The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-09-22
Missouri Valley Authority


Editors Note During the next several months THE VOICE will
Valley Authority written by Jerome Locke
familiar with
Montans basic He
employed by s. Army
vicinity California This i his eighth article
Senator James E. Murray of Montana has recently intro
duced bill to up MVA There has already been ample
engineering field work. fact finding and planning and enough
divergence of opinion both technical and lay to more than
justify his action
Under authority resolution sponsored by House Flood
Control Committee Army engineers have completed and re-
ported plan-commonly known the Pick Plan.
This primarily plan for flood control and navigation below
Sioux City, Iowa. but conempate large dams and vast storage
higher the stream This plan has been approved
by the house and avoraby reported the senate where is
pending Army engineers it elastic plan, and
be modified to doveta with other plans for water AS
outlined to the plans provide for the following in
stallatons:
Completion of navigation channel 5000 5000 feet
WIDE with minimum depth nine feet from Sioux City,
Missouri river mouth 760 miles This to be accomplished
by construction evees built along both sides of the
Completion of ten reservoirs Storage capacity not ven
which previously authorized by These
tributaries of the Missouri which empty be-
low Sioux City, One located in Colorado Nebraska
Kansas ne in Kansas and six in Missouri Also consruc
of five additional reservoirs Capacity not gven) head
water of Republican river in western Nebraska and eastern
Colorado
Construction small regulating and four very large
storage reservoirs main stem of Missouri otal capacity
fee These will convert about three fourhs
of Missouri river bottom lands through North and South Da
kota into of lakes Construction of Lower Canyon
Yellowstone Livingston Montana and Boysen dam
headwaer of Big Horn wyoming capacity OF these
two 5,75OOOO feet)
The five reservoirs the Dakotas the Yellowstone
one the Big Horn plus Fort Peck Reservoir will store
total 6O450 900 feet of water This about four
annual flow of the Missouri Yankton
lowest reservoir Such volume of storage may
account taken of yearly variations in
flow which cycles of several each There
question and divergence of opinion to
location of this Igaonists and those who
maximum power development think of
the water should mpounded higher stream and thereby
become available to larger and more varied use.
The report says all reservoirs the main and tbuory
Yankon should be multiple but does
divulge much power WILL be generated. In
reviewing Federal Power Commission comments that
han billion Mowatt hours of hydro abou
million power) be developed in Missouri basin
of the necessity for pumping installations and
carry from Garrison Reservoir Gust east of
Dakota ne) to Devils Lake and Sheyene
North Dakota for irrigation and other Total
osts estimated projects authorized
projects TO- be authorized $49OO00OOO
this report under consideration by flood
ro committee of the senate Senator OMahoney of Wyoming
ng effect that water Yanon South Dakota be
sed primarily irrigation Subsequently, President Roose
et addressed letter to Senator Overman chairman of
committee reading in part follows:
DI is my understanding that if navigation facilities
constructed the main stem of the the water
required to make them useful might depete supplies
needed for irrigation.
81 think that considering that part of the
try in which the of nexoraby accord to the
beneficial consumption use of water primary ROLL we
OIL