A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY, DATED JANUARY 24, 1944, SUBMITTING AN INTERIM REPORT, TOGETHER WITH ACCOMPANYING PAPERS AND ILLUSTRATIONS, ON A SURVEY OF TURTLE CREEK, PA., MADE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED ON JANUARY 21, 1927, WHICH AUTHORIZES A SURVEY OF THE MONONGAHELA RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES MARCH 20, 1944.-Referred to the Committee on Flood Control and ordered to be printed with two illustrations WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 13, 1944. The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. DEAR MR. SPEAKER: I am transmitting herewith an interim report dated January 24, 1944, from the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, together with accompanying papers and illustrations, on a survey of Turtle Creek, Pa. This report is made under the provisions of the River and Harbor Act approved on January 21, 1927, which authorizes a survey of the Monongahela River and tributaries. Inasmuch as the proposed improvements are not essential to the war effort and since there would be large requirements for manpower, materials, and equipment, if the improvements are approved, the Department is of the opinion that initiation of construction thereof should be deferred until after the war. The Bureau of the Budget has been consulted and advises that while there would be no objection to the submission of this proposed report to the Congress, in the absence of evidence showing that the proposed works are necessary to the prosecution of the war, the submission during the present emergency of any estimate of appropriation for the 96895-44 construction of the project would not be in accord with the programf Respectfully, tions. HENRY L. STIMSON, Hows we LETTER OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARM navigati and Allo accompa Citr, Pa Subject: Turtle Creek, Pa. each of t 1. I submit herewith for transmission to Congress an inter report by the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors made a considera response to the provisions of House Document No. 308, Sixty-nica aller ex Congress, first session, which was enacted into law, with modification, bore th in section 1 of the River and Harbor Act of January 21, 1927. Its wide. T based upon investigations by the district and division engineers al 1904-5, n presents a plan for flood control and low-water flow improveme relocated A final comprehensive survey report on Monongahela River ad 0.4 mile b tributaries, including Turtle Creek, is in preparation. tion at th Manufactu 2. The Board recommends the improvement of Turtle Creek, P, he creek by the construction of a reservoir for flood control and low-war reduced th flow improvement, in general accordance with the plans describ3. Num herein and shown on the accompanying drawings, at an estimat Creek Val first cost to the United States of $2,613,000 with $15,000 annual Illinois Sta for operation and maintenance of the dam and reservoir; subject the condition that no funds shall be expended for construction of th Air Brake work until responsible local agencies have given assurances sat herships factory to the Secretary of War that they will: (a) Provide withot each the cost to the United States all lands, easements, and rights-of-wy Turtle Crea necessary for construction of the dam and for the reservoir; (b) ber branch o Pittsb the cost of all relocations of highways and alterations of public uti Brush Cree ties, except railroads, made necessary by construction of the proje;ania Railr and (c) maintain the channel through the Turtle Creek flood damark also reach below the reservoir in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of War. Trafford Cit 3. After due consideration of this report, I concur in the views a 4. Indust recommendations of the Board. atter origin eary pollu E. REYBOLD, Major General, Chief of Engineers.ally exte REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS WAR DEPARTMENT, THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS, Subject: Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania. fficient t Posts result reshets and ater suppli curred to wage has b 3. Lower roza run-off Com Monon 1. This interim report on Turtle Creek, Pa., with illustrations, of Mar is made under the provisions of House Document No. 308, Sixty-ninth Congress, first session, which was enacted into law, with modifice installatio undation of tions, in section 1 of the River and Harbor Act of January 21, 1927. It is based upon investigations by the district and division engineers and presents a plan for flood control and low-water flow improvement. A final comprehensive survey report on Monongahela River and tributaries, including Turtle Creek, is in preparation. 