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COLUMBIA RIVER & ITS TRIBUTARIES
August, 28, 1943
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation
Sandpoint, Idaho
Mr. WHITE. This is a meeting of the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation of the House of representatives, pursuant to the authority invested in this committee by the Congress under the provisions of House Resolution No. 262; that the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation, acting as a whole or in subcommittee, is authorized to make an investigation of the plan for the utilization of water for reclamation, flood control, navigation, and hydraulic power and the cost and effect of the proposed water storage of Lake Pend Oreille and Flathead Lake. The committee is to report to the House or to the Clerk of the House as soon as practical the results of the investigation. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions, the committee or subcommittee is authorized to sit and act during the present Congress at such times and places in the United States, whether the House is in session or recessed or adjourned, and to require the attendance of such witnesses and the production of such books, memorandums, papers, and documents by subpena. The subpena shall be over the signature of the chairman of the committee and may be served by any person designated by the chairman.
Now, I wish to state, for the information of the people of northern Idaho and of the community of Sandpoint, that the members of this committee did not come out here to build any dam nor to oppose any project. We came out here to ascertain the facts and effects of a constructive and comprehensive program for the development of the water resources of the Columbia River and its tributaries. Under that authority the committee has traversed the upper region of the Columbia and Clarks Fork branches of the Columbia and has now reached Sandpoint to study the possibilities and effects of storing water in Lake Pend Oreille. It is planned to go to Coeur d'Alene City to study the plans and proposals to irrigate Rathdrum Prairie and from there to Lewiston to study the effect of improvement of Snake River transportation and to bring tidewater transportation to the town of Lewiston. It is proposed that from here the committee proceed to the Kootenai River and along the lakes in Canada down to Arrow Lake, and back into the United States for a hearing at Grand Coulee and from there to Portland, Oreg. The part of this itinerary announced so far is up to and including Coeur d'Alene and the study of the Rathdrum Prairie.
We have with us today representatives of the several Government departments who are more or less in control of the administration of the Columbia-of the river improvements. We have Dr. Raver, of the Bonneville Administration, Mr. Debler, of the Bureau of Reclamation, and Colonel Parks, of the Army Engineers, here today. It is the purpose of the committee to hear them explain the program and plans for the improvement of the Columbia River and to give such information as is of value to the committee, and then to hear the local business people and State authorities as to the effect of the proposed program to store water in Lake Pend Oreille.
With this announcement I will call on Dr. Raver of the Bonneville Administration for a statement.
Dr. PAUL J. RAVER (Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration). Mr. Chairman and ladies and gentlemen, I presume that the chairman may want to ask me some questions about the proposed construction of the Albeni Falls Dam or the storage of water in Lake Pend d'Oreille. Before he does that, however, I would appreciate it if I might present a formal statement which incorporates some of our thinking as to the basic aims and proposals of the up-stream river development program which we feel are sound and have been approved for many years by students of this proposal.
Mr. White. Dr. Raver, you may proceed in your own way.
Dr. RAVIR. The principles which apply to other developments we believe should apply to developments of this kind, that is, developments which attempt to regulate and control the flow of the water in a great watershed and basin such as the Columbia Basin. After all, that is the thing we are primarily concerned with, to so regulate and control that water that the necessary use of that water can be made for the various purposes such as irrigation and navigation and power. Understand, of course, that any river basin of this kind has periods of overflow and periods of minimum water flow. An even flow throughout the year has a much greater value as a resource for the people of the region than it does when it has these wide variations of extreme flow and low flow, and that if regulated and controlled properly we can get benefits of the water for obviously economic purposes that I am speaking about and the principles referred to refer to that.
The principles we believe should apply in the regulation and control of a great river system are-especially in dealing with the proposals of storage of water, which, of course, is one of the purposes of regulation-to store the excess some place if storage facilities can be found.
Our experience for that is embraced in certain objectives and principles.
First, water planning and programing such as I have described should, and in fact must, if it is to be carried out most effectively, cover the entire region or basin in such a way as provides a basis for the improvement of the economies of the various parts of the region as well as the region as a whole. Most of our planning and thinking about this proposal is in connection with other agencies and we certainly want Montana and Idaho to participate in the economic development that follows a regulation and control program of that kind. We believe that it is fundamental that the resources of the state of Idaho which are here should be developed here and the people should get the benefit of their own resources. Of course, when water runs downstream after it is controlled and regulated, it is a benefit all the way down the stream but that doesn't mean the people shouldn't be benefited by the use of their own water the same as by their own home's and agricultural crops and land. We believe that is one fundamental principle, that the population of each part of the region should benefit as well as the region as a whole.
