fall produced heavy flooding in the Ouachita and Black, the Red, and the Yazoo and Sunflower River Basins. This rainfall resulted in the wettest April on record for south Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, averaging 200 to 420 percent of normal. Localized flooding also occurred in the Salt River and St. Francis River Basins in Missouri and northeast Arkansas. SUMMARY OF FLOOD DAMAGES INCURRED AND PREVENTED A total of 26 deaths were attributed to the flooding. It is estimated that approximately $382 million in damages were incurred over a five-state area within the Lower Mississippi Valley. Completed and partially completed Corps projects prevented almost $8 billion in damages. An additional $144 million in damages were prevented by Corps emergency response activities, primarily in the Monroe, Louisiana, area. PROGRAM SUMMARY Mr. Chairman, now I will turn to our program. Our total program consists of two parts: The Lower Mississippi Valley Division and the Mississippi River and Tributaries. Our fiscal year 1993 total program requirement is $687 million prior to any assignment of savings and slippage. This compares to $817.3 million allocated for fiscal year 1992. LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DIVISION PROGRAM Turning now to the Lower Mississippi Valley Division program, we have Civil Works responsibility in a portion of seven sates bordering on the Mississippi River, generally from near Hannibal, Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico. GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS Our request for $7.9 million in fiscal year 1993 under the General Investigations Program is $3.7 million less than was allocated in fiscal year 1992. SURVEYS Let me briefly cover some of the studies under this program. INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY LOCKS, LOUISIANA The Intracoastal Waterway Locks study will address the need for navigation capacity expansion along the GIWW System west of the Mississippi River, including seven locks. The system's principal problems are delays to commercial traffic at locks due to limited lock capacity and increasing traffic. Algiers Lock is the most congested, with significant delays occurring at other locks. Funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to continue the feasibility phase of this study. HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS The reconnaissance phase of the Hot Springs, Arkansas, study was initiated under the Ouachita River Basin comprehensive study and will be completed in April 1992. Funds available in fiscal year 1992 are being used to continue into the feasibility phase. The National Park Service has been appropriated $500,000 in fiscal year 1992 to be made available to the City of Hot Springs for use as part of the non-Federal share of the cost-shared feasibility phase. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to continue the feasibility phase of the study. JEFFERSON-ORLEANS AREA, LOUISIANA We are completing the reconnaissance phase of the Jefferson-Orleans Parishes study with fiscal year 1992 funds. Potential solutions to interior flooding problems are being investigated, as well as the impact of discharging interior drainage water into surrounding water bodies. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to continue into the feasibility phase. BOSSIER PARISH, LOUISIANA The reconnaissance phase of the Bossier Parish, Louisiana, study was initiated under the Red River Basin comprehensive study in November 1991 to evaluate the flood problems experienced as a result of a levee crevasse on Red Chute Bayou during the spring 1991 flood. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to continue into the feasibility phase of the study. JACKSON METROPOLITAN AREA, MISSISSIPPI The Jackson Metropolitan Area, Mississippi, study is addressing major flood problems attributable to the Pearl River. The 1979 flood of record, for example, caused an estimated $300 million in damages. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to continue the feasibility phase of the study. PRECONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN COMITE RIVER, LOUISIANA The feasibility study for the Comite River, Louisiana, area was conducted under the Amite River and Tributaries study authority. The study addressed flooding in the vicinity of the urban centers of Baker, Zachary, and part of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The estimated cost of the recommended plan, the Comite River diversion, is approximately $83 million. Funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to continue Preconstruction Engineering and Design efforts, which began in February 1991 and which are scheduled to be completed in September 1995. WEST BANK-EAST OF HARVEY CANAL, LOUISIANA The fiscal year 1993 request includes funds to initiate Preconstruction Engineering and Design on the West Bank-East of Harvey Canal, Louisiana, project. The tentatively selected plan recommends the raising of existing levees to provide a standard project hurricane level of protection in the area east of the Harvey Canal in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, and the Belle Chasse area in Plaquemines Parish. CONSTRUCTION, GENERAL PROGRAM Turning now to our construction program, our budget request of $141.8 million includes a contribution of $18.9 million from the Inland Waterway Trust Fund. Our request totals $141.6 million less than our fiscal year 1992 allocation. The funds requested will provide for continuation of 15 projects. There are no new construction starts. MELVIN PRICE LOCK AND DAM, ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI A number of significant milestones have been achieved on the Melvin Price Lock and Dam project, including opening of the main lock to navigation and removal of the old Locks and Dam Number 26 to a point that traffic can now pass the site unimpeded. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to complete the final stage of the dam and miscellaneous work on the lock. Completion of the overall project has been extended to fiscal year 1998 to include the construction of recreation facilities in Alton, Illinois. MELVIN PRICE LOCK AND DAM, SECOND LOCK, ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI Construction on the Second Lock is also progressing satisfactorily. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will allow completion of this project in May 1993. RED RIVER WATERWAY, MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA On the Red River Waterway project, we presently have 24 active contracts underway valued at $455 million. Construction of Lock and Dam 3 is scheduled for completion this June. All remaining work in Pool 3 is scheduled for completion in September 1994. The first phase of construction on Locks and Dams 4 and 5 is now complete, and contracts for the main lock and dam construction at both sites were awarded on schedule in December 1991. The fiscal year 1993 budget request includes funds to continue construction in Pools 1, 2, and 3. I am pleased to note that, as a result of Public Law 102-240, which was signed last December, Lock and Dam 1 will be known from now on as the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Lock and Dam. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN, LOUISIANA, AND VICINITY The Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection project provides protection from a standard project hurricane to New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. In fiscal year 1992 we are initiating levee and floodwall work in the New Orleans West unit and continuing levee construction work in the New Orleans East and Chalmette units. In fiscal year 1993 we are continuing construction of these units and continuing design of parallel protection along the Orleans and London Avenue outfall canals in the New Orleans East unit. WESTWEGO TO HARVEY CANAL, LOUISIANA The Westwego to Harvey Canal project will provide hurricane protection to the urban areas between Westwego and the Harvey Canal through improvement of existing levees or addition of new levees and floodwalls. CAPE GIRARDEAU-JACKSON, MISSOURI The Cape Girardeau-Jackson project in Missouri is an urban flood control project being constructed in cooperation with the City of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Award of the Cape Lacroix Creek channel work, the first Federal construction contract, was accomplished on 13 September 1991. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to continue design and construction on this project. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, GENERAL Our request for Operation and Maintenance, General, funds in fiscal year 1993 amounts to $165.9 million, which is $9 million less than was allocated in fiscal year 1992. Our request for funds is adequate to continue routine operation and maintenance activities at our completed projects. MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES PROGRAM Now I will discuss the Mississippi River and Tributaries program. The MR&T project is located in the alluvial valley of the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico. The fiscal year 1993 MR&T budget request is for $371.4 million. GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS PROGRAM Funds in the amount of $3.2 million requested under the General Investigations category will provide for six activities. These include continuation of three flood damage prevention feasibility studies and completion of Preconstruction Engineering and Design for two projects. SURVEYS ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA The feasibility studies include the Alexandria, Louisiana, study, which is addressing potential solutions to the impact of damaging floods within the City of Alexandria and vicinity. In December 1982, November 1987, June 1989, and again last spring, major flooding caused significant damage in that area. Each event prompted a Presidential disaster declaration. The reconnaissance phase of the study is scheduled for completion in September 1992. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to continue into the feasibility phase. JACKSON AND TRENTON, TENNESSEE The Jackson and Trenton, Tennessee, study area is located in middle west Tennessee. The area has experienced severe flooding from the North and South Forks of the Forked Deer River, resulting in loss of life and property damage to farms, businesses, roads, and homes. The reconnaissance phase of the study was initiated in October 1991 and is scheduled for completion in January 1993. The funds requested for fiscal year 1993 will be used to complete the reconnaissance phase and to continue into the feasibility phase. MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIESCONSTRUCTION Next I will discuss the Mississippi River and Tributaries Construction program, for which we have requested $236.8 million for fiscal year 1993. These funds will allow us to continue 12 construction projects, complete one, and continue one project under the Dam Safety Assurance Program. MISSISSIPPI RIVER LEVEES Under the Mississippi River Levees project, we have continued to place high priority on upgrading the levees and floodwalls in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The contract for the last item of the 8.6 miles of continuous floodwall through the New Orleans waterfront has been awarded and will be completed this fiscal year. With the funds available in fiscal year 1992, we will also initiate work to raise those levees in northern Louisiana that have the most severe grade deficiency remaining in the whole system. The State of Louisiana has come forward with financial assistance to the local levee board to get this critical construction underway. With the funds requested for fiscal year 1993, we will continue this work and initiate or continue other mainline Mississippi River Levee items. CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT Under the Channel Improvement project, about 967 miles of the 1,085 miles of authorized bank protection have been placed and we plan to place 17.1 miles of revetments at 24 locations during the 1992 sinking season. ATCHAFALAYA BASIN, LOUISIANA With the work we will complete this year on the Atchafalaya Basin project, floodway capacity will be increased to 1.4 million cubic feet per second or more than 93 percent of the design flow. With the funds requested, we will initiate six levee items and complete four items that are now underway. ATCHAFALAYA BASIN FLOODWAY SYSTEM, LOUISIANA On the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System project, in fiscal year 1993 we will continue with the acquisition of fee title lands, and flowage, developmental control, and environmental protection easements. MISSISSIPPI DELTA REGION, LOUISIANA The Mississippi Delta Region, Louisiana, project consists of four salinity control structures designed to divert fresh water from the Mississippi River into coastal bays and marshes for fish and wildlife restoration and wetlands preservation. The first of these structures, Caernarvon, on the east bank of the Mississippi River, is complete and has been operable since August 1991. We plan to initiate land acquisition for the Davis Pond structure on the west bank of the Mississippi River in fiscal year 1992. |