Page images
PDF
EPUB

The report by the Corps of Engineers states that these are singlepurpose reservoirs. In the companion Corps of Engineers report on the Red River, the one for navigation, which is being considered by the House Committee on Rivers and Harbors, it states that further studies are being made for irrigation, power, and water supply in the same

area.

It is our conclusion and our recommendation as well, that in the preparation of the detailed plans for these projects, if they are authorized by the Congress, that consideration should be given to the distinct possibility of other multiple-purpose uses.

The Department of the Interior will stand ready to cooperate and, in fact, solicit the opportunity to cooperate with the Corps of Engineers in the development of those final plans.

In connection with one such multiple-purpose possibility, the Fish and Wildlife Service, for example, has already prepared a 20-page report and has submitted it to the Corps of Engineers to point out how, with certain modifications, improved economic justification and benefits can be obtained for this particular project that you are considering.

Therefore, I would conclude, for the Department of the Interior, that we have no objection to the initiation of this work, provided that the Department of the Interior is given full opportunity to participate in the development of the final plans so that the best net result can take place for the benefits of the basin as a whole.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Dixon, I note in the reply of Lieutenant General Wheeler to the Secretary, under date of April 12, 1946, that he calls the Secretary's attention to the "existing procedures in the four-party agreement in 1943-December 29, 1943," and he points out that at that time the four agencies involved entered into an agreement to coordinate and correlate the various interests of those agencies.

That agreement is satisfactory with you; is it not?

Mr. DIXON. Yes, sir. I have missed very few of those meetings, and we are thoroughly in accord with the objectives of that group.

I mention this not ingratuitously, that we have not had an opportunity to see this report before it was submitted to us officially in official form. The purpose of that committee, named the Federal Interagency River Basin Committee, is to bring about coordination as far as that is possible while the reports are in their formative stage, and we subscribe fully to that.

We thought, therefore, that it would be worth while to put into the record that we would like to participate in the preparation of the detailed plans because we feel that we can give the area, without any detriment to the flood-control aspects of the project, some additional benefits.

Mr. ALLEN. But you see no objection to the Congress going ahead and authorizing the project and then leaving it up to the engineers, and all of these agencies to work out the coordination of these various things.

Mr. DIXON. No, sir; I do not. My hope would be that in the appropriate language in that authorization you would provide ways, if you think that is advisable, for the Department of the Interior to be of such assistance as it can be.

Mr. ALLEN. General Crawford, do you have anything to say?
Gen. R. C. CRAWFORD. No, sir.

Gen. R. C. CRAWFORD. Under existing legislation, that cooperation is fully provided for, and I would not see the necessity for repeating anything in this particular act.

Mr. ALLEN. That is the way it occurs to me, Mr. Dixon.

I discussed the matter with General Crawford, Assistant Chief of Engineers, and he feels that under the existing law there is ample latitude for you fellows to get together and see what each agency can do.

Mr. DIXON. That is quite right, Mr. Chairman. I do not think the legislation needs to provide any authority for the Department of the Interior. I think you should give the Corps of Engineers, if this is authorized, sufficient latitude in their own authorization so that those additional benefits can be properly encompassed into the project.

Mr. ALLEN. As I understand it, the Corps of Engineers feels that it has that latitude already.

Gen. R. C. CRAWFORD. Yes, sir; I think the Flood Control Act of 1944 envisions that completely; that when we build dams that we will consider all the uses that a dam could be put to, whether it is for irrigation, power, or any other beneficial consumptive use of the water.

Mr. LARCADE. And that provision is also included in legislation already enacted by the Rivers and Harbors Committee likewise. Gen. R. C. CRAWFORD. Yes, sir. It is included in the Rivers and Harbors Act.

Gen. R. C. CRAWFORD. This is an interim report. The comprehensive report covers all of those things, as I said earlier, and will come this fall. This is an emergency report, I might say, to take care of this flood situation.

Mr. ALLEN. Thank you very much.

Is there any other statement that anybody wishes to make? (No response.)

Mr. ALLEN. If not, I want to add this for the record, Mr. Stenographer. If the committee does not object, I want to file in the record the letter to the Secretary of the Interior from the Chief of Engineers, dated April 12, 1946.

(The letter is as follows:)

The honorable the SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

APRIL 12, 1946.

DEAR MR. SECRETARY: Reference is made to a letter dated April 12, 1946, from the Honorable Warner W. Gardner, Acting Secretary, Department of the Interior, containing the comments of the Department of the Interior on my proposed interim report on flood protection for the main stem of the Red River downstream from Denison Dam. As provided under the law, the views of the Department of the Interior will accompany my report to Congress.

Existing procedures for interagency cooperation, as provided for in the fourparty agreement of December 29, 1943, between the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior, the Federal Power Commission, the Department of Agriculture, and the Corps of Engineers, and the facilities of the Federal Interagency River Basin Committee which was set up to facilitate and implement the afore-mentioned agreement, provide amply for coordination and correlation of the interests of the Department of the Interior with the projects recommended in my report.

