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Show Finally, the States created a joint commission to study the problem. Both Virginia and Maryland members of the commission agreed to legislation which would change the compact of 1785 and create a permanent joint commission to regulate fishing not only on the Potomac but in Chesapeake Bay as well. Virginia has not enacted the proposed legis- lation, although it was introduced in the State legis- lature. Maryland, while favoring the measure, is reluctant to vote upon it until Virginia has done so. Thus, in 1950, the issue is temporarily dead- locked. In the upper part of the basin, the sports fishing pressure far exceeds the natural propagation of some areas. Under present law there is inadequate pro- vision for coordinating the action of Federal and State agencies in a program for balancing regulation and restocking, or a coordinated program for marsh land utilization. Provisions have been made in law for recognizing fish and wildlife in dam construc- tion. But there is need for thorough integration of the Federal and State fish and wildlife programs so as to have common objectives in comprehensive multiple-purpose planning and the participation of all in the planning process with construction agen- cies. Actions outside the direct or indirect influence of Federal or State fish and wildlife agencies often directly affect the success of the fish and wildlife pro- gram. For example, pollution control until re- cently has been mostly a matter of the behavior of individual industries and municipalities. Now both the States and the Federal Public Health Service are active in abatement. Conclusions Maintenance and enhancement of the fish and wildlife resources of the Potomac at present call for: (1) Development of a program of fishing regu- lation and restocking which will bring fishing and fish availability into balance; (2) abatement of pollution so as to permit full natural propagation of fish in the basin; (3) avoidance of structures which by design and operation may constitute a further obstacle to spawning runs or adversely affect the oyster and shellfish habitat by preventing the flushing of salt water out of the river below Washington and so changing the salinity of the water in tidewater areas; and (4) development of a coordinated program for marsh land utilization. These ac-tions will require close coordination not only between the States and Federal Government but also between the several Federal agencies. 5. Need for Stream Flow Regulation The Problem The need for reservoirs for flow regulation for flood control, water supply, power production, and other purposes. The Situation Storage to regulate stream flows in the Potomac River Basin is now practically nonexistent. Ex- cept for the Savage River Dam and Reservoir scheduled for completion in 1951, there are cur- rently no adopted programs for providing addi- tional storage capacities. The flashy nature of the river, with discharges at Great Falls ranging from a low of 800 cubic feet per second to peaks of 480,000 cubic feet per second, requires that reser- voirs be provided if the waters of the basin are to be properly conserved and utilized. Major reservoirs to control the runoff of the Potomac River and tributaries have been proposed in various reports, some dating back several decades. Many of the earlier reports proposed reservoir proj- ects for flow regulation, primarily for power pur- poses. Power plants were to be located both at the storage dams and at head developments down- stream. The recreational values of the reservoirs were generally recognized, however, especially for projects located near the Washington metropolitan area. The first report dealing with the comprehensive development and use of the water resources of the Potomac River Basin for the various purposes was the Corps of Engineers "308" report of the 1930's. Following the flood of October 1942, a new in- vestigation and survey of the water control prob- lems of the basin was undertaken by the Corps of Engineers with the cooperation of several other interested agencies. The resulting Survey Report of the District and Division Engineers presented a plan of development consisting of a system of mul- tiple-purpose reservoir projects for the basin. Under the concept of multiple-purpose devel- opment, reservoirs constructed to control the waters of the Potomac River Basin could provide flood control benefits, improved municipal and industrial water supplies, a degree of pollution abatement, some recreational opportunities, hydroelectric 600 |
