426



CRITICAL HABITAT. THE MOST VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF YOUR POLICY HAS
BEEN THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S CONTINUING SUPPORT OF FUNDING FOR
MITIGATION OF WETLANDS LOST DUE TO CONSTRUCTION OF THE RED RIVER
NAVIGATION PROJECT.

NO FUNDS WERE APPROPRIATED FOR MITIGATION LAST YEAR,
REFLECTING THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS CONTINUING DELAYS IN
IMPLEMENTING YOUR MANDATE TO PROCEED WITH MITIGATION. BECAUSE OF
LAST YEAR'S FUNDING PAUSE AND, RECOGNIZING THAT WITH COMPLETION
OF THE NAVIGATION PROJECT THE LOSS OF WETLANDS HAS ALREADY
OCCURRED, I AM ASKING THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO PROVIDE $5 MILLION FOR
WETLANDS MITIGATION. I AM RELIABLY INFORMED BY THOSE CLOSEST TO
THE MITIGATION EFFORT IN MY DISTRICT THAT THIS AMOUNT WILL BE
SUFFICIENT TO COMPLETE PURCHASE OF THE 12,000 ACRES OF MITIGATION
LANDS ALREADY IDENTIFIED IN THE BAYOU BODCAU AREA. THE $5
MILLION REQUESTED IS IN KEEPING WITH PAST REQUESTS WHICH HAVE MET
WITH YOUR APPROVAL AND SUPPORT.

CHAIRMAN MYERS, YOU AND YOUR SUBCOMMITTEE ARE TO BE
CONGRATtTLATED FOR THE WAY IN WH,ICH YOU HAVE WORKED TO MAKE WATER
DEVELOPMENT A BIPARTISAN POLICY. WHILE YOU FACE A NUMBER OF
CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING THIS YEAR'S APPROPRIATIONS BILL, I WANT
YOU TO KNOW YOU WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE COMING
SESSION. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING ME TO TESTIFY.



427



Mr. Myers. Thank you. Good luck with that new baby.

Mr. Brontoli. That concludes the witnesses. I want to recognize
Representative Chapman, who is also leaving the subcommittee.
That concludes our testimony, sir.

Mr. Myers. The gentleman will be heard from. He will be work-
ing with us when we write the bill. Thank you for your testimony.

Tuesday, February 27, 1996.
TENNESSEE PROJECTS

WITNESS

HON. ED BRYANT, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE
STATE OF TENNESSEE

Mr. Myers. We are pleased now to hear from our colleague from
Tennessee, Ed Bryant. Your prepared statement will be placed in
the record and you may proceed.

Mr. Bryant. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your com-
mittee taking time to hear me today. It has been an awfully busy
day. I do want to thank you and the members of the subcommittee
for giving me the opportunity to testify on this important subject
and thank the committee for its past assistance to the people of the
7th District of Tennessee that I represent, particularly in helping
to protect its river banks from erosion and for supporting its envi-
ronmental restoration efforts.

Ldke many of us in this room, I am a strong supporter of a bal-
anced budget and have voted consistently to trim Federal spending
wherever feasible, and I realize that you have to give very careful
consideration as to how to best allocate our scarce Federal re-
sources in fiscal year 1997. With this in mind, I would like to take
just a few minutes to bring to your attention three projects in my
district, which I think merit your consideration, because despite
what some environmental groups are saying, I do have concerns
about our environment.

I would very much appreciate your support for funding for the
feasibility phase of the Wolf River Study, a three-part remediation
and environmental restoration project within the Wolf River drain-
age basin ecosystem in the States of Tennessee and Mississippi.
TThe first part of this study, reconnaissance, was authorized by tne
House Committee on Public Works and Transportation by resolu-
tion adopted on September 24, 1992. The study was completed in
October 1995 and official findings are currently under review. In
anticipation of a favorable recommendation, I respectfully urge that
funding in the amount of $130,000 be made available for cost-
shared feasibility studies for fish and wildlife habitat restoration
and protection in the Wolf River Basin.

As a result of channelization and realignment work by the Corps
of Engineers many years ago and the absence of mitigation for the
associated environmental losses, the Wolf River Basin is experienc-
ing a degradation of its ecosystem with loss of wetlands, seasonally
flooded bottom land hardwoods, national aquatic habitat, riparian
habitat, waterfowl habitat, and habitat used by endangered spe-
cies. Projects for the Corps of Engineers involving channelization
and realignment work on the lower 22 miles of the Wolf River 30



428



years ago significantly reduced seasonal flooding but initiated ero-
sion, headcutting and long-term drying of wetlands.

