement a map showing the area outside of Cincinnati proper that is affected by flash floods in the Mill Creek Valley. In the past year these communities suffered untold hardships, as well as several hundred thousands of dollars property damage to private homes and farm lands caused by the numerous floods in this section. Then, too, it cost the various political subdivisions quite a sum of money to repair the roads, and bridges for each flood, which always causes considerable damage to the highways. These floods are a menace to the health of the citizens residing in this area, and, with six or eight floods in a period of 1 year, an epidemic of some kind can easily come upon us. Last year the following communities suffered financial loss to private property as follows: City of Reading City of Lockland_. City of St. Bernard. Village of Elmwood_. $200,000 Village of Woodlawn__. $2,000 1, 000 2,000 Village of Arlington Heights_ 9,000 Unincorporated area damage 18, 000 to homes and agriculture___ 120, 000 These figures are established through the officials of these communities and they are exclusive of damage to industrial concerns. The county commissioners of Hamilton County, together with the officials from Cincinnati and the other communities mentioned in this area, have agreed to cooperate 100 percent with the Federal Government to bring about the completion of this reservoir and also the survey by the State of Ohio for rechannelization of the Mill Creek, which, when all completed, will, without question, bring much needed relief to Greater Cincinnati in this flood-control program. In closing may I say that not only the people affected by these floods would be most grateful to your committee for immediate approval of this relief project, but the citizens, as a whole, of our community would appreciate your support. HOBART A. WEHKING, County Commissioner, Hamilton County, Cincinnati, Ohio. The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have had your statement. Mr. Hess, your next witness. Mr. HESS. Mr. Donald H. Rolf of the State legislature. STATEMENT OF DONALD H. ROLF, OF THE OHIO STATE Mr. ROLF. My name is Donald H. Rolf. I am a member of the Ohio Legislature. I am from Cincinnati. I happen to live in this flooded area. As a member of the Ohio Legislature, I have seen this Mill Creek cause tremendous damage, and it is increasing from year to year. Through an appropriation of over $200,000 we hope to aid the Federal Government in doing the primary engineering work in order to prevent additional encroachments upon the creek. The State of Ohio through this appropriation is about ready to let a contract for engineering surveys for this complete Mill Creek Valley which has been advised by the Federal engineers. I have a prepared statement which I would like to submit. The CHAIRMAN. It may be inserted in the record at this point. (The statement referred to is as follows:) To the Congressional Committee: Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, the Mill Creek is a stream in the western and central part of Hamilton County, extending northward from the Ohio River through Hamilton County into Butler County. Just south of the city of Reading the stream branches, one branch extending northwardly to the village of Green Hills and the other main stream extending northwardly well into Butler County. The entire length of the stream, in both branches, is well over 30 miles. The stream flows through some densely populated areas and through important industrial property of Hamilton County. The entire area is subject to flash floods, the floodwaters covering valuable property and many streets in the city of Cincinnati and other cities and villages of Hamilton County. For many years preventing floods in this area has been a matter of great concern. Each succeeding year the amount of damage caused by the floods has increased tremendously. As a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from Hamilton County, I introduced an appropriation for the sum of $200,000 for changing, widening, and deepening of the channels of Mill Creek in Hamilton and Butler Counties, and to cooperate with the Federal Government in the prevention of flash floods in the Mill Creek Valley. The State of Ohio, as the result of this appropriation, is now ready to conduct a detailed engineering survey and other engineering work, its purpose being to prevent encroachment on the Mill Creek, and if necessary, some channel work, so as to enable the channel of the Mill Creek to take the maximum amount of water, which will be in line with the advice of the Federal engineers, so that the proposed reservoir will be of maximum benefit in aiding in the prevention of flash floods in the Mill Creek. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Hess. Mr. HESS. Mr. Evans Stearnes. The CHAIRMAN. Your name and official position? DONALD H. ROLF. STATEMENT OF EVANS STEARNES, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE STEARNES & FOSTER CO., CINCINNATI, OHIO Mr. STEARNES. My name is Evans Stearnes. I am vice president of the Stearnes & Foster Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. I have no prepared statement. I am only here to advocate that the industries of the Mill Creek Valley, most of whom I represent, are heartily in favor of the Army's proposed project on the West Fork of the Mill Creek Valley. It will do the industry considerable good in one way which has not been mentioned here so far. Nearly all of those industries get their water supply for manufacturing processes from underground. Some of them used to take it from the old OhioErie Canal before it was abandoned. Now they can take it from the Mill Creek if there is a steady flow down Mill Creek. The CHAIRMAN. That is brought out pretty fully in the report of the engineers. Mr. STEARNES. I will not take any more time. I might add that I have just received a job from the county commissoners that I do not know much about. That is the coordination of the various government bodies and the arrangement between them as to how much each shall put up to help out the State, county, and other municipalities. Mr. ELSTON. I would like to ask Mr. Stearnes about one feature. At the time they constructed the Wright aeronautical plant it was necessary to pipe water from some distance away, was it not? Mr. STEARNES. It was necessary to go about 12 miles farther up the valley and sink a lot of wells and build a pipe line down to the Wright aeronautical plant, because the water table underneath the valley there has been depleted to a large extent. The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have had your statement. Mr. HESS. