The Western news., 1947-03-27
ToHoId Public
Hearing April
II in Libby
War Department to Discuss
Dams for Flood Control on
KOOtenai in Lincoln Co.
ENGINEERS CONSIDER
8 KOOTENAI SITES


Public hearings win be held in
the Country Club at Kalispen, Mon
tana at $50 a. m. on April Is, 1941,
and in the Court House at Libby,
Montana at $50 a. m. on April IL,
1947 to present information concern
ing the current review and further
investigation by the War Depart
ment Of its earlier reports on de-
Velopment Of Columbia River and
tributaries, and to obtain the views
Of all interested parties with respect
to the most beneficial furtheF-~u utili-
zation of Columbia River water re-
sources.
The hearing at Libby, confirmed
yesterday by a wire from Senator
Jas. E. Murray to James Mahoney,
chairman of the Lincoln County
Board of Commissioners, will per-
tain particularly to provisions for
storage on the Kootenai River in the
United States, by means of which
destructive floods may be controlled
and the flow of the river regulated
to accomplish other beneficial water
uses. A number of alternate plans
have been investigated, among
which the selection of the most
satisfactory from the standpoint of
local desires and overall regional
benefits remains to be determined.
The investigation of Columbia
River and its tributaries now under
way by the Corps of Engineers,
War Department, are described in
a series of articles by Colonel L. H
Hewitt, District Engineer, Seattle.
A part of the Columbia River sys-
tenn of particular interest to resi-
dents of the Idaho Panhandle and
northwestern Montana is the Koo-
tenai River. The Corps of Engineers
has studied the Kootenai flood prob
lens for many years and has pre-
pared a report on flood control
measures in the, vicinity of Bon
neFs Ferry. Publication of the re-
port has been deferred, however,
until it is ascertained whether stor-
age developments to be considered /
in the review report will not give
more effective relief Meanwhile the /
annual floods have been carefully (
forecast and protective assistance /
has been given when needed.
Scope of Engineering Studies
Numerous dam sites in the Koo-
tenai Valley are being Investigated
for physical and economic feasibility
of flood control storage Prelimin-
airy layout and cost estimates are
made for those most promising
River and dam site surveys, stream
flow studies, foundation explorations
and material tests made thus far
have disclosed the physical poten
These data are then trans
lated into economic terms of cost
and benefit for each potential de-
AS a result. the posi-
bilitieS may be classified according
to apparent economic merit as a
basis of selection.
OF eight Kootenai River dam sites
that have been investigated for ply
sical feasibility, five have been
found to offer the best possibilities
for development. A variety of
and two-dam combina-
lions are possible among these five
sites. The selection of the best plan
If development may not depend on {
physical or economic consideration j
alone. The preferences of the Mon ;
ana and Idaho people most inter
ssted in the development of the /
Sootenai will have great weight in /
he final decisions.
Public Hearings
In order that the people of Idaho /
md Montana may know what the /
have revealed and /
nay express their desires concern I
ng the future development of their /
water resources directly, the Corps
If Engineers will hold a series of ,
public hearings at convenient To- {
,ations throughout the basin during {
he coming year. Z