Evening star., 1945-02-21
Letters to The Star
Two Different Views Of Proposed
DEVELOPMENT" Of Potomac Valley

Development" Of Potomac Valley
To the Editor Of The Star:
The truth regarding the proposed
dams on the Potomac River should be
made known to the people OF the Dis
trict Of Columbia and neighboring
States. II the people know the truth,
it is not likely that they will permit
this needless and costly project to be
carried out.
A report on this proposed project ap-
pea-ing in The Star for February is
says there will be saving In flood dam
age. The construction Of large down.
stream dams for flood control Is like
closing the barn door after the horse is
out. The place to check floods is on
the upper slopes, on farmlands and
along the little water courses. Contour
plowing, strip cropping and prevention
of overgrazing will go far to reduce
floods, and these practices have the
added important advantages of pre-
venting soil erosion and sitting of
rivers.
The report speaks OF pollution abate-
ment." Let 1t be understood that the
construction of the much needed
sewage treatment plants comprises no
part of the plan of the Army engi-
neers. Sewage now polluting the Poto-
mac and tributaries will continue to
pour into them What the engineers
mean by pollution abatement" is that
the large bodies of water created by
the dams will dilute the sewage.
Unwanted Power Project.
Another benefit spoken OF in the re-
port is hydroelectric power. First
there is no need for this great addi-
tional supply Of electric power here
Existing steam plants together with
the hydroelectric plants on the Susque-
hanna River are adequately caring for
the entire area from New York to
Richmond, even in wartime, and there
are facilities for installing new gener-
ators whenever the need arises Sec
ondly, the surplus of power in the
Washington area will open the way for
the Capital City to become a manufac-
turing center. If Washington is to be
the beautiful city that 1t Is intended to
be, manufacturing can have no place
here.
One of the great injuries to existing
features of the Potomac Valley by dam
construction would be the flooding out
Of the historic Chesapeake G Ohio
Canal now enjoyed by thousands an
nually for recreation. This detrimental
phase of the project is not mentioned
in the Star report. The people should
know that miles of the picturesque
canal now used by the Park Service for
weekend barge trips, by canoeists, and
the towpath by mixers. will be inun-
dated. The recreational possibilities of
the canal and the wild woodlands that
border it have hardly been touched
as yet, and only await the appropria-
ton of comparatively small funds for
their development
STUDY" Held Useless.
The report states that "the engineers
also gave assurance that special study
had been made SO that construction Of
the project would not detract from the
scenic attractions and historic land
marks there" AS long as the en-
gineers propose to fill the scenic gorge
with water and submerge miles of the
historic canal, the special study" ac-
complishes little or nothing. Only the
defeat by an informed public of the
whole wasteful project can prevent this
dissertation
The Potomac project is only one of
many such schemes now being put into
blueprint stage for postwar work
throughout the country. Why is
America thus plagued? Is it because
during recent years our universities
have been turning out more engineers
than the country can use? Like a
horde of locusts, these engineers have
descended upon the country with
schemes for changing the whole face
Of the land. The cost of many of their
plans would run into hundreds of
millions Of dollars each. The American
people, now burdened with the stag
gering expense Of war, must not be
forced to accept and pay for what they
do not need and do not want This
is a problem to be faced by the Nation
as a whole.
DEVEREUx BUTCHER,