City of Stockton The city of Stockton is a political subdivision of the State of California incorporated in 1850. It is the county seat of San Joaquin County, located at the head of deepwater ocean navigation on the San Joaquin River. The port of Stockton serves the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys: Tonnage moved in 1953. Area-- Population (estimated, 1954). Assessed valuation (lands and improvements). __tons__ square miles__ 2, 134, 000 15. 432 87,000 $106, 848, 390 Stockton-East San Joaquin Water Conservation District A political entity organized under the laws of the State of California primarily for the conservation and development of a water supply for irrigation and domestic and industrial uses. It comprises a highly developed agricultural area and includes about 16,000 acres of urban development. Many large and important industries are located in the urban area. Area Population, including city of Stockton (approximately). North San Joaquin Water Conservation District A political entity organized under the laws of the State of California primarily for the conservation and development of a water supply for irrigation, domestic, and industrial uses. It comprises a highly developed agricultural area. Area Population, including the city of Lodi (approximately) acres__ 52, 000 30,000 $11, 783, 280 The Flood-Control Association of the Lower San Joaquin River and Its Tribu taries A voluntary organization representing owners of approximately 150,000 acres of land along the lower San Joaquin River and in the delta. Organized in 1938 for the purpose of securing flood protection for the lands and communities it represents. Streams in San Joaquin County presenting flood problems San Joaquin County, lying as it does just east of the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, with a large portion within the delta of these two rivers, is in the most precarious position, with respect to floods, of any county in the Central Valley of the State of California. The county suffers from floods on each of the following streams: San Joaquin River from the delta to Friant Dam and the following tributaries: Stanislaus River, Calaveras River, Mokelumne River, Dry Creek (tributary to the Mokelumne River), Cosumnes River (tributary to the Mokelumne River), Lower River Delta Waterways. On each of the three first streams listed above there are Federal and Stateauthorized projects, the status of which will be set forth later in this statement. On the last four streams above listed, authorized surveys and reports are now being made by the United States Army Engineers as funds permit. In addition to the above-listed streams upon which there are Federal and State-authorized projects, the following tributaries of the San Joaquin River above the Stanislaus River contribute to the flood problems of the San Joaquin County: (1) The Tuolumne River: (a) Cherry River Dam (an authorized project now under construction) (b) New Don Pedro Dam (an authorized project) (2) Merced County stream group: (a) Bear River (an authorized project). San Joaquin County is interested in and urges the early completion of all of the above projects. The flood flows of the Merced River enter the San Joaquin River west of the city of Merced and add to the volume of floodwaters to be carried by the lower San Joaquin River. The sum total of the heavy flood flows of the San Joaquin River and all its tributaries is more than the river can carry within its banks. Floods are inevitable on the lower reaches of the watershed in San Joaquin County. The completion of the now authorized projects on the watershed is the solution to our problem. Floods on the Mokelumne River and its tributaries (Dry Creek and Cosumnes River), in addition to causing heavy damages to valley agricultural lands along their courses, also cause an increase in the height of the flood plane in the delta channels and retard the discharge of the San Joaquin River as it enters the delta. Damages from floods, San Joaquin River watershed During the past 50 years there have been 40 floods of damaging magnitude on the major streams of the San Joaquin River watershed. Approximately onethird resulted primarily from rain and the remainder were caused by melting snow. The most recent major floods occurred during the seasons 1937-38, 1950-51. During the former season 3 rain floods and 1 snowmelt flood occurred. In the 1950-51 season there occurred one of the largest and most devastating rain floods in the history of California. The United States Army engineers in House of Representatives Committee Document No. 2, 78th Congress, 2d session, estimated the flood damages of the 1937-38 floods on the San Joaquin River group of streams to be $5,339,590. Based on current values, this figure would be close to $8 million. The damages resulting from the 1950-51 flood on the San Joaquin River group was estimated to be approximately $7.500,000. Approximately 50 percent of the damages resulting from these two floods occurred in San Joaquin County. The average annual flood damage from floods on the San Joaquin River watershed is estimated by the United States Army engineers to be $1,460,000. (See Committee Doc. 2, 78th Cong., 2d sess.) Damages in San Joaquin County from the 1950 flood on all streams within the county Following is an estimate of the flood damage caused by all streams in San Joaquin County due to the floods of November and December of 1950: Sewage plants, diversion dam, fish ladder, gravel pits, gold dredger--. 