available for construction purposes $2 million, but not one dollar of it can be used until Congress appropriates some construction money. We dread to think our legislature or the King County commissioners might at the end of a fiscal period not reappropriate that money but there is always that possibility, depending on the financial condition of the county and of the State. But it seems a pity that if construction work can be done in the next fiscal year that the work not be permitted to go ahead simply because Congress would not or could not see fit to appropriate at least some token amount. CONSTRUCTION FUNDS REQUESTED I trust that this committee will give serious consideration to our request for some construction funds because we want desperately to go ahead with the work in order that we might relieve our area of the constant threat of recurring floods. Senator ELLENDER. Have you appeared before the House committee? Representative TOLLEFSON. Yes, we both have appeared before them. Senator ELLENDER. What do you think the prospects are? Representative TOLLEFSON. It is difficult to say. I neglected to mention, Mr. Chairman, that the item is not in the budget. I presume the reason for it is that the planning has not been completed. The budget has set up criteria of its own. I had the understanding-and how correct it is I cannot verify-that the Army engineers had submitted this project to the budget for inclusion but because of criteria established by the budget it was not included. I presume one of the factors in that criteria would be the fact the planning has not come forward. Thank you. LOCAL INTEREST Representative PELLY. I, too, would like to express my appreciation for this opportunity to appear with my colleague in behalf of the inclusion of the planning funds and also some construction funds for Eagle Gorge Dam. I will not reiterate but simply corroborate what my colleague has said. I would, however, like to say this project has tremendous interest for the State of Washington itself and for the City and Port Commission of Seattle as well as the county commissioners. I would like to emphasize that point. I would like permission to insert in the record a letter which is signed by a member of the Seattle City Council, the city engineer, a member and chairman of the joint survey board, a member of the King County Commissioners, and the county engineer, which I think covers the point that I would like to make. That is, the need for immediate action because of the fact that the lower part of this river, Green River, which becomes the Duwamish River which flows into Puget Sound and Elliott Bay on which Seattle is located is through a valley which the city looks to for industrial development. The waters of that river after leaving Eagle Gorge and going into what is known as the Kent-Auburn Valley, which periodically floods, turns north and thence flows into the bay at Seattle. In the 10 miles above sea level the river meanders around for what I believe is some 40 miles in a 10-mile distance as the crow flies. That has caused tre mendous difficulty in planning for the future for industrial sites. It has become a hodgepodge of mixed industry and residential district. LOCATION OF HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES The State also desires very much to have this matter settled. We cannot straighten out that channel at local expense until the waters are controlled, so the engineers tell us. The State wants to locate its permanent highways and bridges because through this valley will be the freeway and other means of traffic which is on the main highway north and south between Oregon and British Columbia. There is a tremendous amount of traffic passing through this area where the river winds around. It is a terrific engineering problem as to how to locate highways and bridges until it is cleared up. I would also like to emphasize the one and a half million dollars contributed by the State will revert next February. It is always a terrific job to get the State to reallocate funds. I do think the county funds are permanent. Senator ELLENDER. The letter to which you have just referred will be placed in the record at this point. (The letter referred to follows:) Hon. WILLIAM G. KNOWLAND, KING COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, Chairman, Civil Functions Subcommittee, Senate Appropriations Committee, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR KNOWLAND: This statement is in support of the request for funds to complete planning and to start construction on the Eagle Gorge Dam project, King County, Wash., in fiscal 1955. 1. On page 48 of the project report, House Document 271, 81st Congress, 1st session, the map shows the winding river section from the present waterway to Renton Junction, through a narrow valley. This winding river section must be straightened, at local cost, so that heavy traffic highways on water grade can enter the open valley beyond, when free of floods. The district engineer (report, p. 45) estimated the cost of this work, 1947 prices, at $9,124,000. 2. Industrial expansion into the upper valley depends upon the dam and water grade access to the area. The bottleneck river section is outside of Seattle's corporate limits. 