they are liable to fail again. The 1893 flood washed out Avalon Dam and in order to save McMillan, it became necessary to blast out large portions of that dam. Both dams were repaired, but again, in 1904, the flood waters destroyed Avalon. Reconstruction by the Bureau of Reclamation was completed in 1907. Recognizing that the city is located in a curve of the river and that a semibarrier does exist across the river in the northern section of the community, you can readily see that failures of these structures will cause a greater loss than would result with the same flood if these structures were not present.

Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I believe it should be made absolutely clear that the primary purpose of the Brantley Dam proposal is to eliminate an unsafe dam and to provide flood protection for the city of Carlsbad and the area downstream from the dam site. By far, the major portion of the cost of construction of the proposed dam is allocated to safety of dams and flood control. It is my belief that the members of this committee should keep these facts foremost in their minds in considering this proposal. The water rights on the Pecos River have been fully adjudicated and any dissension between holders of these water rights should be settled by procedures set forth by law and not by congressional action. The badly needed flood protection for Carlsbad and southern Eddy County must not be jeopardized by these side issues.

Gentlemen, again, on behalf of all of our citizens in Carlsbad and southern Eddy County, I urge you on this committee to give this proposal, the Brantley Dam project, a favorable report and let us not have a repeat of the West Virginia disaster here in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Mr. JOHNSON. Well, Mayor, I certainly want to thank you for a well-written statement with documentation. Your able aide at the easel has turned the pages at the right time and we have received a very clear picture.

Mayor GERRELLS. Thank you.

Mr. JOHNSON. I fully realize that with unsafe structures upstream and the location of the city in relation to the Pecos River here you do live under a threat of flood. There is no question about it, if the dam were to fail it would be much worse than the floods we looked at here. With the increased velocity and flow, it would take everything before it and you would have a clean sweep as the water pressure would build up.

Certainly the failure of dams across the country has been brought to people's attention after the fact. The latest was an improvised dam in West Virginia which took probably the greatest toll of all with a very small amount of water. You can see that with McMillan Reservoir and Dam and also the Avalon Dam and Reservoir, if they were to go, along with the high water you would really be in trouble. There would be a great loss of life and property.

Mayor GERRELLS. We realize it, yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. I very much appreciate this presentation that you have just made to bring to our attention the threat of floods and the floods that have taken place. I think you have done a fine job after looking over your city, and I have to agree with Mr. Lujan, that it is the first time that I have had an opportunity to drive around. I was brought here 20 years ago by the Caverns. That was the attention. My wife and children really enjoyed their visit through the caves. I see you have developed a lot more since that time.

Mayor GERRELLS. Yes, sir, we are very proud of it-very proud of our community.

Mr. JOHNSON. Also your lands have been irrigated and improved upon. As we come in and look over your fair city with its beautification and recreation developments, we can see that you really have something.

Now, I appreciate your statement here as to Chairman Aspinall wishes. I think you can well understand and tell the people that we. do have inflated prices in Washington over and above the air fares back there. To bring a group of people in support of a project to Washington requires a fortune in order to finance it all, because in Washington the days are long and the nights are longer, and the prices continue to go up as the hours creep upon you.

So, to come there and be properly housed, fed, and entertained, is a big expense for the people attending. With these field hearings we do give people an opportunity they would not otherwise have. The record is fully transcribed and made available. These are the basic things that we start with-the facts.

So, I am glad to learn that you are well aware of the costs of a trip to Washington and also the advantage that is given to the people here at home to partake in a hearing of this kind and have their say. I know that you are in full support of the project.

We will make certain that your statement is well read by the other members of the subcommittee when we move into the hearings in Washington.

Mayor GERRELLS. Thank you, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. Whether you come or not to visit us, you were there when we had the hearings on the Senate side, and you know the costs of it.

Mayor GERRELLS. I do not know if I can afford another trip.

Mr. JOHNSON. The gentleman from New Mexico, Mr. Lujan.

Mr. LUJAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, want to thank the Mayor for the fine hospitality we received.

Mavor GERRELLS. Thank you, sir.

Mr. LUJAN. And last night, I was very impressed with the hospitality. I was also impressed with the cover on the report that shows how progressive Carlsbad is, but I was more impressed with the inside,

the statement.