181,000 County highways. State highways_ Public utilities. Total 513,000 336, 000 600,000 3,436, 105 The above figures do not include intangible and latent damages which cannot be estimated. Neither do they include sums spent by the United States Army engineers and the State of California on emergency work primarily for the closing of levee breaks. The Chief of Engineers made available $2 million for this work in the Central Valley and the State of California a similar amount. It would be safe to say that the overall damages in San Joaquin County alone from the 1950 floods exceeded 51⁄2 million. Calaveras River This stream is in reality more of a tributary to the delta of the San Joaquin River than to the river as such. The city of Stockton and approximately 100,000 acres of rich agricultural land lie in the path of its floods. Partial protection is afforded the area by the Hogam Dam, built by the city of Stockton for that purpose in 1930. The existing structure would afford practically no protection against a major flood on the watershed such as occurred in 1911. The United States Army engineers in House Document 545, 78th Congress, 2d session, estimated the average annual flood damage to this stream to be $177,000. Considered on the basis of urban and agricultural development since World War II, this figure should be more than doubled. STATUS OF PROJECTS FOR WHICH FUNDS ARE BEING REQUESTED New Hogan Dam Location: On Calaveras River 3 miles south of the town of Valley Springs. Description: An earth-fill dam incorporating the existing dam in the proposed structure, together with three auxiliary related earth-fill dikes. Reservoir capacity 325,000 acre-feet with a maximum flood-control reservation of 133,000 acrefeet. Federal authorization: Public Law 534, 78th Congress, 2d session (H. Doc. 545, 78th Cong., 2d sess.). State authorization: Chapter 1514, statutes of 1945. Justification: Additional flood protection for the city of Stockton and farmlands along Calaveras River, Mormon Slough and Diverting Canal, and provision for conservation storage of approximately 190,000 acre-feet. A supplemental water supply for agriculture is needed. Estimated first cost: (H. Doc. 367, 81st Cong., 1st sess.) $11, 264, 000 122, 000 225,000 Remarks: The appropriation herein requested will permit the completion of final project plans so that bids for actual construction can be called for. Concerning the above project the city of Stockton at its own expense built the present Hogan Dam at a cost of over $2 million. The present structure affords protection from only normal floods. The damage from a repetition of the 1911 flood on this stream could well be several million dollars, as the area which would be affected is now highly developed and some of it thickly populated. Fortunately. there was no major flood on the watershed during the recent years. San Joaquin River levees Location: San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced Counties. Description: Levee construction on San Joaquin River below mouth of Merced River, along the lower portion of Tuolumne and Stanislaus Rivers and through the upper delta and flowage rights for natural valley storage above the mouth of Merced River. Federal authorization: Public Law No. 534, 78th Congress, 2d session. (H. Doc. No. 2, 78th Cong., 2d sess.) State authorization: Chapter 1514, statutes of 1945. Justification: Protection of more than 100,000 acres of highly developed productive agricultural lands and improvements thereon. Estimated first cost--- Funds appropriated to date (planning) Funds requested.. New Melones Dam $4, 134, 000 Minor 500, 000 Location: On Stanislaus River, 14 miles above town of Knights Ferry, twothirds of a mile below present dam. Description: Concrete arch dam. Federal authorization: Public Law 534, 78th Congress, 2d session. (H. R. Committee, Doc. No. 2.) State authorization: Chapter 1514, statutes of 1945. Justification: Protection of highly developed productive agricultural lands in Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties. Conservation storage for 100,000 acres of land, and power development. Supplemental water supply for area badly needed. Estimated first cost (H. Doc. 367, 81st Cong., 1st sess.) Funds requested--- $47, 810, 000 63,000 83, 700 Remarks: The floodwaters on this stream do extensive damage along the course of the river itself and contribute heavily to volume of floodwaters of the San Joaquin River and the damages in Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties resulting therefrom. The underground water supply of 100,000 acres of agri cultural land in the area is rapidly diminishing and a supplemental water supply must be brought in. The New Melones Dam will furnish this supply. Funds for preliminary planning, engineering, and surveying on projects authorized for study and report thereon by committees of the Congress It is understood that the Appropriations Committee does not make recommendations on engineering and survey allocations to individual projects and that such allocations are made in a lump sum to the Corps of Engineers and that the Chief of Engineers makes the allocations to the individual projects. Our interest lies in getting a greater allocation of such funds to the Corps of Engineers, so that the studies and reports in San Joaquin County can be completed. There are two such authorized studies in the county, to wit: (1) Mokelumne River and its tributaries, authorized July 25, 1946. Very little work has been done on this project. (2) Lower delta Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers Delta authorized June 1, 1948. Considerable work done on this project. Our national economy, defense, and