The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1947-03-13

Krug today announced approval
of Departmental plan, sponsored
by the Bureau of Reclamation, for
comprehensive development of
the Columbia River Basin in the
Pacific Northwest. Embracing
238 projects, the plan charts de-
velopments for many decades.
Eleven projects are singled out for
authorization now to meet the
earlier needs of the region.
Take KenneWick project in in
Guided in this group.
The Fed eral organizations
which contributed in formulation
of the report include the Corps of
Engineers, the Federal Power
Commission, various units of the
Department of Agriculture, and
agencies of the Department Of the
Interior, principally the Bonnie
vile Power Administration, Geo
logical Survey, Fish and Wildlife
Service, National Park Service,
Bureau of Mines, Office of Indian
Affairs, and Bureau of Land Man.
agement.
Developed in cooperation with
many Federal and State agencies,
if authorized by Congress, the plan
ultimately will benefit $3.50, 600
acres of land, Secretary Krug ex-
planned. This will double the
area now under irrigation in the
Basin, and provide supplemental
water to other land. Hydroelec-
trio power capacity in the Basin,
upon completion of the plan,
would be increased five-fold
through new installations with ca
pacity of 1919 million kilowatts
Truly multiple in purpose, the
plan entails essential provisions
for flood control, navigation inn
provements, fish and wildlife con-
servation, silt control, and pollu-
ton abatement.
Flood protection will be pro-
vided by the Bureau of Reclama-
ton and the Army Corps of En-
gineers for nearly 100000 acres
and drainage projects would i'm
prove the utility of more than
500, 900 acres. Slack water navi-
cation on the connected water
ways of the lower Columbia, Will
jeanette, and Snake Rivers by the
time the plan is completed will
have been extended by Army
works on the Columbia to the vi
cinity of Wenatchee, Washington
and on the Snake to a point sew
/ eral miles upstream from Lewis
ton, Idaho. Stream pollution will
be materially reduced on the Will
jeanette River and its tributaries
The report has given consider
alton to the effect of the proposed
projects on the conservation OF
fish and. wildlife. It states that
"water resource developments
will be adjusted to migratory fish
and wildlife requirements, retain
| ing and appropriate. balance be-
tween alternative uses OF water
| in order to secure maximum re-
gional benefits"
Total construction costs for the
whole plan, based on 1916 price
levels, which the Secretary
pointed out are higher than those
! to be anticipated over the long
period required for full develop
ment, ares estimated at Sc bill
ionr dollars.
About "a per cent of this con-
struction cost would be returned
| to the Federal Treasury through
repayments by water users and
from power revenues. The latter
source would contribute about 81
| per cent of the reimburseable
costs of the overall development
The non-reimburseable portion OF
the Federal investment would be
allocated to navigation, flood con-
| troll, pollution abatement, recrea-
ton, and wildlife benefits.
The return to the Treasury OF
the costs chargeable to power
irrigation, and potable water
would be assured by financial
pooling agreement which treats
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