The damage now extends and is causing losses up the main
channel of the Wolf at the rate of approximately one-half mile per
year, and it extends into the Wolf River's tributaries. The erosion
and headcutting have caused and are continuing to cause rapid
losses. There is an immediate need for stabilization of the channel
bottom grade to protect a major bridge and utilities which cross the
river just upstream of the current headcut area. The long-term ef-
fect of these changes is an adverse alteration of the hydraulic re-
gime of wetlands which are an essential source of recharge for the
Memphis Sands Aquifer from which Shelby County gets its drink-
ing water and which may be threatened if appropriations for reme-
diation are not made.

The focus of the study thus far has been to verify the viability
and cost effectiveness of engineering solutions. The problems ad-
dressed would primarily be the degraded wetland, riparian and
aquatic habitat, and recreation features which would enhance the
utilization of basin resources to meet critical needs for outdoor
recreation. The stretch of river in question is immediately down-
stream from approximately 460 acres recently acquired for designa-
tion as a State Natural Area, and the section most in need of im-
mediate protection from continued headcutting and erosion has
been designated for future acquisition as the Wolf River Wilderness
area.

The study has strong, bipartisan local government support. The
Chickasaw Basin Authority, an agency of the State of Tennessee,
has indicated a willingness to sponsor cost-shared feasibility stud-
ies. Shelby County has budgeted funds to initiate cost-shared fea-
sibility studies. More than one million people live within 10 min-
utes of the basin and, therefore, benefits would inure to a large
number of people in an area lacking sufficient outdoor recreational
opportunities at this time.

In Clarksville, Tennessee, $500,000 is needed to design and con-
struct streambank protection measures along the bank of the Cum-
berland River at the Clarksville fairgrounds. Fairgrounds Park in
Clarksville is the city's largest and most heavily visited multi-use
public park. In central Clarksville, it is bounded by two major
roads and the Cumberland River.

The banks of the Cumberland River here are fairly high, averag-
ing about 30 feet. Erosion along the banks is a result of soil failure,
piping, and undercutting. These natural processes are due to soil
movement and wave action against the toe of the bank slope. Ero-
sion along the Fairgrounds Park has averaged about 3 feet per year
in the past 5 years. Overlooks, walkways, picnic sites and over 40
trees have been lost due to erosion in recent years.

Historically, the most effective and economical way to stabilize
the banks is to armor the slope with quarry-run stone. This stone
is called "rip-rap." The rip-rap traps smaller particles, preventing
them from migrating out of the bank slope. The rip-rap armament
can be readily placed from the river. Equipment attached to a
barge is often used along the riverbank to safely and effectively ac-
complish the work in developed areas. The cost of the construction
would be shared 75 percent Federal and 25 percent non-Federal.



429



I would also ask your support for $175,000 which would be used
to initiate and complete a reconnaissance study for a detailed mas-
ter plan of the Riverfront Park on the Cumberland River, also in
Clarksville, Tennessee. The Fort Defiance site lies along the Cum-
berland River just downstream of the Clarksville central business
district. The site is at the Red River's confluence with the Cum-
berland. A major historic and natural area, Fort Defiance is a sig-
nificant component of the city's long range River District develop-
ment planning. A Civil War fort. Defiance is one of the best-pre-
served Civil War fortifications with earthen breastworks.

A master plan is needed to guide development and interpretation
of the rich historic and natural resources of the Fort project. This
master plan will also address issues such as public access and coex-
istence with adjacent neighborhoods. At the end of this year,
Clarksville's riverfront development will total $3.5 million. Inter-
pretation of the Fort Defiance historic site would highly com-
plement existing facilities and be a major step in the realization of
the riverfront vision.

With that statement, I will conclude and thank you gentlemen
for listening to me today.

Mr. Myers. Thank you for your testimony.

Mr. Bryant. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Tuesday, February 27, 1996.

UPPER MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, AND ILLINOIS RIVER
PROJECTS

WITNESS
JOHN A. ROBB, CHAIRMAN, UPPER MISSISSIPPI FLOOD CONTROL AS-
SOCIATION

Mr. Myers. The next witness is Ruth Culver of Uncertain Audu-
bon Society. I thought that was a tjrpographical error, but we don't
have a witness I guess.

