control in Stillwater. It did, however, fully address the myriad of issues required in
flood control projects such as the environment, physical characteristics of the area,
fish and wildlife, an analysis of the river flow, past history of flooding, and many
others. Earlier studies directed by Congress and/or conducted by the Corps of
Engineers which included the St. Croix River, go back to the beginning of the
century. They include studies in practically every decade since 1930.

The St. Croix River at Stillwater, MN is under Federal control and
management. The Corps of Engineers also conducts the dredging of the channel in
the St. Croix River at Stillwater. Barge traffic, boat construction, commercial
passenger traffic, and extensive recreational boating continue to maintain a very
active port at Stillwater. It is this very activity that has contributed to the deterioration
of the retaining wall system, according to the engineers. The Coast Guard shares
responsibility with the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota in patrolling the River.

Action Requested:

Based on the information and data from the "Design Memorandum" prepared
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, $2.85 million is needed to complete the first
two phases of the construction authorized by Congress in FY 1992, and for which
$2.4 million was appropriated in FY 1994. These funds will be used to:

1 . Complete the repair of the existing walls when such repair is possible;

2. Complete the replacement of the structure when the deterioration has
progressed to such an extent to warrant such action;

3. Extend the system 350 feet to the south, using riprap to prevent the
continuing erosion of the area around the south end of the wall;

4. Extend the wall 900 feet north of the existing wall, and raise the
area with fill by approximately five feet.

Current plans call for construction to begin in July, 1996, on Phase I of the
project. Funds made available under FY 1994 Appropriations Act have provided for
the development of plans, specifications, and the design of the project, the "Design
Memorandum," environmental studies, and administrative costs, and will permit the
repair to begin on the damaged levee wall system. Current funding is insufficient to
either complete the necessary repairs, nor construct the extensions of the system to
the north and south. The construction of the flood wall will be included in Phase III of
the project.



832



Page 6. Stillwater, MN/St. Croix River Project

As proposed, the project will assure the continued flood protection provided
by the existing retaining wall system, eliminate the annual flooding of the emergency
access road assuring the year-around availability of fire and rescue services, and
provide the critical protection to the sanitary sewer line. It will provide a fifty year
flood protection to 130 retail operations, and more than $40 million in property value,
provide a knee-wall to serve as a base for emergency sandbagging during extreme
flood conditions, thus protecting the property of the City, and the history of the
"Birthplace of Minnesota."

We are in compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act, the
National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 (f) and Section 110 (f), 16 U.S.C.
470h-2 (f), the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, and have met the
special provisions and requirements of Federal and State laws that protect the wild
and scenic rivers, and other State and Federal laws that protect the environment and
historical sites. We have been working with these agencies over the three years in
anticipation of construction and extension of the retaining wall system, and have a
summary listing of their letters of support for the project.

For these reasons, we respectfully request that this Subcommittee amend the
appropriation for the St. Croix River at Stillwater, Minnesota in the FY 1994
Appropriations Act by increasing the Federal share by $2.85 million. These funds
will be used to complete Phases I and II of the project for the repair, construction,
and extension of the levee wall system. Thank you for the opportunity to bring this
critical matter to your attention through this statement, and we respectfully request
the increased appropriation for this project. I will be pleased to respond to any
questions you may have.

Jay L. Kimble, Mayor
Stillwater, MN



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835




836



Wednesday, February 28, 1996.
FIRE ISLAND, NEW YORK

WITNESS

HON. RICK LAZIO, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE
STATE OF NEW YORK

Mr. Frelinghuysen. Congressman Rick Lazio, welcome. Rep-
resenting the great State of New York, the Empire State.

Mr. Lazio. Thank you. Chairman. It is wonderful to call you
Chairman.

Mr. Bevill, we appreciate vour support over the years for our
coastal projects and also my thanks to you, Mr. Chairman, for your
support in the last Congress.

Mr. Bevill. We are glad to have you back with us.

