The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1948-11-11
Observation-Disclosures
On Columbia, Including Libby
BY Leon Starmont in Spokesman
Review Nov &


Review, Nov. 8
The army's long awaited revision
of its 1908" report on Columbis
river development will be Officially
unveiled at Portland Wednesday
The full document, described as is
inches thick, will be laid then before
the Columbia Basin Interagency
committee, according to announce
ment by Col. Theron D. Weaver
north Pacific division engineer.
Colonel Weaver, however, has
permitted a peek by the press, so
the public may be properly informed
OF the S3,OO0,000,000 program, in
Guiding which of the controversial
dams are recommended for authori-
cation, which are proposed on a de-
ferred basis, and how floods like
that of l848 may be prevented under
the ideas now advanced.
The official public notice bears
today'S date and includes Is mime
ographed pages and two colored
maps, prepared by the staff of the
corps of engineers division office
at 500 Pittock block, Portland, Ore.
The immense magnitude of the
projects recommended in this re-
port IS of profound significance in
the development of the entire Pa
cific Northwest
Last springs devastating floods
accentuated the need for revision
of the 1903 report originally pub
liShed in 1882. Fortunately. the
corps of engineers had initiated such
a revision in July, 1913, under con-
gressional authority. Some 35 pub
lie hearings have been held in the
last five and one-nalf years. be
ginning with those at MissOula and
KaliSpell, Mont, June to 5. 1913
and closing with one at Kamiah.
Ida, August 49, l948
Most of these hearings have been
attended and reported by member
of The Spokesman-Revie news
staff. Other cities in which they
were held include Libby and Ho,
Springs, Mont; Standpoint, Priest
River, BOnners Ferry, Couer d.
Alene, Lewiston, Boise and Poca-
tello, Idaho; jackson, Wyo. Met
aline Falls, Wenatchee. and Walla
Walla. Wash, and Portland, Airing
ton, The Dalles and several Will |
lamette valley cities in Oregon.
$21 Power Rate Seen
Positive protection against major |
damage from floods in the Columbia |
basin is assured, say army engin- |
GERS, under the plan recommended |
IN the report. It is being unveiled !
at Portland because flood damage
was greatest in that area.
Colonel Weaver emphasized. how
ever, that the plan is multi-purpose
and does not provide flood control.
power development, navigation aids
and irrigation water alone
In many basins, he said, flood
control and power cannot be pro-
vided from the same reservoirs
But in the Columbia basin there
are stream characteristics peculiar
20 the region. Dams for power and I.
lood control are therefore co-or-
dlnated with the needs of irrigation.
Plans in 1908" as revised call for
1000, 900 kilowattS of additional hy- 1
iroelectric generating capacity at J
'oStS far below the cost of such
power elsewhere.
Even at current high construction
osts, the report recites, the basins
'ower can be stepped up to TO-
100000 kilowatts for distribution
7 wholesale rate base of about
II per kilowatt year. The present >
Bonneville rate is $3.50. {
More Dams Proposed I
Authorization is asked of three :
lore Columbia river dams-The =
lalles, John Day and Priest Rap :
of Hells Canyon dam on .
make river, Albeni Falls on Pend ,
lrielle and Libby { at Jennings) on
-ootenay river, which would back p
'ater into Canada. :