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The first is, that personal part which Mr. Brooks has so nicely stated here that I played in the flood. If you would permit, I would like to have it taken out of the record. Personally I do not want any honor or anything else for the work I do publicly.

Mr. ALLEN. We would like that to stay in the record, Mr. Webb. We appreciate the sacrifice you made.

Mr. BROOKS. It shows he is familiar, Mr. Chairman, with the problem.

Mr. WEBB. But I would like to make this observation here, that for the last 25 years the taxpayers of Caddo Parish, I say literally, have spent more than a million and a quarter dollars in bank-protection work, and they have spent many, many millions of dollars in building of levees to prevent floods.

I guess Caddo Parish is one of the oldest that has been in bankprotection work. I do not feel that that money was thrown away; however, we have only one small bin that is left today with any of that work left on it because we did not have the funds left to carry on and protect this work after it was installed.

I feel that this job is entirely too big for any local government or any State government. That is the reason I personally have worked for more than 15 years to see just exactly the thing that has come to being in a minor way, just recently, with your board of engineers starting and declaring an emergency over there, and your first appropriation of a half million dollars in and around Shreveport for bankprotection work.

That is a start, but we are appealing to this committee to approve this over-all picture to carry on and give us a complete job. Mr. ALLEN. Thank you, Mr. Webb.

Mr. WEBB. I personally want to thank the Corps of Engineers for stepping in and declaring an emergency on my personal bin, you might say, because it affected me personally. They started some bank-protection work there.

Mr. BROOKS. Mr. Webb, all of our people want this very badly, do they not?

Mr. WEBB. There is no dissension among the people in Caddo Parish. They have all worked for many, many years. If that were not so, Mr. Brooks, they would not have spent these many, many millions of dollars of taxpayers' money in the past.

Mr. BROOKS. Thank you very much.

Mr. Chairman, the last witness on this list is Commissioner Lane Mitchell, of the city of Shreveport.

He appeared before this committee this morning briefly in reference to the Bayou Pierre project.

Mr. ALLEN. We would be glad to have your statement on this, Mr. Commissioner.

STATEMENT OF H. L. MITCHELL, COMMISSIONER, CITY OF

SHREVEPORT, LA.

Mr. MITCHELL. I cannot add much to what has been said other than a statement that the large section of the industrial area of the city of Shreveport lies within this flooded area, and the people of Shreveport are most wholeheartedly behind this project and approve it in all.

I thank you for this privilege.

Mr. ALLEN. Thank you, Mr. Commissioner.

Mr. BROOKS. That concludes the list of witnesses, Mr. Chairman. It has been suggested that these photographs might be filed with the committee. They are Senator Overton's photographs. Mr. ALLEN. That is for Senator Overton to decide.

Senator OVERTON. I am grateful for the Red River Valley Improvement Association for supplying me with these photographs. They speak eloquently of the need of an authorization for execution of this project. I would like to lend it to the committee with the understanding that when the committee is through, they will send it back to the Senate Commerce Committee.

Mr. ALLEN. Very well. We will leave them here with the committee, and the clerk will take good care of them and see that they get back to Senator Overton in due time.

My colleague from Louisiana, a very valuable member of this committee, Mr. Larcade, has been very cooperative, and he has not taken any time on this. We would be very glad to have any statement which he wishes to make at this time.

STATEMENT OF HON. HENRY D. LARCADE, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF LOUISIANA

Mr. LARCADE. Mr. Chairman, I have been interested enough in the Red River for many years because as you know this water has to come down to us, on my section of the State of Louisiana.

I would like to direct your attention to the hearings of the Flood Control Committee held in 1943, volume 1, at which time I inserted in the record from page 190 to page 229 a discussion of a comprehensive flood-control plan evolved by the Louisiana Flood Control Commission some 10 years ago, and from which the Louisiana State Department of Public Works, and engineers have taken the most emergent part of that program and have been urging its enactment with modifications and further improvements and suggestions which they have made.

Therefore, I will not go into any long discussion of this project except to say that in 1945, when this last terrible flood visited the Red River Valley, at the request of our colleagues, Mr. Allen and Mr. Brooks and Congressman. McKenzie, the Corps of Engineers were. prevailed upon to send General Robbins down there to make an inspection of the terrific damage, and the terrible devastation resulting from that flood; and as I said, on account of my great interest, I was invited to go on this trip and I went along, together with Congressmen Harris, of Arkansas and Congressman Colmer, of Mississippi, and Congressman McKenzie, of Louisiana, and in addition to General Robbins on this inspection tour, there was also Mr. Darling, a civilian engineer of the Corps of Engineers.

