The Lambertville record., 1916-11-23
CONGRESS FAVORS
STREAM CONTROL
Prevention of Floods in Penn
syIvania investigated
TWO EXAMINATIONS MADE
Army Engineers Declare Many Bene-
fits viii Follow the Construc-
ton Of Storage Reservoirs.

The prevention Of floods insofar
as the state of Pennsylvania is con-
cerned has engaged the attention OF
Congress from time to time and dur
ing the recent session there was
much activity In this connection. AS
Is the case with all more or less
new projects the progress at Wash
ington has been slow but sentiment
ON this question Is gradually being
orystallized until now it is believed
that the time is not far distant when
definite action will be taken.
Following the great flood in the
Ohio and Mississippi drainage basins
in 1919, Congress created National
Waterways Commission, composed OF
members of both houses. This COM
mission made an extensive inquiry
into flood conditions and made spe-
cific study Of flood troubles on rivers
In Pennsylvania. The entire COM
mission personally viewed the sites
selected for storage reservoirs in the
western part Of the state and in its
report to Congress the Commission
endorsed the advisability and practi-
cability Of this method of river regu-
lation. 6
At the instance of Congress, two
preliminary examinations have been
made by the army engineers of flood
control plans in Pennsylvania. In
the first case the army engineers. de-
clared that the construction OF stor-
age reservoirs was feasible from the
standpoint of food prevention, but
that In their opinion the benefit to
navigation would not be sufficiently
great for the government to pay the
entire cost. The second report en-
dorsed the storage reservoir idea and
set forth that other beneficial uses
would grow from this method besides
foods.
At the recent session Of Congress
new committee was appointed on
Flood Control which handled this
subject exclusively. A hearing was
granted to representatives Of the
Pittsburgh Flood Commission who
explained the problem from the
standpoint of Pennsylvania. In re-
ferring to this hearing the report Of
the Committee on Flood Control
stated:
"A delegation from Pittsburgh ap-
peared before the committee and de-
tailed in very interesting hearing
the great destruction Of property in
that city and vicinity by foods from
the Allegheny and Monongahe!a riv-
ers. 1t was earnestly insisted by
them that these foods could be con-
trolled by the construction of reser-
voirs in the appalachian forest re-
serve and elsewhere in those water
sheds and at a cost we'll within linn
its reasonable in view of the damage
DONE
"The food cost to the Pittsburgh
district and to the entire Ohio Val
ley needs no recital here, and more.
over. the foods that the Allegheny
Mqnongahela, Ohio and their tribu.
taTies pour into the Mississippi are
an important factor in the question
The urgent necessity for such con.
troll Is forcibly pointed out by the
committee. The Mississippi water.
shed comprises 40 per cent of the
total area of the United States, and
the main trunk south of the Ohio
carries to the sea the accumulated
rainfall from 81 states.
ut became apparent from this fact
early in the history of the govern.
ment that the problem of the control
of the floods was too comprehensive
and altogether too stupendous for
local interests to cope with. The
floods are increasing. The great
flood of 1858 measured 1,475,O0O
cubic feet per second; that of 1882
measured 100000 second feet, and
that OF 1919 was 100000 second
feet"