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The nearest authorized Federal harbor improvements are at St. Paul, Minn., 26 miles above Hastings and at Red Wing, Minn., 23 miles downstream.

Small craft make considerable use of the limited dock facilities. Lockage records at lock and dam No. 2 show prewar movements of small craft in increasing numbers. Such traffic in the waters near Hastings is estimated to have reached 100 craft per day. Potable water, gasoline, and supplies are transferred to small craft at the water front at a hazard to these craft and to passing commercial traffic because of the restricted channel.

Hastings, with a population of 5,662, serves the commercial needs of the surrounding rich agricultural area and supports several industries manufacturing flour, light metal, farm equipment, and winter sports equipment.

Local interests desire construction of a small boat harbor in Vermillion Slough, on the right bank of the Mississippi River near the northeast portion of the city, to provide adequate stop-over and service facilities for transient craft and a refuge from storms. They state that the present small-boat facilities are inadequate and unsafe and that the desired harbor would remove a hazard to moored small boats and to commercial shipping on the river channel.

The Board recommends the provision of a small-boat harbor at Hastings by dredging to a depth of 5 feet below project pool elevation an area 500 feet long with average width of 250 feet at the head of Vermillion Slough and the construction of protective dikes.

The improvement is recommended subject to the condition that responsible local agencies furnish assurances satisfactory to the Secretary of War that they will provide free of cost to the United States all necessary lands, easements and rights-of-way, and spoil-disposal areas for new work and subsequent maintenance when and as required; and provide the necessary floating booms, slips and service facilities open to all on equal terms.

Cost to the United States for new work, $34,270; annual cost of maintenance, $200; interest and amortization, $1,333; total Federal annual carrying charges, $1,533; cost to local interests for land, rightsof-way, and so forth, $4,500.

Boating on the Mississippi River has increased with improvement of the river, and this harbor improvement will be an important factor in accommodating such boating in the future. Facilities for harboring and servicing the boats are required and Hastings is a suitable location between the presently authorized harbor improvements at Red Wing and St. Paul, Minn. The proposed small-boat harbor will produce widespread benefits to boat owners from the standpoint of convenience and safety, in addition to relieving a hazard to through traffic on the navigation channel. The Board anticipates annual benefits of $2,480 which gives a cost to benefit ratio of 1 to 1.3. Therefore the proposed harbor construction is economically justified. In this case we were able to determine the ratio of cost to benefits, which is favorable, the cost at 1 and the benefits at 1.3.

The proposed harbor would be used by small boats, although the large river boats would also be able to make use of it. The larger boats would detach their small boats in order to get service on the shore, so the harbor would be of benefit to through commercial trans

portation as well as to the transient fishing boats and other craft that normally go up and down the river.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. What is the cost of the project?
Colonel FERINGA. The cost of the project is $34,270.

The cost to local interests for lands, rights-of-way, and so forth, is $4,500.

Mr. ANGELL. What type of craft, in your judgment, will largely use the harbor?

Colonel FERINGA. Small craft. Small craft now make considerable use of the limited dock facilities. Lockage records at lock and dam No. 2 show prewar movement of small craft in increasing numbers. Such traffic in the waters near Hastings is estimated to have reached 100 craft per day. Potable water, gasoline, and supplies are transferred to small craft at the water front at a hazard to these craft and to passing commercial craft because of the restricted channel.

I believe, Mr. Angell, that the type of craft that will actually use the harbor facilities is fishing boats, pleasure boats, and service boats to the through commercial traffic on the Mississippi River. These include service boats that might cut off and come into the harbor and those that would go out from the harbor to service tows going up or down the river. It is not contemplated at this time that this harbor would be a large project like the one considered for Baton Rouge, and I do not believe it would be used solely by pleasure boats.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. Is there anyone else who wishes to be heard on this project? If not, Colonel, we will proceed to the next project.

Is there any opposition at all to any of these projects?

Colonel FERINGA. No, sir; it is an improvement that is needed on this river, and it is a project the local people want. We have had public hearings in every instance, and there was no opposition before the Board. I cannot imagine anyone opposing these harbor projects. They are now needed as the result of a thriving waterway, and I believe in years to come we are going to need more of this type of project.