Mr. Lazio. As you both know, my district encompasses a large
segment of Long Island's coastline. In the room with me is my
friend and colleague Michael Forbes, who has a contiguous district
next to mine; and he will elaborate on some of my comments.

The barrier islands along the cost in my district have been hit
hard by the higher-than-average number of storms this year. They
remain in a fragile state, vulnerable to breaches and overwashes
from future storms.

The effects of a devastating storm, similar to the nor'easters of
1992 and 1993, would be the danger posed to Long Island as well
as its infrastructure, as I have testified to this panel previously.
The barrier islands protect Long Island in the same manner that
the levees on the Mississippi protect the residents of the river
towns. Similar to many of those river towns. Long Island's middle-
class communities, some of which consist of homes only yards from
the beach, would be threatened if not for the protection that these
barrier islands provide. Not only do these shoreline communities
create jobs through tourism, but they are responsible for Long Is-
land's rich commercial and recreational fishing heritage.

The shoreline protection projects administered by the Army
Corps of Engineers are important to the livelihoods of many of the
residents of my district. From the commercial fishermen to the sea-
side merchants, it is the engine that drives our local economy,
small business; and it relies on the protections afforded by these
Army Corps of Engineers projects.

One of the reasons why we have had accelerated erosion prob-
lems is the result of some man-made structures that have been er-
roneously put in place by the Army Corps many years ago, and it
is for those reasons that we need some sand replenishment to com-
pensate for some of the man-made problems.

The first project that I request be funded would be to continue
to ensure that New York is provided with accurate, real-time infor-
mation on its coastal processes. Most coastal States already have
monitoring systems in place, and such a shoreline monitoring and
data collection system is essential for New York.

A federally funded monitoring system was authorized in the 1992
Water Resources Development Act, and I thank Mr. Bevill for his
help on that, and appropriations have been made over the past
three years to initiate its implementation. As the authorization



837



states, successful implementation requires $1.4 million in Federal
dollars for up to 5 years, at which time the State of New York will
take over funding the program implementation.

Last year, $1.4 million was included in the Energy and Water
Development Appropriations Bill for this program. I am again ask-
ing that you include $1.4 million in the fiscal year 1997 Energy and
Water Development Appropriations Bill. New York State has
agreed to provide their share of funding to this project, so there is
local leadership on this as well.

The second project I ask you to consider funding for is the refor-
mulation study of the area from Montauk Point to the Fire Island
Inlet. This study will provide valuable long-term information on
the coastal processes of Long Island's south shore. It is expected to
take nearly 10 years to complete. Over the past 3 years, over half
has been appropriated by Congress for the reformulation study,
and again I have this subcommittee to thank for that.

In addition to providing vital information for the Army Corps,
this will lay the groundwork for possible interim projects needed to
reinforce Long Island's coastline. The fiscal year 1997 segment of
the study will cost $2.5 million, and I urge you to include this re-
quest in the fiscal year 1997 Energy and Water Appropriation Bill.

Another area needing immediate assistance lies between Gilgo
Beach and Tobay Beach in the towns of Babylon and Oyster Bay.
Every 2 years these beaches receive dredged sand from an author-
ized biannual dredging project conducted in the Fire Island Inlet
by the Corps of Engineers. The Corps is authorized to perform this
project, which was last done in September of 1995, every 2 years
which is budgeted by the Corps at a cost of about $6 million. How-
ever, because of the unusually large number of storms over the
past 2 years, an additional $3 million is needed to complete the
beach nourishment portion of this project.

These 2 beaches provide the only line of protection for the State's
Ocean Parkway, which provides an alternative route to the heavily
traveled routes and one of the major commuter roads to New York
City. In the interest of preventing damage to the highway, which
will inevitably cost the taxpayers more than fixing this problem
now, I ask for a total of $9 million to be used for the dredging of
Fire Island Inlet and renourishment of Gilgo and Tobay Beaches.

