Senator FERGUSON. Now we will hear from Colonel Gee, of the Corps of Engineers.

STATEMENT OF LT. COL. H. C. GEE, DEPUTY CHIEF OF CIVIL WORKS FOR FLOOD CONTROL, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY

Colonel GEE. I am Lt. Col. H. C. Gee, Deputy Chief of Civil Works for Flood Control, Corps of Engineers.

I have a summary of the full report of the Chief of Engineers with respect to wildlife and conservation activities of the Corps of Engi

neers.

The Corps of Engineers, under the direction of the Secretary of the Army, and in accordance with the specific authority of Congress, prosecutes the Federal program for the improvement and maintenance of rivers and other waterways in the interest of navigation and flood control. The improvement of our rivers and waterways for navigation and flood control is an important part of a larger program for the conservation, control, and utilization of our Nation's water resources. This larger program involves not only navigation and flood control but includes water-flow retardation and soil-erosion prevention on watersheds, preservation of our forests, irrigation, hydroelectric-power production, preservation of fish and wildlife, recreational facilities for the public, water supply, and pollution abatement in our public waters.

In order to obtain the maximum sustained public benefits from all projects of the Corps of Engineers, plans for their construction and operation are integrated with plans for the use and conservation of water resources for other purposes. This involves close cooperation and coordination among the various agencies and interests involved and a sympathetic understanding of each other's problems.

The Federal Interagency River Basin Committee was formed in December 1943 to facilitate cooperation among Federal agencies. The agreement under which this committee was formed provides for cooperation at all administrative levels among these agencies, through regularly scheduled conferences, personal contact, and full discussions of mutual problems. Cooperative procedures have also been established for keeping State and other agencies advised of the studies and matters pertaining to the construction and operation of projects under the jurisdiction of the Corps of Engineers. This cooperation is not limited to those agencies specified by law. The Corps of Engineers seeks the cooperation of all interested agencies to take full advantage of the special services, scientific knowledge and counsel obtainable, and to assist those agencies in performing functions for which they have a major responsibility.

Fish and wildlife conservation are primarily the responsibility of the State fish and game authorities and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. These agencies are kept informed of the activities of the Corps of Engineers in carrying out the navigation and flood-control program in order that these agencies may initiate studies and investigations of fish and wildlife aspects involved. Close liaison is also maintained so that appropriate consideration can be given to the findings of these agencies as they become available, with a view to

accomplishing maximum correlation of the plans of the Corps of Engineers with the views of fish and wildlife interests.

Funds have been appropriated to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for investigations and studies to determine the effects on fish and and wildlife resources of proposed developments of the Corps of Engineers and for the preparation of reports thereon. That Service has indicated, however, that those funds are insufficient to make detailed studies of the fish and wildlife problems at authorized projects for which plans are being prepared, or at projects which are completed or under construction. Accordingly, additional funds for these detailed studies have been transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service. In this connection, it may be noted that the appropriation bill for civil functions administered by the Department of the Army for the 1949 fiscal year in its present form provides for a transfer of $140,000 to the Fish and Wildlife Service for investigations and $1,450,000 for the initiation of a program to improve the lower Columbia River below McNary Dam for the benefit of salmon and other anadromous fish.

Senator ROBERTSON. May I interrupt there to say that the Senate committee reported to the Senate a bill providing for the civil functions of the Army, including an item of $50,000 for a cooperative. program for the elimination of the oil-pollution menace in the port of Hampton Roads, and we were very gratified that the Senate decided to make a start; because while, as you say, it is your duty to enforce in navigable waters the laws against pollution-the laws that you have the privilege of enforcing against those that put out substances in the water that might be a hazard to navigation-you do not have an adequate law against oil pollution, and you have great difficulty in enforcing the law that you do have.

Colonel GEE. That is correct, sir.

Senator ROBERTSON. We have found a very serious oil-pollution situation in the Hampton Roads area from ships that discharge their sludge at night and follow other secret practices which we cannot catch up with, and the present plan is for them to come on into the harbor and we will pump it out into some tanker or something and haul it out where it can be put out in the ocean and not cause damage, and eliminate a fire hazard there in the harbor, eliminate the disastrous effect on the shellfish in that general area, protect the ducks that come down there from this oil that will get on them so that soon they get where they can't fly and die, and also protect the bathing beaches down there, Buckroe, Ocean View, Virginia Beach. They are all largely patronized in the summer. I thought I would mention that as one of the programs that is included in this bill to which you are now referring.

Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. I might add in that connection that there is great damage in dollar value to pleasure craft from this oil pollution. It is often necessary to pull a relatively new boat from the water and scrape its hull and repaint it after passage through this polluted water. Senator ROBERTSON. You may proceed.

Colonel GEE. These transfers of funds to Fish and Wildlife Service are authorized by Public Law 732, Seventy-ninth Congress. This program, combined with the fish ladders and other facilities at the dams, is to overcome possible adverse effects on the salmon and other

79156-48- -15

fishery resources from the construction of projects on the Columbia River and Tributaries.

