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Show ever, such as flood protection along an entire river system, the direct beneficiaries are widely scattered and no direct means are available to compel payments. Even more difficult would be the securing of payments from local business communities in proportion to benefits received, particularly those on new land irrigation or drainage projects which, do not exist prior to project development. Conservancy districts with taxation powers to do this have been successfully established where the business community was in existence prior to project development and where additional profit to the business community was in prospect by reason of the development and without the necessity of major new capital outlays in the community. Efforts to establish such districts have not been successful in new land developments, where the business community was faced with heavy capital outlays for community facilities. In view of these practical difficulties, rigid formulae for the return of costs from the several benefited groups have proven unworkable. Although every effort should be made to secure equitable contributions from direct beneficiaries and from indirect beneficiaries of the community and re- gion, much additional study of benefits and their distribu- tion and of means for collecting costs will be required be- fore a close approach to the goal can be attained. 4. Project construction.-(a) The construction of a project should not be started before adequate preconstruc- tion studies have been completed. Some projects such as Saluda Dam, even after detailed investigations, failed to achieve their full purposes initially because of insufficient experience with problems encountered. Some, however, have been initiated without the fullest practicable investi- gation, and others have been started before studies had been undertaken which were recognized to be necessary. It is with the latter two types of situations with which this statement is concerned. The Los Angeles River Watershed project, where remedial measures were under- taken before investigation had fully disclosed the type of structures required, provides one illustration. The Bonne- ville Dam provides a second. In this case, construction was initiated as a work relief measure before needed pre- construction surveys could be made. A change in location of the axis of the dam found necessary after the start of construction entailed additional cost which would have been avoided had there been opportunity to make de- tailed studies in advance. Like Bonneville Dam, most instances of the latter kind involve projects built to meet particularly urgent needs under circumstances which made costs of relatively minor concern. Nevertheless, it will be apparent that the avail- ability of a shelf of fully investigated projects designed to meet regional and national needs would eliminate difficul- ties and costs o£ the kind experienced at Bonneville Dam, and would insure that the needs could be met more fully. To permit the development of such a shelf, specific ad- vance planning1 or preconstruction funds should be pro- vided after authorization or formal approval of projects. (b) Once started, construction of a project should pro- ceed to completion at the most economical rate. Excep- tions have occurred and may again occur in national emergencies whten the increased cost resulting from con- struction at a rate either faster or slower than that most economical is entirely justifiable. The cost of wartime installation of Shasta Dam generator units at Grand Coulee Dam, and their- subsequent removal, and increased costs attending the virtual cessation of work on Anderson Ranch Dam of the Boise project provide examples. Under normal circumstances, however, appropriations should be so anticipated and made as to permit construction at the most economical rate. (c) Federal projects should be constructed by those means which will achieve the lowest total project costs. This objective, it has been generally assumed, will be at- tained by competitive bidding on the part of private contractors. Construction by this means is compelled in some instances by language of appropriation bills restrict- ing work which can be performed by Government forces. Experience has indicated, however, that some types of work on many projects can be done more economically and satisfactorily by Government forces than under con- tract. Dredging operations on the Colorado River below Hoover Dam are examples. Furthermore, the TVA has demonstrated that many advantages can be achieved by the successive construction of a series of structures by Government forces. A technical and labor force was held intact over an extended period and full advantage secured of training and experience as work progressed from one project to another with the result that greater flexibility and efficiency with resulting lower costs undoubtedly were achieved than could be obtained under contract ar- rangements. In view of these facts, the matter requires further consideration to the end that Federal agencies shall be free to have the work done in the manner most advantageous to the Government. (d) Funds should be provided but construction de- ferred on project features for which need is anticipated, but which cannot be most effectively designed until the project is in operation. Drainage facilities on irrigation projects provide a good example. The ultimate need for drainage facilities on most, if not all, irrigation projects has been demonstrated by experience. The difficulty of determining in advance the level and attitude which the ground water table will assume after irrigation water is applied also has been established by experience. In some instances, drains constructed at the time of project con- struction did not perform as expected and additional ex- penditure proved necessary. The more desirable method of dealing with the problem has proved to be: Estimation of probable requirements, the provision of funds to meet those requirements, and a project program to meet actual needs as they develop. A similar approach to stage development of recreational facilities may well prove desirable. (e) In the authorization of licenses for the construc- tion and operation of non-Federal projects, the Federal Power Commission license insures that the project fits into a comprehensive plan of development. The Com- mission has required modifications of plans of project structures until they are found to be completely satis- factory. 5. Project operation and maintenance.- (a) Facilities and means for efficient operation and maintenance should receive full consideration in project plans and construc- tion. In the interests of minimizing construction costs or in the absence of full appreciation of all operation and maintenance problems, adequate facilities have not always been provided, as in the case of access roads for canal maintenance on the Orland project, California. In resolution of such problems, the justifiable operation and 412 |