As a member of the Budget Committee, I understand the fiscal
constraints you face. I agree that every expenditure must pass
stringent economic tests; and I am confident that, upon close exam-
ination, funding for these projects will past such tests. All inter-
ested parties fully support these authorized projects which have
been funded in the past.

The importance of the waterways and the barrier islands to the
homes and businesses cannot be overstated. As history as shown,
the continued funding of protective measures at this time will save
Federal, State and local governments millions of dollars in the
longer term. We owe the taxpayers nothing less.

Again, I want to thank the Chairman for this opportunity to ex-
plain the importance of these projects and also to you, Mr. Bevill.
All of your past help is much, much appreciated.



Mr. Frelinghuysen. Thank you. If you could leave a copy with
our staff, we would appreciate it. You move pretty quickly. Thank
you.

[The statement of Mr. Lazio follows:]



839



Testimony of Congressman Rick Lazio

Before the

Subcommittee on Energy and Water

Development

February 28, 1996



Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the
subcommittee for allowing me the opportunity to
testify before you today.

As you know, my district encompasses a large
segment of Long Island's Atlantic coastline.
Similar to coastal areas in other parts of the
country, the barrier islands along the coast in my



840

district have been hit hard by the higher than
average number of storms this past year. They
remain in a fragile state, vulnerable to breaches
and over washes from future storms.

The effects of a devastating storm, similar to
the Nor'easters of 1992 and 1993, would be the
danger posed to the mainland of Long Island and
its multi-billion dollar economy as well as its
infrastructure as I have testified to this panel
previously. The barrier islands protect Long Island
in the same manner that levees on the Mississippi



841

River protect the residents of the river towns.
Similar to many of those river tow^ns. Long
Island's middle class communities, some of which
consist of homes only yards from the beach,
would be threatened if not for the protection that
these barrier islands provide. Not only do these
shoreline communities create jobs through
tourism, but they are also responsible for Long
Island's rich commercial and recreational fishing
heritage.

The shoreline protection projects administered



842

by the Army Corps of Engineers are critically
important to the livelihoods of many residents of
my district. From the commercial fishermen to the
seaside merchants, it is the engine that drives our
local economy, small business, and it relies on the
protection afforded by these Army Corps projects.

The first project that I request be funded
would continue to ensure New York is provided
with accurate, real-time information on its coastal
processes. Many coastal states already have
monitoring systems in place, and such a shoreline



843

monitoring and data collection system is essential
for New York. A federally- funded monitoring
system was authorized for New York in the 1 992
Water Resources Development Act, and
appropriations have been made over the past three
years to initiate its implementation. As the
authorization states, successful implementation
requires $ 1 .4 million in federal dollars for up to
five years, at which time the state of New York
will take over funding and program
implementation. Last year, $1.4 million was
included in the Energy and Water Development



844

Appropriations Bill for this program. I am again
asking that you include an appropriation of $ 1 .4
million in the FY 97 Energy and Water
Development Appropriations Bill. New York
state has also agreed to provide their share of
funding for this project.

The second project I ask you to consider
funding is the reformulation study of the area from
Montauk Point to the Fire Island Inlet. This study
will provide valuable long-term information on
the coastal processes of Long Island's south shore.



845

It is expected to take approximately 1 years to
complete. Over the past three fiscal years, over
half has been appropriated by Congress for the
reformulation study. In addition to providing vital
information for the Army Corps of Engineers, this
study will lay the groundwork for possible interim
projects needed to reinforce Long Island's
coastline. The FY 97 segment of the study will
cost $2.5 million and I urge you to include this
request in the FY 97 Energy and Water
Appropriations Bill.