welfare In considering this request for a Federal appropriation for the implementation of the flood-control projects herein set forth, it is the view of local interests that serious consideration must be given to their relationship to our national economy, defense, and welfare. For your consideration we submit the following: (1) The Central Valley of California is one of the major food-producing areas in the United States. The cash income from all types of agriculture, including dairying and livestock, exceeded $1 billion in 1953. (2) Damages in excess of $32 million due to the 1950 floods was primarily to agriculture. (3) Damage to agriculture in San Joaquin County alone exceeded $5 million in 1950. (4) California is a pivotal State in our national and international relations with the Far East and the Orient. Its economy must not be impaired. (5) The Central Valley of California is the location of many important military establishments. (6) Two of the largest military supply depots in the United States are located in San Joaquin County, to wit: (a) The Army Sharpe General Supply Depot with three annexes close by, has recently been enlarged at a cost of over $10 million. (b) The Naval Supply Depot on the Stockton Deep Water Channel near the Port of Stockton. (7) Ingress and egress by rail, highway, and waterway to and from the above establishments is seriously impaired by major flood disasters. (8) The main lines of three transcontinental railroads, viz: The Southern Pacific, The Western Pacific and the Santa Fe, pass through San Joaquin County and the flooded areas. The former was out of service for 10 days during the December 1950 flood. (9) Two United States highways, viz: United States 50 and United States 99, pass through the flooded areas in San Joaquin County. The former was closed to traffic between Stockton and San Francisco for a period of 30 days in 1950. (10) Many State and county highways are flooded for prolonged periods. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion we submit as follows: (1) The projects herein enumerated have been authorized by the Congress of the United States. (2) The State of California will finance all non-Federal costs. (3) Flood control works in California have not kept pace with the development of the State. (4) Their construction should be accelerated at once. (5) In times of national emergency we should try to continue with our internal improvements as they have a national defense value. (6) The funds herein requested for the projects set forth are small, but nonetheless are important and will permit the starting of planning work. (7) In the interests of national, State and local economy the funds herein requested should be appropriated by Congress. SAN JOAQUIN LEVEES Representative JOHNSON. The one project I am most interested in is having some work done on the San Joaquin levees. This project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944, and the damage that has been caused because this project has not been carried out, in my own district alone, runs into the millions of dollars. I understand that there is becoming available some authorized and unappropriated funds to the extent of $500,000 for work on the San Joaquin levees. If that could be done, it would be a great blessing to us, and save a tremendous amount of future damages. I think the record should show that in the last 53 years we have had 41 floods in the lower San Joaquin River; and as the chairman of the water-resources board pointed out, both our Senators have personal familiarity with the situation that we are talking about in that area. In our district we are really at the end of the funnel because the San Joaquin River accepts the water from all those streams from the Stanislaus River downward, which flow from the Sierras. When the snows begin melting, the impact is felt in the low area of the San Joaquin River. The western part of the Stockton is only 12 feet above sea level. It is all leveed off and there is great chance that even the city of Stockton could be injured. YEARLY FLOOD LOSS I want to put into the record this statement also: that from 1937 to 1952, inclusive, there was an average yearly loss by flooding in my district of $2,955,000. Just think of that. Almost $3 million a year for 15 years. The crops in my congressional district, just 2 counties in that area, in 1953 were valued at $288 million. As the chairman and our junior Senator knows, the delta in that area is one of the most fertile pieces of land in the entire world. HOGAN DAM A matter that I am very much interested in and would like to support is that Mr. Hogan is going to recommend some study funds for the Hogan Dam. The Hogan Dam was built and finished about 1930 by the city of Stockton. It cost our city $1,600,000. I am also very much interested in the New Melones project. I understand there is available a fund of $83,700 which I hope the committee will allow for the purpose of drawing further plans. That dam is a very key dam. The Stanislaus River is where that dam is located, and the Stanislaus River is what causes the greatest damage to us in my county and in Stanislaus County. It is a stream that has a streamflow of from 2 to 5 million acre-feet a year. When that river runs riot, we get the impact of it along the San Joaquin River very badly. The devastating floods of 1951-52 were largely caused by that river. I would like to support the testimony of Mr. Cohen and of Mr. Kidd and his associate from Turlock, Mr. Crowell. I concur in whatever they have to say 100 percent. I also concur in the testimony of |