Many of the reservoir projects constructed, under construction, or authorized for construction by the Corps of Engineers provide large permanent artificial lakes. In order to provide for fluctuations of the surface of a reservoir resulting from its operation for the primary purposes, and to avoid severance of individual properties, lands are acquired above the permanent or normal pool elevations. Careful consideration is given to the use of this marginal land and the reservoir area for collateral uses. Such uses include agriculture, forestry, wildlife refuges, and all the various phases of recreation, including hunting and fishing.

The development and maintenance of the fish and wildlife resources is a very important part of any reservoir management and utilization program. Full consideration is given to fish and wildlife in the development of reservoir management plans for each reservoir. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the State fish and game authorities will continue to manage this part of the reservoir management program. The reservoir projects under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army are widely distributed throughout the country. Many of thes projects may be strategically located insofar as the migratory waterfowl refuge program is concerned. The upper Mississippi River navigation project pools, the Great Salt Plains Reservoir, and the Denison Reservoir are utilized now for waterfowl refuges. The establishment of additional refuges on other reservoirs is under consideration by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The following are only a few examples which indicate how many of the completed reservoir projects have materially increased the opportunities for fishing and other types of outdoor sports.

The Sardis Reservoir on the Little Tallahatchie River in northwest Mississippi was completed in 1940 for flood control. A permanent pool of 9,800 acres is provided in the reservoir. The Mississippi State Game and Fish Commission estimates that an average of 1,000,000 pounds of fish are taken from the lake annually, including 750,000 pounds of game fish and 250,000 pounds of commercial fish. On a normal Sunday, it is not unusual for 5,000 fishermen to be on the lake. The lake accounts for approximately $35,000 in revenue to the State annually from fishing licenses. The State game and fish commission has been granted a license to manage the fish and wildlife resources of this reservoir area.

The Norfork Reservoir on the North Fork River in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri was placed in operation in 1944 for flood control and power. The normal pool area of Norfork Lake is 22,000 acres. In 1946, the reservoir provided an estimated 41,000 fishing man-days, or about 22 times the estimated number of fishing man-days spent in the average year on the stream affected before impoundment.

The Fern Ridge Reservoir on the Long Tom River in eastern Oregon was completed in 1942 for flood control and increased low water flow. The water surface area of the normal pool is 9,360 areas. It is estimated that over 114,000 people used the area in 1947 for fishing, hunting, bathing, boating, and other recreation uses. Of these, approximately 66,000 were fishermen.

It is realized that each reservoir project presents individual problems and the effect upon fish and wildlife depends upon the local conditions. The Corps of Engineers is making a strong and continuous effort to evaluate correctly all benefits and effects of its projects in cooperation with other agencies so that the maximum sustained public benefits will be obtained. This cooperative planning and management of navigation and flood-control projects has resulted in material benefits to fish and wildlife.

Further details on the cooperation with conservation interests in the planning, construction, and operation of navigation and floodcontrol projects and the effects of these projects upon fish and wildlife are contained in the report submitted by letter dated March 30, 1948, to the Subcommittee on Wildlife Conservation of the Senate Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. I understand this report is now before the committee.

Senator ROBERTSON. Colonel, will you identify that report and offer it at this time for the record?

Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. I offer for the record at this time the Report on Wildlife Conservation Activities of the Corps of Engineers During the Calendar Year 1947.

Senator ROBERTSON. Without objection, that will be included. (The report submitted by Colonel Gee follows:)

REPORT ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS DURING 1947

The Corps of Engineers, under the direction of the Secretary of the Army and in accordance with the specific authority of Congress prosecutes the Federal program for the improvement and maintenance of rivers and other waterways in the interest of navigation and flood control. The improvement of our rivers and waterways for navigation and the control of floods are important parts of a larger over-all program for the conservation, control, and utilization of our Nation's water resources in the public interest. This over-all program involves not only navigation and flood control but also includes waterflow retardation and soilerosion prevention on watersheds, preservation of our forests, irrigation, hydroelectric power production, preservation of fish and wildlife, recreational facilities for the public, water supply, and pollution abatement in our public waters.

Congress has recognized the importance of conservation and development of resources in laws which it has enacted. These laws, which have been passed by Congress over a period of years, taken all together, establish the Federal policy for the conservation of natural resources. Under this policy, comprehensive and coordinated development is mandatory; rights of the States and interests of the people must be recognized and protected; and all flood-control and navigation investigations and improvements must be economically justified and authorized by Congress before they are undertaken. These laws also provide for cooperation among the various Federal, State, and local agencies concerned with the conservation, control, and utilization of our water resources, and for the coordination of the activities of these agencies.

The Federal Interagency River Basin Committee was formed in December 1943 to facilitate cooperation among the agencies of the Departments of War, Interior, and Agriculture, and the Federal Power Commission, in the preparation of reports on multiple-purpose projects and to correlate the results to the greatest practical extent. This committee holds conferences in Washington once each month for the purpose of discussing the results of studies and investigations. A Missouri Basin Interagency Committee was established under a resolution adopted by the Federal Interagency River Basin Committee on March 29, 1945, and a Columbia Basin Interagency Committee was established under a resolution adopted February 5, 1946. The Missouri River and Columbia River committees were established for the purpose of implementing the policies and purposes of the Federal Interagency Committee by providing a means through which the field representatives of the participating Federal agencies may effectively interchange informa