Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-20
Heads to Name
River Liaison Man
Need Stressed
By Failure to
Push Survey
BY JOHN w. sTEPP

4
The District Commissioners
soon will appoint a city official
to maintain the kind Of liaison
that was lacking last week when
Potomac River interests failed to
seek support Of the National
Rivers and Harbors Congress for
an engineering survey of the
watershed.
Col. Thomas B. Hunter, As
sistant Engineer Commissioner,
said the city heads have decided
on their choice but will withhold
announcement until administra-
tive details are Strengthened.
The liaison job will involve
keeping the District government
which has perhaps the biggest
stake in the watersheds WE'LL
being-in touch with other
agencies. public and private, con-
cerned with the river.
Backers Miss Good Bet
Among these are the WASH
ington Board of Trade, the
Washington Engineer District of
the Army Engineer Corps and
the Interstate Commission on
the Potomac River Basin.
Watershed interests missed a
good bet for preserving a $685.
600 item in the pending Engi-
neer Corps budget to continue
an engineering survey of the
stream. The recommendations of
the rivers and harbors organiza-
ton. which closed its 44th an
nual convention here last Satur.
day, have a strong influence on
Capitol Hill.
The Engineer Commissions
office tried feverishly but be-
latedly on the last two days of
the convention to gain action by
the congress. This came after
an account in The Star calling
attention to the oversight.
Focus on River Bend
The survey money to be used
to concentrate the engineers at
tention on the River Bend area
as a possible site for a multiple
purpose dam, much of whose
Importance would be for drink
ing water supply storage, flood
control. pollution dilution and
recreation. The study is vital in
the face of predictions that the
Washington area may face a
critical water shortage by 1870.
In its closing season Saturday.
the rivers and harbors congress
heard committee reports laying
heavy emphasis on the need for
the entire nation to focus on
water conservation and develop
ment.
The organization approved IA
construction projects involving
"a total estimated cost of $354.5
million. Among these were Deep
ening the navigation channel
from Philadelphia to Trenton,
N. j.. and improvements to the
Norfolk, Va, harbor.
One committee of the congress
urged more research into water
development since the pressure
of a sharply rising population in
jects a growing note of urgency
for developing adequate water.
supplies"
Basin-wide multi-purpose PLAN
ming and development of water
resource projects was urged by
another subgroup. The congress,
moreover. should encourage for
nation and operation of inter-
state compact agencies to carry
out such work, it was decided.
Efforts to gather basic data and
soil and water should be ex-
banded to provide badly needed
information for current and
further planning, the Congress
further urged.
In his annual report as con-
greSs president. Representative
Brooks, Democrat of Louisiana,
pointed out 39l Federal flood
control projects alone saved S7.3
billion in damages in the IL
years ending in June, 1854. The
amount was twice that of the