One method of flood p/ain management
complete identification of what is there now, an inven-
tory of the environmental assets and development of
sufficient hydrologic data to identify the areas suscep-
tible to flood damages. This information can then be
turned over to the local governments to keep our flood
plains from being unwisely developed and thereby min-
imize future problems.
A third area that still deserves a lot of attention is
water pollution. This is basically EPA's (Environmental
Protection Agency) and not the Corps' primary re-
sponsibility, but we certainly can help. The last, but not
necessarily the least important, problem requiring pri-
ority attention is our urban areas. We've allowed water
resources problems to develop where our people are
concentrated. We need to do a lot more work to be sure
we're not encouraging unnecessary flood damages, to
provide energy where it's needed, to keep water supply
available for our people, and to avoid building problems
for the long term.
Continuing in the environmental vein, the Corps also is
responsible for maintaining domestic waterways. What
happens when the Corps is instructed to stop dredging
at a particular location?
When the courts tell us to stop dredging we do as the
courts direct. Of course we are usually given such in-
struction on an injunctive or temporary basis either be-
cause, in the courts' opinion, we've not fully complied
with or not satisfied some requirements of the law.
Therefore, the stoppage usually is dependent upon or
limited by certain actions which we are expected to take.
served their usefulness and need to be replaced for
We then make adjustments and, hopefully, are able to
safety reasons. So we have a continuing problem on our
resolve the legal cause of the stoppage. The instructions
waterways: not only in keeping channels at authorized
to stop dredging have been relatively few and, almost
depths, but also in modernizing and replacing our locks
always, we've been able to resolve the issues.
and, in some cases, maintaining channel alignment
Suppose the Corps cannot resolve the issues and is to/d
through bank stabilization and control structures.
to stop dredging. What alternitives are there?
Such an extensive maintenance program implies outlay of
There really aren't too many alternatives since natural
a large amount of dollars. Would it be feasible to lay user
processes tend to make the rivers shallower. The only
charges on some of the waterway operators to he/p defray
the costs of some of these improvements?
alternatives then would be less utilization of that water-
way or port, or changes in the configuration of the ship-
That's really not a matter in which I've been involved
ping fleet that uses it. I really don't feel the alternatives
officially, although I have been responsible for the oper-
need be that severe; I think the problem is finding al-
ation of the waterways. I understand, however, that cur-
ternative methods of dredging so that we can continue
rent administration policy favors some user fees or some
to operate the waterways.
use charges to offset operation and maintenance costs.
Besides dredging, are there other problems that affect
My personal feeling is these charges will be passed on
navigation?
directly to the consumers. Since the waterway operators
constitute a very competitive industry, there really isn't
Yes. We have a continuing problem concerning the ef-
enough profit in their operations to allow them to absorb
ficiency of the existing structures, or locks. Many of our
the charges. Thus the charges must be added to the cost
locks are old and not as efficient as we would like to see
of the products being transported, which means the con-
them. Some are inadequate for the volume of today's
sumer, in effect, will pay the user fees. Fees would
traffic, others are reaching the point in age where they
probably have some effect on our international trade
situation also, since our export costs would have to be
increased as well. I am inclined to think it would be to
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