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Show for power production at the site and at downstream existing plants. The project has accomplished its design purpose. However, greater hydrological knowledge and under- standing of multiple-purpose functions since this project was conceived indicates that a larger storage capacity would be desirable for flood control and conservation storage for generation of water power at the site and at existing downstream plants, and for industrial water supply, and other beneficial uses. The benefit to cost ratio of 2.2 to 1 realized from the project is well above the original estimated ratio of 0.8 to 1. Analysis of the project indicates that where there are no physical or economic limitations, overdevelopment of a site is prefer- able to underdevelopment. Changing conditions are more likely to result in a need for more rather than less storage. 6. The Cottage Grove Dam, Oregon.-This dam is located on Coast Fork, Willamette River, and it is one of a series of dams in the Willamette River Basin to control floods and to increase low water flows in the interests of navigation, irrigation, power production, and stream purifi- cation. It was authorized in 1938 and completed in 1942. The project is meeting its portion of the system's designed purposes, with incidental benefits from recreation. Had the postwar increase in population and economic development been foreseen, a small increase in storage capacity wduld have been warranted. The project is being used economically and it appears that the original estimated benefits have been greatly exceeded, the pres- ent average annual benefits being about twice the average annual costs. Unduly conservative spillway requirements, unfavorable geological conditions brought to light as foundation investigations progressed, the addition of fa- cilities not originally planned, and the general rise in construction prices have increased the original cost esti- mates. This increase in cost has been more than made up, however, by the increase in benefits. 7. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.-This local flood-pro- tection project was authorized in 1936 and substantially completed in 1942. It has provided protection against major floods in 1943, 1946, and 1948, with ample margin of safety. The flood damages already eliminated have been estimated to be about double the cost of the project. The project is thus accomplishing its design purposes, to protect people and city property. Some minor damage still occurs because of inadequacies of the storm sewer system, the rectification of which is a local responsibility. The experience of this project points to several conclu- sions. The standards employed for economic analyses were conservative, those for engineering design have been adequate, and relatively minor difficulties encountered were promptly overcome. Local authorities assumed re- sponsibility for sandbagging a stretch of levee left low, at their request, for aesthetic reasons and although they later requested relief from this responsibility and levees were raised at some increase at Federal cost, the interests of flood control and its acceptance by the people are con- sidered to have been furthered by the democratic course pursued. Expected flood reductions to be afforded by upstream reservoirs should not be given great weight in arriving at the design discharge for a local protection project unless such reservoirs are in place, under con- struction, or early construction is firmly assured. 8. The Huntington Local Flood Protection project, West Virginia, was authorized in 1937 and completed in 1943.-It successfully passed a flood 10 feet higher than flood stage in 1943 and the fourth highest flood of record in 1948. Damages eliminated to date have amounted to about one and a half times its cost. Public sentiment indicates that the people of Huntington realize the im- portance of the protective works in the future develop- ment and growth of the city. The project is part of a comprehensive basin plan for the protection of the Ohio Valley from floods. The local works along with upstream reservoirs contemplated in the basin plan will protect the city from a flood substantially larger than the largest on record. A portion of the reservoir system has been completed. In general, the project has shown no defects in design which affect the safe or economical operation of the project in any manner. Although the original estimated ratio of benefits to costs was 5.0 to 1.0, the actual experienced ratio so far is 3.09 to 1.0. No unanticipated physical or political conditions have affected the expected results of the project. The damages that would be eliminated in a recurrence of the maximum flood on record would be considerably greater than the actual damages experienced in that flood due to the unprecedented development that has occurred in the protected area since the project was completed. 9. Local flood protection, Glasgow, Mont.-This project was authorized in 1936 and completed in 1938. It has successfully protected the city against five major floods with ample margins of safety. The project to date has a benefit-to-cost ratio of 5.8 to 1. There have been no un- foreseen collateral benefits or consequential damages. No unforeseen conditions have affected the results, except that the project has been somewhat more successful than was originally expected. Although integrated into a compre- hensive plan of development, the project was constructed ahead of proposed upstream reservoirs. Since the project to date has eliminated damages amounting to several times its costs, it would not have been prudent to defer its con- struction or modify its design to allow for the possible ef- fects of a basin-wide development that had very little prospects of early fruition. 10. The New Haven Harbor, Connecticut.-This is a. tidal bay of Long Island Sound. It was deepened in. 1948^4-9 under an authorization of 1946 to provide a. navigable channel for deep-draft vessels engaged in trans- portation of bulk commodities. The use to which the 35- foot improvement was put during the past year has beer* gratifying. The change-over from small tankers to those of increased capacity, as developed during the war, has far exceeded that anticipated. With the project com- pleted, the tributary area is assured of a supply of oil and coal transported in the most economical type of vessels- The completed project is better than originally anticipated^ as indicated by the benefit-cost ratio during the first year of its use. Its many and varied substantial benefits stress the wisdom of its adoption. 11. The Huron Harbor, Ohio.-This is an importan* transshipping point for the movement of iron ore from upper lake ports to inland steel manufacturing centers an<3 reverse flow of bituminous coal. The project was author- ized in 1935, completed in 1940, and provides for a 2,000- foot pier, breakwater, and widening and deepening of the 391 |
