Evening star., 1946-01-30
Support Pledged
10 Engineers on
|ChestnutControI
| Army Hopes to Open
Eradication Drive
In Potomac Areas
BY RUDOLPH KAUFMAN II.

Government agencies, communi-
ties and private interests concerned
with controlling the channel-clog-
g1ng. mosquito breeding water
chestnut in the Potomac River viii;
cooperate fully with Army en-
g1neers If special eradication pro-
Ject is launched, even to making
cash contributions, it was brought
out yesterday.
Testimony by these interests at a
hearing held by Col. Donald G.
White, district engineer, gave evi-
dence they were in earnest In trying
to eradicate the troublesome weed.
Present at the hearing yesterday
were representatives of the Public
Health Service, District Health and
Sanitary Engineering departments:
District, Maryland and Virginia
Izaak Walton Leagues; Water
Chestnut Eradication Committee:
Fish and Wildlife Service; Virginia
state Planning Board Washington
Board OF Trade; weed control inves-
legations section of the Agriculture
Department; the Naval Powder
Factory at Indianhead, Md: the
Maryland State Roads Commission.
the City of Alexandria, Arlington
and Fairfax Counties; boating, fish,
ing, hunting and civic organizations.
and persons appearing in their own
behalf.
Seek Special Funds.
1'ha hpar1nO
step IN what the Engineer Office
hopes eventually will become a spe-
rcial rivers and harbors project for
which specific appropriations will be
made.
But, before this can happen, a
preliminary study report must be
made and sent to the chief of Army
Engineers. If he approves tn, report
he will authorize that project" be
Sc. up. A project report will then
be made, including actual cost esti-
mates. If it is approved by the Sec
retary OF War and the Rivers and
Harbors Committees of Congress. it
VIII become the basis for appropria-
tions.
Other hearings will be held by Col.
White. What he wants out of them
are facts and figures which would
support his recommendation that a
large-scale eradication project be
undertaken.
Staff engineers explained yester-
day that the project contemplated
would be far more thorough than
control measures taken in the in
terest OF safe navigation and mos
quito control so far.
Use Navigational Funds.
For the last four years the En-
gineer Office has been able to use
navigational funds to control chest
nut growths. The law requires the
engineers to maintain a Potomac
River channel 200 feet wide and "A
feet deep.
A floating mass of the plants,
staff engineers said, can seriously
interfere with navigation. Norfolk
and Washington steamers must
avoid them, it was said.
The engineers have been assisted
so far by the Public Health Service,
which is interested primarily in
keeping down mosquitoes near mil
itary posts.
Highlights of testimony at yes
terday's hearing were:
l. The chestnut is a serious mem
ace to navigation. One witness esti-
mated the pleasure boating on the
river, including business enterprises
which it supports, is a half -billion-
dollar proposition.
Impairs Property Values.
2. Riparian property values are
being reduced from one-third to
three-fourths in areas where the
chestnut is thick.
8. The plant impedes the spawn-
ing of shad and rockfsh.
4. It's thorny fruit makes bathing
beaches unattractive.
s.. 1t forces out wild celery and
other aquatic plants on which wild
ducks feed.
6. 1t facilitates the breeding of
mosquitoes and is therefore a ma
laria risk.
Z. 1t attracts large numbers of ro-
dents which feed on the fruit.
F. M. Uhler, witness for the Fish
and Wildlife Service, testified hun
dreds of thousands of dollars are
lost in value of fishing, navigation,
hunting and recreation because of
the growth.
Virginia Pledges Aid.
B. E. Morris, staff member of the
Virginia State Planning Commits
sion, pledged his organization would
cooperate in obtaining facts and
information
Alexandria City Manager Carl
Budwesky told Col. White the river
has great potential usefulness" not
now possible because of the chest
nut. He stressed the pollution
problem.
Harold A, Kemp. District director
OF sanitary engineering, asserted the
plant reduces the publication ability
of the river water.
The chestnut growths occupy inlets
and sections of the main stream
to depth of IL to IA feet from
Arlington Memorial Bridge to Aqua
Greek. 1t has been brought under
some measure of control in all To-
calities except Little Hunting Greek,
Gunston Bay, part of Belmont Bay,
Quantico Greek and a small section
Of Aqua Creek.
Staff engineers emphasized yes
terday that if control measures
were stopped for a year it would
set the control program back two
years. At best, they predicted, it
would be to 10 years before the
plant could be reduced to a point
where occasional small removals
would keep the river clear.