The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-07-28
Watershed Plan
Approved During
Agency Check
First Earth
Moving Seen
BY Spring 1860
BY JOHN sTECK

The work plan for the "a 100
acre Buffalo river watershed de-
velopment in the western section
Of Prince Edward county has been
approved by representatives of ag-
ricultural forestry and conserVa-
ton agencies.
The plan. which will create nine
dams and lakes in vast five-year
watershed protection and flood pre-
vention project. was reviewed here
Thursday by technicians of the Soil
Conservation Service. the Division
Of Forestry the Extension Service.
the Agricultural Sterilization and
Conservation Service. the Farmers
Home Administration and the Viz
ginia Division of Water Resources.
The plan. detailed in a 40-page
brochure Of statistics. measure
ments. dimensions and calculations.
will now be forwarded to Washing
ton for approval by federal agencies
administering Public. Law 566, the
Watershed Protection and Flood
Prevention Act
Starting Date
H E. Lacy, Prince Edward
county conservatlonist. said today
that if approval is obtained the
switch from planning TO actual
earth-moving work probably VIII
start in the spring of 1860.
From the start onward. L c y
calculates it will require about five
years to complete the dams and
lakes and tie the entire watershed
together with practices designed to
reclaim land. hold the soil in
crease soil productivity and elimi-
nate flooding
The plan estimates the total cost
at 81 1861 .673 with the federal share
under Public Law 566 calculated at
1899, 1922. State and local resources
will provide 1922 25l in various
forms.
Lacy points out that the local
share total includes the dollar
equivalent of time invested by in
dividual landowners in converting
to land conservation practices. and
sums provided through Agricultural
Conservation Practice cost share
procedures.
Major Tasks
The major tasks in the plan, in
addition to construction of the dams
and lakes. will be-
Some 80 miles of road bank seed
ing. Is miles of stream channel
Improvement. land treatment for
watershed protection, and Ian d
treatemtnt for flood prevention.
The dams will range in height up
to 40 feet and the lakes in size
from nine to II acres. The cost Of
building these is estimated to be
$866 .03l. divided between a federal
share of s79l $40 and a local share
of s74.382.
Land treatment for watershed
protection. or land conservation. is
estimated to require a local in
vestment of S437 .29l with the fed
eral share s44 ,96l Land treatment
for flood prevention is listed at
Sl3 1870.
Cost-Benefit Ratio
The plan lists the cost-benefit
ratio to accrue from the vast soil
and water saving project as l.2l to
j That is. benefits resulting from
the completed project will outstrip
costs in that ratio.
The benefits will be achieved
through such factors as increased
land productivity and increased non
flooding acres.
The first major hurdle. now cur
rently underway. is securing Of
easements from property owners.
These will permit entry of construc-
ton crews and equipment on pri-
vate property and obtain landowner
consent for giving up Of land to
create lakes.
Lacy reports the job of obtaining
Continued on page y