The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1946-03-21
War Dept Chief Engineer
Expects Report October
1913 on KOOtenai River
PART OVERALL PLAN
FOR COLUMBIA BASIN

AAAs L. CN<AbNA OAAddA Cue 0CGA EbGA y
Chamber of Commerce,
Libby Montana.
Dear Dex:
am in receipt of a report from
1t. General Wheeler, Chief of En-
gineers, War Department, regard
ing the proposed dam on the Koot
enai near Troy I am sure you viii
find this report most interesting
l will watch this matter very
carefully and try to keep you posted
on same.
Must close now, but with best
wishes, l am
Most sincerely yours,
Mike Mansfield
Office of the Chief of Engineers
Washington
March 1916
Hon Mike Mansfield
House of Representative
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. Mansfield:
Reference is made 10 your letter
of 20 February 1916 inclosing a
communication from Mr. Glen
Thorn, Libby, Montana, relative to
the possible construction of dams
on the Clark Fork river near Noxon,
Montana. and on the Kootenai
River near Troy, Montana. You
ask for information on this subject.
Pursuant to specific directives
from Congress, the Department now
has underway detailed investiga-
tons Of both the Clark Fork and
Kootenai River Basins in the in
terestS of flood control and other
purposes In connection with these
authorized investigations, the De-
partment's District Engineer at
Seattle, Washington, under the sup
erVision Of the Division Engineer,
Pacific Division, is making careful
studies of the feasibility and eco
nomic justification of various pos
sible dam and reservoir sites for
flood control and other purposes in I
the Clark Fork and Kootenai River
Basins. II appears that the bed rock /
tests along the Clark Fork and 4
Kootenai Rivers mentioned by Mr. I
Thorn are being made in connection .
with these studies. Since the
studies of the Clark Fork and
Kootenai River Basins are still I'M
derway in the field, however, this
office is not appraised of the recon-
mendations to be made by the Divi-
sion and District Engineers relative
to the dam and reservoir projects i
now under study in those river
basins.
The Division and District Engin- ;
GERS report on the investigation of !
the Clark Fork River Basin is ex- /
peeted to be submitted to this Of i
flee on or about l September 1896 |
In the interests of efficiency and
economy, the report on the Kootenai /
River, a tributary of the Columbia {
River, will be included in a report t
on a comprehensive review inVeSti- {
cation of the entire Columbia River d
Basin which the Department is now d
making pursuant to a resolution
on "a September 1943 by the b
Committee on Commerce of the a
United States Senate The report on n
his review investigation of the
Columbia River Basin is expected f
o be submitted to this office on P
II about l October 1948. You may is
De assured that you will be notified s.
It the time the reports on the Clark O
Fork and Columbia River Basins O
ire submitted to this office. cl
Upon receipt by this office of the Il
Division and District Engineers re- ii
'orts on the investigations of the
Clark Fork and Columbia River Z
Basins, they will be referred to T.
he Board of Engineers for Rivers =
nd Harbors for review as required T
y law. When the Board completes
S action on the reports, the pro-
Osed reports of the Chief of En- D.
inners will be sent to the Cover =.
ors of the affected States for their A.
Jews and comments, and the writ D. D,
IN comments of the Governors will
each complete report to -
ongresS with the recommendations e. e.
the Department regarding i'm 81,
considered feasible and -
justified at this time. 49, -
fter the reports have been trans 81
tilted to Congress, further action %
Y the Department toward the con- a.,
ruction of any projects that may 80 80
2 recommended therein will de 49,
md upon the authorization of So,
ose projects by Congress and the sr ~
Of the necessary funds 81,
r the work proposed We
The inclosure with your letter ie
returned as requested 81.
Sincerely yours,
81 r. A. WHEELER
Lieutenant General I'll
Chief of Engineers. WI