3. The legislature, laws of 1951, page 33, authorized King County, the port of Seattle and the city of Seattle, jointly, to contract for surveys, investigations and studies, to determine the location, type and design, with cost estimates of a project plan for the winding river section "in aid of commerce and navigation and in aid of the comprehensive land use and development of such river valley, including present and future industrial and manufacturing uses." 4. Our joint survey board is set up under this act. Knappen-Tibbetts-AbbettMcCarthy, of New York, a nationally well-known firm of industrial engineers, have been engaged and are now at work on the survey. Under the law, State agencies, as well as the Army engineers, are to be consulted in formulation of the plan. 5. The State itself, and the farmers in the valley, the cities of Kent, Auburn, Renton and Seattle, as well as King County and the port of Seattle, are concerned in the development plan. Legislative authority for the construction work and for administration of the area must await adoption of the comprehensive plan and assurance of construction of the dam. The legislature meets in 1955 and not again until 1957. If Congress does not start the dam project in fiscal 1955, it will be 1957 before the legislature can consider the necessary legislation and a year thereafter before local funds can be made available for the local work. 6. Local contribution of $2 million for the dam project is available in cash, when Congress makes an appropriation for construction thereof. It is our understanding that, if Congress starts the project, $2,500,000 can be economically expended on construction work, or contracted for, during fiscal 1955. We, therefore, respectfully urge that Congress, at this session, appropriate $170,000 to complete planning and $500,000 for construction on this essentially important project. Respectfully submitted. WM. H. SEARS, King County Commissioner, District No. 2, and Chairman, Joint Survey Board. FRANK J. LAUBE, Representative of Seattle City Council. D. L. EVANS, King County Engineer. Superintendent, Seattle Water Department. W. E. PARKER, City Engineer. E. H. SAVAGE, Port Commissioner, Port of Seattle. COMMUNICATION Representative PELLY. I would also ask permission to insert a letter from a firm of industrial real-estate specialists which covers the angle from industry's point of view and the difficulty that we are having. Senator ELLENDER. Without objection it will be so ordered. (The letter referred to follows:) Hon. Senator WILLIAM KNOWLAND, LAMBUTH, SILL & Co., Seattle, Wash., February 23, 1954. Chairman Subcommittee, Civil Functions Appropriation, Senate Chamber, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR KNOWLAND: We have been requested by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce to prepare this statement, hoping that it may contain data of use to you, in your consideration of the request for an appropriation to start construction of a flood-control dam in Green River, in King County, Wash. A word as to our identity: Our firm, Lambuth, Sill & Co., industrial realtors, has specialized in industrial real estate in Seattle and vicinity for over 40 years. We are the only firm which has confined its efforts to such field for any considerable length of time. For more than a quarter of a century, we have handled a large part of all the industrial real-estate business in this area. acquainted with and have a working knowledge of all industrial and potential industrial properties in this vicinity. Because of topography, Seattle and environs never was blessed with any considerable expanse of real estate immediately usable for industrial purposes. Most of our present industrial area was created through dredging and filling, and this with but little contribution from the Federal Government. In recent years there has been a considerable expansion of industry here with a corresponding shrinkage in supply of available lands. The situation has been growing critical for some years and unless we have flood control, which will make possible the use of lands in the Green River Valley, there can be no worthwhile further expansion of industry except such as will be possible through use of modest holdings previously acquired by industries for future needs. The establishment of new industries, or the moving of existing ones to larger sites, will be impossible. May I briefly relate the story about three recent projects here: Project No. 1: Safeway Stores, Inc. (west coast grocery chain) had been endeavoring for several years to acquire a site for a large distributing plant. Recently one of the railroads and Safeway joined in the acquisition of a tract of about 100 acres of swamp and hillside property. In order to make possible the immediate use of 60 acres of this, it will be necessary to move approximately 600,000 yards of material at estimated cost of $180,000. Project No. 2: For several years our office endeavored to acquire 15 acres in Seattle, for the Rheem Manufacturing Co. Such site, held under a single ownership, was not available and we were unable to consolidate several small holdings to create such. In desperation Rheem decided to locate at Tacoma, Wash., and we handled the purchase there of a site of 16 acres from the Port of Tacoma. Project No. 3: The Government, in order to make possible expansion by the Boeing Airplane Co., acquired for Boeing's use, through condemnation, about 23 acres, consisting of a considerable number of small improved