How about the Upper Mississippi Flood Control Association. Do
you have your entire delegation here now? Your prepared state-
ment will be placed in the record and you have 15 minutes to pro-
ceed as you would like.

Mr. ROBB. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We appreciate the oppor-
tunity to testify before your committee again. We appreciate your
efforts down through the years. As you think about all the work
that has been accomplished with the Corps and how many jobs it
has created, we thank you very much in the Midwest. Our Associa-
tion, the Upper Mississippi Flood Control Association, includes sev-
eral disciplines which are all interested in the continuing improve-
ment of flood control, navigation, economic development, and habi-
tat protection along the navigable rivers of the Midwest.

The Upper Mississippi, Illinois, and Missouri River Valleys are
the most productive areas of the world. The navigable waterways
are strategically located, almost perfectly configured, and the envy
of our world trading partners.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers has transformed
these great natural resources into the essential centerpiece of our
Midwest economy.



430



In the 1930s the navigation system was modernized and our
great transportation infrastructure advantage was established.
However, today that infrastructure advantage is sUpping and our
state-of-the-art system is becoming an antique.

Those in the Midwest who provide the labor, management, and
capital to keep our economic engine running have been pleading for
improvements to accommodate increasing world trade. However,
the environmental interests have blocked those efforts.

The Federal and State biologists lament that because of flood
control and navigation, the Upper Mississippi, Illinois, and Mis-
souri Rivers are on the verge of an ecological collapse. We must all
be reminded that these same groups have pronounced a zillion
other environmental collapses that have not occurred.

In early April each year, America's largest Amateur Bass Tour-
nament is held at Quincy, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. During
December of 1995, fishing experts were advising the hottest spots
for the great sport fish, walleye and sauger, were by the towboats
and water outlets along the Illinois River.

The most sought after hunting and fishing areas along our major
Midwest rivers are in the levee and drainage districts. The levee
and drainage districts produce more wildlife than the many wildlife
refugees, which are all protected from flooding by levees, unless the
refuges are farmed to produce a food source. Flood control projects
for the Fish and Wildlife Service receive these benefits in the cost/
benefit analysis, but the levee districts do not.

The greatest threat to river transportation, and the one we are
most concerned about today, to transportation, recreation and fish-
ing, is the accumulation of sand alongside the channel and in the
backwaters. The Corps for the past 50 years has not removed
maintenance dredge material from the floodway. The material has
been placed along the beach, on islands, and in deep water. On
rare occasions the material has been removed from the river.

The Midwest's navigable rivers are continuing to fill with sand
and sediment. The environmentalists are promoting two solutions
which are the only ones being discussed.

The first environmental solution is land treatment to prevent soil
erosion.

The Soil Conservation Service, farmers and the construction in-
dustry have done a great job of reducing erosion. However, all the
tributaries are already loaded with sand, enough sand to contribute
to major rivers filling with sand for the next 50 years if erosion is
completely stopped in the upland. We still have this supply that
will continue to empty into the major rivers.

The second environmental solution is to make sure navigation
and particularly flood control is hindered, diminished, or com-
pletely stopped.

This strategy is being accomplished now by delays and more
studies. The environmental h3^e is preventing the implementation
of sound policy which could stop the degradation.

In the meantime, if a city, industry, or community wants to im-
prove their economic base by improving flood control or navigation,
the idea is declared economically impossible by rigged economic for-
mulas or environmentally infeasible because it would destroy the
ecosystem. Appropriations must be withdrawn from programs that



431



fill the floodway with rock, sand, trees, and vegetation unless the
cities and rural areas are paid mitigation and flowage easements
for the potential damages.

Our floodway capacity is being reduced because of inaction to re-
move sand from the river, plus we keep piling billions of tons of
rock in the river and the Fish and Wildlife Service now has the
Corps building structures out of rock to create islands which con-
tinues to fill up the floodway and interfere with navigation.

In June of 1996, barge traffic was blocked for two weeks because
of sand in the channel in pool 18. When traffic resumed, tows
through Lock 18 increased from 80 to 100 per week. Freight rates
jumped from 250 percent of tariff to 350 percent and are yet to re-
turn to normal. The area of the blockage is a chronic dredge site
and is adjacent to Iowa River Flint Creek Levee District, which is
a 50,000-acre levee district and has 8 percent of the tax base of
that county.