Copies of Mr. Gardner's letter have been furnished the district and division engineers concerned with the development of the Red River Basin in order that they may know of the interests of the Department of the Interior in this area. Sincerely yours,

R. A. WHEELER, Lieutenant General, Chief of Engineers.

Mr. ALLEN. I want to say further, to obviate the necessity of my filing a further written statement, because of the urgency, that I spent most of the time when Congress was in recess in 1945-I spent most of the time I had back in the floodwaters helping the people. I saw first hand the very serious plight of the people. I saw the damage. I went in a motorboat, and I say, for the information of the committee, I went in a motorboat and drove up and down a railroad and over a highway, and we could not tell where the highway was, or where the railroad was except by the telephone wires.

On several occasions when I went under the telephone wires, the young man driving the motorboat would tell me to duck my head as we went under the telephone wires.

I say that for the information of the committee so they may realize just how serious it was. That happened in territory that old people did not remember when that land was covered with water before. These gentlemen on the committee, Senator Overton, Mr. Brooks, and Mr. Larcade, know where that place is. We drove up the highway in a motorboat. Those people had not experienced anything like

that before.

I hope and feel that the committee will realize the urgency of this, and I appreciate the statement that Mr. Dixon of the Interior Department makes, that he realizes the urgency of this relief, and I am sure that he is going to cooperate, and I appreciate the cooperation of the engineers. In fact, we have had good cooperation all around, and I greatly appreciate it, and I know that I express the appreciation of everybody in Louisiana.

Now, if there is no one else to be heard, the committee will stand in recess until 2 o'clock.

(Whereupon, at 1:37 p. m., the committee recessed until 2 p. m.)

NORTH CANADIAN RIVER, OKLA.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. The only other project on our agenda today is the North Canadian River, Okla., project. Have you an analysis of the project there, General Crawford?

General CRAWFORD. Yes, sir. There are two others that were on the schedule, the comprehensive plans for the Arkansas River and the White River——

The CHAIRMAN (interposing). I said individual projects. The only other individual project that I have here is the project for protection of Oklahoma City. I asked you about it in general terms yesterday. For the record, Colonel Herb, will you give us the project, proposed solution, estimated cost as compared with the benefits?

STATEMENT OF COL. E. G. HERB, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CIVIL WORKS DIVISION, OFFICE, CHIEF OF ENGINEERS

Colonel HERB. The authority for this report is contained in the Flood Control Act of 1937. It is a report on the flood control problem in the vicinity of Oklahoma City.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the population?

Colonel HERB. Oklahoma City has a population of a little over 200.000.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the proposed solution?

Colonel HERB. The proposed solution is the construction of a levee floodway on the main stream of the North Canadian River, for the protection of urban and industrial property in Oklahoma City. The Federal cost of this project is $2,037,000; the non-Federal cost is $897, 000, making a total of $2,934,000.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the ratio of costs to benefits?
Colonel HERB. That ratio is 1 to 1.22.

I think that covers the highlights.

The CHAIRMAN. Is it a favorable recommendation?

Colonel HERB. It is a favorable recommendation requiring local cooperation in the usual manner.

(The report of the Chief of Engineers together with the comments of the State of Oklahoma and the Secretary of the Interior are as follows:)

WAR DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, May 7, 1945.

Subject: North Canadian River, Okla. and Tex.
To: The Secretary of War.

1. I submit for transmission to Congress my report with accompanying papers and illustrations on preliminary examination and survey of North Canadian River, Okla. and Tex., and Beaver River, Okla., authorized by the Flood Control Act approved August 28, 1937.

2. North Canadian River, 843 miles long, rises in northern New Mexico, flows easterly for 65 miles in New Mexico and 241 miles in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, of which 18 miles are in Texas, and thence 537 miles southeasterly in Oklahoma to join South Canadian River 43 miles above the junction of the latter with Arkansas River. Wolf Creek, a tributary draining 1,660 square miles, enters North Canadian River about 488 miles above its mouth. Upstream from Wolf Creek to the vicinity of the Oklahoma-New Mexico line, the main stem of North Canadian River is known locally as Beaver River. North Canadian River has a generally narrow drainage basin of 16,850 square miles consisting largely of rolling plateau and prairie country. Its largest tributary is Deep Fork River; which drains 2,540 square miles and enters the main stream 14.5 miles above the mouth. Oklahoma City, with 1940 population of 205,000, located on both banks of the main stream about 270 miles above the mouth, is the largest municipality in the basin and an important commercial and industrial center. It is situated within the extensive and highly developed oil and gas fields of the lower basin. General farming is also carried on in this eastern section. In the western half of the watershed, which is semiarid, the major activities are stock raising, dairying, and production of wheat and forage crops principally by dry-farming methods. Irrigation is practiced to minor extent. 3. Stream flow of North Canadian River ranges from long periods of low discharge to major floods with frequent local flash floods which may occur in any section due to intense precipitation over small areas. At Oklahoma City, where the channel has a capacity of about 8,600 cubic feet per second, flood stage was exceeded at least 28 times during the 26-year period 1914 to 1939, inclusive. The maximum flood of record occurred in October 1923. It had a peak discharge estimated at 80,000 cubic feet per second at El Reno, 37 miles upstream from Oklahoma City, and reached a peak of 13.2 feet above flood stage at Oklahoma City. Areas of 271,000 acre along the lower 650 miles of North Canadian River and of 79,000 acres along the lower 200 miles of Deep Fork River are subject to inundation under natural flow conditions. On other tributaries and the headwaters the areas subject to flood are small. About 50 percent of the flood plains on North Canadian and Deep Fork Rivers are in cultivation. Urban property in the flood plain consists principally of 5,200 acres at Oklahoma City, containing many commercial and industrial developments, and a resident population of over 13,000. Included in the basin flood plains are numerous highways, railroads, and other utilities. Based upon past flood stages, the district engineer estimates the average annual direct and indirect flood losses on North Canadian River at $1,177,000, of which $488,000 applies to Oklahoma City. Similar damages on Deep Fork River are estimated at $304,000. It is reported that at least 15 persons have lost their lives as the result of floods in the basin, of which 13 were at Oklahoma City.

