30, 1954, that that will be still further reduced to a much lower figure. Last year, your committee, in its report, as I recall, indicated that 25 percent of the funds available to us after the beginning of the fiscal year would be a target to shoot at, as unexpended for the year. We are going to meet that, we feel, and better it somewhat this fiscal year. Senator YOUNG. Any further questions? You may proceed, Colonel Starbird. LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BELOW MURFREESBORO, ARK. Colonel STARBIRD. The first project is the Little Missouri River project below Murfreesboro, Ark. This project is a very small project that can be started and completed in 1 year. The project is an integral part of the comprehensive system on the Little Missouri. I shall not go into details on it. The system embraces 2 major projects; this 1 yet to be initiated, and the completed Narrows Dam, reconstructed by the Federal Government for power and flood control, about 100 miles from the fluence of the Little Missouri with the Ouachita River. The Little Missouri River should be improved both for flood control and to insure reliable operation of Narrows Dam. ESTIMATED COST OF PROJECT The total estimated cost of the project is $530,000. To date we have received only $38,000. That money, of course, was used rely for planning. The amount recommended by the budget for 1955 is $492,000, which as I mentioned will both start and mplete construction in 1 year. The project has a benefit-cost ratio of 2.18 to 1, and there is a sbstantial local contribution in the form of required cooperation. The elements of cooperation are the four normal ones: local interests must furnish the land; must guarantee the Federal Government acainst damages; must take over maintenance and operation when the project is completed; and must take care of all relocations except the railroad relocations. From now on during the morning, sir, I shall not repeat those rances each time, but will call them the four normal assurances. LOCAL PARTICIPATION Fulfilling those assurances is estimated to cost the local interest $400, initial cost, plus an estimated additional $19,000 per year fr maintenance and operation. Senator ELLENDER. Well, what connection does this project have to power? You mentioned power. Colonel STARBIRD. The Narrows Dam and Reservoir project was pleted in 1951, about 100 miles up the Little Missouri River. This is a channel improvement project, involving snagging, clearing, and shortening the length of the channel by means of cutoffs, in order to carry more rapidly the water from the Narrows Dam and from areas below on down to the Ouachita. The channel at the present time has a capacity, in places, of 5,000 cubic feet per second or less. The Narrows Dam was built on the assumption that the channel would be improved to carry 6,000 cubic feet per second and this channel capacity is necessary in order for the Narrows Dam to function as designed for both flood control and power. Senator ELLENDER. This, then, is merely a dredging operation? Colonel STARBIRD. It is an operation of shortening the length of that channel over the lower 72.6 miles of the river, sir, and of snagging and clearing the upper 21.5 miles the project extending from river, mile 0.0, at its confluence with the Ouachita, to river mile 94.1. Senator ELLENDER. I say, it consists mainly of dredging, and improving the channel, which would no doubt include removing stumps, snagging, and so forth. Colonel STARBIRD. It is snagging and clearing of bars, sir. Not any serious dredging except to effect the cutoffs in the lower portion of the project plus the bar removal mentioned. Senator ELLENDER. I understand. Senator YOUNG. Will there be a continued maintenance cost? Colonel STARBIRD. There would be a continued maintenance, sir, but that is taken over by local interests, and will cost them an estimated $19,000 per year. Senator YOUNG. Is that the customary way of handling projects. of that type? Colonel STARBIRD. It is customary on such channel-improvement projects at the present time, and has been for all authorizations since 1941, sir. Senator YOUNG. How recent is the assurance from the local people of that cooperation? Colonel STARBIRD. We have been given formal assurance, sir. I do not have the exact date of that assurance. Senator YOUNG. It was not made several years ago, was it? Senator YOUNG. Will you place that in the record? Colonel STARBIRD. I will be glad to. (The information requested follows:) Formal assurances of local cooperation were filed by the five counties concerned between February and May 1949. RED RIVER LEVEES AND BANK STABILIZATION BELOW DENISON DAM, ARK., LA., AND TEX. Colonel STARBIRD. The next project, sir, is a project for levee and bank stabilization along a 360-mile reach of the Red River below Denison Dam. That project has an estimated cost of $9,530,000. There have been appropriated to date $4,704,500, or 49 percent of the total cost. This includes $565,000 appropriated in 1954. The budget recommends an appropriation of $335,000 in fiscal year 1955. The project has a benefit-cost ratio of 1.24 to 1. We had an unexpended balance at the end of the fiscal year 1953 of $155,600. We have an unexpended balance as of December 31, 1953, of $500,195. We expect to reduce the unexpended balance to zero by the end of this fiscal year, sir. Senator ELLENDER. Mr. Chairman. Senator YOUNG. Senator Ellender. Senator ELLENDER. As I recall, last year there was some evidence introduced that showed quite a large acreage of the finest land in the country was sloughing into the Red River in the area between Denison Dam and Boyce, La. This is a project that I believe, and the testimony showed, should be completed as early as possible in order to save precious land. Now, why was it that this project was curtailed almost 50 percent from last year's appropriation? As you have indicated, last year we had approximately $565,000, which at the time I thought was very small, considering the value of such work. Then you come here today and tell us it has been cut back almost 50 percent. Now, why was not more money requested for this, in the light of the past testimony, that the project is vitally important? Colonel STARBIRD. In view of the overall ceiling, the allowance made for this project, sir, was the amount I gave, $335,000. Senator ELLENDER. Well, now, you said a while ago that you have brought in a lot of new projects this year-7 new and 3 resumptions. I