Colonel PARKER (after consultation). About 3 feet; that is, the contribution of the Tennessee would have raised it about 3 feet.

Acting Chairman SCHWARTZ. That would be a very important matter if the river was already up to the top?

Colonel PARKER. Extremely important; yes, sir. I might quote further from this report of the Chief of Engineers, if I may. It was

stated:

The present levees on the Mississippi are about as high as it is desirable to construct them. An increase in the height accentuates the danger of a crevasse and its consequences, besides presenting a serious hazard of subsidence in the soft ground which they must occasionally cross.

Additional safety should be sought rather in the continuation of the program for improving flood discharge capacity of the river channel, and in reducing peak discharge by the construction of reservoirs.

I think it would be interesting to state at this time that one of the principal flood-control projects of the Authority is the Gilbertsville development, whose major contribution will be to reduce floods on the lower Mississippi.

AUTHORITY'S PROJECTED 10-DAM SYSTEM

Mr. ELWELL. Colonel, what projects have already been commenced and planned for controlling navigation, flood control, and providing for power in the Tennessee Valley unified system? Particularly what directions have been given by Congress with reference to the control of navigation, flood control, and the development of power.

Colonel PARKER. Congress in its instructions to the Tennessee Valley Authority has laid principal emphasis on providing a 9-foot navigation channel from the mouth to Knoxville; upon the control of floods; and incidentally the development of power?

We therefore have proceeded in our scheme of development to develop first this navigation channel. We had to start with only that portion provided by the existing works, such as Wilson Dam.

In 1933 there were 80 miles of 9-foot channel. With the construction of Wheeler Dam, this channel was extended upstream. planned the addition of Pickwick Dam below Wilson, Guntersville Dam above Wheeler, which backs water up to the Hales Bar Dam, the Chickamauga Dam.

I think I might indicate the location of those. We had initially this short pool of the Wilson Dam [indicating]. It was short, because that dam was in the steepest part of the river. This privately owned Hales Bar Dam, equipped with a lock, provided navigation from the dam to Chattanooga.

There is also a low navigation dam called Widow's Bar Dam at about this location [indicating], and some locks and canals below Wilson Dam in this region [indicating].

These approximate locations of the high-dam scheme had been proposed in substantially that form in House Document 328, presented by the Chief of Engineers of the Army. It was necessary to adopt these general locations in order to secure that continuous navigation, so that our initial reconnaissance for such dam sites was limited to the immediate neighborhood of those places.

Acting Chairman SCHWARTZ. Those locations were selected then in order to get the 9-foot channel?

Colonel PARKER. Yes, sir.

Acting Chairman SCHWARTZ. And not primarily to get developed power?

Colonel PARKER. Those locations were actually selected with the view to providing navigation, and they are not necessarily the most favorable locations for power. They are unfortunately in one or two instances rather unfavorable from the point of view of construction, such as Chickamauga, where we were compelled to adopt a relatively unfavorable site.

Mr. ELWELL. In other words, Colonel, in establishing these dams, the first consideration has been given to obtaining navigation? Colonel PARKER. Yes, sir.

Mr. ELWELL. How, in locating these dams, have you allowed for flood control?

Colonel PARKER. The heights of these dams, the heights of the gates, and the various dimensions have been so adjusted as to secure the maximum amount of flood control consistent with providing navigation. The maximum heights to which the pools could be carried were limited by various considerations, such as the location of cities upstream, the location of highways and railroads that constituted obvious limitations. But we have carried, in general have carried, these pools as high as economically feasible to provide the maximum amount of flood control obtainable at those sites.

Mr. ELWELL. At this point, Colonel, would you indicate the dams completed and the progress on the construction of the other dams? Colonel PARKER. Norris Dam, which is not on the main river, has been entirely completed.

Wheeler Dam is completed and in operation.

The Pickwick Dam has been completed and the reservoir filled and is in operation at the present time, although there are some details that have not been finally finished.

Guntersville Dam is under construction and will be completed, we hope, during the coming season, during the coming year.

Chickamauga Dam is under construction and will be completed sometime in 1940.

Gilbertsville Dam has been authorized and construction operations have begun there during this past season.

Hiwassee Dam, which is on a tributary, is also under construction and will be completed in 1940.

