C/ark Hill Dam, Savannah District, has a generating capacity of 280,000 kilowatts.
The Corps is involved in two major cooperative
our work force stabilized. We attract better young
programs: the National Program of Inspection of Non-
professionals to the Corps by the very fact we do the
Federal Dams and EPA Construction Grants
overseas work. We are in tough competition for the
Program. Is this team work approach working?
best talent, and our work in the Mideast, Israel, and
China is a drawing card. This is a hard point to sell
though; I'm chastised often by Congress because they
Well yes, of course we work with other agencies on
fear the foreign program is detracting from the
continental one. Really, though, there is very little
everything we do. In the EPA grants program our two
conflict between use of our manpower domestically
agencies are working together, using Corps talents in
and overseas. When we take people out of jobs in the
construction management and EPA grants authority,
United States and send them overseas, there is some
to provide the people water quality and pollution
small, short-term adverse effect on the place they
control structures. It seems to be working quite well.
leave. But they come back, armed with new
We have written a new agreement with EPA which
engineering experience and insight. So if you can
will give us more authority than in the past to manage
exclude the initial adverse impact, in the long run the
construction, but it's still their program. I'm sure of
overseas program is good for us and for the nation.
one thing, it's certainly paid for itself and the public is
getting better facilities now that the Corps is involved.
We're a lot more confident that the money is being
I see that conservation will he in our future. And we
spent the way it was intended, too. The inspection of
will probably see some changes in our navigation
non-Federal dams is primarily our program, though
programs and some increase in hydropower
we work cooperatively with state agencies. Some states
production. It's likely that we will be given an
have more capability to do dam inspections than
expanded mission in the area of water supply. Do you
others. The Corps has developed training programs to
see other changes in the 80s?
assist states. There is no other way to go in
government except through cooperation between the
agencies which have interest and responsibility. If
The major change I expect in the Corps in the near
future is improved planning of our operations and
we've learned one thing in the last ten years it is that
maintenance work. We plan for water resources
no agency can, by its own drive, push a project
through the system.
development on a regional and even a national basis-
assessing present and future needs, costs, benefits, and
What about the Corps overseas activities? Do they
alternatives. Now we need to begin planning more
detact from our domestic programs? Are they really
carefully for the operation and maintenance of our
an asset to the nation and the Corps?
established program. Planning for O&M we call it.
Half of the money appropriated to the Corps each
Yes, they are. We wouldn't be there if they weren't.
year is used for O&M, which covers managing
We participate only at the State Department's request,
recreation sites, dredging rivers, disaster recoveries and
and every place we've been we have made friends for
many other things.
the Corps and the nation. Our involvement and
presence often serve to reduce tension. In our arena
Our planning needs to be broken down into our day
we've improved our ability to do business. Benefits
to day business of cutting grass and painting and our
come to us because overseas activities have allowed us
long-term maintenance-major repairs to buildings,
to keep some of our talents sharp. We've learned a
locks and dams, replacement of generators. Our long-
great deal. In addition, during a period of a somewhat
term maintenance costs can be forecast and need to be
diminished public works program here in the United
planned.
States, overseas activities have assisted us in keeping
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