Mr. BIDDLE. Well, now, having in mind the subject that you spoke about as coming under water control, will you tell me how many orders were issued with respect to navigation? Mr. WOODWARD. May I give the total number of orders first? Mr. WOODWARD. There were 63 of these formal control memoranda issued during the year, and they are listed here with the dates. Then, in different columns are the check marks to show what purposes were mentioned in that particular memorandum. Mr. BIDDLE. Now, those memoranda are the basis of the orders issued for the control of water with respect to the memorandum? Mr. WOODWARD. They are the orders. Mr. BIDDLE. They are the orders? want to be exact. You said "memoranda." I Mr. WOODWARD. We took that name to avoid conflict with some other kinds of communications. We tried to take a name that is distinctive. Mr. BIDDLE. We know "memorandum" is very popular with the T. V. A., we have heard of it before. Now, go ahead and tell us what they were. Mr. WOODWARD. Now, the object of the order was to influence or affect flood control in 21 of these orders or memoranda. Mr. BIDDLE. During the year you operated the river 21 times to control floods; would that be correct? Mr. WOODWARD. We gave specific orders. Mr. BIDDLE. You gave specific orders. There may have been some flood-control operation that would not require the formality of an order, as it was a minor thing. Mr. WOODWARD. Yes; there might have been some repetitions that one order would cover successive action on, successive occasions. Mr. BIDDLE. Yes. Mr. WOODWARD. Navigation was specifically mentioned as the ob jective 26 times. Mr. BIDDLE. And that was, I presume, raising the river in order to sustain the channel, in most instances? Mr. WOODWARD. In some cases we have at times reduced the flow during floodtimes in order to check the currents, to help boats. Mr. BIDDLE. I should say to raise or lower, in order to keep a normal 9-foot channel. Mr. WOODWARD. That was it; yes, sir. Mr. BIDDLE. Just in that connection, Mr. Woodward, I understand that there has been a period of drought recently along the valley, has there not? Wasn't there about a month's drought up there? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes; there was one longer than that. At Knoxville there were 6 weeks with no appreciable rain. Mr. BIDDLE. Did that require letting out water from Norris Dam to raise the level of the river? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, sir; our streams in the upper part of the valley particularly were very low. Mr. BIDDLE. Is your measure cubic feet-is that your unit of measure? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes. Mr. BIDDLE. How many cubic feet a second was released in order to keep that 9-foot channel up to 9 feet. Mr. WOODWARD. I think the maximum was eight or nine thousand, but I just don't have that figure in mind. Mr. BIDDLE. It varied up to eight or nine thousand cubic feet a second? Mr. WOODWARD. It may have been more; I cannot recall. Mr. BIDDLE. I will put it slightly differently. What amount of the total flow of the river was released from Norris Dam during that period of drought, if you know? Mr. WOODWARD. Well, at the dam, the natural flow would have been down to perhaps a thousand cubic feet, and we released at the dam, say, eight or nine thousand, and then all over a thousand was being taken out of reservoir storage. A little of it was the natural flow. Mr. BIDDLE. Nearly one-half at the dam? Mr. Woodward. Much more at Norris Dam. Mr. WOODWARD. But down at Wheeler what we released probably was a little over-or a little more than the natural flow, but I don't know now those figures definitely. I don't have them in mind. Mr. BIDDLE. That gives us a picture. Was water released from any other dam during that period of time? Mr. WOODWARD. Not from our dams in any important degree. Mr. WOODWARD. No. Mr. BIDDLE. Did that keep the flow level to 9 feet during that period; I mean, did it keep the channel at 9 feet? Mr. WOODWARD. No. Below Pickwick Dam we don't have a 9-foot channel. Mr. BIDDLE. I don't mean below Pickwick Dam; I mean, up above where you do have a 9-foot dam, was it kept up to that point? Mr. WOODWARD. Well, it is not quite so simple as that. We used to keep the 9-foot channel up to Florence, and we used the Florence gage as a standard, but that is now in the Pickwick Reservoir. We don't use that anymore. It would have kept it up there if we were still using that, but that is in a reservoir. Now, our crucial point is the release at Pickwick Dam, and the troublesome part is the first 10 miles below Pickwick Dam. Mr. BIDDLE. Was that kept up to 9 feet? Mr. WOODWARD. With the amount from Norris we cannot keep 9 feet there. We have to have the Gilbertsville Reservoir. Mr. BIDDLE. Before you can keep 9 feet? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes. Mr. BIDDLE. How much can you keep? Mr. WOODWARD. We can keep 7 or 712. Mr. BIDDLE. During that period of drought, how much was the drop in the reservoir at Norris? Mr. WOODWARD. Oh, it was dropping at the rate of half a foot a day when we were drawing out the most. Mr. BIDDLE. You don't know how long a period of time you drew it out? Mr. WOODWARD. No; it has just been going down for 2 or 3 months. Mr. BIDDLE. Turning back to your table, I think you mentioned flood control. Did you also mention navigation? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes; navigation was mentioned in 26 of these orders. Mr. BIDDLE. What other orders were there? Mr. WOODWARD. Power was mentioned three times. Mr. BIDDLE. What were the purposes of the three times for which power was mentioned? Was that with respect to the construction of power facilities at the dams? Mr. WOODWARD. Well, I would have to look up the three to be sure. I think they were all in connection with the testing of the water wheels, to maintain a steady quantity, corresponding to the specifications, a special quantity. Mr. BIDDLE. In order to test the machinery? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, and to keep it for usually a 6-hour period, or something like that, just as nearly steady as possible. Mr. BIDDLE. What was the next subject, and how many orders were issued on that? Mr. WOODWARD. The next list here is "Malaria control." That was mentioned 20 times. Our next column is "Construction"; that means construction operations of our own forces, working on the dams, 28 times. And then there are finally 10 miscellaneous matters that are relatively unimportant. Mr. BIDDLE. That are not classifiable under the functions which you have specified. Mr. WOODWARD. Of course, we could classify them, but we didn't see any use in it. Mr. BIDDLE. That is for the year ending June 30, 1938, your last current year? Mr. WOODWARD. That is correct. power references that I can read to Now, I have the first one of these you if you wish. Mr. BIDDLE. You need not read it. Just tell us what it was for. Mr. WOODWARD. To facilitate turbine tests at Wheeler Dam, Wilson pool should be raised to an elevation, a certain amount, by January 31, so as to make the test. RIVER REGULATED UNDER WITNESS' ORDERS Mr. BIDDLE. Under whose orders is the flow of the river regulated. Mr. WOODWARD. Under my direction. Mr. BIDDLE. Under your directions? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, sir. Mr. BIDDLE. Is that regulation based on a ruling of the Board which forms a part of your manual-and I think it has been introduced already. Mr. WOODWARD. I don't know whether it is in the general manual of instructions or not. I have here the resolution, which is a Board resolution, under which I operate. Mr. BIDDLE. I understand that is in the manual already introduced; but so that we will remember what it is, what does that direct you to do with respect to the relative control of flood control, navigation, and power? Mr. WOODWARD. Among my duties, as stated in paragraph C, is toPrepare and issue instructions subject to review by the Chief Engineer governing the impounding and release of water at the various dams of the Authority; to assure the maximum use of facilities and resources available for flood control, navigation, and other purposes, consistent with the requirements of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, and within the policies of the Board pursuant thereto; to define from time to time the extent to which water may be impounded and the stream flow limits within which impounded water may be used for the generation of electric power. POLICY OF OPERATION RE NAVIGATION, FLOOD CONTROL, AND POWER Mr. BIDDLE. Now, under that resolution and the other resolutions issued from time to time, and the provisions of the act, what is your policy of operation with respect to navigation, flood control, and power? Mr. WOODWARD. Why, we operate ordinarily for flood control and navigation, and that of itself ordinarily covers the power, because we have to release the water and keep it running in the river, and that is what the power uses, and it doesn't ordinarily require any separate mention of power. Mr. BIDDLE. You mean ordinarily you have had sufficient water flow to cover the requirements of power? Mr. WOODWARD. So that we have always had greatly in excess of the amount required. Mr. BIDDLE. Greatly in excess of the requirements for power? Mr. BIDDLE. So that so far you have not had to take into consideration power needs for the control of the river, with the exception of the three orders, such orders as you refer to for testing machinery, and so forth. Mr. WOODWARD. That is true; yes, sir. Mr. BIDDLE. I am speaking of the generation of power, when I say "power." Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, sir. Mr. BIDDLE. You said "ordinarily." What did you mean to except from your rule, when you used the word "ordinarily"? Mr. WOODWARD. Well, I didn't have in mind any exceptions. I should have said perhaps automatically the power is provided for. Mr. BIDDLE. Dr. Arthur Morgan testified with respect to a conflict which he stated occurred I think 2 years ago, was it; do you remember that? Mr. WOODWARD. It would be 2 years ago in February, I think. Mr. BIDDLE. Yes. Who then had the control of the river operations? You now are in control of this operation, I understand. Was that true at that time? Mr. WOODWARD. No, sir. Mr. BIDDLE. Was there a joint committee? Mr. WOODWARD. That is correct. Mr. BIDDLE. And you, and I think Mr. Evans, were on that committee? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, sir. Mr. BIDDLE. Mr. Evans representing the power point of view? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, sir; he was head of what we called the Power Department. Mr. BIDDLE. Have you got Dr. Morgan's memorandum on that, at that time? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, sir. Mr. BIDDLE. Do you know, looking at that, what occurred, and over what period of time? What period of time did it extend? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, I know it occurred-assuming this is perfectly correct Mr. BIDDLE. You are now looking at the memoranda which were copies of the original, I think we can assume, that were attached to that. Mr. WOODWARD. It occurred during the last week of February 1937. Mr. BIDDLE. And what occurred? Mr. WOODWARD. A man in my department, the man who has charge of the daily records of stream flow, and who was under formal instructions to furnish these records at all times to the Electric Power Department, at that time he mailed a daily letter addressed to the chief system operator at Wilson Dam. These daily letters were not signed by me, but ordinarily I had knowledge of them. They were always prepared under my general direction. Mr. BIDDLE. That daily letter was to show what? What statistics did it give, without mentioning them in detail? Mr. WOODWARD. It gave the flow of the stream at Norris, and the flow down at Florence, certain items of the current day, and then it predicted those flows for 5 days ahead. Mr. BIDDLE. And that was used for the basis of making what decisions? Mr. WOODWARD. Well, as to what Mr. BIDDLE. As to how much water you would release? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, how the water would be regulated. At this time, as I said, I had no authority personally to give instructions. Mr. BIDDLE. The Authority at that point was divided; is that correct? Mr. WOODWARD. In the committee, Mr. Evans and myself, by a rather cumbersome process that took a long while, a relatively long while to get out orders. And we had come to the practice of putting in these daily letters, what we call suggestions, that the operation would follow a certain schedule, and assuming that that operation would be followed then a table of flows were predicted 5 days in advance. Mr. BIDDLE. And the river regulated accordingly? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, sir; assuming that our suggestions were followed. Mr. BIDDLE. When you say "our," who do you mean? Do you mean the suggestions of your department? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes; it is signed by Mr. Wilkinson. Mr. BIDDLE. The suggestions of the flood-control department? Mr. BIDDLE. Whatever you call it? Mr. WOODWARD. Yes, sir; that is correct. Mr. BIDDLE. Yes. All right. Mr. WOODWARD. Here are copies of these letters for 2 days, February 20 and February 23, which suggested that water at Norris be released for about 4 or 5 days here covered at 20,000 cubic feet per second. I don't have here the file of these daily letters, but I had it read to me over the telephone from Knoxville this morning, and these letters are correct, these copies are correct, copies of those letters that were issued. We also have here a list of the actual releases at Norris, covering that period. Mr. BIDDLE. How many days? |