OCR Text |
Show ered inviolate to inundation. To the extent that additional reservoirs contribute to lower rates for electric energy, all of the people affected should be given a clear choice. (2) The situation requires that responsible Fed- eral, State^ and local agricultural agencies and or- ganizations participate and cooperate in overcoming the many deep-seated convictions through studies of projects to> advise on the possible impact upon agri- culture, alternative sites, problems of settlement of displaced farmers and others, and monetary evalua- tion of the losses and costs. (3) Greater participation by local and State in- terests in study of the water resources should be sought and with it the initiation of educational pro- grams to inform the people of the relative values of the proposals. These programs should be ob- jective. Xhey should present the regional and local advantages to be gained, and reveal the adverse effects of projects. (4) Consideration should be given to the desira- bility and equity of reimbursing taxing units, par- ticularly local, for taxes now paid but which would otherwise fc>e lost by project construction. (5) In some local instances consideration can and should continue to be given to reservoir de- sign which avoids the necessity of extensive replace- ment of railroads and highways. 2. Extent to Which Flood Plain Zoning is Prac- ticable The Problem Appropriateness of flood plain zoning as a meas- ure for flood damage prevention by restricting use and construction in flood susceptible areas. The Situation Use of flood plain zoning as considered for the Connecticut Basin has as its primary objective the prevention of future flood damages by limiting the exposure of life and property to flood hazards through restricting the occupancy of flood suscep- tible areas. The principle could be applied: (1) to prevent further occupation of the flood plain; (2) to require relocation of existing improvements above flood! limits or their conversion to uses neg- ligibly affected by flood occurrences; (3) to re- strict further development in areas subject to fu- ture inundation by reservoir construction to avoid increasing -costs of flowage damages; and (4) to 496 prevent reductions in channel and floodway capac- ities by encroachment. Industrial, residential, and agricultural develop- ment in the Connecticut River Basin is well ad- vanced. In common with other river basins, the valleys have afforded the greater opportunities for occupancy and contain the larger concentration of population and property. This has resulted in ex- tensive damages during large floods. Zoning regu- lations might have been employed in the beginning to avoid settlement of the flood plain and subsequent flood hazards in areas where such hazards are par- ticularly severe. However, the present state of flood plain use, particularly in the densely settled areas of the lower basin, indicates that flood protection is the most advisable course of action in the built-up areas. In many instances, particularly in the lower basin, un- developed areas have been protected incidentally to flood control for existing settlements. This tends to offset the need for flood plain zoning in these lo- calities. Where flood protection is presently not feasible, zoning could be used to prevent new occupancy of flood hazardous areas, if permitted by State constitutions and laws. Economic considerations are the governing fac- tors in determining the advisability of relocating existing improvements in areas unaffected by floods or converting present property in the flood plain to uses relatively unaffected by inundation. Ac- ceptance normally would occur where a flood haz- ard becomes fully recognized as so great that the maintenance of the property in its present location and use is uneconomical or undesirable and no feas- ible alternative means is available for eliminating or effectively reducing the flood damages. A possibility for limited zoning occurs where the anticipated losses or inconveniences of infrequent flooding do not offset the site value. An example is the production of farm crops in a flood plain where the loss of one or more crops in a series of years does not overbalance the over-all economy of the farm operations. An example from a more densely settled locality occurs at Hatfield, Mass. Here the first floors of dwellings and businesses are protected from moderate floods by dikes constructed to protect the major portion of the agricultural land, but are subject to inundation by large floods. The use of the lower floors is voluntarily restricted to limited equipment or goods which can be re- moved to higher levels when a large flood occurs. In such situations effective flood forecasting is a necessary part of damage prevention. |