Mr. ANGELL. Is there any contribution by the local interests? Colonel FERINGA. Not in these cases, Mr. Angell, except the provisions of necessary lands and rights-of-way for the project.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. I understand you just set forth $34,270 as the cost of it, and what would be the local interests' contribution thereto, $4,500 ?

Colonel FERINGA. It would not be a cash contribution. The local interests would have to buy the lands and make them available, representing their contribution and including service facilities would amount to $4,500. We have in the past recommended to the committee, where a proposed harbor affords substantial local benefits, that the local interests contribute in cash toward the Federal work of improvement.

Later on we will present to the committee a small boat harbor at Peoria, Ill., where due to the benefits being local, in the sense that they will accrue to pleasure boats, a substantial cash contribution will be recommended, and I think that should be done.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT WABASHA, MINN.

(H. Doc. 514, 79th Cong.)

The next project, Mr. Chairman, is one at Wabasha, Minn., and it is practically the same type of project as those just discussed. Mr. Chairman, the report on the Mississippi River for harbor improvement at Wabasha is in response to a resolution adopted by this committee on April 30, 1940.

Wabasha is on the Mississippi River 93 miles below Minneapolis and on the Federal project providing for 9-foot navigation between Minneapolis and the mouth of Missouri River through canalization by means of locks and dams. The 9-foot channel has been completed to the extent that project depth is available in all pools. Lock and dam No. 4, 7.2 miles below Wabasha and 12 miles below Lake Pepin, creates a pool 44 miles in length extending through and above Lake Pepin to lock and dam No. 3, 6 miles above Red Wing, Minn.

There is no Federal project for harbor improvement at Wabasha. Landing and mooring facilities for small craft consist of a few small. docks located near the main navigation channel and exposed to damaging wave action from passing commercial tows.

The nearest authorized Federal harbor improvements are at Red Wing, 31 miles above Wabasha and at Winona, Minn., 34 miles below. No water-borne freight is handled through Wabasha at present. Approximately 130 small craft, fishing and recreational, now claim Wabasha as their home port.

Wabasha, with a population of about 2,400, is the county seat of Wabasha County, Minn., and is the principal trading center of the surrounding agricultural area. A main line railroad, an arterial highway, and a network of gravel-surfaced roads serve the locality. Local interests desire construction of a small boat harbor on the right bank of the Mississippi River at Wabasha adjoining the upstream limits of the business district, in a slough known as the Old Channel of the Zumbro River. They also desire sufficient fill for the surrounding low area to bring the general ground level above high water.

They state that they feel entitled to a safe harbor to replace the mooring area used prior to increased commercial navigation which resulted from the 9-foot channel and that a harbor would remove a possible source of delay and damage to commercial boats. They also express the need for the improvement as a harbor of refuge for up-bound craft at time of storm when navigation on Lake Pepin is unsafe for small boats.

The Board recommends provision by the United States, of a small boat harbor at Wabasha by dredging an area in the Old Channel of Zumbro River, 800 feet long and 175 to 400 feet wide, and an entrance channel from Mississippi River, 75 feet wide, to project depth of 5 feet below pool elevation 667 maintained by lock and dam No. 4; and constructing a protection and mooring embankment extending along the upstream side of the entrance channel and harbor to high ground. The Chief of Engineers concurs in the recommendations of the Board.

The improvement is recommended subject to the condition that responsible local interests furnish assurances satisfactory to the Secretary of War that they will provide free of cost to the United States all necessary lands, easements, rights-of-way, and spoil-disposal areas for new work and subsequent maintenance when and as required, and provide the necessary slips or stalls and servicing facilities open to the public on equal terms.

Cost to the United States for new work, $22,750; cost of annual maintenance, $100; amortization and interest, $885; total Federal carrying charges, $985.

The Department considers that the proposed small boat harbor at Wabasha is desirable to provide sufficient accommodations for transient boats in conjunction with similar harbors on the upper Mississippi River both authorized and under consideration, and is needed for local craft now compelled to moor in an area made hazardous by commercial navigation. The benefits are difficult to evaluate but the Department is of the opinion that the benefits to small boat owners would more than justify the project which would also provide for the personal safety of boatmen and remove a source of damage suits and delay to commercial vessels.

The Mississippi River flows down this way [indicating on map] and Wabasha is at the right bank. It is a thriving little community.

