CHIEF JOSEPH DAM PROJECT WASHINGTON FOSTER CREEK DIVISION The Foster Creek Division of Chief Joseph Dam Project was approved by the Secretary of the Interior on January 7, 1954, and authorized by Act of Congress on July 27, 1954. (Public Law 540, 83d Congress., 2d sess., 68 Stat. 568.) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, Washington 25, D. C., December 21, 1953. The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. SIR: This is my report covering a study of the potential irrigation possibilities in the vicinity of the Chief Joseph Dam, Wash. It is based on and includes, except as hereinafter modified, the proposed report on this project which you approved and adopted on July 13, 1953. Copies of your proposed report were transmitted to the States of the Columbia River Basin and to the Secretary of the Army in accordance with provisions of section 1 (c) of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 887), and to the State of Washington for comments of the head of the agency exercising administration over the wildlife resources of that State in accordance with the provisions of the act of August 14, 1946 (60 Stat. 1080). Copies of the report were sent also to the agencies represented on the Federal Interagency River Basin Committee for their comments. Attached are the replies received from the States of Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming and the six Federal agencies to which the report was sent. In general, the comments received are favorable to the proposed development. Officials of the State of Washington in which the project is located approve the report and request everything possible be done to obtain immediate authorization. The proposed report treated the general plan for irrigation in conjunction with Chief Joseph Dam and specifically recommended the immediate authorization of several divisions. The proposed report is hereby modified to eliminate from the plan the Indian lands in the several divisions recommended for authorization. This action stems from a request by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that such lands not be included in the project. The possibility of such action was discussed in the proposed report. Briefly, the revision leaves the plans for serving the Bridgeport Bar division and the Bluebottle Flat unit unchanged although in the latter case a minor change in cost results from a reallocation of the costs of the jointly used power facilities. All units of the East Canal division except Brewster Flat are deleted from the plan and the East Canal division is renamed the Brewster Flat division. The plan for serving Brewster Flat is changed with regard to source of water supply and location of pumping plant. The revised plan is discussed in greater detail below. The deletion of the Indian lands necessitates changes in certain aspects of the project and extensive but in most cases relatively minor changes in figures presented in the proposed report for both the divisions recommended for immediate authorization and construction and for the overall potential irrigation possibilities. These changes are discussed in the order of their occurrence in the proposed report. The Brewster Flat division would serve water to the same acreages as would the original Brewster Flat unit, that is, a new or full supply to 3,000 acres and a supplemental supply to 130 acres. With this division substituted for the East Canal division the totals for the irrigation potentialities for the overall development become: new lands, 34,650 acres; supplemental water, 40,835 acres. Based upon the revisions in the project plan and recent estimates the construction cost for the potential irrigation developments would be about $33 million of which approximately $11,200,000 probably could be returned by the water users in 50 years. Thus, financial assistance required from power would be about $21,800,000 or $436,000 annually for 50 years. The elimination of the Indian units makes the plan in the proposed report for serving Brewster Flat lands, via the East Canal, less attractive and an alternative and more favorable plan for serving these lands is adopted. The new plan proposes that the water supply be pumped from the Columbia River a short distance below the mouth of the Okanogan River in sec. 18, T. 30 N., R. 25 E. The discharge line would extend north along the east line of secs. 7 and 6 to a point near the southwest corner of sec. 32, T. 31 N., R. 25 E., elevation about 1,275. From this point the main canal would extend in a northeasterly direction paralleling the lateral shown on drawing 586-120-37 in the report. The main canal would thus replace about 2 miles of lateral canal, including the siphons located in secs. 28 and 32. The section of main canal between the previously proposed pumping plant discharge and the siphon in sec. 28 would become a minor lateral. The changed plan results in the elimination of the Monse gravity unit comprising 270 acres and the units made up of Indian lands (2,750 acres) and results in acreage figures for the initial divisions of 4,550 to receive a new water supply and 1,130 to receive supplemental and replacement water. Based on October 1952 prices the revised cost estimate for the initially recommended divisions is $4,798,100. This amount includes $40,800 of the cost of the Chief Joseph Dam and Reservoir which is allocated to irrigation. The funded operation and maintenance cost, which is also included in the above amount, becomes $311,300. Of the above estimated cost, the water users probably could return $1,722,000 in 50 years. The attached table contains a summary of the revised repayment study. The changes in cost necessitate revisions in the economic analysis. New calculations show a small reduction in the benefitcost ratio; however, the initial divisions remain economically justified with benefits well in excess of costs. After consideration of all comments received from reviewing States and agencies, I