has made for flood relief is the authorization that we have provided in the bills from time to time and in each bill for flood fights and for rescue work.

What is your opinion as to the continuance of that authorization and the increases of it?

General CRAWFORD. I think it is very essential that it be continued essentially the way it is now, sir. We find every year that we have to invoke the provisions of those acts to meet emergency situations throughout the basin.

The CHAIRMAN. Secondly, we make provisions for you to expend and for the Chief of Engineers, under his supervision, not to exceed $25,000 on any tributary stream. You have spent those on tributary streams and the demands on this Committee are really more numerous than the demands for almost any kind of work because for that amount you have been able to give valuable relief.

General CRAWFORD. That is correct, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. The last case I had was a metropolitan area in the vicinity of Newark, N. J., where there had been a stream there that clogged up since Revolutionary days. People had tried to prevent it and small expenditures were of aid. Would you advise the continuance of those authorizations?

General CRAWFORD. I would, and I would strongly recommend a little more latitude so that we could undertake that work on more streams. The demands are so heavy throughout the United States, and I believe the most recent authorization on that is $600,000 a year, and $25,000 on any one stream.

The CHAIRMAN. The remaining project that you submitted is Lake Pontchartrain, the individual project, and the Red River.

Now, the Lake Pontchartrain project, while you turn to that project, is for the protection of the metropolitan area as a result of the waters that diverted through Bonnet Carre Spillway. What is the problem involved and what are the recommendations that you and the Chief of Engineers submit for the solution of the problem, the cost to the Government, and the requirement to the local industry?

General CRAWFORD. The area is located on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain and the area that we recommend be given protection by the levee along the lake shore is known as Jefferson Parish, an area of about 32,000 acres. It is generally land that is below, in the great part, the lake level due to continued pumping in the area and its natural low state.

It was protected by a little embankment of a highway that ran along the lake shore entirely inadequate to meet storm tides in Lake Pontchartrain.

It is proposed to build that levee up to a height of, I believe, 8 feet above sea level, which will give protection against anything but the hurricane tides which have, on occasion, swept across Lake Pontchartrain.

The land includes the new airport.

The CHAIRMAN. That airport cost many millions of dollars, as I recall.

General CRAWFORD. I think the properties involved in there now, about 200 residential and commercial structures, two defense housing projects, radio station and, as you say, also, the airport, all with an estimated value in excess of $6,000,000.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the estimated cost of the project to the Government?

General CRAWFORD. It is, the total cost, $1,200,000, of which the Government's portion recommended is $900,000. The local interests to contribute all lands, easements and rights-of-way, and contribute 25 percent of the initial cost not in excess of $300,000. They are also to alter bridges and maintain the works after completion.

The CHAIRMAN. Reference has been made to a project at Baton Rouge for a relief comparable to that proposed to be considered in connection with the Memphis area and the Vicksburg area. My recollection is, and I ask you to advise me if I am not correct, is that that project was made under a resolution of the Commerce Committee and is now pending before the Committee on Rivers and Harbors in the House.

General CRAWFORD. I believe it is a river-and-harbor resolution, if I am not mistaken.

The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to say, that we have with us, as mentioned yesterday, at the beginning of the hearings, a very valuable member of the Mississippi River Commission, Admiral L. O. Colbert. General Crawford, the President of the Mississippi River Commission.

We return, General Crawford, for a moment to your statement in connection with the status of the works along the Yazoo, Tallahatchie, and Coldwater system and to the tributary streams, including the Petacocowa brought to our attention, and I would like to call your attention to the fact that east of the river system there are-General Crawford, I am going to ask the district engineer, Colonel Sauer, to point out on the map there the Yazoo River system, commencing at its source and indicating on the map its mouth.

STATEMENT BY LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAUER, CORPS OF

ENGINEERS

Colonel SAUER. The Tallahatchie River is formed by the confluence of the Coldwater River and the Little Tallahatchie River, and at the city of Greenwood the Yalobusha River joins the Tallahatchie to form the Yazoo. From Greenwood down it is known as the Yazoo River and empties into the Mississippi River at the city of Vicksburg.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, take the vicinity of Greenwood on the map there, and the river system there is something like from there down to Yazoo City, which is something like 6 to 10 miles from the hills, is that true generally, or if you desire to make a correction, what would you say it is?

Colonel SAUER. That is generally true.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, there are tributaries of that river system, including the Petacocowa, including the Big Sandy, including the Palucia, including the Abiaca, and other streams that enter the river in the hills. Under this adopted project, the foundation of the protection is what, principally?

Colonel SAUER. It is comprised of four reservoirs in the headwaters, one on the Coldwater River, one on Little Tallahatchie, and one on Yocona, supplemented by channel rectification and enlargement works and levees.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, the levees on both sides of the river from Greenwood, and above Greenwood, south principally, on the west side of the river, and that leaves there, General Crawford, valuable areas of lands that are subjected to these floods that debouch from the hills and spread over all that territory so that the lands east of the river are flooded to an extent comparable to that when there were no levees at all and the reservoirs were not constructed.

Now, then, under the adopted project, those people are, as they are generally, they live behind levees or flood walls, and they are protected by them. What I say with respect to this project is applicable to others. Those people are being misled. They were flooded this year because they thought that this project was going to protect them. What has been said about those streams is applicable to these other streams. What would you say about that, General?

STATEMENT BY MAJ. GEN. R. W. CRAWFORD, PRESIDENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION-Resumed

General CRAWFORD. It does not provide for protection of those streams.

The CHAIRMAN. What would you say as to your recommendation for the proper protection when you convinced yourself that the protection should be made?

General CRAWFORD. Some of the streams can be improved greatly in their water-carrying capacity, and some of those streams already have levees along the streams, and the levees could be enlarged.

The CHAIRMAN. And under the tributary money you have provided some works?

General CRAWFORD. Under emergency money we have done considerable work. Particularly this last year Colonel Sauer worked a good deal on some of those streams. The silt and debris from the hills, in these flash streams, fill up the beds very quickly, and as soon as they fill up their beds they flow all over the countryside.

The CHAIRMAN. And the solution of those problems would involve channelization in some cases, would involve silt basins?

General CRAWFORD. That has been tried.

The CHAIRMAN. It might involve cut-offs in others as well as supplemental levees?

General CRAWFORD. I think each individual stream would have to be studied, and the solution would have to be different for different streams.

The CHAIRMAN. And, as you have indicated in response to questions that we have previously asked you, you have studied, and the Committee has requested reports with respect to at least some of those streams, and what you are investigating with respect to those streams, would be applicable to the other?

General CRAWFORD. That is correct.

The CHAIRMAN. And, as I understand your recommendation, it would be a modification of the adopted project to authorize you in your discretion, or in the discretion of the Chief of Engineers or the President of the Mississippi River Commission, to construct what works would be economically justified along those areas?

General CRAWFORD. That is correct. That would be the only approach that we could get any immediate relief on.

The CHAIRMAN. The Canadian River report we have before us here is not submitted by you, it is submitted by the Chief of Engineers! General CRAWFORD. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, General Crawford, we are glad to have you with us. It is the first time that we have had the benefit of extended hearings from the President of the Mississippi River Commission over a period of years for so long a time, and so helpful and constructive, and if in the revision of your remarks-we have asked you for statistics, for information, and for the additional authorization-we will ask you to insert what you think should be the additional authorization. As I have understood you, you feel that this Memphis, and this Vicksburg project could be embraced in the main Mississippi River project and that these tributary streams could be embraced in the Yazoo project, and that these other streams, both in Arkansas and Louisiana, and Mississippi, and as well as the St. Johns and Southeast Missouri, could be as amendments to the adopted projects? General CRAWFORD. That is correct.

The CHAIRMAN. And if you have any other suggestions or recommendations, we will be glad to have you submit them.

