IN THE HOUSE 0]-' REPRESEN'fA'fIVES

79TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION

H. ^R~ 520

A BILL

To facilitate settlement of returning veterans on farms in projects constructed, operated, and maintained by the Bureau of Recla- mation.

,By Mr. MURDOCK

JANUARY 3,1945

Referred to the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation

H. R.518

IN THE HOUSE 0]-' REPRESEN'fA'fIVES

JANUARY 3, 1945

lVII'. MILLS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Rivers and Harbors

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To provide for the construction: Inaintenance, and operation of fiood-control and navigation in1proven1ents, including · dan1s, reservoirs, and allied structures, in the basins of the l\.l'kansas and White Rivers, and for the

of surplus electric energy generated by the Felieral flood-control aHd navigation irnprovements in the Lasins of such rivers, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

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That this Act ll1ay be cited as the "Arkansas-vVhite River

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Basin Act" .

!) SEC.

2. (a) It is the purpose of this Act to establish

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a definite policy of making use of existing Federal agencies

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1 for the construction, operation, and maintenance of all public 2 improvements in the Arkansas and White River Basins in 3 connection with navigation, flood control, and allied activi- 4 ties; to insure coordinated operation of all Federal projects 5 therein for the improvement of navigation, alleviation of 6 flood conditions, and development of recreational areas; to 7 provide for realization of other benefits to be derived from 8 such projects; to facilitate preparations and planning for 9 post-war construction by the Federal Government in the 10 interest of employment; and to secure efficient executive 11 management under the direction and supervision of the 12 permanent executive agencies already established by Act of 13 Congress.

1- 1 (b) In order that maximunl employment may be pro- 15 vided by new construction and in order that the benefits of 16 navigation, flood control, hydl:oelectric power, and irrigation 17 may be derived fronl cornpleted improvements as soon as 18 practicable, thus securing, by means of developed natural 19 resources, prosperity and increased income with consequent 20 higher standards of living for the inhabitants of the Arkansas 21 and White River Basins, the construction of improvements 22 heretofore or hereafter authorized by Oongress for naviga-

tion, flood control, and other purposes in the Arkansas and 24 White River Basins shall be initiated as expeditiously as

2n practicable and in any event not later than immediately f01-

1 lowing the cessation of hostilities in the present war, and 2 shall be prosecuted with the utmost dispatch throughout the 3 post-war period.

4 SEC. 3. (a) All dams and other works included in the

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general comprehensive plans for navigation, control of de- 6 stnlctive flood waters, and for other purposes, in the basins '

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of the Arkansas and White Rivers, heretofore or hereafter 8 authorized by various flo

d-c. ontrol and river and harbor 9 Acts shall be constructed, maintained, and operated under 10 the direction of the Secretary of War and the supervision of 11 the Chief of Engineers.

12 (b) Projects so authorized and constructed shall be 13 operated so as to ( 1) insure the contemplated navigation 14 flood-control benefits, and recreational opportunities, and 15 (2) provide for the generation of hydroelectric power and 16 the delivery of "rater for reclamation and irrigation purposes 17 to the maXImum extent consistent with the achievement 18 of (1) above.

19 ( c) All dams and other works authorized by Acts other

20 than flood-control and river and harbor Acts, and which are

21 constructed in part from funds appropriated for river and

22 harbor or flood-control improvements as authorized by law,

23 shall be operated by the agency concerned so as to insure

24 navigation, flood-control benefits, and recreational develop-

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1 ments for which river and harbor and flood-control funds are 2 expended.

3 SEC. 4. In connection with dams and other works here- 4 tofore or hereafter authorized for construction or operation 5 under the direction of the Secretary of War as provided in 6 . section 3 and ,,,hich the Secretary of the Interior determines, 7· ,yith concurrence of the Secretary of War, may be utilized 8 for irrigation purposes, the Secretary of the Interior is author- 9 . -ized to construct, operate, and n1aintain, under the provisions 10. of the Federal reclan1ation laws (Act of June 17, 1902, 32 11 Stat. 388, and Acts alnendatory thereof or supplementary 12 thereto), such additional ,vorks as he may deem necessary 13 for irrigation purposes. Such irrigation works may be under- 14 taken only after a report and finding's thereon have been 15 111ade by the Secretary of the Interior as provided in said 16 Federal reclall1ation la"T s. Said dams and other ,,' orks and 17 irrigation ,yorks may be utilized for irrigation purposes only 18 pursuant to the provjsions of said Federal reclam. ation laws.

19 SEC. 5. The Secretary of the Interior is hereby desig-

20. nated as the agent to receive all hydroelectric po,,,er gener-

21 fttecl at projects referred to in section 3 and not required for

22 the opera6on thereof, and, under such rules and regulations

23 as he may prescribe, to transmit and dispose of such power

24 . so as to encourage the n10st widespread possible use of the

1 power at: the lovvest possible rates to consumers, subject to 2 the limitations of this Act.