Acting Chairman SCHWARTZ. Take Hiwassee Dam, that arrow down at the bottom, pointing toward the river, does that indicate where the tributary comes into the river, or does it indicate the location north and south of where the dam itself is.

Colonel PARKER. That is purely diagrammatic. The Hiwassee River joins the Tennessee River in this location here [indicating], which is in the Chickamauga pool directly above Chattanooga. Senator SCHWARTZ. Yes.

Mr. ELWELL. What other dams, Colonel, are planned, which have not been commenced-approved, in other words, by Congress.

Colonel PARKER. In order to complete this 9-foot navigation channel to Knoxville, we plan to construct a dam at Watts Bar, which is located at the head of the proposed Chickamauga Reservoir, a dam at Coulter Shoals, at the head of the proposed Watts Bar Reservoir,

which will flood back to Knoxville, and complete the 9-foot navigable channel.

Those are definitely those sites have been reconnoitered, and we will soon have definite plans on those projects to present to Congress. We also have it in mind that in the future it will be necessary to construct additional storage developments on the tributaries to provide for the complete and adequate protection of Chattanooga and other local territory.

Mr. ELWELL. Colonel, what has been accomplished thus far by the program of unified control, particularly as to navigation, first, and second, flood control, and third, the installation and generation of power?

Colonel PARKER. In regard to navigation, the 80 miles of improved navigable channel present from 1933 was not completely a 9-foot channel. Some dredging was necessary in the Florence Canal, in the upper sections of Wilson Reservoir, and in the vicinity of Chattanooga. Today, except for some dredging required below certain locks, Wilson Dam and the projects completed by the Authority provide an adequate channel for 9-foot navigation, 100 percent of the time, from Pickwick Landing Dain to Guntersville Dam, a distance of about 142 miles. In addition, there are 33 iniles of 9-foot channel in the Hales bar pool. A 6-foot depth is now available 100 percent of the time, through about 380 miles.

Following completion of Guntersville Dam early in 1938, the controlling depth in 464 miles below Chattanooga, Tenn., will be 61⁄2 feet. Completion of the Gilbertsville, Guntersville, and Chickamauga Dams now under construction, together with a small amount of dredging, will increase the length of channel for 9-foot navigation in the Tennessee River to about 530 miles.

With the completion of the Watts Bar and Coulter Shoals projects, plans for construction above Chattanooga, 650 miles of full-depth channel from Paducah to Knoxville will be completed.

As regards flood control, it is interesting to note that had Norris Dam been in operation during the flood of 1917, which was only 50 percent of the estimated maximum possible flood, the flood depth at Chattanooga would have been reduced approximately 5 feet and about 700 acres of valuable city property would have been saved from flooding. The effect of Norris on the average flood, where the stage at Chattanooga does not exceed about 34 feet, will be to cut off the excess above 30 feet and practically to eliminate flood damage.

For complete protection of Chattanooga against maximum floods, considerable upstream storage capacity will be required in addition to that provided by the present program. The storage thus required for complete protection of the Chattanooga and other areas against maximum expected floods will be more than double the storage now provided by Norris and Hiwassee.

The point that I wish to make there is that while we have not yet provided complete protection, the storage which we have provided at Norris and elsewhere is already effective, and will do a great deal of good at times of to moderate floods.

In addition to Norris, the Wheeler and Pickwick Landing Reservoirs on the main river are already in operation. They will reduce flood

damage on the lower Tennessee River and help to decrease stages on the Ohio and Mississippi at Paducah and Cairo.

EFFECT OF GILBERTSVILLE DAM ON FLOOD CONDITIONS

The present means of reducing flood loss on the lower Mississippi will be the Gilbertsville Reservoir. The Ohio River is the chief factor in the Mississippi River flood and the Tennessee is the largest tributary of the Ohio. The Gilbertsville project, located within 25 miles of the Ohio River, will influence flood flows from practically the entire Tennessee River Basin. The dam is situated within 1 day of water travel from Cairo, and for this reason can be regulated closely to meet demands at that point. This project could be operated so as to reduce stream flood heights at Cairo by at least 2 feet. This Gilbertsville Reservoir will be one of the largest so far constructed—it will be over 180 miles long, and will have an area of very nearly 300,000 acres. Mr. ELWELL. When you say "one of the largest constructed," you mean in the system or the country?

