PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF WACCAMAW RIVER, N. C. AND S. C., FOR PURPOSES OF FLOOD CONTROL DECEMBER 8, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. REID of Illinois, from the Committee on Flood Control, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 10264] The Committee on Flood Control, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 10264) to provide a preliminary survey of Waccamaw River, N. C. and S. C., with a view to the control of its floods, having considered the same, report it to the House with the following amendments, and as so amended, recommend that it do pass: Line 4, strike out the word "survey" and insert in lieu thereof the words "preliminary examination". Line 11, strike out the words "such purposes" and insert in lieu thereof the words "examinations, surveys, and contingencies of rivers and harbors." Amend the title by striking out the word "survey" and inserting in lieu thereof the word "examination". Under section 3 of the flood control act of March 1, 1917, no survey and estimate with a view to the control of floods of any stream can be made until a preliminary examination has first been ordered and the report thereon submitted to Congress. The purpose of a preliminary examination is to ascertain what a detailed survey of the project will cost; what Federal interest, if any, is involved; and what share of the expense, if any, should be borne by the United States. Although these preliminary examinations cost little, it has been the uniform policy of the Committee on Flood Control to consider each project carefully before favorably reporting it. A hearing was held on the project involved in this bill. The head of the Waccamaw River is Waccamaw Lake, Columbus. County, N. C., from which it flows in a general southwesterly direction for a water distance of 244 miles into Winyah Bay, near Georgetown, S. C. The Federal Government assumed jurisdiction of this river as early as 1880, and for a number of years a small appropriation was made for work on the upper reaches of the river, removing logs, snags, etc., in order to render it navigable for boats drawing not over 3 feet or water. While the Government still spends money on this river for navigation purposes it has abandoned for such purpose the upper reaches of the river and no longer makes any appropriation for work of any kind thereon. Consequently the upper reaches of the river have become clogged with sunken logs, snags, and débris of various kinds. From its source at Waccamaw Lake down the river for a distance of 30 or 40 miles the river is exceedingly crooked and is a slow-moving stream. On account of this fact and the obstructions aforesaid the water moves out very slowly, and under any unusual rainfall at all the result is that not only the swamp land immediately adjacent to the river is flooded but because of the abnormal amount of water accumulating in the river and the adjacent swamps it is impossible to procure proper drainage of the highlands lying farther back, the whole adjacent country being flat. It is estimated that 500 square miles are adversely affected by this condition, which is apparently getting worse year by year. It is interesting to note that in the report of Charles B. Phillips, captain of engineers, to the Chief of Engineers, dated March 6, 1880, he called attention to the importance of this stream, and called attention to expression of like effect of Lieut. Col. James Kearney, made 40 years prior thereto, or in 1840. In these reports it is also mentioned that the situation brought forward here could be greatly relieved, and quite easily, too, by straightening the channel in places. The War Department has reported favorably on the bill and has estimated that this preliminary examination will cost approximately $1,500. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF FRENCH BROAD RIVER, N. C., FOR PURPOSES OF FLOOD CONTROL DECEMBER 8, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. REID of Illinois, from the Committee on Flood Control, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 10720] The Committee on Flood Control, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 10720) to authorize a preliminary examination of the French Broad River for the purpose of flood control, having considered the same, reports it to the House with the following amendment, and as so amended, recommend that it do pass: Line 5, strike out the word "Board" and insert in lieu thereof the word "Broad." Under section 3 of the flood control act of March 1, 1917, no survey and estimate with a view to the control of floods of any stream can be made until a preliminary examination has first been ordered and the report thereon submitted to Congress. The purpose of a preliminary examination is to ascertain what a detailed survey of the project will cost; what Federal interest, if any, is involved, and what share of the expense, if any, should be borne by the United States. Although these preliminary examinations cost little, it has been the uniform policy of the Committee on Flood Control to consider each project carefully before favorably reporting it. A hearing was held on the project involved in this bill. The French Broad River flows through a mountainous section, a distance of about 40 miles all told, through Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties, in North Carolina. There are several thousand acres of bottom lands along the banks of this stream in these counties. During the eighties Congress passed an act authorizing the placing of jetties or piles of rocks in this stream next to the bank on either side. These jetties were placed at frequent intervals, the theory and purpose of the placing of the same having been to deepen the channel of the stream so that the same would be navigable. They did not have the desired effect, and, on the contrary, caused débris to accumulate, and this in turn caused the flooding of the valuable bottom lands, which prior to the placing of the jetties in the stream were well adapted to agriculture. In Transylvania County alone there are 4,110 acres of said bottom land subject to overflow by reason of the jetties having been placed in the stream. These lands are thus caused to overflow on an average of about 7 summers in each 10 years, resulting in an estimated crop damage of $125,000 per annum. There is also a considerable loss of livestock. The amount of acreage affected in Buncombe and Henderson Counties is about the same as that of Transylvania County. Prior to the placing of said jetties in the French Broad River these lands were practically free from inundation. The War Department has reported favorably on the bill, and has estimated that this preliminary examination will cost approximately $1,500. O PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF FOX RIVER, WIS., FOR PURPOSES OF FLOOD CONTROL DECEMBER 8, 1930.-Committee to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. REID of Illinois, from the Committee on Flood Control, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 11201] The Committee on Flood Control, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 11201) to authorize a preliminary examination of the Fox River, Wis., for the purpose of flood control, having considered the same, report it to the House, with the recommendation that it do pass. Under section 3 of the flood control act of March 1, 1917, no survey and estimate with a view to the control of floods of any stream can be made until a preliminary examination has first been ordered and the report thereon submitted to Congress. The purpose of a preliminary examination is to acertain what a detailed survey of the project will cost; what Federal interest, if any, is involved; and what share of the expense, if any, should be borne by the United States. Although these preliminary examinations cost little, it has been the uniform policy of the Committee on Flood Control to consider each project carefully before favorably reporting it. A hearing was held on the project involved in this bill. The Fox River rises in Columbia County, Wis., in the second congressional district, and flows in a northeasterly direction through the sixth congressional district. The river is divided into distinct sections, known as the upper Fox and the lower Fox. The upper river empties into Lake Winnebago at Oshkosh, about the center of the west shore of the lake. The lake itself is approximately 10 miles wide and 30 miles long. From this point where the Fox River enters into Lake Winnebago the flow of the water in the lake is northerly. The only outlet of the lake is by way of the Fox River, which continues at Neenah and Menasha on the northwest point of Lake Winnebago, and flows from there on in a northeasterly direction, emptying into |