846

Another area needing immediate assistance
lies between Gilgo Beach and Tobay Beach in the
towns of Babylon and Oyster Bay. Every two
years these beaches receive dredged sand from an
authorized biannual dredging project conducted in
the Fire Island Inlet by the Corps of Engineers.
The Corps is authorized to perform this project,
which was last done in September of 1995, every
two years which is budgeted by the Corps at a cost
of $6 million. However, because of the unusually
large number of storms over the past two years, an
additional $3 million is needed to complete the



847

beach nourishment component of this project.
Importantly, these two beaches provide the only
line of protection for the state's Ocean Parkway,
which runs along the south shore of Long Island
and provides an ahemative route to the heavily
traveled roads of the mainland. In the interest of
preventing damage to the highway, which will
inevitably cost more to the taxpayers than fixing
this problem now, I ask for a total of $9 million to
be used for the dredging of Fire Island Inlet and
the nourishment of Gilgo and Tobay beaches.



848

As a member of the Budget Committee, I
understand the fiscal constraints you face. I fully
agree that every expenditure must pass stringent
economic tests, and I am confident that, upon
close examination, funding for these projects will
pass such tests. All interested parties fully support
these authorized projects which have been funded
in the past. The importance of the waterways and
the barrier islands to homes and businesses on
Long Island cannot be overstated. As history has
shown, the continued funding of protective
measures at this time, will save federal, state and



849

local governments millions of dollars in the long-
term. We owe the taxpayers nothing less.

Again, thank you for this opportunity to
explain the importance of these projects. Your
consideration of them is greatly appreciated. I will
be happy to provide you, or your staff, with any
additional information you may need.



850



Wednesday, February 28, 1996.
HAMBURG, IOWA, FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT

WITNESS
HON. GREG GANSKE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE
STATE OF IOWA

Mr. Frelinghuysen. Congressman Ganske from Iowa. You have
some good charts for this afternoon. These are not as colorful as
some that we have seen today.

Mr. Ganske. I ask permission to have this information submit-
ted.

Mr. Frelinghuysen. Without objection, they will be included.

Mr. Ganske. If I may speak without the microphone, some of the
information you receive I am sure must be mind numbing at times,
so what I would like to do is for a few minutes

Mr. Frelinghuysen. If you could turn the mike up a little bit.

Mr. Ganske. I would like to paint a picture for you about a small
town in my district in the southwest corner of the State of Iowa.
It is right at the junction of the Missouri and Nishnabotna Rivers.
TTie name of the town is Hamburg. And possibly to help you re-
member this, here is the town of HaiAburg (pointing to map); the
Nishnabotna River comes down like this (pointing) and the Mis-
souri River comes across. And the Town of Hamburg sits right at
the base of the bluffs of the hills on the east side of the Missouri
River floodplain.

The Missouri River floodplain is 10 miles wide or so. Over the
years what has happened is that the banks of the Missouri are
higher than the land at the base of the bluffs, so that instead of
draining into the Missouri, the water pools along the base of these
hills, which are right there (pointing).

In the 1920s, the Corps developed a drainage ditch that drains
south down to the Nishnabotna and Missouri Rivers, and con-
sequently, when you have wet seasons — and they have had flooding
in this area 11 times, severe flooding 11 times in the last 30 years,
including a very severe flood in 1993 — ^then the water, instead of
draining to the Missouri, goes over to the hills, comes down and
floods this town.

And in this town right here (pointing), for instance, we have
Vogel Popcorn, which is the largest popcorn manufacturer in Iowa.
It provides 95 percent of all the popcorn in movie theaters west of
the Mississippi River.

Mr. Frelinghuysen. The record will definitely show that.

Mr. Ganske. Right about here (pointing), we have a huge John
Deere implement dealership and just a little bit further down here
we have a large ethanol plant. This is a town of about 1,300 people.
Combining those three major manufacturers, you have taken care
of the employment for a large area in this county — in fact, south-
west Iowa.

All three of those places of employment have indicated that if
they are flooded one more time, they are moving out; and so what
we would like to facilitate — and we have a problem with this be-
cause of the lack of funding in section 205 monies — is your help in
any way possible to complete a levee.



851



We have a railroad line that goes along here (pointing) and that
can be used then as part of the levee, and not much needs to be
done. So we are incorporating that. Here is the drainage ditch, and
we need a levee here (pointing) to complete the levees around this
town and protect it from further flooding. This would significantly
help this community.

