Opinion ID: 1495233
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Effect on Navigation.

Text: The power project of defendant is one of the larger projects of the country. The dam is 110 feet high, with a draw down of 27 feet, and the machinery has capacity for utilizing a flow of 9,000 cubic feet of water per second, or approximately three times the average flow of the stream. Peak load or near peak load operation is contemplated, i. e. the water will be permitted to flow through the turbines for only a part of each twenty-four hours to take care of the higher demand for electricity which exists for only part of the day. This necessarily means that the flow of the stream will be almost entirely shut off for a portion of the day and the volume of water released will be greatly in excess of normal stream flow while the turbines are operating. This will cause waves in the stream below the dam which will persist far down the river and will even cause the rise and fall of the Kanawha at the head of navigation on that river. In dry weather when the flow is low, it will be possible to shut off the stream flow for long periods and affect the navigability to a marked degree. The question as to whether the operation of the dam will affect the navigable capacity of an interstate stream, disregarding the navigable capacity at the dam site, is easily disposed of if regard be had to the interstate stretch of the river between Glen Lyn, Va., or Wylie's Falls, Va., and Hinton, W. Va. That this stretch of the river is navigable does not seem to me to admit of doubt. Millions of feet of lumber and staves were transported over it, and it was improved by the federal government. The improvement extended from Hinton, W. Va., to beyond the Virginia line at Wylie's Falls. That there was commerce on the river as far up as Glen Lyn is proven beyond all reasonable doubt and is referred to in the government reports. Whatever may be the effect of the operation of the dam on the Kanawha, there can be no question but that it will affect the navigability of New River from Glen Lyn to Hinton. Counsel for defendant admit this but contend that the stretch of the river is not navigable. As stated, however, I think that the showing as to its navigability is beyond question. And I think that we must consider the effect which the operation of the dam might have upon the navigability of the Kanawha. It is said that this need not be considered because of the rectifying effects of the dams farther down stream and of the Bluestone flood control project, the construction of which is virtually assured. The power of Congress to control the construction of a dam which may affect the navigation of a stream is not affected by the existence of dams lower down stream, for these might be removed. The servitude in the interest of navigation must be determined by consideration of the stream in its natural condition. United States v. Cress, 243 U.S. 316, 37 S.Ct. 380, 61 L.Ed. 746. A corollary of this is that the power of Congress to control stream flow of navigable streams is not impaired as the result of construction which may render the exercise of the power unnecessary. It is argued, also, that it would not be wise from the standpoint of its own interests for defendant to operate its dam in such way as to interfere with the navigable capacity of the streams below; but the fact that the structure is of such character that it is capable of being operated so as to affect navigation brings it within the regulatory power of Congress. It is clear that, in such case, the government need not depend upon the wisdom or public spirit of private persons to protect the interests of navigation but may itself take action which will guarantee their protection. But more important than any of the other effects which the construction and operation of the dam will have on the navigability of navigable waters is the effect that it will have upon navigation in the Ohio River as a result of effecting means of controlling flood waters in the Kanawha. One of the most important enterprises of the federal government is flood control in the Ohio. While this is important from the standpoint of protecting navigation in the Ohio, and while federal power in the premises is based upon this consideration, its importance to the people of the United States far transcends the mere matter of navigation in view of the tremendous loss of life and property which these floods entail. To adequately control the floods, the federal government must provide for flood control in the various tributaries of the Ohio; and control is nowhere more important than in the New and Kanawha Rivers, which pour into the Ohio waters from a large portion of the mountainous section of Virginia and West Virginia. It appears from the record that the New River furnishes at ordinary times nearly one-fourth of the stream flow of the Ohio below the mouth of the Kanawha; and in rainy season flood waters from the mountains pour down New River through the Kanawha and into the Ohio in tremendous volume. To aid in the control of these flood waters, dams in the New River are imperative; and the Bluestone project near Hinton is being undertaken primarily as a means of flood control. Other dams above Bluestone, if properly constructed and operated, will aid in flood control and will affect navigation in the Ohio in that way. It is argued that the dam of defendant can be of aid in flood control, and this is no doubt true; but the argument concedes that the construction and operation of the dam will affect navigation since it will affect flood control. Whether the effect will be favorable or not depends upon how the dam is operated. In the operation of flood control dams, the object is to keep the pond as low as possible at all times so as to provide readily available storage for flood waters when they come. In the operation of power dams, the object is to keep the pond as nearly full as possible at all times so as to have maximum power available. It is clear, therefore, that the construction and operation of power dams can vitally affect flood control in the river; and that, when the construction of such dams is permitted in a river where flood control is as important as it is in New River, they should be subject to the control of the federal government so that they can be operated in connection with the purely flood control dams, as a unitary system.