On this trip we had a complete opportunity to see first-hand the terrific damage that resulted from this flood, flying all the way from Fulton, Ark., south of Shreveport, and Melville, La., in my district. I think that there is no question but that this project should be

built at the earliest possible time, because the damage has been disclosed to be so terrific and occurs so often in this country that the economic justification is beyond question.

As a matter of fact, as stated by Mr. Odom and others who have testified here, this project does not only affect the State of Louisiana, but likewise the States of Arkansas, Texas, and the United States, and even down in my lower portion of the State of Louisiana, because whatever improvement is made for flood control on one part of the river it naturally affects the balance of it.

But as I stated in the beginning of my statement, this water finally finds itself down south, and the last flood in 1945 at the time that I referred to there was considerable question as to whether or not the Morganza spillway should be opened to relieve the floodwaters of this Red River.

I am heartily in accord with the project, and I want to assure you that I am going to do all that I can to assist in having it approved. The engineers have offered a very fine plan and one that will give relief and save millions and millions of dollars annually after this work is completed, if it is approved.

General Crawford, I would like to ask you one question for the record, for the benefit of my constituents, and that is, How will this project affect the lower Atchafalaya Basin?

General CRAWFORD. It will have no adverse effect on the lower Atchafalaya Basin.

Mr. LARCADE. Senator Overton called my attention to the fact that if that levee were to break south of Alexandria, that all of that water would come down into my country.

General CRAWFORD. That is right.

Mr. LARCADE. So any improvement that can be made on the Red River to control those floodwaters, not only protects that area but also gives relief to Arkansas, and also down south in my district. Mr. ALLEN. Thank you, Mr. Larcade.

Mr. BROOKS. Mr. Chairman, may I make one further remark?

I received a message from Mr. Claudius Dixon, who is the president of the Red River Valley Improvement Association, and also president of the Caddo Parish Levee Board, stating that he very much desired to be here, but Mr. Dixon is sick in a hospital in Dallas.

He has given his life to the work of flood control on Red River, and he is very much distressed that he cannot be here today, but he sends his greetings and wants to be regarded as fully in cooperation and in support of this project.

Mr. ALLEN. Are there any other witnesses appearing in favor of the project at this time?

(No response.)

Mr. ALLEN. Are there any witnesses appearing in opposition to the project?

STATEMENT OF J. W. DIXON, DIRECTOR, BRANCH OF PROJECT PLANNING, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. DIXON. I am appearing neither for or against the project. I would like to make a statement at the appropriate time.

Mr. ALLEN. We will hear you now, Mr. Dixon.

Mr. DIXON. I am Jack Dixon, Director of the Branch of Project Planning, Bureau of Reclamation, Deuartment of the Interior.

About 10 days ago Congressman Allen and Congressman Brooks called on the Secretary of the Interior with the request that the Secretary of the Interior complete and transmit to the Chief of Engineers his comments on the Red River report as expeditiously as possible so that it could be heard before this committee at this time.

I was privileged to be there at that discussion, and I wish to assure this committee and the other people present that the Secretary of the Interior was very pleased to comply with their request, and those comments have been made. I am pleased to furnish a copy to the committee for the record..

(The letter follows:)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Washington, April 12, 1946.

Lt. Gen. RAYMOND A. WHEELER,

Chief of Engineers, War Department.

MY DEAR GENERAL WHEELER: I have received your interim report on flood protection on the main stem of Red River downstream from Denison Dam.

The report recommends authorization of a new flood-control project for the Red River below Denison Dam which will incorporate within its several existing flood-control projects. The new features of the project include the extension of channel stabilization and levees, and the construction of six additional reservoirs. After the channel stabilization and levee extension program is completed, these reservoirs will provide storage to regulate a design flood compatible with downstream channel capacity. Conservation pools included in the capacities of these reservoirs will provide storage space for silt retention.

