The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-05-13
iva NOT MAD AT EISENHOWER; Saves
MILLIONS DESPITE INSULTS

to avert damage from transforms OF
extraordinary volume and intensity
Wilson Dam, near Florence, Ala, re-
ceived IA inches of rain in the 49,
hour period ending at 6 a. m. Tuesday,
March %. Pickwick Dam, so miles
downstream, received 5.72 inches.
Lawrenceburg, Tenn, and Loretto,
Tenn, on tributary some 80 miles
northeast, got 1928 and 8.91 inches,
respectively. This storm followed sew
eral days of lesser rains which left
the ground thoroughly soaked and
created conditions for high runoff.
These communities are all in the
lower river valley.
Upriver, Knoxville got 2.55 inches,
Chattanooga 2.44. In the East Ten
nessee tributaries rainfall was less
but still heavy. In the same period
Norris got 2.31 inches, LaFollette
1928, Kingsport 1.25, Bristol LOG,
and Tazewell, Va, 1.34. Here again,
the ground was already soaked.
In this situation the central prob
lem was to regulate water flows to
minimize the effect of extraordi-
nary runoff in the lower river, since
the greatest concentration of rain
fall was in the area of the main
stream dams. The number of i'm
pounding structures was limited;
therefore the reservoir storage
space was limited.
Like an organist at the console,
IVA pushed buttons, pulled stops,
and pressed keys. South Holston Dam
md Watauga Dam, at the high end of
he scale, stayed closed. Trills were
played on Boone and Fort Patrick
Henry. In a pleasing counterpart,
Norris, Douglas, Cherokee, Fontana,
1iwassee, Fort Loudoun, Wilson and
'thers were regulated for maximum
Pickwick and Kentucky
Jams, the big boys, were bass duo.
'ickwlck, only few miles from his
ORIG Shiloh, was the center of at
ention, for much of the runoff was
lowing into its reservoir. Before the
low hit, discharges at Pickwick were
topped up, the water being released
ito Kentucky reservoir where stor-
ge space is much greater and the
5orm was less severe.
Later on, when the high waters
anne, iva played a staccato on Pick
ick-water released, water held
ack. Kentucky, swelling to its great
re, held itself in check, co-ordinat-
g its deliveries with the stroke of the
orps of Engineers baton in Cincin-
att.
When it became known that Padu-
h, on the Lower Ohio, might have
go through the routine of closing
e gaps in it's flood wall, Kentucky
'ew a deeper breath and held back
ore water. Result: Paducah did not
we to call out it's floodwall closers.
1attanooga alone was saved flood
mage of 100000. (This makes $50
illion for Chattanooga Flood stage
Chattanooga is 80 feet. The waters
ere held to % u feet. Without regu-
ion the crest would have reached
feet, according to hydrologists of.
e U. S. Weather Bureau.
Thus, went the unheralded, rou-
ne operation of the IVA flood
'ntrol system in the week of March
0, 1855. Annual flood-control ben
fits from the IVA system are over
| l million. The $184 million flood
'ntrol investment is $77 million
SIS than it would have taken to
-ovide the same benefits with
ngle-purpose system instead of
VAS multi-purpose system.
The raindrops crept down the hills
the flood waters crept into the
er and the flood gates crept up to
e the land and its people. From
there in Washington, did it look
creeping socialism?