For the record, Colonel Sauer, would you give the reporter your name and how long you have been district engineer at Vicksburg? Colonel SAUER. Lt. Col. R. W. Sauer, district engineer, Vicksburg engineer district, Vicksburg, Miss.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, Colonel Sauer, you have the immediate supervision of the reservoirs in that area, and as I recall, Congress made a deficiency appropriation to initiate the Grenada and the Enid Reservoirs and what progress is being made regarding that at the present time?

Colonel SAUER. That is correct. There is approximately $4,000,000 in the deficiency bill for the initiation of these two reservoirs, and it is expected that bids will be received for them very shortly. The CHAIRMAN. They will be on the way?

Colonel SAUER. Right, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And when those two reservoirs are constructed what other works are to follow in order to provide for protection? Colonel SAUER. There is some additional channel rectification work required on the Yalobusha River. There are some crevasses in the vicinity of Swan Lake that will have to be closed. There are two cut-offs above Greenwood on the Tallahatchie River that are yet to be completed and two on the Yazoo near Greenwood at Fort Pemberton and Fort Loring, and then a system of levees along the PanolaQuitman Floodway and on the Yazoo River from Greenwood down to Yazoo City on both banks.

The CHAIRMAN. If any additional cut-offs are required, you have the authority, without any additional legislation, as to whether those cut-offs, or in the vicinity of Yazoo City, as General Crawford has previously referred to, a probable cut-off there or elsewhere you have the authority to make them?

Colonel SAUER. That is right, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, Colonel, these reservoirs are to be supplemented, as you say, by the channelization work that you have done, and what would you say about the increased carrying capacity of the river for a length of 3 or 4 miles as a result of that channelization work?

Colonel SAUER. That will increase the capacity of the channel some 25 or 30 percent, on the average.

The CHAIRMAN. In the upper stretches it will be a good deal more in many cases, and you have given us the average for the average length.

Now, Colonel, what about your high water there? Did you have an overflow?

Colonel SAUER. Yes, sir; we had a very serious flood extending all the way from the headwaters of the Coldwater down to Yazoo City. It was particularly bad in the vicinity below Greenwood, Miss. The CHAIRMAN. Almost a record flood?

Colonel SAUER. In the vicinity of from 8 to 10 miles below Greenwood it was the record flood.

The CHAIRMAN. Now then, the local interests are organized, and they are offering you to furnish the rights-of-way to the levees, and under the adopted project you have the discretion where it is required to build levees when funds are available to supplement the levees? Colonel SAUER. That is correct, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And the order of their construction is with you, and the president of the Mississippi River Commission, and the supervision of the Chief of Engineers

Colonel SAUER. Right, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And ordinarily you begin at the headwater and come down, and that has been the course?

Colonel SAUER. That is right.

The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have your statement and glad to have you attend the hearing.

General Crawford, before you leave I have this further question. You have, in utilizing German war prisoners, a project in the vicinity of Jackson, Miss., known as the Clinton project?

General CRAWFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And you have stated to the committee that it is necessary for you to have some additional-that that land where that project has been constructed, where you have got an experimental laboratory for the Ohio and other streams of the United States, ought to be conveyed to the Engineers-am I right or wrong?

General CRAWFORD. It should be conveyed-it belongs to the Army, and we need the entire installation there for our experimental activities. We have a piece of the land in which we have the model of the entire Mississippi Basin on a scale similar to that now on the small part of Pittsburgh, about, I should say, probably over-all 40 to 50 percent complete. They discovered that there was some legal obstacle to transferring those lands to the civil works without an act of Congress.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, that work has been done during the war by the first German prisoners, the African Corps, brought to this country, and that is invaluable in connection with the experimental laboratory, and you feel that there should be authority for those lands to be transferred to the Corps of Engineers?

General CRAWFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. Chairman, the same thing applies at Grenada. The Army Air Field at Grenada, section 10 of that airfield, occupies a portion of our dam site; and naturally we don't want the Army to go out and sell that and then have to buy it back out of flood-control appropria

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