INITIATE CONSTRUCTION ON WALKER BRANCH AND TO PREPARE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE PROJECT. MERAMEC RIVER BASIN, VALLEY PARK LEVEE, MISSOURI THE MERAMEC RIVER BASIN, VALLEY PARK LEVEE PROJECT PROVIDES PROTECTION TO CITY OF VALLEY PARK, MISSOURI. IT IS LOCATED IN SOUTHWEST ST. LOUIS COUNTY ALONG THE LEFT BANK OF THE MERAMEC RIVER. THE $14.9 MILLION PROJECT WILL PROVIDE 100-YEAR PROTECTION BY CONSTRUCTION OF 3.1 MILES OF LEVEE, 4 CLOSURE STRUCTURES, 4 GRAVITY DRAINS, A PUMPING STATION, INTERIOR PONDING AREAS AND SEEPAGE RELIEF WELLS. WITH THE FUNDS REQUESTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 1993, WE WILL INITIATE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LEVEE AND APPURTENANT STRUCTURES. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, GENERAL OUR REQUEST FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, GENERAL, FUNDS IN FISCAL YEAR 1993 AMOUNTS TO $165.9 MILLION, WHICH IS $9.0 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. OUR DREDGING PROCEDURES INCLUDE THE CREATION OF MARSH WITH DREDGED MATERIAL WHENEVER FEASIBLE. 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 WHICH IS $18.0 MILLION MORE THAN THE FISCAL YEAR 1992 ALLOCATION. GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS PROGRAMS FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $3.2 MILLION REQUESTED UNDER THE GENERAL INVESTIGATION 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 ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA, STUDY 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 FROM RAINFALL CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN THE ALEXANDRIA 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. MISSISSIPPI DELTA, MISSISSIPPI THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA, MISSISSIPPI, RECONNAISSANCE STUDY INDICATED THAT FLOOD CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUNFLOWER RIVER BASIN WERE FEASIBLE AND WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE FLOOD DAMAGES IN THE BASIN. FUNDS AVAILABLE IN FISCAL YEAR 1992 ARE BEING USED TO COMPLETE THE RECONNAISSANCE PHASE IN SEPTEMBER 1992. THE FUNDS REQUESTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 1993 WILL BE USED TO CONTINUE INTO FEASIBILITY STUDIES AT FULL FEDERAL EXPENSE. 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 THE FUNDS REQUESTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 1993 WILL BE USED TO COMPLETE THE PRECONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FUNDS REQUESTED IN FISCAL YEAR 1993 WILL ALLOW COMPLETION OF PRECONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FOR TWO PROJECTS. LOWER WHITE RIVER, BIG CREEK AND TRIBUTARIES, ARKANSAS ON THE LOWER WHITE RIVER, BIG CREEK AND TRIBUTARIES, ARKANSAS PROJECT, A REEVALUATION STUDY WAS INITIATED IN FISCAL YEAR 1988 TO FORMULATE A PLAN OF IMPROVEMENT THAT WOULD BE MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE CONFLICTING VIEWS BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL INTERESTS AND LANDOWNERS. THESE STUDIES ARE SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 1992. THE FUNDS REQUESTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 1993 WOULD BE USED TO COMPLETE PRECONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN IN SEPTEMBER 1993. WHITEMAN'S CREEK, ARKANSAS THE WHITEMAN'S CREEK PROJECT, LOCATED IN THE ST. FRANCIS BASIN IN NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS, WILL PROVIDE FLOOD CONTROL FOR THE CITY OF JONESBORO AND ADJACENT AREAS. FINDINGS IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY INDICATE THAT A PLAN TO PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM A 10-YEAR FLOOD EVENT APPEARS TO BE FEASIBLE ALONG WHITEMAN'S CREEK, TURTLE CREEK AND MOORE'S DITCH. APPROXIMATELY 25-YEAR FLOOD PROTECTION IS FEASIBLE ALONG HIGGINBOTTOM CREEK. TOTAL IMPROVEMENTS WILL 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 TWELVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND COMPLETE ONE AND CONTINUE ONE PROJECT UNDER THE DAM SAFETY ASSURANCE PROGRAM. MISSISSIPPI RIVER LEVEES THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER LEVEES PROJECT IS ONE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE MAIN STEM SYSTEM WHICH COMPRISE THE PLAN OF IMPROVEMENT FOR THE CONTROL OF FLOODS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE LEVEE SYSTEM PROVIDES PROTECTION TO 23,620 SQUARE MILES AND PARTIAL PROTECTION TO AN ADDITIONAL 3,780 SQUARE MILES IN THE ALLUVIAL VALLEY SUBJECT TO FLOODING BY THE PROJECT FLOOD. THE VALUE OF LANDS AND IMPROVEMENTS PROTECTED BY AUTHORIZED WORKS AGAINST THE DESIGN FLOOD IS $106.6 BILLION IN 1991 DOLLARS. AS PART OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER LEVEES PROJECT, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO METROPOLITAN AREA. THE CONTRACT FOR THE LAST ITEM OF THE 8.6 MILES OF CONTINUOUS FLOODWALL THROUGH THE NEW ORLEANS WATERFRONT HAS BEEN AWARDED. THIS ITEM, JACKSON TO THALIA PHASE III, WILL BE COMPLETED THIS FISCAL YEAR. TO RAISE THOSE LEVEES IN NORTHERN LOUISIANA THAT HAVE THE MOST SEVERE DEFICIENCY IN LEVEE GRADE. THE LEVEES IN THIS AREA FROM OPPOSITE NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH TO THE LOUISIANA-ARKANSAS STATE LINE ARE FROM 2 TO 9 FEET DEFICIENT IN GRADE. THE STATE OF LOUISIANA HAS COME FORWARD WITH FINANCIAL WITH THE FUNDS REQUESTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 1993, WE WILL INITIATE SIX LEVEE CONTRACT ITEMS, INTIATE AND COMPLETE ONE, CONTINUE ONE AND COMPLETE UNDER THE CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, ABOUT 967 MILES OF THE 1,085 MILES OF AUTHORIZED BANK PROTECTION HAVE BEEN PLACED. WE CONSTRUCTED 19.0 MILES OF REVETMENTS AT 25 LOCATIONS DURING THE 1991 SINKING SEASON AND PLAN TO CONSTRUCTION OF A BOAT RAMP NEAR DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE, IS SCHEDULED FOR |