2. Turtle Creek, Pa., has its source in Westmoreland County, flows westerly and empties into pool No. 2 of the Monongahela River navigation project 11.6 miles above the junction of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers at Pittsburgh. It drains a watershed about 15 miles long having an area of 148 square miles as shown on the accompanying map. Brush Creek enters Turtle Creek at Trafford City, Pa., 6 miles above the mouth. Upstream from the junction, each of these creeks drains about 56 square miles. The area under consideration in this report is the lower 5 miles of the Turtle Creek Valley extending upstream to the borough of Pitcairn. For 3.5 miles above the creek mouth, the valley floor is only 500 to 1,000 feet wide. Thence it widens to about one-half mile at Pitcairn. In 1904-5, navigation locks and dam, No. 2, Monongahela River, were relocated from a position above the mouth of Turtle Creek to about 0.4 mile below the creek mouth thereby raising the slackwater elevation at the mouth of the creek about 10 feet. Deposition of silt in the creek channel, alleged to have resulted from this change, has reduced the water-carrying capacity of the creek at bankfull stage. 3. Numerous large industrial plants are located in lower Turtle Creek Valley, notably the Edgar Thompson Works of the CarnegieIllinois Steel Co. at North Braddock, the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.'s plant at East Pittsburgh, and the Westinghouse Air Brake Co.'s plant at Wilmerding. Railroad tracks of various ownerships cross and parallel the creek in its lower mile. Above this reach the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad is located in the Turtle Creek Valley to Brush Creek which it follows thence upstream. A branch of this railroad follows Turtle Creek above the mouth of Brush Creek. Extensive transfer and storage yards of the Pennsylvania Railroad are located at Pitcairn. The lower valley of Turtle Creek also contains a network of borough streets and connecting roads. The Pittsburgh Railway Co. operates a trolley line in the valley up to Trafford City. 4. Industrial wastes, domestic sewage, and coal-mine drainage, the latter originating principally in the Brush Creek Basin, have caused heavy pollution in lower Turtle Creek. During low-water periods, usually extending over several months annually, the discharge is insufficient to transport the heavy sewage load and objectionable deposits result. In general these deposits are removed by floods and freshets and transported to the Monongahela River and downstream water supplies. In the lower 3-mile reach of the creek, deposits have occurred to such extent at some sewer outlets that pumping of the sewage has been required. 5. Lower Turtle Creek Valley is subject to destructive floods both from run-off originating within the creek basin and from backwater from Monongahela River when it is at high stage. The greatest inundation of record in the lower valley resulted from the backwater flood of March 1936. To protect its plant from backwater floods, the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. in 1938 completed the installation of barrier works on Turtle Creek about 1 mile above reduce the mouth. The improvement consists of one vertical lift gate acr Turtle Creek and one across the adjacent Braddock Avenue togeth tons with a pumping plant. Normally the gates are in a raised posita mprov clear of the stream and the street. When the backwater from to head Monongahela threatens to cause damage, the gates are lowered whit the f makes it necessary to pump the headwater flow. Protection of alley. upstream valley against backwater to elevation 750, or 4 feet abonow-wat the stage of the March 1936 flood at this point, is provided.truction Federal projects for flood control on Turtle Creek have been authe urnishin ized by Congress and the only other improvement for that purpe required undertaken by local interests consists of the raising of streets aary alte buildings in the boroughs of Turtle Creek and East Pittsburgh follow ads, ar ing a flood in 1911. Subsequent filling in of the creek channel is rough largely nullified the relief from flood damages afforded by the late pate, a work. clading 6. The flood problem under present investigation relates to floos 9. On originating within the creek basin. Damages commence when cret for the in flows reach a discharge of about 7,500 cubic feet per second. T's Eleration c discharge has been exceeded on nine occasions since 1888. In additia Maximum Elevation o to the several important industries and transportation facilities, mag Area of rese small commercial and business establishments and various residenti Gros capac districts are subject to direct flood damages. The district engine Mannum 1 estimates that repetition of the largest headwater flood of rece Marinum I would result in direct damages of about $1,520,000, that the avera annual direct damages due to