| OCR Text |
Show mouth of the Cumberland River. The Ohio Res- ervoir would be connected by a canal through the Cache Valley to the Mississippi River. This would provide a common navigation-power waterway leading to a power plant at Grand Chain on the Ohio River which would have an installation of at least 1 million kilowatts. The lower Ohio-Missis- sippi development should be considered not only for its potential power, but for its related naviga- tion and flood control possibilities. The project is important also in relation to the authorized Ten- nessee-Tombigbee waterway. Program To Develop the Potential At present one project, Wolf Creek on the Cum- berland River, is being constructed to develop power. This plant will have an installed capacity of 270,000 kilowatts. Eight projects with power features have been authorized in the Cumberland, Kentucky, and Kanawha Basins. These plants will have installed capacity of 522,700 kilowattts and will generate 1,699,000,000 kilowatt-hours of energy in the average year. Further investigation is neces- sary to determine the proper installation that would be suitable in conjunction with navigation and flood control projects. There is today no authorized program for the development of the hydroelectric power resources of the Ohio Basin, although extensive preliminary planning has been accomplished. The installed capacities at existing Federal projects, those under construction, and authorized, aggregate just under 1 million kilowatts. This may be compared with some 5 million kilowatts of potential undeveloped hydroelectric power. The development of the potential power here discussed will depend on the formulation of plans which recognize hydroelectric power as one of the major objectives of water resource programs, appro- priate authorizations by the Congress, and action toward the accomplishment of the program which will include participation by Federal, State, and local public and private interests. Fish and Wildlife Existing Improvements The only Federal wildlife refuge within the basin is the 64,600-acre Kentucky Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge located in western Kentucky be- tween the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. This refuge is operated for waterfowl conservation and for the protection of deer, wild turkey, and other game. State refuge and wildlife management areas within the Ohio River Basin include Pymatuning Refuge, Pa.; Hovey Lake Refuge, Ind.; and Mermet Refuge, 111. Some States are carrying on extensive programs for conservation and management of fish and wild- life at reservoirs constructed by the Federal Gov- ernment. The Ohio Department of Natural Re- sources has an effective program for conservation and management of fish and wildlife in the Mus- kingum Conservancy District. In addition, Ohio and West Virginia have constructed a number of artificial lakes primarily for fishing. Eight Federal fish hatcheries in the basin provide fish for stocking public waters and farm ponds. The station at Senecaville, Ohio, is the only Federal fa- cility directly dependent on a Federal development (Senecaville Reservoir) for its water supply. There are 25 State fish hatcheries within the basin. A program of wildlife management is under way in the national forests in the basin. The headwater streams of the Ohio Basin which rise in the higher and more mountainous sections contain many trout. Fishing is an important fea- ture of the national forests in the rougher parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The Forest Service cooperates with States and with the Fish and Wildlife Service to improve fishing in streams in the national forest. Facilities under Construction and Authorized No Federal wildlife refuges are under construc- tion or authorized. One Federal hatchery was re- cently authorized by the Congress, and will be con- structed in the near future in Kentucky to replace the existing Louisville hatchery. The number of State game refuges and fish culture stations under construction or authorized is unknown. Additional Needs, Problems, and Proposed Programs The Ohio River Basin is one of the most impor- tant sport-fishing areas of the United States. Com- mercial fishing is of relatively minor importance in the Ohio and the lower reaches of its western tribu- taries. The wildlife resources of the basin are also an important asset of the region. 653 |