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Any witnesses here who oppose this project, this Mill Creek project? Mr. INGERSOLL. I desire to make a brief statement and supplement it later. The CHAIRMAN. All right, proceed. STATEMENT OF ALBERT C. INGERSOLL, REPRESENTING THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ASSOCIATION Mr. INGERSOLL. I live in Cincinnati. I have lived there for 20 years. During that 20 years I have owned considerable property right close to the Mill Creek. I have seen it in operation in times of flood and in times of drought. Speaking from my abundant knowledge of the situation, not only in Mill Creek Valley but generally in the flood territory around Cincinnati, I want to say that on behalf of the Mississippi Valley Association I heartily endorse the appeal that has been made by the gentleman from Cincinnati regarding this Mill Creek improvement. I think it is a very worthy enterprise and I hope it will be approved. (The statement referred to is as follows:) EXTENSION OF REMARKS BY ALBERT C. INGERSOLL BEFORE THE FLOOD CONTROL COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, APRIL 10, 1946 Having in mind the further needs of Cincinnati, I am recommending, on behalf of our association, that improvements be made forthwith on two projects in the neighborhood of Cincinnati. First. East Fork Reservoir on the Little Miami River. Second. The Falmouth Reservoir on the Licking River in Kentucky. Both of these projects have already been approved for construction by acts of Congress. East Fork Reservoir shows an estimated cost of $4,500,000 with no hydro. The Falmouth Reservoir shows an estimated cost of $8,650,000 with no hydro. These projects will operate to remove what is still a very serious flood menace to the Cincinnati area, namely, the flash floods which appear without warning, due to certain storms occuring on these rivers, the result of which will bring about an overnight rise in the Ohio River at Cincinnati which may be anywhere from 5 to 10 feet. On occasion these run-outs have happened when the Ohio River already had high water at Cincinnati, and this additional water coming when it does brings about a big increase in the water level, bringing about a dangerous situation for the city. There have frequently been great losses from floods in the Cincinnati area, both from Mill Creek and the Ohio River, and we are anxious to see all possible speed made in removing the immediate remaining cause of these difficulties. East Fork and Falmouth will do more to help this problem at Cincinnati than any amount of money spent farther up the river. Cincinnati in its metropolitan area has a population of 1,000,000 people, more or less less, and is greatly deserving of this assistance. The 1937 flood in the Cincinnati area reached a stage of 80 feet in the Ohio River. The losses were: 2 lives lost; 73,000 persons made refugees; estimated damage over $47,000,000—1945 flood, 69 foot stage in the Ohio River: 3 lives lost; estimated property damage $5,900,000—1913 flood stage, 72 feet: estimated damage $15,000,000. Summing this up, we are asking for the protection from flood for Cincinnati, the largest city on the Ohio River below Pittsburgh: First. Building the Mill Creek Reservoir. Second. Building the East Fork and Falmouth Dams. Beyond that, the stablization of the Ohio River from floods is very important for the commerce being carried on that river. The commerce has increased 500 percent in 17 years up to 1944. At the end of that period it amounted to 7,000,000,000 ton-miles of freight, annually. In furthering this objective, it is our ardent wish that more funds can be appropriated to build the entire Ohio Valley system of dams so rapidly that they will be completed at the end of 10 years. The CHAIRMAN. We are delighted to have had your statement. (Whereupon the committee recessed at 12: 45 p. m., pursuant to reconvening the same day at 2:30 p. m.) AFTERNOON SESSION The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. Representative Campbell, you said you had a witness here who wanted to testify, by the name of Greene. If you desire to present him, you may present him at this time, with respect to the Pittsburgh area and Conemaugh. Mr. CAMPBELL. I would like to present Dr. James H. Green, executive vice president of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. The CHAIRMAN. Pardon me, Mr. Campbell, he is testifying in behalf of what project? Mr. CAMPBELL. The Conemaugh River Reservoir. The CHAIRMAN. As I understand, that is approved by Congress? Mr. CAMPBELL. That is right. The CHAIRMAN. You favored it and so does this witness? Mr. CAMPBELL. I might just make a preliminary statement that will clear that up. The CHAIRMAN. Very well, I will appreciate that. Mr. CAMPBELL. I think what I am about to say will be most refreshing to these Army engineers, in the first place, because I want to compliment them on the wonderful job they have done on the Conemaugh River Reservoir. They are ahead of schedule and what Mr. Greene is about to ask you for is an appropriation to allow that advanced work to continue. The CHAIRMAN. The project has been authorized? Mr. CAMPBELL. That is right. The CHAIRMAN. Before you begin, please, Colonel West, what is the situation with respect to the reservoir? Colonel WEST. We have entered into a contract for the relocation of the Pennsylvania Railroad, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Have you an appropriation for it? Colonel WEST. Yes, sir; we have. The CHAIRMAN. When did you get it? Colonel WEST. We got it in the 1946 Deficiency Act of December 28, 1945. |