Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1946-08-08
Federal Economy
Move Delays New
Contract Awards

Reconversion Director John r.
Steelman's action Tuesday in hating
! the awarding of contracts under the
public works program is not ex-
pected to have any major effect On
the Hungry Horse dam project. Pre-
construction work on the dam con-
| tinueS.
Director Steelman's action is An
anti Initiation move on the part Of
the federal government, and it is
expected that the public works pro-
gram will be trimmed from one
billion 800 million dollars to 900 mil
| lion dollars before October l when
the present moratorium will be over.
Some projects-flood control, new
postoffices and public buildings,
roads and harbor improvements
will be further delayed or reduced
) in size.
Steel Firm Bids S26,95O
In the meantime, the Pittsburg-
Des Moines Steel company bid of
$26,950 for construction of 10000
gallon water storage tank at Hungry
Horse town was opened Tuesday at
the district reclamation offices, and
will be investigated further.
Another set of bids will be opened
Friday for building the powerline
from the damsite to the town, and
also for the towns electrical distri-
button system,
This calling for and opening of
bids will continue until further word
is received. However, new contracts
can not be awarded until after Oct. /.
On September 4, bids will be
opened at the Kalispell offices for
clearing LOO acres of timber I'm the
reservoir area near the damsite. 1t
has been estimated that in time go
million board feet of lumber valued
in excess of $274,000 will be logged
off the South Fork primitive area
that will be eventually included i'm
the reservoir.
Jones Reviewe Project
Project Engineer Paul A. Jones
reports that the Hungry Horse dam
project has already received $2,567,-
21O for reconstruction work since
July l, 1915, and is employing l5S
persons at present.
Mr.. Jones added that preconstruc-
ton work has already included the
awarding of contract for four miles
of highway from No. to the dam by
way of Lion lake, and the drilling
for foundations and water tlghtness-
Contracts have been let for housing
100 families, construction of an Of
flee building, warehouse and con-
crete testing laboratory, all at
Hungry Horse town This is expected
to be a city of between 1000 and
1900 people, all government employ
es and their families. The town Will
rot include construction workers en-
ployed by the contractors who will
live in neighboring cities or camps.
Actual building of the $50 to 500
#. high dam can be expected to start.
anytime after July /, 1947, dependent
On ALLEGATION of funds by congress
Hungry Horse will be the nations
fourth concrete dam in size follow
ing Grand Coulee, Boulder and
Shasta It will augment the Columbia
basin power output, and tie in with
Grand Coulee and Bonneville dams
On the basis of 450-foot dam, Hun
cry Horse will be 1,750 feet long at
the top, and its 40-mile long lake.
will contain nearly two million acre
feet of water. To build the dam will
require 2458,000 cubic yards of con-
crete, 5000 tons of reinforcing and
structural steel, and employ up to
1000 men during four-year period.
Completion of the Hungry Horse
project would give the Flathead val
ley cheap and abundant power at
Grand Coulee rates, and provide a
stable supply of water for irrigation
of an estimated 100000 acres.