Mr. WHITE. Just a moment, Dr. Raver, I want to introduce a member of the committee. This is Walt Horan, Representative of the Fifth District of the State of Washington and member of our committee. FAp~ause.1
Dr. RAVER. The first basic principle, it seems to us, is that everyone should understand and recognize in attempting to control and regulate this water for the benefit of the people of the region I think that the people of every area should have such benefit as their resources of that particular area indicate they should have in connection with the over-all development.
The second basic principle of the program should take into account the rights and interests of the State and area. The States should, if practical, we think, take the leadership of formulating a program. Now, it has always been a basic part of our thinking that these programs should spring from the people themselves and not a program that the Federal agencies thrust down on people whether they want it or not. The needs of the people of a region are best known by those people themselves We can give them assistance and work out a solution of those matters, and that is our fundamental function, as a Federal Government agency, to carry out a program which the people themselves have indicated is needed to improve their economic well-being. We believe that to be a sound principle of democratic government, and consequently we are very greatly encouraged, and I can say that frankly, by the fact that the Governors of these five States have only recently organized a five-State committee to formulate their own program of resource development for these five States. That is the way it should come; then the Federal agencies, whatever their function is in carrying out the program thus formulated, will come in bringing the best technical minds available and work out a program which is sound from the engineer's point of view as well as the economist's point 6f view. I think that is where the Federal agencies come into the picture, and that is the point I want to leave. We want to cooperate fully in a program such as is now indicated under way by the five-States Governors' association.
The third basic principle and development of a program of this kind is the principle of multiple use of the water. That is, to get more than one use of it. It should apply naturally to a program of this kind. These developments should be made not only for one purpose but for all the purposes possible; economic, navigation, power, and flood control, and these should be mutually supported and worked together. The water can be used for irrigation without loss to economic development and without loss for its use for power development. The water comes, and flood periods in the spring result. Every run-off of melting snow helps that condition, and if that water can be stored in reservoirs in the spring it can be used where otherwise it would only cause floods and run into the sea and the water is wasted During that period the requirement for power is the lowest. The demand for power, normally the demand is lower in the summertime than in the winter. Then is the peak demand for power, and then we must have all of the generators running to full capacity. That comes around December, January, and February, and at that time the reservoir is filled up, and that water is then available at the right time, when it is needed most, and that reservoir is emptied then, and the flood comes along in the spring and fills it up for irrigation. That is what I mean, that the development should be complementary, and no conflict. It isn't every region of the country that is fortunate enough to have that kind of a water situation. One of the greatest basic wealths in the Pacific Northwest is that water can be regulated and controlled to the mutual benefit of all.
Hungry Horse Dam in Montana, Cabinet Gorge here in Idaho, and Albeni Falls below here --
Dr. RAVER. Just how these three dams, the Hungry Horse Dam in Montana, in particular, will benefit is obvious. With the headwaters of the Columbia River in a position to occasion a certain amount of floodwater ordinarily coming here and they would therefore relieve to a certain extent the flood danger here by the construction of that control dam on. the South Fork of the Flathead River.
Mr. WHITE. Did you intend, Dr. Raver, to leave out Z Canyon?
Dr. RAVER. No; there are numerous other possibilities in this entire development. At the present time we are trying to go into the various phases of the regions as to what part of the larger program could be launched quickly and how it would fit in with other pro grams. The Hungry Horse, Cabinet Gorge, and Albeni Falls dam power development benefit would be in the downstream States as well. It will improve the use of the water for irrigation purposes, flood control, and obvious benefit which will become more and more
improved as the years go on. Flood control Is getting more important and, as always, downstream there is a tendency for flood control menace to increase and the importance of getting some regulation now is important from that point of view.
The control of water, of course, is important in regard to navigation by making it possible when the water is at main flow to have more water running off gradually in the channel. If you can keep the main flow to a point from 6 feet to 7 feet by releasing the water which has been stored when the floods were on, you have improved the navigation of the channel to that extent.
Fourth, the point which I think is basic and the most important and vital of all points is that past uses, that the superior uses, those uses of water obviously of the greatest benefit to an area must be determined by survey and investigation and those uses protected In general it is recognized that domestic use is superior to others but this does not mean the other uses should not also be cared for, if. they can be taken care of. A project of this kind plans for these developments of this kind, and for the fullest irrigation development as well as power. The State reserves its full water rights and other municipalities their rights for use of water.
The fifth point is that of arriving at the rights and interests of the various States and areas, that is, the prior rights, the beneficial rights, of the water. This is necessary for their protection. The. permitted and repeated use of water as it passes downstream is a wide benefit to the whole region and it accordingly follows that those along the stream have a high priority.
