Hon. Tom Bevill - 2. April 14, 1986 b.) the completion and publication of the Interim Drought Management Plan (1985); and c.) the development of the soon to be completed Navigation Maintenance Plan. The ACF Waterway is of vital importance to Alabama and to the entire region. Because of this, I authorized the creation of the Alabama Waterways Development Agency to promote the development and utilization of all Alabama's waterways. In addition, this past year Alabama joined with the states of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in forming the Gulf States Intracoastal Waterway Coordinating Committee to provide a forum for discussion of the issues and opportunities related to the utilization of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. In closing, I would like to express thanks to you and to all the members of the Subcommittee whose support and assistance over the years has insured that adequate funding was provided for the operation and maintenance of the ACF Waterway. Sincerely, & Nallora Bunge & George C. Wallace GCW/adt Chairman Bevill and Subcommittee members, I am grateful for the 439 CANNON BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20815 (202) 225-4821 DISTRICT OFFICE 108 FEDERAL COURTHOUSE BIRMINGHAM, AL 35203 opportunity to submit a statement for the record of my strong support for funding for the Village Creek flood control project in Birmingham, Alabama. Village Creek is included in both the House and Senate-passed authorization bills, and I join all of my colleagues in this room in the hope that the authorization will soon become law. Studies and engineering design for Village Creek have been completed. My constituents would be grateful for action by this Subcommittee to get the work under way. The project is important to neighborhoods in and surrounding Birmingham to alleviate the damages to homes and businesses and the threats to lives and safety that the flooding causes. In addition, the City of Birmingham needs relief from the flooding of Village Creek in order to complete plans to modernize the Birmingham Municipal Airport. increasingly severe. Flooding damage at the airport has become Village Creek flooding accounts for over $2 million in damages (206) 284-0964 BEN ERDREICH 6TH DISTRICT, ALABAMA COMMITTEE ON BANKING, FINANCE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON AGING Congress of the United States House of Representatives Statement of Rep. Ben Erdreich Subcommittee on Energy and Water Resources House Appropriations Subcommittee April 14, 1986 Re: Valley Creek Flood Control Study, Jefferson County, Alabama Chairman Bevill, Subcommittee members and colleagues, I am grateful for this opportunity to submit this statement for the record in support of continued funding for the Valley Creek Flood Control studies. The Corps of Engineers has requested $148,000 for the second The Corps has identified what it feels is a feasible project to control the flooding along Valley Creek, but have noted that some technical obstacles need to be overcome. It is important that this project not stall during this important study process. Mr. Chairman, I am grateful for the help you and your Subcommittee have provided the people of Jefferson County and thank you for allowing me to submit these remarks. 430 CANNON BULDING WASHINGTON, DC 2018 0202 225-4821 OUTINCT GREE 108 FEDERAL COURTHOUS BMINGHAM, AL 36303 (208) 254-0064 MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1986. RANDLEMAN LAKE, NORTH CAROLINA WITNESSES HON. HOWARD COBLE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA HON. BILL COBEY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA JOHN FORBIS, MAYOR, GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA DARRELL FRYE, CHAIRMAN, RANDOLPH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TOM RHODES, SECRETARY, NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Mr. BEVILL. Next we have our good friends and colleagues Mr. Howard Coble and Mr. William Cobey. We look forward to hearing from both of you. You may submit your statements, if you have a statement, for the record. We would be glad to hear from you. Mr. COBLE. Mr. Chairman, at the outset I will be very brief. I want to express my thanks to you and to your Ranking Minority Member, Mr. Myers, for the patience that you all have shown me during the past, I guess, 8 to 10 months; every time I find you on the Floor I get both of you aside. But you have both been patient. I have not bothered the gentleman from Oklahoma, butMr. BEVILL. I think he talks about us on a lake or something. Mr. MYERS. Once or twice a day, yes. Mr. COBLE. But you have been very patient. We are back before you again requesting funds, and I am pleased to present to you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee, the Mayor from the largest city in my district, the Honorable John Forbis, Mayor of Greensboro. [The statement of Mr. Coble follows:] STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE HOWARD COBLE BEFORE THE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT REGARDING THE RANDLEMAN LAKE PROJECT (RANDOLPH COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA) April 14, 1986 Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and your colleagues for granting me this opportunity to testify on behalf of the proposed Randleman Lake project, to be located in Randolph County, North Carolina. I am requesting that the Subcommittee endorse the capability report on Randleman Lake issued by the Corps of Engineers, which calls for $3 million in start-up funds for fiscal year 1987. These funds would primarily be earmarked for land acquisition, road and utility relocations, the creation of an access road, and the construction of other facilities. The Corps of Engineers has already spent $4.1 million for environmental studies, real estate surveys, and other engineering work. Mr. Chairman, an editorialist from my hometown of Greensboro recently devoted his column to the subject of Randleman Lake. In tongue-and-cheek style, he likened the project to a soap opera. The analogy is somewhat accurate, as five different Congressmen from the Sixth District have tried to obtain funding for the project. We have come close to procuring start-up money, but something always crops up, soap-opera style, usually at the eleventh hour: a veto, an unfavorable assessment by OMB, and so on. Authorized pursuant to the Flood Control Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-483), the project has been studied and debated for almost 50 years. If start-up funds are not obtained this year, it is generally perceived that the project cannot be constructed in time to meet the water demands of the affected region. You may recall that last year at this time Representative Cobey and I were awaiting the results of a study on the water needs of the Upper Cape Fear River Basin. The study was completed last spring, and I have shared pertinent excerpts of it with the Subcommittee staff. Prepared by the engineering consulting firm CH2M HILL, the report is comprehensive in scope and timely in its release. Of the 40 potential water sources reviewed, the authors selected Randleman Lake as the one which could best meet the needs of the region. A wealth of data conclusively establishes that the area and its 425,000 residents lack the flood control, recreational, and water supply benefits which Randleman Lake will provide. Specifically: Average annual flood damage along the main stem of the Deep River is estimated at $737,000 over the next 100 years if no flood control facilities are constructed. Randleman Lake will reduce this rate by 53%. Civic leaders in the project area have attempted for years to create a major regional park with outdoor recreational facilities. Randleman Lake's recreational purpose thus becomes apparent, allowing the area to attract new residents and businesses. |