A large portion of this said bonded indebtedness still remains due and unpaid, and the lands heavily bonded, to such an extent, that it is impossible to further obligate them. While this system of removing these floodwaters gave immediate reliefs after their construction, they no longer are sufficient to take care of and handle the water which is now coming down from the Pine Bluff territory, due to the fact that this water has been greatly increased from the opening of new lands and construction of additional ditches running into the main ditch system, provided for passing this water through the county, and much of our lands are now flooded each year from the water from Bayou Macon and Beouff River and their tributaries, the water running over the banks of these streams extends over some 14,000 acres of good farm land in the Lake Village territory alone. Besides the damage caused by the actual flooding of the lands, there is also a great damage from the loss of planting seed, labor, crop insects, and disease to both people and stock.

That this district has expended more than $25,000 for maintenance and can maintain this work through its district after it is done and can furnish rights-of-way but are unable to provide necessary funds for bridges and we earnestly request that provisions for these bridges be taken care of by the Government.

As stated above this system of ditches was made necessary by the closing of Cyprus Gap, by the United States Engineer Corps, which at that time, and in order to cooperate and assist the people of this county in taking care of this excess water, made surveys and filed reports and recommendations with the Chicot County drainage district. These reports and recommendations were carried out by our district as completely as could be at that time, but our district was hampered in following them to the letter because of the people living in the southern part of the county, in what is now known as the Eudora-Western drainage district, who objected to them and to compromise the matter and get relief as expediently as possible, part of this water was diverted through Lake Chicot, which now acts as a storage basin, much to the consternation and disapproval of a large number of people living on its banks, who maintained that the lake is gradually filling with silt and being discolored for several months each year, and who are continuously harassing our drainage board to divert this water back down Beouff River and Bayou Macon as was proposed by the United States Engineering Corps, but it is impossiblbe for this district to do this since Bayou Macon and Beouff River are now unable to carry the large volume of this water which now passes through them, which is only 40 percent of the entire amount of water coming into this county from above, the other 60 percent going through Lake Chicot where it is stored until it can run off.

Some of the flooded condition along Beouf River and Bayou Macon have been caused by the recent construction of ditches in the counties north of Chicot County, and by the recent construction of a large ditch emptying into the main ditch of the Chicot County drainage district, by the War Relocation Authority and by numerous small ditches constructed by individuals in an attempt to remove floodwaters from their lands.

According to the 1940 census, there was some 19,229 persons living in the rural communities of this county, a large number of which are

affected by the flooding caused by the overflow of these streams, and most of which are small landowners.

The records reflect that in the years when the flood did not destroy so much of the crop, the county yields were consistently good, whereas the years when the floods occur, the yields were low.

This county is fast becoming a producer of hogs, cattle, and food products, as well as the customary cotton, grain, and hay, but this program has been greatly handicapped and will be further delayed, if not terminated, by flooding of the lands and the disease to livestock which it causes, and should be speedily remedied to assist our Nation at this time in its effort to increase its production to meet its and the world's need.

There are now some 150,000 acres of cut-over woodland in this county affected by these floods, most of which is of recent alluvial origin and will rank very high in productivity and the development of it, together with 166,000 acres now in cropland, would be of great benefit to the large number of people who are looking for an opportunity to provide for themselves, but it will be impossible to develop this 150,000 acres of cut-over woodland without first removing these floodwaters from them. In fact, a large acreage of this land already in cultivation is about to be abandoned because of this water. If this situation is relieved, it will greatly increase the production of the land already in cultivation, and will cause improvement of the wild lands, and provide homes for a large number of people. Flood damages to crops, according to figures furnished by the county land-use planning committee, has increased from $525,000 in 1932 to more than a million and a quarter now.

We earnestly and sincerely petition for relief from this bad situation, which we believe can be done by the enlargement and cleaning out of our present drainage system of Beouf River and Bayou Macon, including that part of Bayou Macon which runs from Macon Lake south, to intersect with the drainage canal which flows through Lake Chicot, the construction of dams and the continuance of this system through the State of Louisiana to intersect with the Ouachita River as planned and specified by the United States Army engineers.

