The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1957-10-25
Facts About the Project

Inc following facts ABOUT the Qam
obtained from Army Engineers
, studies and other sources will be OF
value in assisting readers to yevalu-
ate the pros and cons of the project
EDITOR.
1. Reservoir area, according to Au-
gust 80, 1857 report of Army Engi-
neers would be 71,160 acres at full
pool elevation of 200 feet above
sea level.
2. The reservoir would inundate
slightly under 1000 acres of irrigated
land. Sugar beet acreage inundated
would be less than 200 acres. Amerl-
can Crystal Sugar annually draws its
beet crop from 5000 acres scattered
over six counties.
8. Cheap power developed at the
dam would make feasible bringing of
water to 60,500 acres of dry land in
Sanders and Lake counties to replace
the less than 1000 acres inundated.
4. A maximum of $500 people
would have to be resettled because of
pool elevation of 2,7O0 feet, the Engi-
neers' August 80 survey reports.
5. Initial power production installa-
ton would be six $4,000 kilowatt
units for total of $4,000 XIV. Ulti-
mate at-site power production, l.
008,000 XIV, with another 100000
XIV. increased firm power production
at downstream public and private
power dams because of stream regu-
lation Paradise would bring about.
The proposed Paradise Dam bill seeks
a reservation of all at-site power for
use in Montana, such as the reserva-
ton written into the Congressional
authorization act setting up Hungry
Horse. (This firm power potential
amounts to II times as much as the
100000 XIV. potential production of
Buffalo Rapids No. and No. up
stream from the Paradise site.)
6. The dam would require reloca-
ton of SO miles of Northern Pacific
Railway main line and eight miles of |
MP branch line, and eight miles of
Chicago, Milwaukee railroad main
line.
7. The reservoir would require re-
location of IA miles of U. S. 10, and |
of about 100 miles of
other roads in the area. The dam
would inundate the dangerously curv-
ing old Convict road" between Perma
and Paradise.
8. The Engineers also report that
two operating sawmills would have to
be removed to higher ground and the
owners equitably compensated "for
moving these industries above pool
level".
9. Low water (so-called mud flat
period would be run from about No
vember 1 through middle to last of
April.
10. The dam would be an earthfill-
structure with height of
27O feet Foundation to crest). 1t
would contain 4,080,O00 acre feet of
1sable storage. 1t would be $3.50 feet
ong at its crest, and would cost
$3.50, 100000 to construct.
II. Tax losses to the three counties
Lake, Sanders and Mineral-ex-
elusive of railroads, will not exceed
$4,000. Statements made at various
lines that Lake county will lose up $
Yards of 100000 in railroad taxes {
10 not stand up in light of the facts.
There is only about IL miles of MP I
mainline railroad in Lake county. Of
his about two miles would be lost d
IS tax source because of inunda- d
ion. Possibly there'd be another two a
niles of the Poison branch lost for I
ak purposes. The facts show that the p
istance between Missoula and Pol
on, mainline and branch, would be 0
hortened by 1.13 miles. In 1856 the C
'oard of Equalization allocated \
otal taxable valuation on MP main s
me and Poison branch in Lake coun- 2
Y, of $467, 118-or considerably less S
axable valuation than opponents of p
aradise claim the dam would cost
axe county in taxes because of inun- W
alton of trackage) b