FLOOD CONTROL IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1935 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10:35 a. m., Hon. Riley J. Wilson (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. We will proceed with the hearing. Mr. Harry Jacobs, chief engineer for the State of Louisiana, will be the first witness. Of course, we will be glad to have any resolution presented that anyone may have to offer. STATEMENT OF HARRY JACOBS, CHIEF ENGINEER BOARD OF STATE ENGINEERS, STATE OF LOUISIANA-Continued Mr. JACOBS. I would just like to make a brief statement, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, and in my remarks I am going to be as brief as I can all the way through. The first thing that I want to call the attention of the committee to is the reference that I made the other day to a report made by the board of State engineers in Louisiana on flood control in the lower Mississippi River, at which time all of the members of that Board concurred in the views expressed in this report, and all of them signed it. At the present time there are still three members on that board who signed that report at the time. At that time I was chief State engineer, and I signed it myself. The report was made up and submitted to the Governor on November 30, 1929, following the Jadwin report on the adopted plan of flood control by the Army -ngineers. I want to call your attention again to this report. The report recommended that 11 reservoirs on the Arkansas and White Rivers would sufficiently provide for lowering the Mississippi River at the nouth of the Arkansas by about 512 feet. Had that been done, we would not have had the 1927 water, as there were 800,000 second-feet hat came out of the Arkansas when the Mississippi crest was passng, and that gave us the 1927 flood. Therefore, I again ask this committee to earnestly consider the pproval of construction in a bill of these reservoirs on the White nd the Arkansas Rivers, which will eliminate a superflood in that ower valley, based on work that already has been and on work that s now under way and not completed. Mr. MONTGOMERY. Yes, sir. But we have got to have coordination at the two places, the reservoirs and the backwater levee. Mr. WHITTINGTON. Mr. Chairman, Mr. F. R. Thompson, of Carter, is here, and he concurs in the statement made by Mr. Montgomery. Do you desire to make a statement? Mr. THOMPSON. No, sir; I feel that Mr. Montgomery has covered it. Mr. WHITTINGTON. Mr. J. B. Williams is the city engineer of Yazoo City, and he is also here and would be very glad to make a statement. Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Whittington, I believe that Judge Montgomery has covered it as fully as it can be and I would have nothing further to add. Mr. WHITTINGTON. Mr. Williams is the city engineer of Yazo City, the man that is talking. The CHAIRMAN. You concur in the judge's statement? Mr. WHITTINGTON. Is there anything you want to add? Mr. WHITTINGTON. I ask that these gentlemen be given opportunity of preparing a written statement to be submitted in the record. Mr. MONTGOMERY. I would like to present a written brief to be inserted in the record, Mr. Chairman. I will mail it to you. The CHAIRMAN. We will be glad to have that; yes. Mr. WHITTINGTON. And Mr. Thompson and Mr. Williams also wil be privileged to file written statements. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. We will take a recess now until 7:30 tonight here in this room. (Accordingly, at 5: 15 p. m., a recess was taken until 7:30 p. m. of the same day. (No meeting was held at 7: 30 p. m. Apr. 11, 1935, by announcement of the chairman.) FLOOD CONTROL IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1985 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10:35 a. m., Hon. Riley J. Wilson (chairan) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. We will proceed with the hearing. Mr. Harry Jacobs, chief engineer for the State of Louisiana, will e the first witness. Of course, we will be glad to have any resolution presented that nyone may have to offer. TATEMENT OF HARRY JACOBS, CHIEF ENGINEER BOARD OF STATE ENGINEERS, STATE OF LOUISIANA-Continued Mr. JACOBS. I would just like to make a brief statement, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, and in my remarks I am oing to be as brief as I can all the way through. The first thing that I want to call the attention of the committee is the reference that I made the other day to a report made by he board of State engineers in Louisiana on flood control in the lower Mississippi River, at which time all of the members of that Board oncurred in the views expressed in this report, and all of them igned it. At the