Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-18
SOMERVELI PARK
! REPORTS READY
Survey Expected to Have
|. important Bearing on
Great Falls Project.

3 Four important reports dealing with
} @he water resources Of the POTOMAC
River valley to be submitted early next
week by Mai. Breilon Somervell, Dis
trict engineer of the War Department,
are expected to have a vital bearing
on future park and power development
4a the environs of washington, par
} %icularly at Great Falls. The contents
Uf the reports will remain urdisclosed
Tor the present.
q Three OF the reports, dealing mainly
|, Spith hydro electric development in the
Great Falls area, will be forwarded TO
Col H. C.. Jewett, southeast division
engineer at Charleston, S. c., before
coming into the hands of Mai. Gen.
Edgar Jadwin, chief of Army Engineers.
who will transmit them to the Federal
Power Commission. The fourth report,
dealing with a preliminary survey of a
complete utilization of water resources
in the Potomac River. basin, will be sent
by Maj. Somervell directly to Gen.
Jadwin.
Preliminary Permit Asked.
The first report deals with an appli-
cation for a preliminary permit, filed
with the Federal Power Commission by
the Potomac River Corporation of Will
mington. Del, which would give it per-
mission to investigate construction POS
sibilities. The second report deals with
the application for a preliminary per-
NIT by the South Branch Power Co. of
Philadelphia, while Maj. Somervell's
third report deals with the application
for preliminary permit filed with the
Federal Power Commission by Stieman
d. Quick of Baltimore for limited 6e-
velopment between Great Falls and
Tidewater.
These three reports set forth Mai
Somervell's views, after investigation
Of the effect each firms plan might
have on the conservation and utilization
in the public interests of the water
resources of the Potomac region All
three projects contemplate hydro
electric development between Great
Falls and tidewater. This is the area
which certain groups of park enthusi-
asts insist should be preserved for
scenic beauty.
The fourth report, on the complete
utilization Of the water resources of the
Potomac River basin, is termed an ''in-
veStigation of the survey report" called
for by House document 308. This re-
port seeks to cover in a preliminary
way what can be done on a program
for flood control power and irrigation
development. 1t deals with the effect
OF such development on the full utiliZa-
ton Of the water supply for domestic
purposes for Washington and other adj
jacent communities and on park de-
velopnent.
Plan Four Storage Dams.
The application of the Potomac River
Corporation contemplates development
r@f FAKsr cf4
Town, W. Va; at Brooks Gap, near
Broadway. w. Va; on the South
Branch, near Springfield, w. Va, and
on the Great Cacapon, near Berkeley
Springs, W. Va.-with total storage
capacity of 1,650,0O0 acre-feet. Power
would be developed near Harpers Ferry,
W. Va, at Great Falls and at Chain
Bridge. This application for a pre-
Aminary permit was filed with the led
eral Power Commission May IL, 1927.
Application of the South Branch
Power Co., contemplateS construction of
storage development on the South
Branch, on the Great Cacapon and on
the Shenandoah River. This applica-
ton was laid before the Federal Power
Commission September q, 1926, but an
amended application for larger de-
velopment on November o. 1927.
The Stineman-Q Quick application, filed
with the Federal Power Commission De-
cember 8, 1920, contemplates develop
ment at Great Falls
Congress has ordered the Federal
Power Commission to grant no permits
affecting Great Falls until it has SUBJ
n1itted report on the whole water
power development program. The Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission has in process of preparation
= Its own report on the question of park
and power development, particularly at
Great Falls,