The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-06-09
COVE Dam SCHEME ADVANCED
TO AVOID FLOODING FERTILE
French BROAD VALLEY area
Project, Different From Government
Plan Submitted to Representative
Weaver by Brevard Man
A plan for the development of

headwaters Of the French Broad
valley in both Henderson and
Pennsylvania counties has been
developed by S. p. Werner Of
Brevard. which would make I'M
necessary the one as prepared by
government engineers in working
out details of the Tennessee River
valley project, and under which
the whole of the French Broad
valley above Hendersonville would
be converted into a vast lake.
Mr.. Werner, who has submitted
his proposal to Representative
Zebulon Weaver of the 18th con-
gressional district offers, plan
which would create more water
power than the projected govern
ment plan, would foster agricul-
ture in the section instead Of en-
tireIy eliminating one of the rich
est farming sections in the entire
region, provide more food con-
troll, further promote the logging
industry and advance what is al
ready the finest trout fishing ter
ritory in America.
Mr.. Verner's proposal which is
captioned "a plan for the devel-
opment Of the headwaters of the
French Broad valley in Render-
son and Pennsylvania counties in
Western North Carolina" has
been drafted in four sections:
first, an outline; second. reasons
for. and advantages of the plan;
3rd, reasons against certain other
projects: and fourth, relation of
the plan to the general Tennessee
development scheme. In addition
to the advantages already stated,
Mr.. Werner maintains that under
his proposal the local develop
ment fits in in nearly all its ele-
ments with the general Tennessee
Basin scheme as drawn up by
government experts. The text Of
Mr.. Verner's proposal follows:
OUTLINE
|. The construction of high
dams across certain tributaries OF
the French Broad in Henderson
and Pennsylvania counties-chief-
ly the four forks Of the river just
above Rosman and at the extreme
head of the valley. Cathey's
creek. Davidson river, Little river.
and Mills river; the dams to be
located above the fiat ridge bot
tom lands around the mouths of
these tributaries, and to impound
the waters in the deep narrow
valleys below.
2. Clearing Of the areas to be
| flooded by lakes created by the
said dams. Much of this has al
ready been done in logging OPP
erations. Much of the shrubs and
small growth would be available
for reforestation in other areas.
3. The dams to be designed as
to admit of ample flood control,
as well as to supply pure water,
power if necessary or desirable,
and a means Of irrigation in case
of drouth.
4. The lake sites to be thor
oughly examined for mineral de.
posits as soon as cleaned off, and
the dams to be designed to admit
of complete dewatering in case it
should be advisable to develop
any mineral discovered after the
creation of the lakes, as well as
for other obvious reasons.
S. Preservation of the rich bot
tom land soil, consisting of some
thirty thousand acres, below the
dams and along the French Broad
and encouragement of the devel-
opment of that area to the high
, est possible degree by the owners.
REASONS FOR AND ADVAN-
TAGES OF THIS PLAN
l. Flood control. The thirty
thousand odd acres below the sug-
eested dams are visited by floods
of severe type every few years,
and are covered with water at
one time or another nearly every
year. The reservoirs suggested
would completely eliminate such
floods. The watersheds of the
lakes proposed are afforested
now, and would afford almost
ideal areas for demonstration pur-
poses of food control and of a
gradual filling up of the lakes as
needed. The watersheds of the
tributary streams are mountain-
Gus and rough, useless for agri-
culture, and total approximately
fifty thousand acres-a conserva-
tive estimate. The areas to be
covered by the lakes would
amount to a small percentage of
this total, since the valleys are
narrow and steep, so that there
would remain a large marginal
part of the watersheds available
Continued on page three)