The community has raised two-thirds of the matching money. We
are not talking about a large amount of money in the scheme of
billions that we are dealing with. This is about a million-dollar
project; the Federal Government's share would be about $800,000.
The community is already committed to two-thirds of that. They
can easily raise the rest. And in terms of the cost-benefit analysis —
the Army Corps of Engineers analysis has been very, very positive
for cost-benefit analysis in the past. I would just ask for your con-
sideration for this project.

Mr. Frelinghuysen. Thank you for your testimony and we will
do our level best to be of help to you.

Mr. Ganske. If you are ever eating popcorn west of the Mis-
sissippi, maybe you will think of this.

Mr. Bevill. We certainly don't want anything to happen to that
popcorn.

Mr. Ganske. We appreciate it. Thank you.

[The statement of Mr. Ganske follows:]



GREG GANSKE ^.5^, commehce committee




CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Statement of the Honorable Greg Ganske

before the

Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development



Mr Chairman, Subcommittee members, I appreciate the opportunity to testify before you
today. I know that you have heard from a number of members this afternoon, so I will keep my
remarks sort

Mr Chairman, the devastating floods that hit the Midwest in 1993 have shown all too
clearly what can happen without proper flood control measures I represent Southwest Iowa
During the spring, this is one of the wettest regions of the country Hamburg which is located in
Fremont County, lies between the Missouri and Nishnabotna river and is particularly vulnerable
to flooding In fact, in information provided to me by the Corps flooding has occurred here in
1949, 1951, 1952, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1984, 1987, and 1983

Of particular concern is the flooding that has occurred along Main Ditch #6 This ditch is
a drainage that was built in the 1920's to aid in flood control Unfortunately, when the Missouri
and Nishnabotna rivers run high, water backs up in Main Ditch #6 and floods the community.
In 1993 over half of the 1,248 residents were forced to evacuate due to the flooding
In the fall of 1993, the Omaha District, fearing continued flooding in 1994 proposed a levee be
built immediately using Advanced Measures Authority near Main Ditch #6 to protect the town
The bureaucracy in Wasfiington overruled this decision but did approve the beginning of a flood
control project utilizing Section 205 Authority

Currently, the Feasibility and Design study is 95% complete Unfortunately, a severe
shortage of Sec 205 monies has halted progress The Omaha District estimates the project will
need an additional $800,000 in order to complete the plans and construction The local
community has already raised 2/3 of the local cost share and is more than capable of raising the
remaining amount once the federal government can make good on its commitment I have
included a complete breakdown of project costs according to the Omaha District office.

Flooding has cost the town over $20 million in 1993 The bulk of Hamburg's
employment base, Manildra Energy, which operates an ethanol plant, Vogel Popcorn Company,
and a John Deere implement dealer all located near town have indicated they will likely move,
rather than rebuild should their facilities be flooded again Simply put, the completion of this
project is my number one priority to the people of Southwest Iowa



FEDERAL BUILDING



853



Tke City o£ Hamturg

©//Jc. U Olty suu
HAMBUKC, IOWA S1«<0

necambor 18, 1995



CongrcBcnan Greg Ganeke

1108 l.ongworth House Office Building

Washington, n.C. 20515

Dear Congressnidn GAneke:

We have received word concerning the severe budget curs In the Energy and
Water nevclopment Appropriations Act.

Ve. are enpeclally concernod about tlie drastic cuts in the Section 205.
Hamburg Is naarlng completion of a Feaelblllty Study nnd In ready to move
Into plana and spec's for a Section 205 Levaa Project on West Ditch No. 6.
The project la slated for construction during the 1996 construction Benson.

ThlQ project ifi of utmost importance to us as this ditch is what caused the
major flooding during the Flood of 1993.

It iB our understanding that vork on our project will not continue into die
next otoge because of unaufflcient funding And Congressional add-ons in the
Section 205.