Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-02
Dam Site at Seneca
Hit on Wo Fronts
Is Testify
AT Session Here
On River Busin
By CHARLES ID. PIERCE
Star Staff Writer

TWO IfOQLS last nlguI0Otlc, b1ldI
the reservoir isn't needed and
the other that it wouldn't be
big enough.
Representatives of the Co
ordinating Committee on the
Potomac and several conserva-
ton groups protested at the
fourth official hearing held by
the Corps of Engineers that the
Seneca dam would be a la
bility.
Spokesman for several rural
cooperative organizations and
others interested in develop
ment of the river insisted that
the proposed location Of a big
dam at Seneca would be "a re-
treat" from what they called
the superior site at River Bend.
rs Testify Here
Some IS witnesses testified
at the hearing at the Depart
mental Auditorium which lasted
until shortly before midnight
and was attended by approx
mately 450 persons.
Arthur Hanson, vice chair
man of the Co-ordinating Com
mittee on the Potomac, de-
scribed the dam proposals
recommended by Col. Warren r.
johnson as 'unimaginative, I'M
realistic and a planned insult
to the citizens of the affected
areas"
He declared that the pro-
posed Seneca reservoir would
create IAN unacceptable cess
pool epitomized by excessive
siltation, thereby creating an
economic horror within a period
of 80 to so years."
Commenting that the study
on which the present recon-
mendations are based has no
essential differences from those
already paid for" Mr.. Han
son suggested that an inquiry
should be made to find out
what has happened to the SIS
million Congress has appro-
priated for the present study.
Fav0rs River Bend
On the other hand, j. c.
Brown. jr., Potomac Basin CO.
ordinator for the National
Rural Electric COOPERATIVE
Association, said he objected
to a plan which abandons the
best site on the river, which
is River Bend. ana retreats to
a site which increases the costs
of development and reduces the
benefits"
He said that professional
anti-dam pressure groups seem
to have convinced the Corps
of Engineers that the only
people with a legitimate claim
to the water resources of the
Potomac Basin are Washington
water users and the C. & o.
canal mixers"
Last night, however, the CO.
ordinating committee leaders
refused to play, apparently
realizing that they might be
outnumbered this time by the
coop.
E. B. Crutchfield, manager of
power supply for the Virginia
Electric and Power Co., said
that there is no need for the
Federal Government to spend
money on dams for hydro-elec-
trio power since his company is
ready, willing and is finan-
cially able to supply all the
power needs in its service
area.
Seneca Site Raped
Albert K. Herring, chairman
of the Potomac River Develop
ment Association, Inc, de-
: scribed the recommended Sen
leca dam as "a poorly conceived
political offering doomed to
Illustration"
He said the substitution of
Seneca for River Bend would
never satisfy the ''preserva-
Itionists."
Mr.. Herring charged that the
private utility companies have
Joined with the "so-called pre-
servationists" to block construc-
ton of a dam at River Bend
which could provide hydro
electric power.
John H. Cover, secretary of
the National Parks Association,
warned that even construction
of the proposed Seneca reser-
voir would require IAN enorm-
GUS sacrifice"
He said this impeachment
would obliterate IS miles of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
and flood AZ miles of the main
Potomac Valley and Is miles
of the Monocacy Valley.
Calls for More Specialists
Mr.. Cover said that PLAN
ming development of the Po-
tomac River Basin is too i'm
portant to Americas future" to
entruSt to the Army engineers
or any other specialized group.
In addition to construction
and sanitary engineers, he said,
the services of many other spe-
cialiStS such as naturalists,
Sociologists, foreSters and psy-
choanalysts are needed to help
provide for proper planning Of
the basins future.
Clyde T. Ellis, general mana
ger of the National Rural Elec-
trio Cooperative Association,
said his organization disagrees
with your four mile retreat to
Seneca"
River Bend has been called
the best reservoir site on the
river by innumerable engineers,
Including yourself" he said,
1T can be avoided only at in
creased costs and losses in eff
ficiency.
He added that Seneca has
only about half the power po-
entail of River Bend.