Evening star., 1946-06-21
House Votes Il Million
For Potomac Flood
Control Projects

1oCOuIdC nlFeT IlOOO COIltTOl prof.
ects at total cost of more than
s1l 900 600 in Washington, Cumber-
land. Md, and Waynesboro, Va, and
including the Savage River Dam in
Allegany County, Md, are included
in a 5000, ,ooo, 900 national program
measure which the House passed
yesterday and sent to the Senate.
The legislation, which makes no
specific appropriations, authorizes
estimated outlays of $2o 900 900 for
flood control work elsewhere in Vir-
ginia, notably for construction of
the multiple purpose Salem Church
Dam to protect the city of Fred
ericksburg which has an annual
flood damage Of about 5000.
The Washington project consists
of construction of a flood gate
mounted on roller path so that it
could be thrown across Seventeenth
street NV. Immediately south of
the Navy Department to stop the
Potomac's waters from entering the
city in time OF severe floods. Army
engineers indicate that construction
which Is not contemplated before
1948 at the earliest, must await re-
moval Of the buildings now housing
the Navy Department and other
agencies in that vicinity.
Cumberland Branch Project.
The largest of the Potomac Basin
projects in the pending bill is a
81, ,420, 900 authorization for the
north branch at Cumberland and
West Cumberland, Nd, and Ridge
ley, w. Va. It would consist of con-
struction Of levees, retaining walls
and other works along Wills Greek
above the B. g. o. railroad viaduct
at Cumberland and for channel i'm
provements on the north branch
and Wills Creek.
Local interests would be required
to pay costs OF land acquisition and
damages estimated at $780, 900
The plan also calls for removal and
reconstruction of an industrial dam,
rebuilding of highways and railroad
bridges and provision for interior
drainage and pumping facilities.
The Waynesboro project, with a
$1,431 900 authorization, consists of
construction of levees, walls, chan
mel excavation, pressure conduits
pumping plants and bridge changes
to protect low-lying sections of the
town from a river flow of 25,0O0 feet
q second which is equivalent to q
stage 6 feet higher than the max
imum Of record" Local interests
would be required to provide $2s7 900
Savage River Dam.
The $500, 900 authorization for
the Savage River Dam would be
combined with 100000 offered by
the Upper Potomac River Commits
sion to complete the structure on
which work was halted in 1912. The
dam is about 65 per cent complete
and almost $4,000 900 was spent on
it by WPA.
In other Virginia areas the biggest
project is the $17,755,000 for the
Salem Church Dam in the Rap
pahannock River Basin to protect
Fredericksburg. The legislation
does not fix the height of the pro-
posed dam, but Chairman Whit
tington Of the House Flood Control
Committee promised Gov. Tuck
that a recommendation for a 22O-
foot structure will be carefully con-
sidered. The plan originally called
for a 240-foot dam. Gov. Tuck con-
tended that this would cause serious
objections from land owners whose
property would be inundated.
Other Virginia projects in the bill
include an $11, 1,000, 600 authorization
for construction of the Gathripht
Reservoir and the Falling Spring
regulation dam on jackson River a
tributary OF the James River. This
is designed to protect Richmond and
other communities from frequent
flood damage. The bill also author
ICES $267 los for local flood protec-
ton works on Chestnut Creek at
Galax, Va.