AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS OF A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL PLAN FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF FLOODS OF ALL THE MAJOR RIVERS OF THE UNITED STATES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. MAY 11, 1937.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. MCCLELLAN, from the Committee on Flood Control, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. J. Res. 175] The Committee on Flood Control, to whom was referred the bill H. J. Res. 175, the title of which is "To authorize the submission to Congress of a comprehensive national plan for the prevention and control of floods of all the major rivers of the United States, and for other purposes", having considered same and approved and adopted certain amendments thereto, report it favorably to the House of Representatives with the recommendation that it do pass as amended. The amendments adopted are as follows: On page 1, line 7, after the word "States", insert "and its Territories". On page 2, line 8, after the word "projects", strike out the period, insert a comma in lieu thereof, and add the following: and shall set forth the values of such projects for hydro-electric development and other conservation purposes. And the appropriate bureaus of the Department of Agriculture, under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture, be, and they are hereby, authorized and directed to cause a preliminary examination, survey, and report, or reports, to be made for run-off and waterflow retardation and soil erosion prevention on the watersheds of said waterways, with a view to controlling said floods in accordance with the provisions of the Flood Control Act approved June 22, 1936. On page 2, line 11, after the word "Congress", strike out the period, insert a comma, and add the following: and shall include provisions for the construction of levees, spillways, diversion channels, channel rectification, reservoirs, and utilization of water resources through the building of power dams or a combination of power, reclamation, conservation, and flood-control dams, and all works necessary for an effective soil and water conservation for all such rivers and their watersheds. That all of section 2 be stricken and the following inserted in lieu thereof: SEC. 2. The cost of surveys and preparing plans as herein authorized shall be paid from appropriations heretofore or hereafter made for such purposes. Amend the title so as to read: A bill to authorize the submission to Congress of a comprehensive national plan for the prevention and control of floods of all the major rivers of the United States, development of hydroelectric power resources, water, and soil conservation, and for other purposes. As amended, the resolution is as follows, the committee amendments being shown in italics: JOINT RESOLUTION To authorize the submission to Congress of a comprehensive national plan for the prevention and control of floods of all the major rivers of the United States, development of hydroelectric power resources, water and soil conservation, and for other purposes. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War is authorized and directed to submit to Congress with reasonable expedition a full report or a series of reports embodying a comprehensive national program and plan for the control of floods of all the major rivers of the United States and its territories and their principal tributaries. The Chief of Army Engineers, under the direction of the Secretary of War, is authorized and directed to conduct necessary surveys, assemble information, and prepare such a comprehensive plan, which shall include provisions for the construction of levees, spillways, diversion channels, channel rectification, reservoirs, and all works necessary for an effective and adequate system of flood control for all such rivers. Such plan and the report to Congress shall list specific projects and set forth estimates of cost (including the expense of acquiring land and easements and payment of property damage) of carrying out the projects, and shall set forth the values of such projects for hydroelectric development and other conservation purposes. And the appropriate bureaus of the Department of Agriculture, under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture, be and they are hereby, authorized and directed to cause a preliminary examination, survey, and report, or reports, to be made for run-off and water flow retardation and soil erosion prevention on the watersheds of said waterways, with a view to controlling said floods in accordance with the provisions of the Flood Control Act approved June 22, 1936. Such plan and report or reports shall take into consideration flood control projects now under construction or heretofore authorized by Acts of Congress, and shall include provisions for the construction of levees, spillways, diversion channels, channel rectification, reservoirs, and utilization of water resources through the building of power dams or a combination of power, reclamation, conservation, and flood control dams, and all works necessary for an effective soil and water conservation for all such rivers and their watersheds. SECTION 2. The cost of surveys and preparing plans as herein authorized shall be paid from appropriations heretofore or hereafter made for such purposes. This resolution was referred to the War Department, and the Secretary of War has evidenced his approval of this legislation by the following letter: Hon. WILLIAM M. WHITTINGTON, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, April 13, 1987. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR JUDGE WHITTINGTON: I refer to your letter of February 2, 1937, requesting a report on House Joint Resolution 175, to authorize the submission to Congress of a comprehensive national plan for the prevention and control of floods of all the major rivers of the United States, and for other purposes. The surveys undertaken by the War Department under the provisions of House Document 308, Sixty-ninth Congress, first session, have made much of the basic data necessary for the formulation of this plan available, and the extension of this data as required could be undertaken over a period of time with funds previously or hereafter authorized for flood-control purposes to permit considered up-to-date plans being submitted for the consideration of Congress where acute flood conditions exist. It is the view of this Department that the proposed legislation should be amended as indicated in red thereon to provide for the expenses in preparing the plans to be met from general appropriations for flood control. With the amendment thus indicated, the War Department does not object to the enactment of the joint resolution. The Bureau of the Budget has been consulted and advises that there is no objection to