Colonel PARKER. In the country.

Mr. ELWELL. Larger than Boulder Dam?

Colonel PARKER. I don't believe it is comparable to Boulder; no. The thing that needs emphasizing in connection with Gilbertsville is the very definite and accurate way in which this reservoir will be operated. Flood peaks at Cairo on the Ohio can be predicted 5 or 6 days in advance by means of the excellent system of observation which has been set up by the Army Engineers. Knowing in advance what height can be expected at Cairo, and knowing the effect which the Gilbertsville Reservoir can be made to produce at Cairo, it is possible to wait until the actual level of Cairo will be within 221⁄2 feet of the predicted peak and to then close the flood gates at Gilbertsville the necessary amount to prevent the level at Cairo rising much above that point.

That is a very direct and accurate means of operation, and involves no complications and long-stage predictions. For that reason we expect that Gilbertsville will be very effective in regulating stages at Cairo.

Representative WOLVERTON. Colonel, did I understand you to say that the reservoir at Gilbertsville would be 180 miles in length? Colonel PARKER. Yes, sir.

Representative WOLVERTON. How wide?

Colonel PARKER. It will vary from perhaps 2 miles, somewhat more than 2 miles in places, to the normal width of the river channel at the upper end of the reservoir.

Representative WOLVERTON. How many thousands of acres is that reservoir contemplating using? I thought that you said 300,000.

Colonel PARKER. I wanted to give you the exact figure, sir. The area at about the normal operating level, where the reservoir will be operated when it is not being used to control flood, will be about 165,000 acres. At the extreme height possible-that is, the top of the dam, which would be reached only in extreme emergencies—the area would be 312,000 acres.

Representative WOLVERTON. What is the cost of that land to the T. V. A.?

Colonel PARKER. The cost of the land, sir?

Representative WOLVERTON. Yes, sir; that will have to be taken for reservoir purposes?

Colonel PARKER. The total estimated cost of reservoir lands is about $22,000,000.

Representative WOLVERTON. What are the values of the crops and products that are being raised annually on that land?

Colonel PARKER. I can't inform you on that.

Representative WOLVERTON. Doesn't the T. V. A. take into consideration that important item, namely, the amount that is being taken out of production?

Colonel PARKER. We have made some very careful studies of the agricultural aspects of these reservoir takings, and it has been concluded in general that where it has been decided to flood such land, that the value of such flooding will be greater than the original value for agricultural purposes.

Representative WOLVERTON. That is a general conclusion. I am asking questions that may have some bearing on the final figures, but I am trying to get them in, in a way that I think would be helpful. At the time this investigation started, every appropriate time I have made inquiries as to the amount of products that had been raised, annually, on the lands that had become reservoir sites, and I haven't gotten that figure with one single reservoir site as yet.

Now, if the T. V. A. takes into consideration the losses that are to be prevented by flood control, it seems to me that we ought to have some figures to have before us that would show the amount of loss annually in production from these fertile fields, because the testimony has been that these lowlands are the most fertile part of the territory. Now, I am interested in knowing what is the annual production of crops on that three-hundred-odd thousand acres of land. Do you have any such figures?

Colonel PARKER. We have no exact figures on that area; no, sir. Representative WOLVERTON. Do you have any approximate figures? Mr. ELWELL. May I ask a question? Is there any department of the T. V. A. that makes such an estimate of losses with regard to reservoir lands to be acquired?

Colonel PARKER. The land use division has made such estimates, but I don't have them here.

Mr ELWELL. Is that division within the engineering department? Colonel PARKER. No, sir.

Mr. ELWELL. Could those estimates be obtained by you?

Colonel PARKER. It would take several days to obtain them, I

guess.

Mr. ELWELL. Do you think, Mr. Wolverton, that we ought to request that that be made?

Representative WOLVERTON. Well, just as I said, I have asked this same question with reference to every reservoir site that has been testified to before this committee by any witness who appeared before us, and I haven't gotten the information from anyone yet.

Mr. ELWELL. Colonel Parker, would you take upon yourself to obtain all available estimates and submit them to the committee?