record will show it has. One of the reasons for it is because we have had some difficulty up there in getting concurrence and local commitments and the cooperation of some of the local authorities. That apparently has been resolved.

Here is an area which gets hit by floods, would you say more often than any other section of the United States?

General FLEMING. Certainly it has been recently.

Mr. BOLAND. Real damaging floods?

General FLEMING. Yes, sir. Since 1927 there have been five major floods in the Connecticut River Basin.

Mr. BOLAND. There is no doubt that if we don't have a flood-control program for New England we will be faced with floods all the time. Is that not true?

General FLEMING. Yes, sir.

Mr. BOLAND. So it would seem to me if there is any way in which the Government can accelerate the completion of the projects that have been authorized, that are in the general overall flood-control program, it would seem to me that would be a wise thing to do if we could spend the money. We have to spend it some time. If we can accelerate the program it should be done now.

General FLEMING. In Thomaston, for example, on the dam it will take us two complete construction seasons to build it. It will take us part of 1958, part of fiscal 1958, and then 1959 and 1960 to get that built.

What I am talking about on the railroad, as far as the dam is concerned we do not have to do the railroad this fast. But the sooner we solve the railroad problem at Thomaston the better off the people in that area of Connecticut will be.

Mr. BOLAND. Can you supply for the record the total amount which has been spent by the corps in connection with its civil functions in the New England area since you started to expend money there? General ITSCHNER. We can get you that information. (The information requested is as follows:)

Total Federal expenditures in the New England States for civil functions of the Corps of Engineers from fiscal year 1824 through fiscal year 1955, inclusive, were $208,831,000. Estimated expenditures for fiscal year 1956 in the amount of $8,500,000 bring the total through fiscal year 1956 to an estimated $217,331,000. These figures do not include expenditures for rehabilitation work under Operation Noah presently estimated to total $27 million.

Mr. BOLAND. I want to compliment the New England division for the great work it has done in that area. The floods that hit New England in 1955 were the most damaging in the history of the Nation. Here is a relatively small office faced with a very difficult problem, and in conjunction with local authorities and with the Air Force, Army, and Navy, all of the Federal agencies, and the Civilian Defense Administration, the New England division of the Corps of Engineers was the spearhead and actually the leader in the great work done to gut New England back in shape again. I want to compliment you, General Fleming, for what you and your staff have done. I think you have done a magnificent job.

General FLEMING. Thank you, sir.

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, CORPS OF ENGINEERS

Mr. RABAUT. Next is operations and maintenance. You have here a request for $2,153,000 for about 20 projects. We will insert pages 100, 101, 102, and 103 in the record.

(The information referred to is as follows:)

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, GENERAL, FISCAL YEAR 1957

1. Navigation

(a) Channels and harbors.-The work to be accomplished under this activity consists of maintaining the navigation channels, harbors, and anchorages of coastal harbors and waterways by means of dredging, operation of navigation structures, and repairing harbor jetties and breakwaters; and periodic inspections and surveys to determine the condition of the projects for programing purposes and providing navigation interests with adequate information on existing channel conditions; all as authorized in the laws adopting river and harbor projects.

The budget estimate of $2,012,000 for fiscal year 1957 is required for essential maintenance work on 9 channel and harbor projects named in the list which follows. The projects listed have been subjected to an economic analysis and determined that continuing maintenance is justified. The amount of funds appropriated in recent years for this activity has not been sufficient to provide for the adequate and timely maintenance of all justified projects and has resulted in a substantial backlog of work, particularly structural repairs and the maintenance of moderate and shallow-draft navigation channels. This condition continues to exist.

(a) Reservoirs.-The budget estimate of $139,000 provides for the operation and ordinary maintenance of 9 flood-control reservoirs in the New England basin. All rehabilitation work has been deferred. The amount requested in fiscal year 1957 is approximately $12,000 less than the amount available in fiscal year 1956 and is necessary for minimum operation and maintenance of the projects.

Connecticut: Mansfield Hollow Reservoir.......

Massachusetts:

Birch Hill Reservoir

Knightsville Reservoir.

Tully Reservoir...

Hew Hampshire:

Blackwater Reservoir.

Edward MacDowell Reservoir.

Franklin Falls Reservoir....

Surry Mountain Reservoir..

Vermont: Union Village Reservoir..

Total flood-control reservoirs..