the submission of this report. Sincerely yours, HARRY H. WOODRING, PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS LEGISLATION In view of the frequency with which disastrous floods are recurring on streams throughout the United States, resulting in the loss of life to hundreds of human beings and the destruction of and damage to property to the extent of hundreds of millions of dollars annually and causing soil erosion in enormous proportions, measures for the control and prevention of floods can no longer be considered, regarded, and treated as problems local to the particular area in which the major portion of damages may occur or result by reason of the floods on a particular stream. Quite to the contrary, the general welfare is involved and flood control is acknowledged to be not only a national problem, but one of the major problems demanding solution and for which the Federal Government must accept full responsibility, at least, for appropriate legislation to provide an adequate system for the control and prevention of destructive floods on the major streams and for the protection of the principal valleys in the Nation. It is further recognized that in connection with the planning and construction of any flood-control projects, due regard should be had for the potential value of dams that may be constructed in their use for the development and generation of hydroelectric power, the potential value from utilization of the waters thus stored in reservoirs, for irrigation and reclamation purposes, and the retardation of water flow in aid to flood control and in prevention of soil erosion. The extent and vastness of such a program is obvious. It is so comprehensive in scope that every appreciable area in the United States is to some degree affected. Any plans for the control of floods should also take into account the other purposes for which dams can be used after their construction and the utilization that can be made of water after it has been stored, together with the contribution flood control and the retardation of waterflow will make toward the prevention of soil erosion. National responsibility for flood control has been established within limitations by previous legislation, viz: The Flood Control Act of 1928; the Overton flood control bill, now Public, No. 678, of the Seventy-fourth Congress; the omnibus flood control bill of 1936, now Public, No. 738, of the Seventy-fourth Congress, and by sundry bills that have been enacted calling for preliminary survey reports and the authorization of specific projects on various streams. It is believed that to undertake the construction of a coordinated system of flood-control works in such a manner as to develop, conserve, and make the best use of our natural resources, a coordinated system adequately and wisely planned should be adopted, taking into account projects now in process of construction and heretofore authorized. That is the object and purpose of this resolution-to authorize and direct the War Department, through its Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Agriculture, under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture, to assemble such data, make such surveys, and studies as may be required to permit said Departments to prepare and submit to Congress by appropriate report, or reports, a complete, comprehensive, coordinated plan for the control and prevention of floods on all major streams and at the same time provide for the maximum of benefits in the utilization of the dams constructed in such system in the generating of electric power, for reclamation and irrigation purposes, and in the retardation of waterflow so as to prevent soil erosion. It is unwise to proceed to legislate without such a plan. If we are to have a system of flood-control projects that will give satisfactory results in the removal of this great menace to human lives and property, it will be necessary to incur heavy expenditures, running into billions of dollars. The cost, however, will be more than justified if we plan wisely and execute the projects with regard to their economic uses and benefits and take into account their value for purposes other than flood control. The enactment of this resolution will result in the highest and most competent authorities submitting to Congress a plan, in the nature of a blueprint, so to speak, of projects recommended for construction to effectuate the results desired, thereby permitting Congress to act intelligently and legislate wisely on this important subject and so as to obtain the greatest results and benefits from the enormous expense that will be incurred. Most of the basic data necessary for formulating such a plan and making the reports called for by this resolution has already been assembled and the comprehensive plan can be submitted within 8 months (by next session of Congress). After its submission and study, Congress may adopt it in full, modify it or make such changes as it desires, but it will form a basis and guide for future legislation. When the reports and plans submitted pursuant to this resolution have been adopted, we can map out and authorize a definite program over a period of years and know our goal and objectives before we begin. In this manner we will avoid discrimination in favor of one section, river, or valley as against another, and escape from the uncertain slipshod methods more or less employed heretofore, eliminate waste, conserve cost, and when completed, should have an effective, comprehensive, coordinated system of flood-control works on all our major streams, providing, in addition to flood control, the maximum of benefits in the utilization of our water resources and in prevention of soil erosion. о EMERGENT APPROPRIATIONS, 1937 MAY 12, 1937.-Ordered to be printed Mr. WOODRUM, from the committee of conference, submitted the following CONFERENCE REPORT [To accompany H. J. Res. 331] The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the joint resolution (H. J. Res. 331) to provide emergent appropriations for certain Federal activities for the remainder of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1937, having met, after full and free conference have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows: That the Senate recede from its amendments numbered 2 and 7. That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendments of the Senate numbered 1, 3, and 8, and agree to the same. Amendment numbered 4: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 4, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed insert $350,000; and the Senate agree to the same. Amendment numbered 5: That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate numbered 5, and agree to the same with an amendment, as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed insert $280,000; and the Senate agree to the same. H. Repts., 75-1, vol. 2- -22 |