OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington 25, D. C., February 8, 1949. Honorable SAM RAYBURN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. MY DEAR MR. SPEAKER: Pursuant to the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 there are transmitted herewith a report and findings on the feasibility of the installation of additional generating capacity (Units R-7, R-8 and R-9, at Grand Coulee Dam, Columbia Basin Project, Washington. On January 5 the report and findings were transmitted to the President. The Bureau of the Budget, by letter dated January 17, has advised that there would be no objection to the submission of the report to the Congress. With the transmittal of the report and findings to the Congress the requirements of Section 9 (a) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 have been fulfilled with the consequence that installation of these additional generating units at Grand Coulee Dam is authorized as new supplemental works on the Columbia Basin Federal reclamation project, Washington. In addition to the report and findings, there are also enclosed a copy of this Department's letter of January 5 to the President and a copy of the letter from the Bureau of the Budget dated January 17. Sincerely yours, (Signed) J. A. KRUG, Secretary of the Interior. Identical letter sent to President of the Senate. SPILLWAY LIGHTING AND SOAP LAKE PROTECTION [Extract from] An act making appropriations for the Tennessee Valley Authority, certain agencies of the Department of the Interior, and civil functions administered by the Department of the Army, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1957, and for other purposes. (Act of July 2, 1956, 70 Stat. 474, 476, Public Law 641, 84th Cong., 2d sess.) * Construction and Rehabilitation: *** Provided further, That not to exceed $200,000 of this appropriation shall be available for lighting the spillway of Grand Coulee Dam and shall be nonreimbursable and nonreturnable: Provided further, That not to exceed $233,800 shall be available for the emergency protection of medicinal water of Soap Lake, Washington, from irrigation operations of the Columbia Basin project, which amount beyond the ability of the water users to repay shall be repayable from surplus power revenues of Grand Coulee Dam: * * PALOUSE PROJECT 2 UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, The Honorable the SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. SIR: Investigations have been carried on by the Reclamation Service during the past year looking to the development of an irrigation project in the southeastern part of the State of Washington. This project contemplates the construction of a small storage reservoir at Rock Lake on the drainage of the Palouse River, and the diversion of the Palouse River into a reservoir site located on adjacent drainage, known as the Washtucna reservoir. The project contemplates the irrigation by gravity of about 80,000 acres of land just above the junction of the Snake and Columbia rivers. In its ultimate development it will also serve about 20,000 acres more by pumping. Investigations of this project have proceeded to a point where the general plan and estimates have been considered by a board of consulting engineers who have reported to this office, under date of October 23. They pronounce the project feasible and advise its early construction. They also recommend that negotiations be taken up at once to quiet the adverse claims for water rights, power rights or required rights of way, also that more complete surface borings for foundations and other investigations be pushed with the object of early construction. The recommendations of the board of engineers are approved by this office. The above-mentioned Washtucna reservoir site is traversed by a spur of the Oregon Short Line railroad, and its utilization requires the removal of this railway, which is the most important matter for negotiation to be taken up. Minor matters are those incident to most reclamation projects, such as right of way for canals and reservoirs on private land, claims of water rights, etc. The Palouse Project was found feasible under the original Reclamation Act prior to its amendments, but later reclassified as a secondary project. The area is now included in the Columbia Basin proiect It is estimated that the cost of this project will be about $35 per acre upon the land to be irrigated including the necessary rights of way, damages, etc. This is little, if any, more than one-half of the value of the land with water rights and the project is considered an attractive one from a financial point of view. I have to recommend that this project receive your preliminary approval and that authority be granted this office to push investigations to completion and to negotiate for the necessary rights and privileges, and to place the results of such negotiations before the Department for your approval. Very respectfully, (Signed) CHAS. D. WALCOTT, Director. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, The DIRECTOR OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. SIR: In a letter of the 5th instant to the Department, you reported the results of recent investigations by the Reclamation Service, looking to the development of an irrigation project in the southeastern portion of the State of Washington. It appears that this, the Palouse Project, contemplates the construction of a storage reservoir at Rock Lake, on the drainage of the Palouse River, and the diversion of the waters of that river into a reservoir site, located on adjacent drainage, known as the Washtucna reservoir, and that about 80,000 acres of land above the junction of the Snake and Columbia rivers will thereby become subject to irrigation by gravity; and that a further area of 20,000 acres may be ultimately irrigated by pumping. You have stated that a board of consulting engineers has pronounced the project feasible and has advised its early construction, the estimated cost of the project being about $35 per acre, including all outlay, which cost you have stated is little more, if any, than one-half of the value of the land with water rights. In view of the foregoing and of other facts and considerations brought to my attention, you have recommended that the project receive preliminary approval, and that authority be given your office to push investigations to completion, and to negotiate for the necessary rights and privileges, and to place the results of such negotiations before the Department for approval. I have considered your presentation of this matter and I hereby approve your recommendation as made, and hereby authorize you to proceed with the investigations and negotiations as set forth in your letter. Very respectfully, (Signed) E. A. HITCHCOCK, Secretary. CRESCENT LAKE DAM PROJECT OREGON Funds were provided, without a finding of feasibility, for emergency rehabilitation of Crescent Lake Dam Project by the Interior Department Appropriation Act, 1955 (Act of July 1, 1954, 68 Stat. 331, Public Law 465, 83d Cong., 2d sess.) PROVISIONS OF INTERIOR DEPARTMENT [Extract from] An act making appropriations for the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1955, and for other purposes. (Act of July 1, 1954, 68 Stat. 361, 365, Public Law 465, 83d Cong., 2d sess.) Construction and rehabilitation: For construction and rehabilitation of authorized reclamation projects or parts thereof (including power transmission facilities) and for other related activities, as authorized by law, including payments under the Act of August 15, 1953 (67 Stat. 592), to remain available until expended, ***Provided further, That not to exceed $297,000 shall be available toward the emergency rehabilitation of the Crescent Lake Dam project, Oregon, to be repaid in full under conditions satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior: CROOKED RIVER PROJECT OREGON The Crooked River Project was authorized by Act of Congress on August 6, 1956. (70 Stat. 1058-9, Public Law 992, 84th Cong., 2d sess.) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, Washington 25, D. C., March 11, 1955. The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. SIR: This is my proposed report on the potential Crooked River Project, Oregon. It includes the accompanying February 12, 1953, report of the Regional Director, Boise, Idaho. The physical plan presented in the Regional Director's report remains essentially unchanged. New information on costs, allocation of costs, and on repayment has been developed since completion of the Regional Director's report and is presented in an attachment to this letter. The Crooked River Project surrounds and is adjacent to the town of Prineville in Crook County of central Oregon. It would utilize the water resources of Ochoco Creek and the Crooked River, a tributary of the Deschutes River. A stable irrigation water supply would be provided for 9,990 acres of dry land and 10,220 acres of land now inadequately irrigated. These areas include 7,230 new acres and 7,660 presently inadequately irrigated acres within the Ochoco Irrigation District and 5,320 acres of nondistrict land of which 2,760 would be classed as dry land and 2,560 as inadequately irrigated. In addition, 51,200 acre-feet of water annually would be available for future use on other acreage in the Deschutes River Basin. Flood control, drainage, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits also would result from construction of the project works. Preservation and propagation of fish and wildlife are included among project purposes. Normal annual precipitation for the project area is a little over 9 inches, about half of which falls from April through October. This semi-arid condition restricts the agricultural use of land without irrigation. Since agriculture is one of the two main industries |