holdings. The cost was in the neighborhood of $700,000. Within the last 60 days our firm purchased for Boeing an additional 12 acres at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars; this involved property held under 20 separate ownerships, most of which was improved with small homes. With few exceptions, we here in Seattle have been able to avoid speculation in industrial properties, and yet since the close of the Second World War the market value of industrial properties has increased from 100 percent to 1,000 percent, due to a diminishing supply and continued demand. The city of Seattle and several neighboring small communities, the county of King and the State of Washington are all cooperating in an effort to create additional industrial lands. A nationally known firm of engineers has been employed to study the problem of roads, utilities etc. in the Green River Valley, and such study is now in progress. The expenditure by the several municipalities and by private landowners and. industries will, we think, within a comparatively short period, require as large, or a larger, expenditure than will be the cost of the proposed dam. In closing may I repeat that the situation here with respect to lack of industrial lands for the expansion of industry, is extremely serious and there is only one possible answer, namely, a flood-control dam in Green River. Yours truly, E. G. SILL. Representative PELLY. I want to thank the members of the subcommittee for their patient attention. Senator ELLENDER. What about the channel improvement? Is that work being contemplated? Colonel STARBIRD. The funds for this project are for the dam and reservoir only. Senator ELLENDER. What about the straightening of the river? Colonel STARBIRD. I will have to check that. I know of no project for the straightening of the river, but we will check it and insert it in the record. Senator ELLENDER. That will be inserted at this point. (The information referred to follows:) No investigation for flood-control channel improvement is underway or contemplated at this time. Any channel improvement which is being considered at this time by local interests would be a local project. STRAIGHTENING OF RIVER Senator HOLLAND. I understood from what the Congressman just said that the straightening of the river was going to be undertaken by the State. Representative PELLY. No, it is a local project. It will cost about $9 million of local funds. Senator HOLLAND. In other words, that is not a Federal project. Representative PELLY. No, I believe not. We have a survey being made now of the area. A private firm is conducting that. Of course, the engineers' approval would be required for any straightening of that channel for navigation, and I am sure maybe some funds would have to be appropriated. Senator HOLLAND. Your point was, that straightening work which is not to be at Federal expense could not be undertaken until the dam had been constructed; is that correct? Representative PELLY. That is correct. I also believe that would require some Federal funds because the Army engineers would be concerned with the straightening of the channel. Senator ELLENDER. I suppose after the dam is built you may want to come back for an appropriation to help with the channel improvement. BENEFIT-COST RATIO Representative PELLY. Their permission would be required. Senator HOLLAND. If the benefit-cost ratio is only 1.27 to 1, with the Federal Government covering only that part of the dam construction that is assigned to them, it would be highly doubtful if the Federal Government could assume any other substantial cost without running the ratio too low for Federal participation? Representative PELLY. Yes. Representative TOLLEFSON. May I say to the subcommittee that this is the eighth year in which I have been with this project. I started with it from the outset when the 1946 flood occurred. I have sat in on countless meetings with the people in the State who are interested and not in a single instance have I ever heard the suggestion made that the actual straightening of the channel would be done at Federal expense. If somebody had it in mind, at least they did not mention it. We appreciate we must have permission of the Army engineers to straighten the channel, and I presume that there might be some survey costs to be borne by the Army engineers. But I must say I have never heard anyone suggest that the Government pay the expense of straightening the channel. If they have it in mind, it has not been mentioned. COST TO LOCAL INTERESTS Representative PELLY. The statement I filed specifically says that it is at local expense and gives the cost at $9 million. Senator HOLLAND. It is correct to say that no substantial amount could be added to Federal expense without cutting the ratio so low that the project would not be authorized under Federal law? Representative PELLY. Yes. Senator ELLENDER. Colonel, when 1.27 was given as the benefit-cost ratio, what weight, if any, did you give to the possibility of utilizing the river for navigation? Colonel STARBIRD. I cannot answer that positively, sir. Senator ELLENDER. I wish you would place it in the record at this point. (The information referred to follows:) The benefit-cost ratio of 1.27 for Eagle Gorge Reservoir does not include any navigation benefits. Senator ELLENDER. Thank you. Senator Dirksen, you may proceed with your presentation. |