You propose that the reservoirs shall be used for the single purpose of flood control. However, you state in your interim report on improvement for navigation of the Red River below Shreveport, that your continuing investigations on the Red River and its tributaries will consider the problems of navigation, power, irrigation, and water supply, in addition to that of flood control. Several agencies of this Department, notably the Bureau of Reclamation and Fish and the Wildlife Service, are conducting investigations to determine the practicability of multiple-purpose uses of the waters of the Red River Basin. These studies will consider as multiple-purpose structures the same reservoirs which you recommend for authorization as single-purpose flood control structures. To insure the maximum benefits from the work of all related agencies, I recommend that, before final plans are prepared for the development and operation of this project, the several agencies in this Department be consulted and given full opportunity to assist in the formulation of final plans. The importance of close cooperation in this regard cannot be overemphasized. Should opportunities for hydroelectric power and irrigation developments be revealed, they should be fully exploited. Necessarily this Department would market any surplus power that might be produced. The utilization of stored waters for irrigation purposes would, of course, be governed by the Federal reclamation laws.

In the interests of public benefits for recreation and fish and wildlife it will be desirable, insofar as compatible with other interests, that: (1) Timber and heavy brush be retained on the banks of the reservoir down to elevations where it can be maintained; (2) public access to the reservoir areas and the waters

thereof should be assured by acquisition of sufficient lands and construction of an adequate system of roads; (3) water levels be stabilized during the spawning season; (4) releases of water from the reservoirs should be of such quantity as to protect the fishing downstream, and the rates of increase or decrease of released water should be gradual rather than abrupt; and (5) that authorized officials be encouraged to take such steps as are necessary to control and prevent domestic and industrial pollution, and that the reservoirs be operated consistent therewith.

For your information I am enclosing a report by the Fish and Wildlife Service made in review of your proposed report and which points out that if certain provisions are made, the gains in fish and wildlife resources will exceed losses of fish and wildlife values in the impoundment areas. This report is for your use in effecting coordination with that agency, in the field, during the course of preparation of your final plans for construction and operation of the system. The Fish and Wildlife Service will desire an opportunity to study the proposed reservoirs, and other authorized reservoir projects more thoroughly in the future with a view to developing possible refuge areas in this strategic waterfowl region. In the event any Indian lands are to be inundated or otherwise used or adversely affected by the construction of flood-control works, it is recommended that prior to commencing construction the War Department, in addition to any moneys paid for lands, make available to the Office of Indian Affairs such moneys and such available lieu lands as the Secretary of the Interior determines to be requisite for rehabilitating and relocating the Indians displaced as the result of such construction, and for replacing facilities destroyed or impaired through the operations of the flood-control works; such moneys to be made available for expenditure by the Office of Indian Affairs for land purchases, relocation, rehabilitation, and other authorized purposes. Lieu lands so acquired shall be nontaxable until otherwise provided by the Congress.

In your benefit-cost analysis you have used a price index of 190 representing 1945 prices in computing agricultural benefits shown in the report. Benefits from construction of the proposed flood-control works will accrue throughout the period of the life of the structure. Construction will be accomplished during a much shorter period and possibly under inflated prices. We believe that average farm prices during the life of the project are likely to be considerable lower, possibly as low as a price index of 120, rather than 190. Under these conditions, the ratio of benefits to costs would be reduced from benefits of 0.98 to costs of 1.00 as shown in your proposed report, to the ratio not higher than benefits of 0.75 to costs of 1.00. Further studies may show that these ratios of benefits to costs might be increased substantially if the reservoir projects which you propose to be authorized provide for the multiple-purpose uses of irrigation, power, and fish wildlife, as well as for flood control.

If, under these circumstances, the Congress desires to authorize the proposed project. I have no objection provided that full opportunity is afforded to the agencies of this Department to cooperate in the preparation of the detailed plans as suggested herein, and provided that full protection is given, as suggested, to any Indian lands that may be affected.

Sincerely yours,

WARNER W. GARDNER, Acting Secretary of the Interior.

As you are probably aware, the Department of the Interior is now engaged in making a comprehensive report on the Red River. It is expected that that report will be completed sometime during the remaining portion of this year.

In connection with that investigation we have been considering, through the various agencies of our Department, a number of possibilities in the area which is affected by this particular project.

Our purpose in presenting this statement today is not with regard to deferring the actions which are needed to protect the areas from the devastating floods which we are fully aware are taking place, but to point out, and I think wisely so, that on the basis of our investigations which, while they are not complete, show quite conclusively that there are going to be many opportunities for multiple uses of these reservoirs.

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