Amount $115,000 560, 000 84,000

10,000 750, 000 100, 000

238, 000

80,000

50,000

25,000

2, 012, 000

2, 012, 000

19,000

13.000

16,000

13, 000

5.000 17,000 25, 006 17,000 14,000

139,000

Tentative allocation, fiscal year 1957-Continued

(b) Other (including channel improvement projects, miscellaneous maintenance items, and inspection). The budget estimate of $2,000 provides for inspection during the fiscal year of 14 completed projects within the basin.

Mr. RABAUT. Does anyone want to take up these projects individually?

If not, that completes the hearing on the New England area.

FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1956.

MIDDLE ATLANTIC DRAINAGE AREA

GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS, CORPS OF ENGINEERS

Mr. RABAUT. Next we will go to the Middle Atlantic Basin. We will take up the first item, "General investigations."

First of all we will insert pages 1, 2, and 3 in the record. (The information referred to is as follows:)

GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 1957

1. Examinations and surveys

(a) Navigation studies.-The amount of $79,400 is requested for prosecution of 4 studies in the Middle Atlantic drainage area during fiscal year 1957. This amount will permit completion of 3 reports and substantial progress on the remaining 1.

The tentative allocations by studies follow:

(b) Flood-control studies.-The amount of $251,700 is requested for prosecution 10 studies in the Middle Atlantic Drainage Area during fiscal year 1957. This amount will permit completion of 5 reports and progress on 5 other investigations. The tentative allocations by studies follow:

(c) Beach erosion cooperative studies.-The amount of $21,250 is requested for completion of 2 reports along the middle Atlantic shores. The tentative allocations by studies follow:

(d) Special studies.-The amount of $100,000 is requested for continuation of the comprehensive Delaware River review report. The tentative allocations by studies follow:

Mr. RABAUT. There is an item of $100,000 for continuation of the comprehensive Delaware River review report and another item for $25,000 for the Delaware River included in the Northeast flood study. Does this mean we are starting a new study before the report has been completed on the last one?

Colonel RENSHAW. The two reports are to be correlated, sir.
Mr. RABAUT. Enlarge on it a little bit.

Colonel PENNY. The Delaware portion of the Northeast flood studies is for that portion where there are specific urgent problems that are included in the overall study as a result of the hurricane storms of last year, whereas the Delaware River comprehensive report is an overall report which will consider the flood-control aspects in the

multiple-purpose projects which are found to be economically justified, but the comprehensive report for the Delaware, the larger one, is one which will consider, in addition to the flood-control aspects of these projects, other functions such as water supply, power, and such as that.

Mr. RABAUT. This $25,000 just gets the study_started.

Colonel PENNY. It is on the tributaries of the Delaware and the Delaware main stem north of the Northeast flood study which is specifically directed to the solution of the problems resulting from the inland flooding which occurred as a result of these large storms. Mr. RABAUT. And the other study? It is a $100,000 study.

Colonel PENNY. It will consider the flood-control aspect as it is tied in with the other water resources development features, but the study under the Northeast flood study will be largely devoted to the specific problem areas in an attempt to get in early interim reports on those.

Mr. RABAUT. Will the Delaware River Basin study go into the question of the feasibility of including power facilities in proposed Federal projects?

Colonel RENSHAW. Yes, sir.

POTOMAC RIVER BASIN STUDY

Mr. RABAUT. Several members of Congress are interested in this Potomac River Basin study. They say $210,000 is needed which is not in the budget. What we want to know is what the Army engineers have to say about this Potomac River Basin study and the amount of money needed.

Colonel PENNY. The budget for fiscal 1957 includes $54,000 for this study. The total estimated cost is tentatively estimated at about $920,000, of which $235,000 is scheduled as part of this Northeast flood study. The budget request is for $54,000 for fiscal year 1957. Mr. RABAUT. Is that all you asked the budget for on this project? Colonel PENNY. It is not.

Mr. RABAUT. What did you ask them for?

Colonel PENNY. May I correct that? That is what was requested of the budget for this study.

Mr. RABAUT. You didn't ask for anything over the ceiling? General ITSCHNER. We were not permitted to ask for anything over the ceiling.

Mr. RABAUT. Is that new this year?

General ITSCHNER. This is the second year of that procedure, sir. Mr. RABAUT. What about this $210,000 additional? Is there a need for that at this time?

Colonel RENSHAW. It could be beneficially used at this time.
Mr. RABAUT. You are asking for $54,000?

Colonel RENSHAW. Yes, sir.

Mr. RABAUT. I was told it needs $210,000 additional.

Colonel PENNY. That would be approximate. We could econom

ically expend $250,000 in fiscal year 1957 we feel.

Mr. RABAUT. Would it be very helpful?

Colonel PENNY. We think so.