STATEMENT OF HON. WALTER B. JONES, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman and members. I think that whoever introduced the original legislation must have had in mind projects such as mine which is a rural community which is wholly engaged in the production of agricultural products. They raise peanuts and soybeans, and so forth. This flooding condition has been there for many, many years. This is a project that I think deserves favorable consideration of this subcommittee. Facts and statistics could be presented here as to the number of farms involved, which would certainly justify favorable consideration of this subject. I thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Jones. LOWER WAKARUSA WATERSHED, KANSAS The CHAIRMAN. We will next have the lower Wakarusa watershed, which will be presented by Mr. Ogrosky. LOWER WAKARUSA WATERSHED WORK PLAN Size and Location: 94,977 acres in Douglas County. Sponsors: Wakarusa Watershed Joint District No. 35; Douglas County Soil Conservation District; and the Wakarusa-Kaw Drainage District. Watershed privately owned, 99%; Federal land, 1.0% Size of Farms: About 170 acres average. Purposes: Watershed Protection, Flood Prevention, Rural Water Supply and Recreation. Principal Measures: Soil conservation practices on farms; and structural consisting of 7 flood water retarding structures, 1-multiple-purpose structure and 18 miles of floodway. The storage capacity of the structures ranges from 395 acre-feet to 2,170 acre-feet. Benefit-cost ratio: 2.12 to 1.0. With secondary benefits excluded the benefitcost ratio is 2.0 to 1.0. Area benefited: 5,461 acres. Number of beneficiaries: The owners and operators of 89 operating units. 1 This is primarily the cost of applying land treatment measures by landowners. Cost sharing from Federal funds appropriated for the agricultural conservation program may be available if included in the county program developed each year in consideration of approved State and National programs and the annual authorization by the Congress. 2 Consisting of construction and installation services costs for recreation and rural water supply, $64,500: land, easements, and rights-of-way, $112,100: administration of contracts, $3,300. 3 The value of measures already installed ($760,200) increase this to 54 percent. Prorated P.L. 566 Structural Cost per Acre Benefited: $120. Carrying out the Project: The Wakarusa-Kaw Drainage District assumes all local responsibilities for installation, operation and maintenance of the floodway Structure No. 2. The Wakarusa Watershed Joint District No. 35 assumes these responsibilities for all other structural measures. The estimated annual cost of operation and maintenance is $3,700. The CHAIRMAN. We will be glad to hear from you now, Mr. Ogrosky. Mr. OGROSKY. I am Mr. Ogrosky, assistant deputy administrator for watersheds. The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have you here. Mr. OGROSKY. I will present information on the lower Wakarusa watershed project. This project is located in eastern Kansas, in Douglas County, just south of the city of Lawrence. This project is a little unusual in that it consists of the lower onethird of a large watershed; in other words, two-thirds of the Wakarusa watershed extends up in this direction, but the entire area above this point is controlled in two ways: (1) by a Public Law 566 project in the upper area and (2) by a Corps of Engineers dam which is being constructed at this point, so the land along the Wakarusa River, which flows through here, will be protected by the corps dam. This project protects the tributary lands from runoff that occurs between the upper area here and the lower area along the Wakarusa River flood plain. Kansas City, by the way, is located about 25 miles to the east. The topography of this watershed is nearly level throughout the flood plain. Along the south boundary it becomes rather steep, up to 30 percent slopes. There are about 543 farms in the watershed averaging about 170 acres in size. Seventy-one percent of these are cooperating with soil conservation districts. Most of the land in this watershed is in private ownership. There are about 800 acres that are in Federal ownership. Two hundred acres of this are used as a campus for Haskell Institute, and for future institute developments. 87-377-67-3 The entire area is in grass and does not require any particular treatment. There is another portion, amounting to 600 acres, that is now in the process of being transferred between Federal agencies. We do not, actually, know the status of the ownership at this time. However, the area is flat. There are no water or wind erosion problems, and it does not require any specific treatment. Our major problem in this watershed consists of protection of valuable flatland shown in yellow on the map. This area is flooded about three times per year, as the result of tributary floods. Damage occurs to crops, farm buildings, fences, machinery, roads, and railways. The average annual damage is estimated at $104,100. In addition, there is a need to provide conservation treatment, particularly on the sloping uplands. There is also a need for some additional rural water supply. This project is sponsored by the Wakarusa Watershed Joint District No. 35, the Douglas County Soil Conservation District, and the Wakarusa-Kaw Drainage District. This is located in this area. The program was developed to provide watershed protection and flood prevention and water supply and recreation in this area. The flood prevention aspects were designed to provide the highest degree of protection without encroaching on this high value flatland. There are seven floodwater retarding structures proposed, and one multiple-purpose structure, located at this point [indicating], which is designed for flood prevention; 500 acre-feet of rural water supply, and 500 acre-feet of water for recreation. It also includes 110 miles of floodway. Floodway No. 1 is located at this point [indicating] to collect water from this area and divert it to the main Wakarusa River. The same is true up here. This is relatively a low area. This floodway provides an outlet to the Wakarusa River. In addition to this, of course, conservation practices are needed on the farmlands. This will be provided on 5,200 acres of cropland, 4,500 acres of rangelands, and about 700 acres of woodland. The project is designed for installation over a 5-year period. The total project costs are estimated at $1,613,700, and of this amount $1,082,400, or 67 percent, will be provided from Public Law 566 funds. However, in considering the measures already installed, the Federal contribution drops to 46 percent. Benefits from the project will accrue to 5,461 acres and will affect 89 farm units. The total project benefits are estimated at $90,500 annually. Of this amount, about 64 percent are benefits that accrue to land and crops. The remaining smaller portion accrues to agricultural and nonagricultural improvements, rural water supply, and recreation. The benefit-cost ratio of this project is 2.12 to 1 or, excluding, secondary benefits, 2 to 1. The prorated Public Law 566 structural cost per acre benefited is $120. In carrying out the project, the Wakarusa-Kaw Drainage District assumes all local responsibilities for the installation, operation, and maintenance of floodway No. 2. The Wakarusa Watershed Joint Dis trict No. 35 assumes this responsibility for all of the other structural measures. The total annual cost of operation and maintenance is estimated at $3,700. The CHAIRMAN. The recreation here does not involve the construction of a reservoir, does it? Mr. OGROSKY. Yes. This multipurpose reservoir at this point includes recreation storage of 500 feet, a rural water supply storage of 500 acrefeet, and 880 acre-feet of flood prevention storage. This is private recreation so there is no Federal cost involved. The CHAIRMAN. That is what I meant-no Federal expenditure. Mr. OGROSKY. That is right. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any other questions on this project? Mr. DOLE. I have a statement I would like to submit on behalf of Mr. Winn. The CHAIRMAN. We will be very glad to have you submit the state ment. Mr. DOLE. He is not present but has asked me to submit his statement. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, it will be made a part of the record at this point. (A prepared statement of Hon. Larry Winn, Jr., follows:) STATEMENT OF LARRY WINN, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGESS FROM THE STATE OF KANSAS We are concerned with Federal funding of the lower Wakarusa watershed, that portion of Wakarusa watershed Joint District #35 lying below the authorized Corps of Engineers Clinton Dam. About 95,000 acres is involved. Present average flood damage is estimated to be $104,000 annually. Requested are funds for the construction of seven floodwater retarding structures, one multi-purpose structure and 1.8 miles of floodway. These structures, with the Clinton Dam will control 76% of the drainage area of the Wakarusa at its mouth. The estimated cost of installing the project is $1,613,700. Public Law 566 share of the cost is $1,082,400. The ratio of the total average annual benefits from these structures to the average annual costs is 2.12 to 1-well above the figure normally considered adequate for federal funding. The area is typically rural America in most of its social and economic aspects. The population centers of Lawrence and Topeka, and even Kansas City, offer employment to many farm families as a supplement to their farm income. Many of the smaller operators are close to the point where a heavy flood loss could be the deciding factor in forcing them to leave the farm for full-time city employment. The upper Wakarusa Watershed has already been funded by Federal funds under Public Law 566. The logical conclusion must surely be that this request for flood control work in the lower Watershed be granted without delay, to insure orderly completion of this vital project. MILL CREEK WATERSHED, KENTUCKY The CHAIRMAN. The next project will be the Mill Creek project, which will be presented by Mr. Lane. MILL CREEK WATERSHED WORK PLAN Size and location: 21,179 acres in Monroe County. Tributary to Barren River, Green River, Ohio River. Sponsors: Monroe County Soil Conservation District, City of Tompkinsville. Total watershed land use: Purposes: Watershed Protection, Flood Prevention, Recreation and Municipal Water Supply. Principal measures: Soil conservation practices on farms; and structural measures consisting of one mutiple purpose reservoir with minimum basic recreational facilities. Storage capacity of the structure is 3,360 acre-feet. Annual benefits: Benefit-cost ratio: 1.5 to 1. With redevelopment and secondary benefits excluded, the benefit-cost ratio is 1.2 to 1. Area benefited: 460. Number of beneficiaries: Owners and operators of about 26 farms will benefit from flood prevention. The City of Tompkinsville will have sufficient water supply for a projected population of 4100, and the project will provide an estimated 18.080 visitor-days of recreation per year. 1 This is primarily the cost of applying land treatment measures by landowners. Cost sharing from Federal funds appropriated for the agricultural conservation program may be available if included in the county program developed each year in consideration of approved State and National programs and the annual authorization by the Congress. 2 Consisting of construction cost for recreation and municipal water, $125,135; installation services cost for recreation and municipal water, $2,230; land, easements, and rights-of-way, $70,707; administration of contracts. $1,000. 3 The value of measures already installed ($13,100) increases this to 66 percent. |