Evening star., 1938-03-11
100000 WATER
PROGRAM MFORD.C,
AREA SUBMITTED
National Resources Body
Urges Conservation in
Potomac Basin.
CONTROL OF POLLUTION
AND FLOODS EMBRACED
Waterfront Improvements, Which
Have Already Been Planned,
to Be Started Soon.

LO De SCdTLeu Soon.
An expenditure Of 100000 for the
conservation of water supply and the
abatement of stream pollution in the
District of Columbia and adjacent
areas was recommended to Congress
yesterday by the National Resources
Committee.
THE execution Of a comprehensive
water conservation program in the Po-
tomac Basin is of special interest to
the National Capital" the report of
the committee stated.
Without going into details, projects
such as improved water supplies,
sewers and sewage treatment works
were suggested.
"A conservancy district has been
proposed and the Congress has given
consent to a compact relative to
stream pollution between the States
involved" the report explained. "The
basin is large enough and its problems
are sufficiently varied to make such a
| conservancy district practicable, but
not so large as to make the cost pro-
| hibitive"
Adds Weight to Move.
Numerous projects of the character
outlined have been planned for the
Potomac Basin and the final recon-
mendations of the National Resources
Committee, embodying them in q six
year non-Federal program to cost some
S667,OoO,0o for controlling pollution
on national scale, gives these recon-
mendations additional weight.
Some of the recommendations of the
national committee for flood control
of the Potomac waters at Washington
and deepening of the Washington
Channel are already being carried out
under existing appropriations. The
report submitted to Congress was
months in compiling and covers gen.
eral river and harbor improvements
which are authorized in annual supply
| bills.
A recommendation for $685., 900 was
made to start a 1884, 900 program
Tor commercial waterfront improve
ments along the Washington Channel.
Officials at the United States en-
glneers' office said specifications have
been drawn up for this work and pro-
vision made in the District appropria-
ton bill to defray the cost to the
District government of these i'm
provements. With the passage Of the
local supply bill it was expected plans
for the long desired waterfront i'm
provement can be initiated in a few
weeks.
Would Free Other Fund.
Likewise, it was pointed out, nearly
all of recommended $l33O0 for
dredging the Washington Channel to
a depth of "a feet has been made
available and the channel dredging
practically completed. Included in
this sum, however, is a $4,000 item
Tor removing rock from the channel,
which has been held in allegiance.
The Resources Committee recommends
that this sum be made available.
specific expenditure Of $4,000
was recommended to defray the first
year of an investigation for increas-
ing the water supply in Washington,
Arlington County and the Washing
ton-Suburban Sanitary District in
Maryland. Another $4,000 would be
needed to follow up these studies.
washington also would share In
the recommendations for flood con-
troll If the report covering this phase
OF the national program is approved.
The 100000 proposed for building
ieVees and grade raising for flood pro-
lection IN and around Washington Is
actually program that has been un-
| oerWay Tor some time. The Boiling
f1eld levee is practically completed,
engineer officials said, and the Poto-
mac Park dikes and levees are being
constructed. Some of the work on the
virginia side Of the river, however.
has not been started and would be
included in the general program for
this vicinity.
A new item, the engineers said. Is
the proposed expenditure of sl20 Don
Tor Hood control in Rock Creek Park
and reconstruction of the Pierce Mill
| dam. This is matter In which the
Office OF National Capital Parks, which
Is under Secretary Of the Interior
lckes, chairman Of the National Re.
sources Board, Is particularly inter-
ested. The work, II undertaken. would
! be done under the direction of Supt.
9. Marshall Finnan Of the parks Office
Other Funds Recommended,
Other recommendations are made
Tor flood control, including $500, 900 at
cumberland, Md, and $4,000 for Elk
ton, Va. Studies for these projects
have been completed, but Congress
has not yet allotted funds.
Included in the general rivers and
harbors program recommended is a
proposed expenditure Of $764,0 for
miscellaneous Maryland dredging
projects in the upper Chesapeake Bay.
In addition. $4,000 was proposed to
dredge the Severn River channel and
anchorage basin at Annapolis, Nd.
to is feet deep and 100 feet wide.
A proposed $25,000 study to control
water chestnut in the Potomac River.
an obstructive growth in the water,
which Is proving a menace to recrea-
tion, wildlife and navigation. Efforts
to clean the river of this growth in
the vicinity Of Washington have been
made by c. c. c. crews.
Another item Of $4,000 was in
cluded in the proposed program for
the conservation of recreational wa
ters to provide supply for the Rocky
Bar Cabin development in the Shen-
andoah National Park.
The controversial question Of de-
veloping hydroelectric power at Great
Falls was omitted from the report,
Suggestions for such developments had
been made by subcommittee about
two years ago, with view to fur