Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-19
Storage Dams
Called Big Need
For Potomac
Water Shortages
Seen Otherwise for
Areu by 1870
BY JOHN w. STEPP

shortages by 1870 unless stor-
age dams are built on the
Potomac River was sounded to-
day at a meeting Of the Inter-
state Commission on tn
Potomac River Basin.
Col. Ray Adams. Washington
district engineer Of the Army
Engineer Corps, said however,
that any system of Potomac
dams should be designed to BEN
eft all the interests served by
the rivers resources.
II do not believe" he said
there should be any considera-
ton Of a reservoir solely for
water supply. We would pay an
unnecessarily high price for
water supply storage If we failed
to capitalize on the other poten-
tials Of the water resources"
Dams for Flood Control
Col. Adams dwelt at length on
the use of dams for "direly
needed food control in the
basin.
Luther b. Bohanan, Of the
Agricultural Economies Depart
ment Of the University Of Mary
land. undersigned Col, Adams
point.
In the last six years, Mr..
Bohanan said. farm irrigation
in the Potomac watershed has
Increased 1.748 per cent. Fig
lures for 1919 showed that 26
farms had only 526 acres under
irrigation. BY 1854 there were
I277 farms irrigating 9,194 acres.
Another speaker in the two
day session in the Hotel WASH
Iington. cast further gloom over
the water supply situation with
his estimate Of a possible 4 mil
lion population in the Washing
ton area by the year 1000.
Urban Development
The speaker. Jerome p. Pick
ard. research director Of the
Washington Board of Trade eco
nomic development committee,
said that by 1880 the population
OF the District, Arlington and
Alexandria should have become
stabilized. But in Prince Georges
MONTGOMERY and Fairfax Coun-
tiles, he said, there viii still be
i"ample room for future urban
development.
These. plus other water supply
drains such as pollution abate-
ment, have convinced Col
Adams Of the immediate need
for a comprehensive basin
plan for the basin population
Col. Adams even took q side
wise slap at Washington's tenn
po buildings during his discus
sion.
He pointed out that one tempo
between Seventeenth street anc
the Washington Monument
causes gap in the city's flooc
protection levee system. Shoulc
q major food come, this gar
would have to be sandbagged, Q
Iprecarious stopgap.
when the tempo is removed
we can carry out plans for build
ing closure gates that are more
reliable" the ofncer observed.
The engineer also took the op-
Iportunity Of assailing any plans
for introducing sewage, treated
or otherwise. into the Potomac
above Washington's water supply
intakes.
Conflicting opinions over the
scope Of Federal legislation to
beautify the Potomac River
watershed were voiced in Q
forum discussion on the subject
here last night.
Broyhill Bill Criticized
A bill recently introduced BY
Representative Broyhill, Re-
publican Of Virginia, became Q
focal point Of the discussion
The measure would provide
$3.50, 900 for a comprehensive
study of the river pollution prob.
lem in the Washington arel
and SO million in matching
funds for immediate launching
of sewage treatment plant con-
struction in the area.
Representative Hyde, Re-
publican, of Maryland, said the
bill should encompass for study
and planning purposes the en-
tire Potomac basin.
He was joined in this view BY
Frederick Gutheim, vice chair.
man of the National Capita
Regional Planning Council.
Rising to the defense Of tn,
Broyhill bill. Stuart Finley. tele'
vision producer who has taker
an interest in the local pollution
problem. declared that pollution
alone should be the subject O.
investigation.
IGenenlooirnI Society