STATEMENT OF LEON THURMAN, COUNTY AGENT AND SECRETARY, COUNTY LAND USE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Mr. THURMAN. All of the soils in the county are adapted to generaltype farming except the heavy clay soils which are more suited to the growing of cotton and alfalfa. These heavy soils are for the most part rich in lime and, being of a clay texture, are not so well suited to corn production; however, oats are produced to good advantage on this type of soil where drainage is afforded.

The population of Chicot County for 1940 was 27,453-19,229 of which were rural. This is an increase of 21 percent for the 10-year period since the 1930 census was made. The bulk of the increase in the population was due to the recent farm settlement in the county, because there is only a slight change in the total population of the three towns of the county for the 10-year period. Some of the rural townships in the western half of the county made gains during this period of from 50 to 200 percent. On the basis of the number of farms,

during the 5-year period from 1930 to 1935, two of the townships had an increase of more than 60 percent.

There are two distinctive types of land occupancy in the county. The distinctive features of agriculture in the eastern half of the county is the plantation system characterized by large operations which are worked by tenant croppers and wage hands. In the western half of the county the land is occupied mostly in small tracts by white operators, the average size of which are 80 acres.

In 1935 renters and sharecropper farms constituted 80 percent of all farms in the county and of those farms operated by tenants 54.2 percent was operated by sharecroppers, with only 22.5 percent of all tenants being white.

Feed crops, principally corn, oats, hay, and sorghum, were grown on about three times as much acreage in 1939 as in 1929 in Chicot County. Corn was grown on practically the same number of acres as cotton in 1939, with an acreage of about 40,000. Nearly all of this corn was harvested for grain with 675,896 bushels produced; this compares with a little over one-third of a million bushels in 1929. It also shows an increase in the average yield of 30 percent. Hay and sorghum jumped from 3,598 acres in 1929 to 12,211 acres in 1939. The production in the latter year was 17,140 tons as compared with 6,092 tons in 1929. Total cropland harvested was 28 percent higher in 1939 than in 1929, an increase of over 25,000 acres with a reduction of approximately 23,000 acres in cotton production. Over 40,000 acres is reflected in increase in other crops, including foods for home consumption. In addition to the increase in corn, hay, and oats, and sorghum for feed crops, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, sorghum for sirup, and home gardens were grown on more land in 1939 than in 1929. In 1941 there were 40,250 acres of corn produced, 11,500 acres of oats produced, and 14,200 acres of hay. Livestock numbers in the county have increased tremendously during the last 10 years. In 1930 there were 3,759 head of cattle over 3 months old, and in 1940 there were 8,516 head. In 1930 there were 5,558 hogs over 3 months old, and in 1940 there were 12,285 over 4 months old.

The records reflect that in those years when the floods did not destroy so much of the crops, the county yields were consistently good, whereas the years when the floods occured during planting and growing seasons the yields were low. Especially is this fact shown by the records of individual farms. Those farms on the land which was not flooded have consistently high yield, and those farms where lands are flooded the yields are good when the flood does not occur during the crop season, but when the crops are flooded during the period from April to July the yields are very poor.

In 1930 the cultivated land in Chicot County was 107,869 acres and in 1941 it is 160,299 acres. This tremendous increase in cultivated land is due to the increase in farm population and also due to the development of woodland on farms which have never been completely developed.

The area in Chicot County which is subject to overflow from Bayou Macon and Boeuf River is practically all of that portion of the county lying west of highway No. 65 and the Missouri Pacific Railroad and portions of the county lying east of these lines and it constitutes about 52 percent of the county. All of Chicot County is drained by Bayou

Macon and Boeuf River and their tributaries, and when these channels overflow it endangers the crops in all of the county except those small ridges which have elevation sufficient to be above the water line. From highway No. 82 south to the Louisiana line it is 20 miles and the elevation fall is less than 15 feet.

