Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-18

| fere to some extent with the street ant
! park system, So 1t does not appear
| feasible to protect all the threatened
property by local works. II the fiooc
damages were per cent Of the assessed
valuation for o maximum possible nooc
the protection afforded would be $6,0o0,'
600. Studies indicate that the average
annual food damage below Great ran:
| over q long period Of years VIII be about
| $50, 900. Capitalizing this amount at
per cent, the value Of flood protection
may be taken as ut least 81 ,OOO,O
1.-TWO toll bridges which are contem'
plated II the power project Is net con.
| structed would In the power project pe
| provided on the top Of the dams and
! thereby save about 100000.
| IS. A summation Of the various po'
tential values which would inure to the
financial benefit Of the people by ra'
tional development Of Potomac River re-
sources would be approximately $780,
900, 600:
"(a) Savings on production Of hydro
power instead of steam power. capital
| lied on q per cent basis ut $lo,0OO,OO
"(b) Saving by elimination OF twe
bridges, $4,000
"(c) Savings in the form OF income
| from taxes at the rate or 2 per cent
| capitalized at $l4,O00,00
| "(d) Savings which the power Struc.
lures would produce II navigation shouic
be extended up the Potomac River
amounting to $4,000, 900.
"(e) Savings on preliminary treat
ment Of the Washington water supply
and estimated value Of mood protection
$4,000. 900.
with the present population, abou,
$40, 600 900 Of the total savings wouio
fan 10 the specific benefit Of the resi-
dents and the Government OF the DIS
| trict of Columbia, and $3S, 600 GOO 70 tne
adjacent States and the country o.
large.
of the coal, should when more definitely
determined be added to the apove
S4S, 0o0,00o The same Is true OF tns
Increased net freight savings which VII
come from the navigation improvement
and the growth OF commerce.
Amount Too Large TO Sacrifice.
sc. Should the development be by
the Government, the Dement'S from taxes
on the private enterprise should, u
the plant be properly managed ane
regulated, be replaced by Simnar re-
duction in the total cost OF generating
the current.
-. This s4s, 0oo, 900 is equivalent at
6 per cent TO about $2.ee0 900 per year
This Is too large an amount TO De Sacri-
ficed without the most cArefui conSlo'
Grafton. Let us see whether 1t Is JustF
fied as an expenditure for parks In tnt
District In addition to the amounts
already spent and those otherwise II
contemplation for park purposes.
-. It is important that Washing
ton, the Capital of the Nation. shoulc
| ~
existing park area and that planned bl
the commission for the National Capita
region, that is Washington and its en-
virons, total some 81 1872 acres. To THU
fialre should be added about $500 acres
for the smaller and local parks In th'
region outside the District Of Columbia
This makes o total Of 29.032 acres, Of
about IS square miles, roughly eQua
to three-fourths of the total land ares
Of the District Of Columbia and abou
10 per cent of the 268, 900 acres anecteo
in the District and its environs. II
addition, the city has relatively larg'
mileage Of wide streets lined with
beautiful shade trees. This park system
of the District Is being carefully studied
by the Planning Commission ana i
being continuously added to as fount
justified. It Is q park system OF which
any city or any nation might be proud
The valley Of the Potomac should be in
Guided in the system. How shall tt
park resources be utilized? Shall .
park Of the low-level type be developed
at the sacrifice Of over 4s millions o.
dollars plus the cost Of low-lying liant
and its development? Or can a plan b,
devised that will save this sum to thu
taxpayer without sacrificing parl
values? To assist in determining this q
special joint committee was appointed
by the executive oficer Of the PLANNING
Commission and the District Engineer
Of the War Department The plaI
known as scheme &c" proposed In thu
report Of this special joint committe,
contemplates high-level park develop
ment of an area equal to that in the
low-level park, with two lakes SubSti
tuted for the lowest. most ragged par
of the flood plain. These parks contain
more recreational features than tht
parks without these lakes. The majol
scenic feature of the gorge, the Blacl
Pond area and Difhcult Run are com
mon to both developments. The re
mainder Of the iow-ievel park is q parI
around four small lakes separated b!
rapids, while the remainder Of TIT
high level is based on two large lake
separated by rapids.
Spectacle Would Be Modified.
with the latter plan, the spectacle
at Great Falls and in the gorge below
them will be maintained in comparable
but modified form. The regulation Il
be secured from the upper storage res
ervoirS would assure an amount O
water to pass over the rocks of the Fall
Sufflcient to produce scenic effects com
parable with those which would exis
with flood in the river in its preSen
condition. At the time OF flood now
less flow will pass over the Falls. II
dry periods more water would pass owe
the Falls, due to the Repatriation O
the flow from storage.
1.-THE low level park Is costly to i'm
prove as q park. costly to maintain. OF
; account Of the floods that would ravag'
. 1t from time to time, and probabl!
, would afford less real recreation anc