headwater run-off, based upon floos of record, amounts to about $129,000. In addition, important intestinated f ruptions of traffic and employment occur. Local interests desire testimated fi United States to undertake works to afford relief from floods in t lower valley of Turtle Creek and advocate measures for polluti abatement in conjunction with flood control. Capacity re feet...... 7. Investigations by the district engineer indicate that relief fra headwater flood damages in the lower valley in conjunction with lo water flow improvement for pollution abatement, as advocated? local interests, can best be accomplished by construction of a multip stated to purpose reservoir with dam located on Turtle Creek 8 miles abo the mouth to control a drainage area of 54 square miles. Topograp at the dam site and a preliminary design for the dam, planned as a earth fill with controlled tunnel outlet and uncontrolled saddle sp Preventic way, are shown on accompanying drawing. Murrysville, populatin about 1,000, at the upper end of the reservoir would be somewh affected by the reservoir when full. Below the town, the reserv Total.. d area contains scattered dwellings and a brick plant. Two major enfatio of estim three minor producing gas wells would be flooded. Coal seams The district the upper Freeport bed are believed to underlie the proposed reserve work we but these are reported to have little present value. Gas, oil, wat tiple-pur electric power, and telephone lines would have to be relocated. The B The Turtle Creek branch of the Pennsylvania Railross the reporti valley mporary st which has two short spurs, would require relocation. United Stat 4,200 feet and alteration of four secondary roads would be necessartake full Estimated to Estimated ar Operation E stimated an maintenanc stimated av Preventio Preventio Pollution Improvem Abandonment of other secondary roads is contemplated. no-damage stage in lower Turtle Creek Valley and would materialuted woul 8. The reservoir is designed to reduce floods of record to below the riding, al O improver TURTLE CREEK, PA. 5 reduce damages resulting from possible larger floods. Sanitary conditions and industrial water supplies in the valley would be greatly improved. Floods from Turtle Creek crest and reach Pittsburgh ahead of Monongahela-Allegheny River crests. Consequently most of the flood-control benefits of the reservoir would accrue to the local valley. In view thereof, and of the local benefits of the increase in ow-water flows, the district and division engineers consider that construction of the reservoir should be contingent upon local interests furnishing free of cost to the United States all lands and rights-of-way required for the dam and reservoir area, bearing the costs of necesJary alterations to highways and other public utilities except railroads, and agreeing to suitably maintain the channel of Turtle Creek through the flood damage area, the United States to construct, operate, and maintain the dam and to bear all costs of railroad changes ncluding the costs of rights-of-way for the latter. 9. On the described basis, the district engineer has presented data or the improvement as follows: Elevation of top of dam, feet above mean sea level. Maximum height of dam, feet--- Elevation of spillway crest, feet.. Area of reservoir at spillway crest elevation, acres. Maximum net capacity for flood control to spillway crest, acre-feet- Estimated first cost to United States___ Estimated total first cost-- Estimated annual cost to United States with $15,000 annually for operation and maintenance of dam_... Estimated annual cost to local interests with $5,000 annually for maintenance of Turtle Creek channel.. Estimated total annual cost---- Estimated average annual benefits: Prevention of direct damages based on floods of record... Pollution abatement. __ Improvement of industrial water supplies___ 918 128 900 870 29, 600 21, 600 7.5 7, 200 $2, 613, 000 1, 717, 000 4,330, 000 102, 000 77,000 179, 000 129, 000 46, 000 9,000 15,000 5, 000 204, 000 Total.. Ratio of estimated annual costs to benefits, 1 to 1.14. The district and division engineers have advised that they consider the work warranted and that they recommend construction of the multiple-purpose reservoir subject to the local cooperation indicated. 10. The Board, after careful consideration, concurs in the findings of the reporting officers that relief from headwater flood damages in the lower valley of Turtle Creek may be most suitably accomplished by the temporary storage of excess run-off, and in the view that it is advisable to make full use of the potentialities of the reservoir site selected by providing, also, storage space to be used exclusively for low-water flow improvement as desired by local interests. The reservoir so constructed would be in conformity with the best comprehensive plan for |