There now exists a small slough which flows into the Mississippi River, and we propose to dredge out that slough and make a spoil dump on the north side, providing a more or less natural basin which can accommodate the small boats.

The cost of the project is estimated at $22,750. The total Federal annual carrying charges, including amortization and interest and cost of annual maintenance amounts to $985.

Mr. PETERSON of Georgia. Are there any questions? If not, proceed with the next project, Colonel.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS IN LAKE PEPIN

(H. Doc. 511, 79th Cong.)

Colonel FERINGA. The next project, and the last we have for this afternoon, Mr. Chairman, is the Mississippi River between the Missouri River and Minneapolis, harbor improvements in Lake Pepin.

Mr. Chairman, the report on Mississippi River between the Missouri River and Minneapolis, with particular reference to harbor improvements in Lake Pepin, is submitted in response to resolutions adopted by this committee on December 19, 1938, and July 18, 1939.

Lake Pepin is a natural enlargement of the Mississippi River, 20.8 miles long, 1 to 211⁄2 miles in width, heading about 68 miles below Minneapolis, Minn. The channel of the Federal navigation project providing for a 9-foot depth in the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and the mouth of Missouri River passes through the lake.

As authorized by Congress, breakwaters were constructed in Lake Pepin at Bay City, Stockholm, and Pepin, Wis., and Lake City and Kings Coulee, Minn., between 1885 and 1909, at a cost of about $108,000, to serve primarily as storm refuges.

Only the Lake City breakwater has been improved since its original construction. This improvement was made in 1913 at a cost of $60,830.

Local interests at Lake City have constructed a coal wharf and a small landlocked basin to serve small boats.

In addition to through freight boats operating on Lake Pepin, a large number of transient recreational craft, and units of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Division 1, Ninth Naval District, call at Lake City for supplies and for refuge in time of storm. In 1942, 558 small boats passed the navigation lock at the head of the lake and 460 passed the lock below. Local fishing fleets deliver an annual catch of about 500 tons to villages on the Wisconsin shore. About 4,490 tons of coal were received at Lake City wharf in 1942.

Lake City, Minn., on the southwestern shore and about 8 miles above the foot of Lake Pepin, is the principal trading center on the lake and has a population of 3,200. Industrial establishments include a flour and feed mill and a foundry and machine shop. On the Wisconsin side of the lake are the fishing villages of Pepin, Stockholm, Maiden Rock, and Bay City with populations ranging from 180 to 750.

Interests at Lake City and tributary area, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary request deepening of the commercial harbor along the dock front, enlargement of the small boat harbor, closure of its present. entrance, and provision of a new entrance from the commercial harbor. These improvements are advocated to serve local fishing fleets and recreational craft, and to provide facilities for prospective increase. in commerce and harbors of refuge.

The Board recommends further improvement of the harbor at Lake: City, Minn., by deepening to 10 feet below lowest controlled pool elevation of an area about 1,000 feet long and 150 feet wide between deep water and the shore in the commercial harbor; enlarging the existing small boat basin to about 6 acres with depth of 5 feet below lowest controlled pool; closing the present entrance to the basin and providing a new flared entrance from the commercial harbor to the basin 5 feet deep and generally 80 feet wide.

The Chief of Engineers concurs in the recommendation of the Board.

The improvement is recommended subject to the condition that. responsible local agencies furnish assurances satisfactory to the Sec-retary of War that they will provide free of cost to the United States. all necessary lands, easements, rights-of-way, and spoil-disposal areas for new work and subsequent maintenance when and as required; con-struct and maintain adequate terminal facilities on the commercial harbor and necessary floating booms, wharves, and servicing facilities. at the small boat basin, available in both cases to all on equal terms; and hold and save the United States free from damages resulting from the improvements.

The estimated Federal first cost of the improvement is $79,300; the cost of annual maintenance is $500; the cost of annual amortization and interest, $3,086; total annual carrying charges, $3,586.

There are no railroad connections inland from Lake City, but there are well surfaced highways which would permit trucking to nearby cities and towns, the principal city being Rochester.

On the 1942 coal traffic alone the district engineer has estimated that the improvement would provide an annual saving of $3,600. The local flour mill has estimated an annual saving of $9,720 on. water transportation to southern ports, based on its present market.

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