do not know how much you are going to spend on those new projects, but why take in something new when this is so important? Colonel STARBIRD. This will carry on the minimum emergency program, sir. Senator ELLENDER. Yes, the minimum program. That does not amount to anything, because that is just trying to preserve what you have got. So long as this project remains incomplete we are going to lose this valuable soil which we cannot afford to lose. How much did you request of the Bureau of the Budget? General CHORPENING. We asked the budget for $605,000, within the ceiling. Senator ELLENDER. Within the ceiling? General CHORPENING. Yes, sir. BUDGET ALLOCATION Senator ELLENDER. And all you were given was $335,000? General CHORPENING. Yes, sir. Senator ELLENDER. So, you consider this a very important project? General CHORPENING. Yes; we consider this work should proceed. I am personally quite familiar with the Red River in that area. That is indicated by our request, as I have just stated. Senator ELLENDER. So that out of $605,000 requested within ceiling, Budget Bureau reductions forced you to allocate only $335,000 to Red River bank stabilization? General CHORPENING. That is the allocation that was made, sir. 1954 APPROPRIATION General CHORPENING. The amount of the appropriation in fiscal year 1954 for flood control was $42,834,000. Senator ELLENDER. The reason why I asked the question is because of what was brought out the other day for flood control of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and all work connected with it which was reduced to $45,200,000. That is contrasted with $70 million requested by the engineers. Now, I wonder if you could tell us why it is that was done? I wonder if you could tell where these projects are, where they are located, where the amount is increased from $42 million to $60 million? I just cannot understand the reason. General CHORPENING. Senator Senator ELLENDER. Do you get what I am trying to drive at? Senator ELLENDER. The reduction that I point out is over $6 million from the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries; there is a decrease. Here there is an increase. General CHORPENING. An increase of $18 million over last year. REASON FOR INCREASE Senator ELLENDER. There was an increase of $18 million over last year, and I would like to get an explanation of that. General CHORPENING. The bulk of that is due to the inclusion of new starts in this budget. That would be the major percentage of that difference between last year and this year-the new starts that are being requested and the resumptions. Senator ELLENDER. Now, is it your purpose to take each one individually? General CHORPENING. Yes. Senator YOUNG. Senator, let me ask this: General, do you have the appropriations for a year ago plus the carryover, and the appropriation this year plus any other carryover? I think that would give us a little better understanding of it. Al General CHORPENING. The figure of $42,834,000 which I have given you, sir, is the amount actually appropriated for 1954. though some part of this will be carried over and used in fiscal year 1955, such amount is not a part of the 60 million which we are requesting for 1955. Senator YOUNG. Now, do you have the carryover of funds that you had at the beginning of fiscal year 1954? General CHORPENING. We could give that to you, if you desire it. I do not have that figure immediately available. Senator YOUNG. You had more carryover; did you not, at the beginning of fiscal year 1953? CARRYOVER FUNDS General CHORPENING. For the overall civil works program, Senator, on June 30, 1952, we had approximately $400 million carryover funds, that is, unexpended funds. On June 30, 1953, we had aphad_approximately $285 million unexpended funds. We anticipate on June 30, 1954, that that will be still further reduced to a much lower figure. Last year, your committee, in its report, as I recall, indicated that 25 percent of the funds available to us after the beginning of the fiscal year would be a target to shoot at, as unexpended for the year. We are going to meet that, we feel, and better it somewhat this fiscal year. Senator YOUNG. Any further questions? You may proceed, Colonel Starbird. LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER BELOW MURFREESBORO, ARK. Colonel STARBIRD. The first project is the Little Missouri River project below Murfreesboro, Ark. This project is a very small project that can be started and completed in 1 year. The project is an integral part of the comprehensive system on the Little Missouri. I shall not go into details on it. The system embraces 2 major projects; this 1 yet to be initiated, and the completed Narrows Dam, reconstructed by the Federal Government for power and flood control, about 100 miles from the confluence of the Little Missouri with the Ouachita River. The Little Missouri River should be improved both for flood control and to insure reliable operation of Narrows Dam. ESTIMATED COST OF PROJECT The total estimated cost of the project is $530,000. To date we have received only $38,000. That money, of course, was used entirely for planning. The amount recommended by the budget for 1955 is $492,000, which as I mentioned will both start and complete construction in 1 year. The project has a benefit-cost ratio of 2.18 to 1, and there is a substantial local contribution in the form of required cooperation. The elements of cooperation are the four normal ones: local interests must furnish the land; must guarantee the Federal Government against damages; must take over maintenance and operation when the project is completed; and must take care of all relocations except the railroad relocations. From now on during the morning, sir, I shall not repeat those assurances each time, but will call them the four normal assurances. LOCAL PARTICIPATION Fulfilling those assurances is estimated to cost the local interest $40,000, initial cost, plus an estimated additional $19,000 per year for maintenance and operation. Senator ELLENDER. Well, what connection does this project have to power? You mentioned power. Colonel STARBIRD. The Narrows Dam and Reservoir project was completed in 1951, about 100 miles up the Little Missouri River. This is a channel improvement project, involving snagging, clearing, and shortening the length of the channel by means of cutoffs, in order to carry more rapidly the water from the Narrows Dam and from areas below on down to the Ouachita. The channel at the |