present time there are still three members on that oard who signed that report at the time. At that time I was chief State engineer, and I signed it myself. The report was made up and ubmitted to the Governor on November 30, 1929, following the adwin report on the adopted plan of flood control by the Army ngineers. I want to call your attention again to this report. The report ecommended that 11 reservoirs on the Arkansas and White Rivers would sufficiently provide for lowering the Mississippi River at the outh of the Arkansas by about 52 feet. Had that been done, we would not have had the 1927 water, as there were 800,000 second-feet hat came out of the Arkansas when the Mississippi crest was passng, and that gave us the 1927 flood. Therefore, I again ask this committee to earnestly consider the pproval of construction in a bill of these reservoirs on the White nd the Arkansas Rivers, which will eliminate a superflood in that ower valley, based on work that already has been and on work that snow under way and not completed. Mr. MONTGOMERY. Yes, sir. But we have got to have coordination at the two places, the reservoirs and the backwater levee. Mr. WHITTINGTON. Mr. Chairman, Mr. F. R. Thompson, of Carter, is here, and he concurs in the statement made by Mr. Montgomery. Do you desire to make a statement? Mr. THOMPSON. No, sir; I feel that Mr. Montgomery has covered it. Mr. WHITTINGTON. Mr. J. B. Williams is the city engineer of Yazoo City, and he is also here and would be very glad to make a statement. Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Whittington, I believe that Judge Montgomery has covered it as fully as it can be and I would have nothing further to add. Mr. WHITTINGTON. Mr. Williams is the city engineer of Yazoo City, the man that is talking. The CHAIRMAN. You concur in the judge's statement? Mr. WILLIAMS. Yes, sir. Mr. WHITTINGTON. Is there anything you want to add? Mr. WILLIAMS. No, sir; I believe not. Mr. WHITTINGTON. I ask that these gentlemen be given opportunity of preparing a written statement to be submitted in the record. Mr. MONTGOMERY. I would like to present a written brief to be inserted in the record, Mr. Chairman. I will mail it to you. The CHAIRMAN. We will be glad to have that; yes. Mr. WHITTINGTON. And Mr. Thompson and Mr. Williams also will be privileged to file written statements. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. We will take a recess now until 7:30 tonight here in this room. (Accordingly, at 5: 15 p. m., a recess was taken until 7:30 p. m. of the same day. (No meeting was held at 7:30 p. m. Apr. 11, 1935, by announcement of the chairman.) FLOOD CONTROL IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1935 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10:35 a. m., Hon. Riley J. Wilson (chairan) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. We will proceed with the hearing. Mr. Harry Jacobs, chief engineer for the State of Louisiana, will e the first witness. Of course, we will be glad to have any resolution presented that nyone may have to offer. TATEMENT OF HARRY JACOBS, CHIEF ENGINEER BOARD OF STATE ENGINEERS, STATE OF LOUISIANA-Continued Mr. JACOBS. I would just like to make a brief statement, Mr. hairman and members of the committee, and in my remarks I am oing to be as brief as I can all the way through. The first thing that I want to call the attention of the committee is the reference that I made the other day to a report made by he board of State engineers in Louisiana on flood control in the lower ississippi River, at which time all of the members of that Board oncurred in the views expressed in this report, and all of them gned it. At the present time there are still three members on that bard who signed that report at the time. At that time I was chief tate engineer, and I signed it myself. The report was made up and bmitted to the Governor on November 30, 1929, following the adwin report on the adopted plan of flood control by the Army gineers. I want to call your attention again to this report. The report commended that 11 reservoirs on the Arkansas and White Rivers ould sufficiently provide for lowering the Mississippi River at the outh of the Arkansas by about 52 feet. Had that been done, we ould not have had the 1927 water, as there were 800,000 second-feet at came out of the Arkansas when the Mississippi crest was passg, and that gave us the 1927 flood. Therefore, I again ask this committee to earnestly consider the proval of construction in a bill of these reservoirs on the White d the Arkansas Rivers, which will eliminate a superflood in that wer valley, based on work that already has been and on work that now under way and not completed. |