The clearing of lands throughout the county has caused the run-off water to fill Boeuf River and Bayou Macon so quickly that the water is spread out over their drainage basins and it stands for periods of from a few days to 3 weeks before it can drain away. Drainage channels and canals which were ample before the big increase in cultivated land now are overloaded with this accelerated run-off. This condition not only is detrimental to the new settlers, but is also doing damage to the older established farms. Particularly acute is the flood hazard in the Boeuf River drainage basin because this channel is obstructed at the State line and during heavy flood rains the channel backs up and floods water 8 or 10 miles back up in the county and causes backwater in all of the river's tributaries. The flood hazard to the farms in this area is increasing from year to year by the fact that as new land is opened up and farm ditches constructed, the channels overflow more quickly and cover greater territory. The flooding of this area makes the prevalence of malaria and typhoid a menace to the people throughout the county as well as making it impossible for many of the inhabitants to have school facilities due to the bad conditions of their roads.

In view of the situation described above, the Agricultural Planning Committee of Chicot County recommends that the channels of Boeuf River and Bayou Macon be opened and enlarged sufficiently to take care of the increasing volume of water which is being turned into these channels every year. Since this is an interstate problem affecting a large area lying in the States of Arkansas and Louisiana, the committee recommends that a study be made of the flood problem from the standpoint of the entire channels of Boeuf River and Bayou Macon and their tributaries by the proper authorities and such action be taken as is necessary to affect solving of the problem in both the State of Arkansas and Louisiana.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order.

General Crawford, we have just finished the statements with respect to the extension of the Tensas, Macon, and Boeuf in Arkansas.

Are there any witnesses here who opposed those extensions as recommended?

(No response.)

YAZOO, TALLAHATCHIE, COLDWATER RIVER SYSTEM

The CHAIRMAN. General Crawford, in that matter the committee has asked you to give us your views with respect to a proposed extension of the authorization for the Sunflower, the Little Sunflower, the Quiver, the Bogue Phalia, and the other comparable streams on the Mississippi side of the river in the Yazoo Delta so as to extend authorization in the Flood Control Act of December 22, 1944, so as to emphasize the others, to embrace the headwaters of those streams together with any modifications that you may make, and I will ask you to give us your statement and your recommendations with regard to that modification of the adopted part.

General CRAWFORD. The data available to our office on those streams are not as complete and comprehensive as on the streams on the other side since that area on the west bank was thoroughly surveyed in connection with the proposed floodways.

The CHAIRMAN. That is the Boeuf and Eudora floodways?
General CRAWFORD. Yes.

At the present time we are conducting surveys on the Sunflower and the other rivers in that project, but our data as yet, while incomplete, are sufficient to show that there should be additional work done on these streams that is not now included within the authorization. There should be some cut-offs undoubtedly made and the lower reaches of some of the streams that were cleared under general provisions of the 1938 act in the past need reclearing. One in particular, the Quiver, the lower 55 miles of that need to be recleared.

I would suggest that increased authorization be included in the pending bill to authorize the necessary improvements to effect the purpose of the improvement as we find desirable as a result of field survey's and further study.

The CHAIRMAN. And what is the estimated additional amount? You have given us the amount as $5,000,000 in the Boeuf and 5 or 6 million in the other.

What is your estimate with respect to the headwaters of these comparable streams?

General CRAWFORD. I think in the vicinity of $5,000,000.

The CHAIRMAN. You mean a total of $500,000,000 additional?
General CRAWFORD. About 5 million dollars all told.

The CHAIRMAN. General Crawford, Mr. Whitten, of Mississippi, referring to your statement about damages to reservoirs, has already made a statement. I understand he is not here now but will be here later on.

As I understand you, General, you have recommended to the committee that there be possibly a modification of the project so as to enable you to provide for additional damages that you could not foresee either to highways or to railways.

General CRAWFORD. Restoration of unusual damages, perhaps damages that are not foreseen.

The CHAIRMAN. In connection with these projects and in the Yazoo Delta, Representative Abernethy is very much interested in the hill streams tributaries of the Yellow Bayou, and there are other comparable streams that Representative Whitten and other Members of Congress from Mississippi are interested in.

I will not ask you to state if you have investigated the Petacocowa and other tributary streams and particularly that stream, since the floods of 1946, and recurring during the last 3 years, and what estimate, if any, you desire to make at this time.

General CRAWFORD. Particularly the little hill streams, tributary to the Yazoo, the headwater project, are subject to flash floods and bring down large quatities of sand and gravel and practically all of them are subject to overflow within the Delta basin. A lot of them have been protected by levees constructed by local people in the years gone by, but due to the filling of the channels those levees cre