Mayor GERRELLS. Thank you, sir.

Mr. LUJAN. Looking at the report reminds me; I was back home last weekend, and everywhere we go we talk to people about different problems, and so on, and I did not happen to have a piece of paper, and I ran into a gentleman in the washroom, so I wrote it on a piece of paper towel and put it in an envelope and sent it back to Washington so it would be taken care of. But I think I am going to start carrying things like this, because they have kidded me about that paper towel message all of this time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. JOHNSON. The gentleman from New Mexico, Mr. Runnels.

Mr. RUNNELS. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to chime in, also, and thank Walter for a very fine presentation, along with his helper, Bob.

I think it shows the city of Carlsbad recognizes the dangers. This is a very good presentation, and I personally appreciate the pictures, because a picture describes better than anything else we could do. I think it is a very good presentation, Mr. Chairman. Mayor GERRELLS. Thank you.

Mr. JOHNSON. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor GERRELLS. Yes, sir. Thank you.

Mr. JOHNSON. I do not have any questions.

Do you have any, Mr. Casey?

Mr. CASEY. No, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. Our next witness will be the Honorable Joe Hood, the chairman of the Eddy County Board of Commissioners, Carlsbad, N. Mex.

We are very happy to have you here, Mr. Hood, representing the local government here.

STATEMENT OF HON. JOE HOOD, CHAIRMAN, EDDY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, CARLSBAD, N. MEX.

Mr. HOOD. I will be very brief.

Mr. JOHNSON. That is all right. We are used to one-minute speeches. That is what they limit us to in the House. You can take your choice, in between one and five.

Mr. HOOD. I will take less than one.

My name is Joe Hood. I am chairman of the Eddy County Board of Commissioners and, as such, we represent the people of Eddy County.

We wholeheartedly endorse and support the Brantley Dam project and respectfully request this committee to give full support and approval of this bill.

Mr. JOHNSON. Well, I would say that you have said everything in about four lines. Our former Speaker of the House who I started with, Sam Rayburn, was very brief in his statements and very limited in time he allowed other people. He would say, "You have a perfect statement there."

Mr. Lujan?

Mr. LUJAN. No questions. It does it all, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Runnels?

Mr. RUNNELS. Mr. Chairman, with his size, I believe a small statement like this is very fitting.

Mr. JOHNSON. Well, we are very glad to have the position of the county government. Last night, I met another one of your county commissioners, and he stated he was in full support. Now, to have it come from the chairman representing the board of commissioners, why, it is a good statement to have as factually stated for the record as it was.

Thank you.

Mr. JOHNSON. Our next witness will be the Honorable Ernest Thompson, the mayor of the city of Artesia.

Mr. Mayor?

I did not say this to Mr. Hood, but our reporter here was very much elated over Mr. Hood's statement. It is one that is documented well. All right, Mayor Thompson, we are ready to hear from you, and we are glad that you attended our dinner last evening.

STATEMENT OF HON. ERNEST THOMPSON, MAYOR, CITY OF ARTESIA, N. MEX.

Mayor THOMPSON. I certainly enjoyed it.

Mr. Chairman Johnson, Congressman Lujan, Congressman Runnels, Mr. Casey. It is with a great deal of pleasure that I come.

My name is Ernest Thompson, and I am the mayor of Artesia, and it is with a great deal of pleasure that I come here representing the people of Artesia.

Artesia, N. Mex., is located approximately 15 miles north of Lake McMillan Dam and 36 miles north of Carlsbad, N. Mex. We are, as citizens of this great county of Eddy and as close friends of the people of Carlsbad, concerned with the safety of the people of our county. You have my written statement there, and I will make it real short in my oral statement.

Mr. JOHNSON. It will appear in the record and you may continue to summarize your statement.

(The prepared statement submitted by Mayor Thompson reads in full as follows:)

STATEMENT OF HON. ERNEST THOMPSON, Mayor, City of Artesia, N. Mex. Artesia. New Mexico is located approximately 15 miles North of Lake McMillan Dari and 36 miles north of Carlsbad, New Mexico.

The citizens of Artesia have experienced tragic death and costly destruction of property as a result of flooding in North Eddy County. Because of these experiences and a knowledge of damage done to Carlsbad during those same periods, we are greatly concerned about the health, welfare and safety of our Eddy County neighbors living south of McMillan and Avalon Dams.