The levee district pleaded for the material to be placed on their
levee and agreed to furnish the land, right-of-way, and pump the
dredge water back into the river through their pumping facilities.
The Corps could not choose the levee site because their cost/benefit
analysis does not allow benefits for infrastructure improvements,
reduction of future disaster cost, and future economic development
or change cost for filling the river and pumping the same sand
again and again.

The Corps must be directed to change the cost^enefit formula to
reflect the real values. Midwest farmers are being told the Golden
Age of Agriculture is upon us because all these importing countries
are going to eat us out of house and home. These needs will be met
from production areas which are able to produce and deliver with
efficient transportation.

South America has millions of acres. There are 75 million acres
in Argentina, grassland that has never been plowed, 150 to 200
million acres in Brazil, grassland that has never been plowed, and
they have infrastructure programs there like we do. Industry tells
us, our members, to try to understand just how far along they have
progressed with their infrastructure, that they have a 4 to 7-year
plan which is under way developing waterways, railroads and high-
ways, and they have a 20-year plan. The 20-year plan is laid out.
They are waiting for funding. When the dollars get right, then the
expansion will begin.

They have said thank you very much for the grain embargo in
1980, which kick started our industry and the high exchange rates
in the early eighties which continued that expansion. We have low
exchange rates now, but those are going to change and the advan-
tage is going to shift again to South America.

As a farmer, I am very concerned about it, and as I watch the
river fill up with this sand, I wonder. The environmental interests
say that the sediment is filling up the river, and it is a creeping
death they have called it. It is going to kill the ecosystem in the
river. It is also going to kill our ability to compete in this new
world market.

For example, in Lock and Dam 18 next to where I farm, in the
1970s it was a 5-hour trip from Lock 18 to Lock 17. It is now a
7-hour trip. There is three areas of one-way traffic. When a barge



432



locks through that lock it takes about 45 minutes to tear down and
put back together, 45 minutes to actually lock through the lock and
then the tow pulls immediately above the lock and parks for two
hours and waits for the down bound to come through the one-way
traffic areas. That is a $12 million piece of equipment sitting there
running the freight rates up spreading the price between what I
get paid and what somebody else gets paid at New Orleans and in-
creasing the ability for South America to compete and open up
more acres. That is a crisis getting ready to happen.

As far as the sand in the river, we believe we need to clean out
the river. The fishermen, hunters, boaters everyone that uses the
river complains about the rivers filling with sand. We believe the
sand should be put on the levees and improve the flood protection.
Every time in the upper valley we have had any kind of a flood
control project that gives us 500-year or better protection, we have
had a virtual explosion in economic development.

In the upper valley that is our coastline. It thrills me to hear
what is happening because we have this navigation available on
the Red River. We have navigation on the Upper Mississippi. It is
becoming an antique. It needs to be improved, but we have not
been able to develop it economically, and part of that problem is
because we are not able to identify these economic benefits.

As you know, around the world, there is billions of dollars being
spent on economic development and waterways. So for that reason
our Association is asking Delta Hydraulics of the Netherlands to
help us develop a conceptual plan for flood control, navigation, eco-
nomic development and habitat protection in the upper valley.
They have some different ways of identifying and evaluating bene-
fits for these four disciplines, and this study is beyond the ability
of our Association, although it is very cheap compared to govern-
ment studies, and we would like to discuss that with your staff. We
are asking for the committee to make a provision to help provide
that funding if that is possible.

An area of appropriations we would like to ask for, the flood of
1993 was very costly to Quincy Illinois, a city of 50,000 residents
and a place of emplojrment of several thousand nonresidents. The
Mississippi River bridge, with daily traffic of more than 12,000 ve-
hicles, was closed for more than 3 months, leaving several thou-
sand people cut off from their jobs.

Flood control improvements would protect critical infrastructure
and promote continued economic expansion in the Quincy area. A
general investigation reconnaissance study should be funded to
look at the ways to protect critical infrastructure around the Quin-
cy area and assure that interstate commerce is not disrupted in the
future.

