Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-01
Flood Control
Will Add Tax in
PrinceGeorges
General Levy
Increase Due for
Peace Cross Work
By Gene Goodwin


By Gene Goodwin
Prince Georges County resi-
dents will have to bear extra
taxes to finance construction Of
the Anacostia River flood con-
troll program scheduled to begin
in the fall.
Harry Shaw. chief engineer
for the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission, co-ordi-
mating agency for Federal, State
and local interests in the pro-
gram, said today that the COM
mission will have to increase it's
present 10-cent general tax in
suburban Prince Georges by an
amount yet to be determined.
In addition, he said, State
law authorizes the County COM
miSsionerS and the Maryland
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission to increase
their taxes to pay their share
of the program.
President Signs Bill.
President Eisenhower put the
Army Engineers long studied
Anacostia flood control program
into effect yesterday when he
signed the civil functions ap-
preparations bill. It includes
100000 for the program, which
is aimed at eliminating floods in
the Peace Cross area at Bla-
denSburg.
The signature releases $780,
600 in Maryland and Prince
Georges County funds authorized
by the 1853 Legislature.
Col. Ray Adams, Washington
area district engineer, estimated
that work on the first project in
the program could begin about
the end of September.
Mr.. Shaw, in a press CONFER
ence today, said the first phase
Of the program will cover the
Northeast Branch of the Anacos-
tia, roughly from Riverdale road
to Baltimore avenue. He esti-
mated that once construction il
begun and pending some addi-
tional Federal appropriations,
that phase of the program would
take about three years to
complete.
Relief From Flood Waters.
The first section, Mr.. Shaw
said, would afford some relief
from the flood waters which
periodically block the intersec-
ton of highways / and so at
Peace Cross and complete relief
to the areas now flooded in
Edmonston and Riverdale.
He said the Army Engineers
plan to dredge, straighten and
relocate the channel of North
east Branch and flank it with
6 to IL feet high levees, con-
structed for the most part out
of the mud dredged from the
river. The engineers also will
construct a pumping station at
Edmonston to carry drainage
water over the levee and into the
branch, a storm sewer intake on
Edmonston road near Fifty first
avenue and a new Baltimore g.
Ohio Railroad bridge near Tan
glewood drive.
The Maryland Roads Com
mission, obligated under State
law to spend SIS million from
its general funds in the pro-
gram, will soon start raising the
Bladensburg avenue bridge over
Northeast Branch approximately
IL feet. Later the commission
will elevate the Bladensburg road
stand.
Mr.. Shaw said the Sanitary
Commission in the county will
be responsible for building a new
bridge to replace the present
Decatur street structure. They
will be about 10 feet higher than
the present bridge.
Mr.. Shaw said the Sanitary
Commission is now arranging a
meeting with the county COM
missioners and the Park COM
mission to coordinate the A.
nancing and construction. He
said the possibility of the three
agencies floating one bond issue
for their separate shares in the
program will be discussed. Under
the State law. Prince Georges
County is obligated to spend
SIS million, the Sanitary Com
mission $750.000 and the Park
Commission 100000.
All of that money will be raised
by bond issues Mr.. Shaw said,
which will be paid off by in
creased taxation.
The most important first step
for the Sanitary Commission, &C
cording to Mr.. Shaw, is the i'm
mediate acquisition of the land
needed by the engineers for the
new Northeast Branch channel
and its levee. He said that about
so properties. some of them with
houses on them, have to be ac-
quired in Riverdale and Edmon-
ston. That will have to be done,
he pointed out, before the Army
Engineers can begin construction.
Nss