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Show facilities. The latter are not considered in the above estimates. If on-the-farm expenditures were included, the percentage share contributed by local interests to the total would be much higher. On the authorized Solano Project a repayment of over 75 percent of the irrigation costs is expected. Estimates on the other authorized and proposed irrigation projects could not be made in 1950 because water rates have not yet been established. Cost allocations to irrigation have been made in conjunction with some of the Corps of Engineers reservoirs for flood control which have irrigation benefits from flow regulation. Estimates as to the repayments to be expected differ widely. On Pine Flat Dam the Bureau of Reclamation holds that irrigators should repay 14.2 million dollars. The Corps of Engineers estimates a return from irrigators of 12 million dollars and the State of California estimate is 10 million dollars.2 Navigation Improvements for navigation have been made at a total cost of 25.8 million dollars including 18 million dollars of the cost of Shasta Dam. Two and a half million dollars of this is non-Federal. Of the allocation to navigation of Shasta Reservoir costs, 5.6 million dollars is for salinity control. Cur- rent benefit data are not available for navigation projects. In addition to costs generally published for navi- gation works, there are unlisted costs to the general public. Additional costs are incurred, for instance, in construction and operation of highways and bridges. The Bureau of Public Roads estimates that the additional cost for highway bridges over the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers due to navigation amounts to an investment of $4,252,500, with $274,- 700 annual operation costs for lift or swing bridges. One navigation project, the San Joaquin River and Stockton Channel, is authorized but not under construction. The estimated construction cost is 6.7 million dollars, and the benefit-cost ratio is esti- mated as 1.25 to 1, including some incidental flood control benefits. Flood Control Levee construction to prevent flood damage was initiated by private interests. These improvements *A discussion of the problems of irrigation contract negotiations is found in chapter 5. 911610-51------9 later were incorporated into the more extensive sys- tem constructed by the Corps of Engineers. The local investments, plus all the subsequent Federal costs over a period of more than 50 years, total 156 million dollars. Over half (85 million dollars) has been contributed by local interests. Of the total Federal expenses of 71 million dollars, allo- cations to flood control in Shasta and Friant Dams amount to 31.4 million dollars. Estimated costs of flood control projects author- ized since 1940 far exceed the total of all previous flood control costs. Total estimated cost of these new projects is 337 million dollars. Annual carry- ing charges total 15.9 million dollars and evaluated annual benefits amount to 22.1 million dollars, of which 10.9 million dollars are flood control benefits. The ratio of benefits to costs is 1.4 to 1. Local in- terests will pay 8.3 million dollars for strictly local benefits from local works. The estimated construction costs for completing the remainder of the comprehensive flood control plan is 270 million dollars. The estimated benefit- cost ratio on these projects is 0.8 to 1, but it is assumed that further local expansion will increase the importance of flood control sufficiently so that larger benefits will be realized. Construction will be deferred until these demands have materialized. Debris Control The debris control structures in the Sacramento Valley were built under different Federal authoriza- tions, and consequently differ somewhat in account- ing and repayment aspects. Daguerre Dam and restraining basins were con- structed at a cost of $723,000, divided equally be- tween the Federal Government and the State of California. Carrying charges averaging $60,000 annually are similarly divided. No reimbursement is required from beneficiaries. Annual benefits have not been evaluated. A later Federal law authorized construction of four debris impoundment reservoirs. Two such res- ervoirs have been built at a cost of 4.6 million dollars of Federal funds. Annual benefits are not evalu- ated. Repayment is made in proportion to the amount of debris deposited in the reservoir. To date only $71,000 has been repaid to the Govern- ment. This constitutes an important subsidy to the mining interests, in that they may defer such pay- ments interest-free as long as they wish and are in 107 |