Also, we are very thankful to the committee for directing the
Corps of Engineers to consolidate divisions and from that we have
created the Upper Mississippi Missouri River Division. We have
been dealing in past years with three divisions in the Corps and
five districts. The consolidation of the Corps into one single division
with five existing districts will be beneficial to the Upper Mis-
sissippi Valley and we appreciate it.

However, at this time there is a controversy over where the divi-
sion office will be located. The choice to date is Omaha, Nebraska,



433



^^nn wW^ • ^ T ^A^ ^".^^f °^ *^^ ^^^ ^^tion going on in this di-
wf Koi- Jl't ^£«d^<^^trol. navigation, economic, Commerce, and
we believe that the Corps would be much better served to have
that division office located in St. Louis, the confluence of the three
major rivers that are served.
We know there are upfront savings by not moving both offices

f!"l"f^^'''^ ^ ""r. "^''^,' ^^S^^ *^^ 1°^^ ^^ the traffic and lost
IZJ^^ "" g^^*° ^ relatively remote location, we believe if the
committee could do something to help the Corps in that area, I
think It will pay off big dividends in the future. When the lock akd
dam projects go in— the Corps says we are just studying the idea,

Mr. Myers We have come a long way doing this.
,f ^''' iT??^- U.7 ^""^ ^^^?^ '^ ^^ ^ "^^tter of cost savings. I think
ldefmfr?ma'rks.'' """""^"^ '^ '^^' '"^^^ ^' bridged. W con-
Mr Mye^. Rock Island or some place like that, there is an arse-
nal there. There are a lot of sites I think.

r.n!!f'';k^°R^w "i^ ¥f^^ ^^ another site proposed. We would sup-
?hm,i{^1 Rock Island location more-there is adequate office space
jy^^i"" t^® §,^'°* ^°"^s District Office, in that building
Mr Myers Thank you for your very fine testimony. The dam 18
has other problems, too, doesn't it, maintenance problems'?

15^'d 1?^" ^^ ^""^ ^'''''^^^- ^^^ ^^^ °^ "P t^^ ri^^^ °^ lock

Mr. Myers. Thank you for your testimony. This concludes the

n'^'^XT ^'' *°^^^- .The committee stands adjourned until 10
clock tomorrow morning. Thank you
[The statement of Mr. Robb follows:"]



484



\

SOBOOMMIirrCOB ON ENEa«3V AND
WATIBR. DSVEUOPMEaOT*



TE ST I MONY

BY



JOHN A ROBB

CHAXRMJkM



MXSSXSBXl



435



TTEST I MONY

Subcofflinittee on Energy and Water Development



Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is John Robb. I am
Chairman of the Upper Mississippi Flood Control Association, The Association
was formed in 1954. and has been rapidly expanding since 1993. Our membership
includes several disciplines which are all interested in the continuing im-
provement of flood control, navigation, economic development, and habitat
protection along the navigable rivers of the Midwest.

The Upper Mississippi, Illinois, and Missouri River valley's are the most
productive areas of the World. The navigable waterways are strategically
located, almost perfectly configured, and the envy of our World trading partn-
ers.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers has transfonned these great
natural resources into the essential centerpiece of our Midwest economy.
Water borne commerce has been utilized since the first canoes and flatboats
carried their passengers and freight up and down the river.

In the 1930 's the navigation system was modernized and our great trans-
portation infrastructure advantage was established. However, today that
infrastructure advantage is slipping and our state of the art system is becom-
ing an antique.

Those in the Midwest who provide the labor, management, and capital to
keep our economic engine running have been pleading for improvements to accom-
modate increasing World trade. However, the environmental interests have
blocked those efforts.

The federal and state biologists lament that because of flood control and
navigation, the Upper Mississippi, Illinois, and Missouri Rivers are on the
verge of an "ecological collapse". We must all be reminded that these same
groups have pronounced a zillion other environmental collapses that have not
occured.

In early April each year, America's largest Amateur Bass Tournament is
held at Quincy, Illinois on the Mississippi River. During December of 1995,
fishing experts were advising the hottest spots for the great sport fish,
"Walleye and Sauger" were by the Towboats and Water Outlets along the Illinois
River.

The most sought after hunting and fishing areas along our major Midwest
rivers are in the Levee & Drainage Districts. The Levee & Drainage Districts
produce more wildlife than the many Wildlife Refuges, which are all protected
from flooding by levees, unless the Refuges are farmed to produce a food
source. Flood control projects for the Fish and Wildlife Service receive