recommend that your proposed report be modified only as discussed above. The Department of Agriculture's comments on the proposed report contained statements which we believed warranted additional discussion and clarification. A copy of our letter of reply to the Department of Agriculture is attached to the letter of comments from that agency. Accordingly, I recommend that you approve and adopt the report which you approved on July 7, 1953, as modified by this letter, as your report on the Chief Joseph Dam project (general irrigation potentials and initial divisions) and that you transmit it, together with the attached comments, to the President and, subsequently, to the Congress in accordance with the provisions of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939, and the act of July 17, 1952. Respectfully, (Signed) W. A. DEXHEIMER, Approved and adopted: January 7, 1954. (Signed) DOUGLAS MCKAY, Commissioner. Secretary of the Interior. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington D. C., January 7, 1954. THE PRESIDENT, The White House. (Through the Bureau of the Budget). MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: My report concerning potential irrigation in the vicinity of the Chief Joseph Dam Project, Washington, is transmitted herewith pursuant to the provisions of section 9 (a) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (53 Stat. 1187, 1193) and the act of July 17, 1952 (66 Stat. 753). The latter act, in effect, supplements section 8 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 887,891). This report discusses irrigation prospects in general and in particular recommends the authorization of initial divisions of the overall irrigation project. With the aid that the use of surplus power revenues from the Chief Joseph Dam powerplant would give to irrigation, it would be possible to develop extensive areas for agricultural production. This would tend to stabilize and balance the economy of the area. The initial divisions recommended for immediate authorization would result in a full water supply for 5,680 acres, of which 4,550 acres have not previously received an irrigation water supply. The estimated cost is $4,798,000 and the initial divisions are economically justified. The report has been transmitted to the States of the Columbia River Basin and to the Secretary of the Army for their views and recommendations as required by the provisions of the Flood Control Act of 1944; to the State of Washington for the comments of the head of the agency exercising administration over the wildlife resources of the State, as required by the provision of the act of August 14, 1946 (60 Stat. 1080); and to the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, and Health, Education, and Welfare; and the Federal Power Commission, in accordance with interagency agreements. Copies of all comments received are enclosed with the report. I shall appreciate having advice concerning the relationship of this proposed project to your program before I transmit the report to the Congress for its consideration and appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of the acts cited in the first paragraph of this letter. Sincerely yours, (Signed) DOUGLAS MCKAY, Secretary of the Interior. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, BUREAU OF THE BUDGET, Washington, D. C., April 13, 1954. The Honorable the SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: This will acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 7, 1954, submitting your report on potential irrigation in conjunction with Chief Joseph Dam, Wash., and Assistant Secretary Aandahl's letter of February 3, 1954, submitting additional comments of the Department of Agriculture. The report was prepared in accordance with the provisions of section 9 (a) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939, under the special authorization contained in the act of July 17, 1952 (Public Law 577, 82d Cong.). The overall plan outlined in your report would provide ultimately for the irrigation of about 75,000 acres at a cost tentatively estimated at $33 million of which $11,200,000 would be financed by the water users over a period of 50 years. The Commissioner of Reclamation, in his report to you, states that the financial assistance required from the Corps of Engineers' Chief Joseph Dam power revenues for the remaining $21,800,000 would be $436,000 annually for 50 years. The regional director points out that power produced at the Chief Joseph Dam will become a part of the pooled supply generated by various Federal dams of the Columbia River system and marketed by the Bonneville Power Administration. Charges for commercial power will be at rates established by the Bonneville Power Administration after review and approval by the Federal Power Commission. He also sets forth the amounts that would be required to be repaid by the Bonneville Power Administration to cover annual operation, maintenance, and replacement costs and interest and amortization on the power investment of Chief Joseph Dam, and to return irrigation costs beyond the ability of the irrigators to repay. Your report recommends authorization of the initial phases of the overall plan to provide for the irrigation of lands in the Bluebottle Flat, Brewster Flat, and Bridgeport Bar areas, comprising a total of 5,680 acres of which 4,550 acres have no water supply at present. The total cost of this improvement on the basis of October 1952 price levels is $4,798,100, including $40,800 of the cost of Chief Joseph Dam proposed for allocation to irrigation, and $311,300 in funded operation and maintenance costs. The average cost per acre of land benefited is estimated at $845. The total average annual benefits per acre are estimated at $187 of which $58 are classified as direct benefits. The annual cost, including power-pumping charges, is estimated at about $44 per acre. The resultant benefit-cost ratios are 4.28 on the basis of total |