Evening star., 1946-01-30
SupporfPIedged
10 Engineers on
ChesfnufControI
Army Hopes to Open
Eradication Drive
\ In Potomac Areas
BY RUDOLPH KAUFMAN II.

BY RUDOLPH KAUFMAN III.
Government agencies, communi
ties and private interests concerne,
with controlling the channel-clog
! glng, mosquito breeding waite
chestnut in the Potomac River vii
cooperate fully with Army en-
gfneers If special eradication pro
Ject is launched. even to maxim,
cash contributions, it was brough
out yesterday.
/ Testimony by these interests at
4 nearing held by Col. Donald G
White, district engineer, gave evi
oerlce they were in earnest in irwin,
10 eradicate the troublesome weed
z Present at the hearing yesterda,
were representatives of the Publ,
Health Service, District Health anc
Sanitary Engineering departments
District, Maryland and Virgins
Izaak Walton Leagues; Water
Chestnut Eradication Committee
Fish and Wildlife Service; Virgins
state Planning Board; Washington
Board of Trade; weed control inyes.
ugatlons section of the Agriculture
r department; the Naval Powde,
Factory at Indianhead, Md. thf
Maryland State Roads Commission
the City of Alexandria, Arlington
ana Fairfax Counties; boating. fish,
Ing. hunting and civic organizations
and persons appearing in their own
behalf.
Seek Special Funds.
The hearing represented the first
step IN what the Engineer Office
hopes eventually will become a spe-
clal 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 Armv
Engineers. If he approves tht report
he will authorize that project" be
set 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 recommendati that q
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 Once has been able to use
navigational fund.- 10 sc0fitrol chest
nut growths. TheslaR requires, the
engineers to maintain Potomac
River channel 200 feet wide and %.
feet deep.
A floating mass of the plants,
staff engineers said, can seriously
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:
/. 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 half-billion-
dollar proposition.
Impairs Property Values.
2. Riparian property values are
being reduced from one-third to
hree-fourthS in areas where the
chestnut is thick.
3. The plant impedes the spawn
ing Of shad and rockfish.
4. It's thorny fruit makes bathing
beaches unattractive.
5. It 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.
r. 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 a 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 Creek and a small section
of Aqua Greek.
Staff engineers emphasized yes
terday that if control measures
were stopped for 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 point
where occasional small removals
would keep the river clear.
Fire Desfrovc &7Sn mn