Water that caused these tragedies in Artesia eventually passed through Carlsbad, New Mexico via the Pecos River. These flooding conditions have occurred periodically in varying degrees of intensity and destructiveness, but a much greater loss of life and destruction was prevented because of the effectiveness of MeMillan Dam in containing a large amount of the flood water. Over a period of many years silting has decreased the effective capacity of the dam and aging of the structure causes concern for it's capabilities and protection to South Eddy County, if placed under severe stress.

The City of Artesia has completed some phases of it's projected flood control program and flood water will be channeled into the Pecos River at a much faster rate during future flood producing rains. The Artesia City Council, recognizing the need for the Brantley Dam in Eddy County on May 13, 1969, unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the proposed project.

With the goal of preventing future loss of lives and property, we respectfully urge your favorable consideration of the Brantley Dam Project.

Mayor THOMPSON. We, in Artesia, have had several tragedies caused from flooding very similar to what has happened in Carlsbad; so, we are aware of the nature of the tragedy that could occur here in Carlsbad. In the past few years we have just complete some phases of projeets diverting water into the Pecos River, and this water will get into the river more readily than it has in the past, causing another danger from flood.

On May 13, 1969, the City Council of Artesia unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the proposed project.

With the goal of preventing future loss of life and property, we respectfully urge your favorable consideration of the Brantley Dam Project.

This completes my statement.

Mr. JOHNSON. Mayor, did I understand you to say that as far as Artesia is concerned you diverted your flood runoff and you make it more available to the river and the people downstream?

Mayor THOMPSON. We are afraid this is true.

Mr. JOHNSON. That is the advantage of the upstream position. Mayor THOMPSON. We are glad we are above them and not below them.

Mr. JOHNSON. The gentleman from New Mexico, Mr. Lujan. Mr. LUJAN. I have no questions, Mr. Chairman. I had the privilege of sitting between two mayors at dinner last night, and we had a very good discussion on the project.

Mayor THOMPSON. It was certainly my pleasure to sit by you.

Mr. JOHNSON. The gentleman from New Mexico, Mr. Runnels.

Mr. RUNNELS. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to thank Ernest for being honest in his statement as to what the city of Artesia has done. Naturally, it would be unwise for him not to look after this thing the same as Carlsbad is looking after its problem.

I think that the people of Artesia are to be commended for supporting this project.

Mayor THOMPSON. Thank you very much.

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Chairman, are any of the costs allocated to the City of Artesia for curing this problem?

Mr. JOHNSON. Not as yet.

Mayor THOMPSON. There probably will be.

Mr. RUNNELS. As taxpayers, yes.

Mr. JOHNSON. Maybe the Mayor is a property owner down here in the benefited area, and you will have to assume some obligations on

it.

Mayor THOMPSON. No, but I would like to be.

Mr. JOHNSON. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for appearing here today. Mayor THOMPSON. Thank you.

Mr. JOHNSON. Our next witness will be Mr. Prentiss O'Neal, president, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. O'Neal, we want to thank you for your hospitality last evening, for the very fine dinner and the enjoyable evening.

Mr. O'NEAL. Mr. Chairman, we are grateful to the committee for coming down to see our problems firsthand and to hear our testimony. It was a real pleasure to entertain you.

STATEMENT OF PRENTISS O'NEAL, PRESIDENT, CARLSBAD

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mr. O'NEAL. My name is Prentiss O'Neal. I am president of the Carlsbad, N. Mex., Chamber of Commerce and, as such, I represent the majority of the business community of our city.

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has placed the construction of Brantley Dam as the No. 1 priority on our program of work. All our efforts over the past 75 years to develop our city could be wiped out with one reoccurrence on previous floodwaters on the Pecos River above Carlsbad due to the inability of McMillan and Avalon to handle these floodwaters.

We appeal to you as members of this committee to consider the real threat to our very lives and property that is pointed out by the expert witnesses who have preceded us and urge you to vote for the immediate approval of this project.

Mr. JOHNSON. We want to thank you for your statement and presence here. I am glad to hear that the chamber is on record in full support of the project.

Mr. O'NEAL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.