4. Local interests have constructed a number of improvements for flood control and various water use purposes along North Canadian and Deep Fork Rivers, some with Federal aid. Insofar as these relate to flood control they have generally afforded only minor protection to small areas. Congress has authorized the construction of three reservoirs: Optima Reservoir, on North Canadian River with dam site 638 miles above the stream mouth; Fort Supply Reservoir on Wolf Creek near its mouth; and Canton Reservoir on North Canadian River at mile 394. Fort Supply Reservoir with 102,000 acre-feet for flood control and a permanent pool of 16,000 acre-feet for recreation and preservation of wildlife has been placed in operation. Costs to June 30, 1943, for this improvement were $7,324,484 for new work and $17,759 for maintenance. Construction of Canton Reservoir has been commenced but further work has been deferred until after the war emergency. Plans for this improvement provide for 240,000 acrefeet of storage for flood control and 150,000 acre-feet for conservation of water and for siltation. Of the conservation storage, 40,000 acre-feet is allocated for pollution abatement. The reservoir has a drainage area of 11,640 square miles. Its estimated first cost is $13,870,000. At the Optima site the drainage area is 2,560 square miles. The plan for this flood-control reservoir provides for 77,500 acre-feet of storage. No construction work has been undertaken. With the three reservoirs in operation, the main stem of North Canadian River will be afforded a substantial degree of flood control. Considering the floods of 1914 to 1939, for example, the district engineer finds that the three reservoirs would have reduced the maximum flood of 1923 to a discharge of 20,000 cubic feet per second at Oklahoma City and that had the reservoirs been in operation only seven of the floods would have exceeded flood stage at that point, of which the largest would have been 5 to 6 feet above flood stage. However, studies of the district engineer indicate that even with the reservoirs in operation a flow of 45,000 cubic feet per second at Oklahoma City from the intervening drainage area of 770 square miles can be expected from a repetition of past storm conditions and that a flood of 96,000 cubic feet per second could occur. Based upon the 1940 flood plain development at Oklahoma City, repetition of the flood cycle of 1914 to 1939, inclusive, and assumption that the authorized reservoirs are in operation, the district engineer estimates the average annual direct and indirect flood damages at Oklahoma City at $66,000.

5. Local interests generally favor comprehensive measures for flood control with provisions for conservation storage of water for irrigation and pollution abatement. They advocate early completion of the authorized reservoirs, state that supplementary levee protection is needed at Oklahoma City, and indicate that no flood problem exists along the main stem below Oklahoma City requiring solution except to the extent that protection may be afforded by the authorized reservoirs. For protection in the upper basin, the Optima Reservoir is preferred but a substitute reservoir in the general vicinity apparently would be acceptable to local interests. Interests along Deep Fork River prefer small upstream reservoirs to the concentration of flood-control storage in a large main stem reservoir. For that stream local interests also suggest consideration of a combination levee and reservoir program. Oklahoma City and County have expressed their willingness to furnish rights-of-way for levee work at Oklahoma City, to bear the costs of highway bridge changes required, to maintain the levee works, and to hold the United States free from any damages due to such an improvement.

6. The district engineers finds that immediate construction of Optima Reservoir or a reservoir at any other site in the vicinity, either for flood control alone or in combination with other water uses, including irrigation, would not be economically justified and concludes that this work should be delayed until such time as the benefits warrant the expenditures required. In view of the substan tial degree of flood control that will be afforded by the authorized reservoirs, even without Optima Reservoir for the present, he concludes that no other works for flood control along North Canadian River would return benefits commensurate with the costs except for local protection improvements at Oklahoma City. For this urban and industrial area he proposes a leveed floodway to afford a freeboard of 4 feet above a peak flow of 25,000 cubic feet per second. The district engineer estimates the first cost of this work to the United States at $2,142,000 for construction, relocations, and alterations of railroad bridges, special treatment of oil wells to permit continued operation, and power- and pipe-line changes, and to local interests at $792,000 for rights-of-way and alteration of highway bridges. Total annual costs for the improvement are estimated at $155,000 and the average annual benefits at $170,000-a ratio of estimated costs to benefits of

« PreviousContinue »