Hungry Horse Dam is in this category. Its power should be used in Montana and it will also help downstream in Idaho and Washington as well as Montana. The interests upstream are
In other words, we recognize if the upstream water is regulated in a way to benefit the downstream power development then the benefit of downstream power should also be brought back into the region from which that benefit came and the benefit of power production should accrue to all parts of the region. I feel that availability of low-cost electricity for domestic use, commercial and community development in all parts of the region is of prime importance. Hungry Horse Dam benefits in Montana. Cabinet Gorge and Albeni Falls Dam would benefit in this State. They all should be tied into the Columbia River power system so that the hydroelectric power supply from the. larger downstream power projects be made available to sub-plants and local plants in your State. Idaho and the immediately adjacent territory should be on a par with the Bonneville Administration which renders service in areas in and near Spokane on a wholesale power rate for industrial development.
Next the Federal Government should aid the States in planning a program of water resources to protect the rights and interests of the State's area. We are prepared so far as Government agents are concerned to cooperate with the Five State Governor's Association in this proposal.
Another principle in power development is the principle of sound economic construction in advance of the power market. This should apply in all parts of the region, downstream and upstream, and we should build these projects for markets we see will be there tomorrow. If that were not done, Grand Coulee Dam would never have been built. You have to build on the basis of long-time resource development. Dams will be there for hundreds of years after built. The big expense is the first construction. Ordinarily in the construction of a great project such as Grand Coulee, the forecast of market development for the use of power and the water on the land must be made. over a period of 20 years. It is not a matter of seeing whether this dam or project will be feasible because of a market within the next 2 years. This is not that kind of development and if we know that there are resources in the hills that can be manufactured into useful goods and Services that can be created into wealth provided you have the tool of power available to start those wheels of production,. then basically we know it may take 20 years or .30 years or it may be done in years, but the time to start is now and to get that development under. way as quickly as we can. Those projects are beneficial. Grand Coulee Dam, for instance, opened many new opportunities for the investment of capital and private initiative in the State of Washington. The same thing can be done here. You have an ample supply of people, power, and water plus the resources you have all around you and the fertile farm lands and those put together have the basis of balanced economy-a more stable economy than you had before. You have to build ahead of the market and not wait for the market to demand that you build something. That isn't any new idea. The people who build orchards are doing the same thing. They have to wait 7 years before their orchards will produce for them, but they know that people like apples,
We know that people need electricity as industrial development expands. And we should keep in mind constantly the primary motives and objectives of water and power. They are basic; and as a region, through programs such as this, improves and makes that development possible and improves the specific services for industrial communities and the people of that region will in turn improve their own regional economy, which in turn enhances the national security.
I think the people of this region have a great challenge and opportunity ahead of them to watch production as well as other things, but certainly one great thing is the aiding to prepare for the prosecuting of this war and also the production of war goods. Production, production, production-that is what we all hear dinned into our ears constantly-more production.
Ladies and gentlemen, do you think that if in the first place we had waited until a war was with us to plan the power projects, which is one of the great tools of production in the Northwest that the North west would be making the tremendous contribution of war goods that it is making today? I am not maintaining that those dams were planned and built in advance of a war with the thought of supplying war goods. Certainly there was no thought in the minds of the people that they were ~ built to prosecute a war, but they were there and ready to produce goods and services for that war when the war struck and it was very fortunate for the Nation that they were.
Now, if we are building great projects like that to produce goods to kill people it doesn't seem to me to take much argument to keep right on to produce goods to make people live better. That is the great peacetime program of this development. To produce in ad Vance of the market is going to be a great problem of this district.
Power is going to have a great place in furnishing jobs, creating wealth, and producing goods. It is the only way to produce wealth and we should have it developed so as to be in a position to give jobs to the returning soldiers when they come home. I think that is all.
Mr. WHITE. When these improvements that we have under consideration are made-as a matter of fact, the Government through its agencies have gone into the Columbia River region and established power projects, one at Bonneville and one at Grand Coulee-Bonneville is operated under the direction of the Army engineers and the other is under the direction of the Bureau of Reclamation. The Bureau of Reclamation runs the one at Grand Coulee, is that correct?
Dr. RAVER. Yes, sir.
Mr. WHITE. And it was decided that in dealing with the public for p the sale of the electricity generated in the plants a supplemental p agency was necessary and as a result of that condition the administration created the Bonneville Power Administration and you are assigned and placed at the head of that agency to deal with the public? Is that correct?
Dr. RAVER. Yes, sir.