3 SEC. 6. At dams and other works constructed and oper- 4 ated under the direction of the Secretary of War as provided 5 in section 3, and which are suitable for the production of 6 electric power and energy, the Secretary of War shall (1) 7 provide, construct, operate, nlaintain, and improve such 8 structures, machinery, equipment, and supplies for the gen- 9 eration of electric power and energy as the Secretary of th~

10 Interior may deem necessary to develop · such power and 11 energy for existing and potential markets; ( 2) provide 12 and maintain for the use of the Secretary of the Interior, 13 adequate station space and equipment, including such 14 switches, switchboards, instrulnents, and dispatching facili- ' 15 ties as may be required by the Secretary of the Interior for

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proper reception, handling, and dispatch of the surplus elec- 17 tric energy generated at said dams, together with trans- 18 formers and other equipment required by the Secretary of 19' the Interior for the transmission of such energy from said 20 dams at suitable voltage to the places which. the Secretary

·21 of the Interior desires to serve ; ( 3) deliver to the Secre- 22 tary of the Interior the electric ene' rgy generated at said 23 dams and not required for the operation thereof; ' aiid '( 4) ,

24 schedule the operation ' of the electric generating' unit

H. R. 518- ' -2

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1 units and appurtenant equipment In accordance with the 2 requirements of the Secretary of the Interior, so far as

those requirements are consistent with requirements for 4 the storage or discharge of water for the co:q.trol of floods 5 and the benefit of na vigation, and for other related uses 6 as may be determined by the Secretary of War.

7 SEC. 7. The Secretary of the Interior is hereby author-

8 ized and directed to ( 1 ) construct, operate, and maintain

such electric transmission lines, substations, and other facilr-

10 __ ties, including auxiliary steam or other types of plants, as -

11 . he finds necessary, desirable, or appropriate for carrying -

12 out the purposes of this Act; (2) dispose of or sell at whole-

13 sale electric energy delivered to him pursuant to this Act,

14 or obtained by purchase or exchange as hereinafter author-

15 ized, to the United States for its own use, to public bodies

16 or cooperatives operating primarily for service to the public '

17 rather than for profit, particularly to rural cooperatives

18 financed by the Rural Electrification Administration, and to

19 , private corporations or pe:rsons, in that order of preference,

20 at rates to be approved by the Federal Power Conlmission; :

21 .. (3) interconnect the projects , with, other utility systen)s in

22 the area and , to. jnterchange electric energy with the pur- -

23 , chase of - electric energy from such systems; and \4) acquire,

24 in the name of the United States, by purchase, lease, con-

25 demnation, or donation, such real and personal property, or

1 any Interest therein, including lands, easements, l'ights-of- 2 vvay, franchises, electric transmission lines, substations, in- 3 eluding auxiliary steam or other types of plants, and facili- 4 ties and ,structures appurtenant thereto, as he deems 5 necessary or appropriate to carry out the duties and responsi- 6 bilities conferred upon him by this Act.

7 SEC. 8 (a) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized, 8 in the name of the United States, to dispose of any real or 9 personal property or interest therein acquired or constructed

10 by " him pursuant to the provisions of this Act which in his

11 . judgment is no longer " required for carrying out the purposes 12 of this Act.

13 (b) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized, in the 14 name of the United States, to execute such conveyances, 15 contracts, agreements, and other instruments and to make 16 such arrangements as he may deem necessary or appropriate 17 to carry out the duties and responsibilities conferred upon 18 him by this Act.

19 SEC. 9. Any powers or duties conferred upon the Sec- 20 retary of the Interior under this Act may be exercised 21 through such person or persons as he may designate.

22 SEC. 10. The receipts for each fiscal year derived by the 23 Secretary of the Interior from the sale of power a.nd frorI!

24 any other activities hereunder shall be covered into the Treas-

25 ury of the United States to the credit of "Miscellaneous re-

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1 ceipts", save and except that

Treasury shall set u l' and

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maintain from such receipts a revolving fund of $500,000 to

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the credit of the Secretary of the Interior and subject to 4 expenditure by him to defray the operating expense of 5 transmission and disposition of power delivered to him for

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disposal under this Act, to defray emergency expenses and 7 to insure continuous operation.

8 SEC. 11. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated

9 froID time to time, out of any IDoneys in

Treasury not

10 otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary to

11 carry out the purposes of this Act, including installation

12 of equipment and machinery for the generation of electric

13 energy, and facilities for its transmission and sale.

H. R. 518

A BILL

To provide for the construction, maintenance, and operation of flood-control and naviga- tion improvements, including dams, reser- voirs, and allied str'notures, in the basins.

of the Arkansas and WhIte Rivers, and for the disposition of surplus electric energy generated by the Federal flood-control and navigation improvements in the basins of such rivers, and for other purposes.

By Mr. MILLS

JANUARY, 3, 1945

Referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors