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Show Mobile. The open river now is shallow and joins the Tombigbee River below the locks and dams of the Tombigbee and Warrior Rivers. Traffic is growing from the Harbor of Mobile to Birmingham and this may increase further with the importation of iron ore from South America. Construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway, as authorized by the Congress, will open up a major water trans- portation route to the Ohio River and the Great Lakes. The present plan for the Alabama-Coosa provides for navigation locks at the dams on the Alabama River to Montgomery as a first-step improvement, with possible future extension up the Coosa River to Gadsden and Rome. The locks proposed on the Alabama River to Montgomery will provide a sill depth of 13 feet-the channel depth to be 9 feet. Recreation Development of the basin's water resources will expand recreation opportunities. Planning for recreation at water projects should be integrated with the planning for all recreation facilities within and tributary to the basin. Since the Alabama-Coosa Basin does not have many natural lakes, special consideration should be given to recreation at reservoirs. Recreation facili- ties are being provided at the Allatoona Reservoir. The large lakes which will be formed behind Howell Mill Shoals, Jones Bluff, Millers Ferry, and Claiborne Dams will have important recreation po- tentialities which should be developed. Additional reservoirs in the central and upper basin will pro- vide more recreation opportunities. Fish and Wildlife The program for control and use of the Alabama- Coosa Basin water resources would incorporate features to prevent damage and promote improve- ment of fish and wildlife resources. Vegetative cover would be provided on reservoir lands to com- pensate for inundated wildlife habitat. Reservoir operation schedules would be made to conform with fish and wildlife needs where this can be done. The relation of fish and wildlife values to other resource values would be investigated in early stages of planning in order that fish and wildlife benefits may be maintained. Field studies which have been made for some of the 27 proposed reservoir areas indicate that reservoir construction will result in a net increase in fishery values and some reduction in wildlife resources. Valuable fishing areas will be created by tailwaters below dams and the reser- voirs can be managed for increased fish production. Increased minimum stream flows and reduction of sediment content in streams will also increase the fishery resource. Inundation of wildlife habitat will be offset, in part, by vegetative cover provided in reservoir areas. Forest management and land improvement pro- grams throughout the basin will promote increased wildlife resources. Programs for abatement of pol- lution will be of positive value to both fish and wild- life production. Rate of Development The rate of completion of stages in the plan for full development of the Alabama-Coosa Basin will be governed largely by the demand for electric power, a dynamic factor in regional development. Other purposes in the plan will affect the selection of projects depending on their importance in over- all economic trends. The plan in all aspects should be flexible and adaptable to future needs. The most compelling immediate need is for power which will be used throughout the south- eastern region as fast as generating facilities can be built. The general development would begin with headwater control of the river for power and flood control, use of power head development on the main stem, and navigation on the lower river. Watershed management programs should keep pace with the river development to increase agri- cultural and forest production, to reduce stream sedimentation, and to provide better quality of water. Positive steps must be taken to protect the river from undesirable pollution as the planned changes in the regimen of the river and the growth of in- dustry and urban population require such measures. Provision for recreation needs should proceed as reservoirs are built and as a part of the forest im- provement. The change from agriculture to in- dustry will tend to make recreation developments more important. As the character of the region gradually shifts from its present agricultural status toward integra- tion with commerce and industry, provision should be made for improved land transportation facilities as they are needed. 911610-51- -38 571 |
