Engineer Memoirs _____________________________________________________________________
Q:
Did those have every bit as much environmental attention as any other part of the overall
project? In other words, you had a significant environmental opposition component to your
piece of it, as well?
A:
Yes. The divide cut being so large a cut, we had 38 different disposal areas that had to be
environmentally engineered. Also, the South Atlantic Division changed the location of the
proposed channel in their area to avoid some historical and archaeological finds. We were
very much concerned, for example, that we were bringing to the surface materials that had
been at some depth. These weren't topsoil, but sands with a high mineral content, and their
ability to grow things was doubtful. So, how we would position and place them was
important, so we in effect very specifically designed 33 disposal areas.
These were not just ravines and depressions that we hauled to. They had to be designed,
material brought in the right way and compacted the right way. We had to design for flows
and we had to build retention ponds to catch the flows, so the waters flowing over these
interior sandstones would have a chance to percolate and clean up before they reached the
streams again. So, there was considerable environmental work through the divide cut.
Q:
Would you say, then, that overall, the TennTom project maybe occupied the majority of
your time in the civil works area when you were at the Ohio River Division?
A:
No. I'd say that in the first year the TennTom occupied a significant part, maybe 7 or 8
percent. Compared to other projects, which might have had a quarter of a percent or
something like that, it occupied 7, 8 percent of my time. We did an awful lot of work in
preparation for testimony and those things. We often flew tours of the TennTom to educate
various congressmen on the project. Congressmen Bevill and John Myers, as well as the
Senate side, would identify members and talk them into taking a trip down to see the project.
Typically, General Ellis would be in one helicopter with three or four congressmen and a
staffer or two, and I would be in the second helicopter with three or four other congressmen
and a staffer or two. I'd have one of his, the South Atlantic Division, people with me and
he'd have one of my Ohio River Division people so we would talk about all aspects of the
project.
We typically started at the northern end, the divide cut end because we could come in to the
airfields at Muscle Shoals and helicopter over to the project. We would then fly the divide
cut, which was very dramatic when you observed the massive cut, and then hit Bay Springs
Lock and Dam, which was rising up out of the ground. Then we would fly down over the
next five locks and dams immediately below Bay Springs. They were in various degrees of
construction. The northernmost were just getting started, and then as we flew south they were
in different stages of construction. When you got down to the last one, which was completed,
we would stop there and tour the lock and have lunch. Then we would either fly back from
there or continue on down to Mobile. The trip on to Mobile was flying over that part of the
project that was straightening out bends and oxbows and widening and dredging--not so
dramatic to look at.
270
Previous Page
