| OCR Text |
Show Status of Existing Plans and Authorization A report outlining a plan of development of the water resources of the Alabama-Coosa Basin for power, flood control, and navigation was submitted to Congress by the Secretary of War in 1941. This report was based on studies of the water resources of the entire Alabama-Coosa Basin made by the Corps of Engineers and a study of power market needs and potential power supply made by the Fed- eral Power Commission. The recommended plan was authorized in 1945. The Allatoona Reservoir was completed in 1950 and will provide flood protection and power. Four projects on the main stem of the river are scheduled and under detailed study for initial stage construc- tion as funds are made available. Stages in Attaining Full Development The total resources of the Alabama-Coosa Basin will be developed progressively over a period of many years. Extended planning already accom- plished has resulted in a well-conceived framework for water resources development for power, naviga- tion, and flood control. Planning for other func- tions, incl-uding land and forest improvement pro- grams, industrial development, water supply and pollution control, mineral resource use, fish and wildlife, a.nd recreation, can be integrated within this frame-work. Initial Stage of Development The initial stage of development would encom- pass the completion of four major projects for power, navigation, and flood control. These are the Jones Bluff and Millers Ferry projects for power and navigation; Howell Mill Shoals project for power, flood control, and future navigation; and Claiborne project for navigation and possible future power. Channel improvement through the lower Alabama River, together with the three navigation dams, will provide a 9-foot navigation channel to Montgomery. These projects would provide between 200,000 and 300,000 kilowatts installed hydroelectric power capacity wdth average annual generation of as much as 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours of energy. Improved river flow would encourage the addition of capacity 572 at private plants now operating. There will be a market for this power as soon as the project can be constructed. Acceleration of land improvement and forest management programs is needed to bring this phase of development in line with construction programs. Measures for improving crop, pasture, and wood- land production directed toward a healthy and prosperous farm economy will, at the same time, reduce flood and sediment damages, stabilize stream flow, and improve the quality of the water. The pollution control program which is under way by both State and Federal agencies should progress with the land and water programs. In this basin, increased emphasis should be placed on the further expansion of industries to provide needed employment opportunities for the people of the region. Future Stages Twenty-three additional reservoir projects are now included in the approved plan of the Corps of Engineers. The Federal Power Commission has suggested three more. Six channel improvement projects, the installation of locks at private power dams on the Coosa River, and increased capacity at private power plants would substantially com- plete the construction program now envisioned. The order of development of these projects will be determined by the needs in the area with early selection of the projects which will contribute most to its economic growth. Progress in the agricultural, forestry, and indus- trial programs should, in large measure, be deter- mining factors in the scheduling of the construction projects. The Future Basin The future of this basin will be bright. Much can be done to make life more healthful and enjoy- able for future generations when its resources are fully used and their waste and destruction halted. The timber lands, long despoiled of their cover, can contribute to the total welfare when used for the purpose for which they were designed by nature. They can produce as much in timber products per unit of area as in any part of the country. They can produce, also, clear water for the streams and can be a suitable habitat for fish and wildlife and a natural recreation area. The farmlands can more |
