Engineer Memoirs
Consequently, from the mid 1930s to mid 1960s there was a strong national
movement to control the nation's waters to recover from drought and also to prevent
loss of life and property from flooding. There was an equal enthusiasm to develop our
waterways and hydroelectric power productivity after World War II. Admittedly, there
were lulls during these periods such as the no-new-start policy of President Eisenhower
and a very strong opposition to "Pork Barrel" development such as expressed by
Harold Ickes and Justice Douglas.
Environmental Period
For a variety of reasons the steam began to go out of the development attitude in
the early 1960s. Some of the reasons included the growing competition for monies in
Southeast Asia, the national concern over the environment, the emerging
preservationist attitudes, and, probably of more importance, the complications of
economic analysis and over-emphasis of the value of benefit-cost ratios. In any event,
by the late 1960s the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act brought a
leave-it-alone philosophy based on a belief that only nature can improve on nature.
We can relate to the 1970s as the decade of the environment for the water
programs-a decade of diminishing investment, increased regulation and changing
methods of doing business. In my opinion, we have emerged from the 1970s with a 10-
a
year record of lesser growth than our national interest in natural resources deserved. On
the positive side, we have accommodated the national environmental objectives in our
planning and project development to the point that a return to a period of development
could be accommodated with full and proper responsibility for the environmental
effects of such development. It was an interesting period. Some of you still remember
the Cross Florida Barge Canal and the Alaska Pipeline controversies; Judge Ritchey
and Lock and Dam 26; the issue of the constitutionality of the Appropriations
Committee authorizing construction; the struggles of Merrimac Park, and the Cache
River. And let's not forget the Snail Darter and Mrs. Furbish's Lousewort or some 85
lawsuits. As for regulation, I would guess we issued 175200,000 permits in the 1970s
and probably we spent well over
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billion in writing EIS's and in delays in projects
associated with NEPA.
Conservation Period
So you may ask are we ready now to embark upon a major investment program in
the water resources area? You and I may be, but I do not believe the Nation is ready.
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