Evening star., 1951-02-26

power in the Potomac Basin could
be utilized in the area by 1870 and
that. in addition, a substantial
amount of new fuel-electric ca
pacity would be required to sup
ply base load requirement."
Resource Use Listed.
The report lists the present
forms of resource use as agricul-
ture, manufacturing, forestry
mining, fisheries and recreation,
and adds that although local
conditions exist where corrections
or improvements are required, the
economic condition of the Po-
tomac Basin is generally pros
porous"
The economic problems arise,
the report stated. principally from
exhaustion or mismanagement of
the natural resources and a rapid
increase in population, and prin-
cipal among these problems are
those directly related to the de-
velopment and use of the basins
water resources.
The report finds heavy erosion
in the basin from improper agri-
culture practices, resulting in
heavy silt loads in the streams
which cause injury to fish life, and
expenses to municipalities for
water publication and to the Fed
eral Government for navigation
maintenance. It finds that vast
improvements could be made in
managing the areas forest re-
sources, which would do much tC
prevent flood and silt conditions.
The report said the Potomac
River was found to have one Of
the most serious pollution prob
lens of all the basins studied"
Recognizes Control Steps.
While pollution is listed as one
Of the most important deterrents
to maximum utilization of water
resources in the basin, the report
recognizes the progress toward
control made by the Interstate
Commission on the Potomac River
Basin and the States and the Dis
trict of Columbia within the basin.
It points out that the States
Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia
and Pennsylvania-all have pol
luton control agencies, and that
the District now has plans to
greatly enlarge its present treat
ment of sanitary wastes. Indus
tries throughout the basin, it is
stated, are, for the most part, CO.
operating toward pollution abate-
ment.
The report said that pollution
abatement has not kept pace with
population and industrial growth
in the basin, and that problems
thus created threaten to become
more serious unless abatement
programs are accelerated.
It said the Water Pollution
Control Act of 1948 has stimu-
lated abatement activity In the
basin.
The report finds the acid mine
waste problem in the upper river
so serious that it devotes a special
section to this problem, rather
than combining it with the pol
luton section.
Active and abandoned coal
mines in the upstream area, the
report said, discharge an equiva-
lent of SO tons of sulfuric acid
daily into the streams. It advo-
Gates a research program to de-
termine methods of correcting
this source of pollution, with en-
phasis on collecting the acid dis
charged into the streams.
13 Problems Listed.
In conclusion, the report liStec
13 problems, divided into -four
groups, as worthy of consideration
in appraising the present Potomac
Basin situation. They are:
Protection of basic resources.
/. Need for land treatment pro-
grams in a comprehensive plar
for water use.
2. Need for pollution control.
3. Need for control of acid mine
wastes.
4. Need and responsibility tt
maintain and enhance fish ane
wildlife in water resources de.
velopment.
S. Need for stream flow regu.
lation.
Apparent conflicts in beneficia
use.
l.. Conflict between plans TO-
storage reservoirs and interest o
local groups in preventing liant
flooding.
| 2. Conflicts between water de-