OCR Text |
Show a dam and three dikes with maximum flood control water surface near the top of the valley walls. On the other hand, certain dam sites may be selected for power as well as flood control, with provision for combined reservoir capacities sufficient for both power and flood control. In such cases the seasonal reduction in power storage may make these reser- voirs more adequate for containing large volume floods than a single-purpose reservoir would be. Another common type of site limitation occurs where industrial plants are located at the upper end of the reservoir, as at the existing Birch Hill Dam, Mass. Here an increase in maximum pool level would require the relocation of several in- dustrial developments at high cost. However, adaptation of the Birch Hill Reservoir to this limi- tation would not preclude multiple-purpose opera- tion. A comprehensive development of the entire Millers River has been formulated as a part of the whole Connecticut control. This plan would pro- vide a headwater reservoir above Birch Hill and the use of Birch Hill for conservation as well as flood control storage. Thus it can be used for more than one purpose. No Federal multiple-purpose projects with power generation are presently authorized and only the Enfield Project is presently recommended. How- ever, a recommendation of several such projects may result from the recently commenced resource survey. Estimates of future power loads in the area indicate that power from Enfield Project will be needed before the project could be constructed even if it were presently authorized and construc- tion funds available. It is to be expected, there- fore, that multiple-purpose projects will be made part of the program wherever physically and eco- nomically possible. Conclusions (1) Multiple-purpose reservoirs for power and conservation are necessary for the complete use of the basin's water resources. The potential projects which have been listed in this study (table 2) were listed particularly because of their multiple-pur- pose values, both at their site and when used in conjunction with other projects constructed or pro- posed. Opportunity should be given to the people of the basin and the region to consider the value and effect of these projects, in the interest of maxi- mum use of the basin's resources, and in the interest of the greatest general welfare. (2) Not all sites in the basin are suited to eco- nomical multiple-purpose use. As all economically feasible projects are required for full development, single-purpose sites also must be considered. (3) Construction should not be initiated on single-purpose projects which would displace poten- tial multiple-purpose development until the mul- tiple-purpose possibilities have been fully explored. (4) In the interest of recreation, and propagation of fish and wildlife in reservoirs where no provision is made for holding a conservation pool, effort should be made to have authorizations amended to require maintenance of a conservation pool. 8. Water Resources Developments and Stabiliza- tion of Industrial Areas The Problem The extent to which water resources develop- ment can contribute to decentralization and sta- bilization of industrial areas. The Situation The basin is an integral part of the New Eng- land economy-an economy based primarily on production of manufactured goods for distribution in other regions of the country. As the centers of population and distribution have continued to shift to points farther removed from the New England area, this region has been unable to compete as effectively as it once did in industrial markets, and manufacturing has been lagging in terms of na- tional trends. The Department of Labor reported that as of March 31, 1950, 11 out of 40 areas in the Nation with more than 12 percent unemploy- ment were in New England. That part of the Connecticut Basin lying in Mas- sachusetts and Connecticut contains four-fifths of the basin's population, most of which is concen- trated in metropolitan and industrial districts. It is in this area that there is special need for measures which can contribute to stabilizing the economy. Use of supplemental water for agriculture.-Al- though the basin is highly industrialized, agriculture is still important in the middle and lower sections. The type of farming is closely related to meeting the needs of a densely peopled region for perishable foods. Dairy, poultry, and truck-garden products find a ready market in nearby urban communities. One of the values associated with agriculture is the integration with industry of part-time farmers to give an elastic labor supply. Data collected for 509 |