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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1970 Millican Dam Included in Recommendationsican cl,u I nded in Recommendations By MIKE PLAKE Eagle Staff writer Opponents and proponents of the Millican Dam project are hassling — though this time behind the lines— again. U. S. Sen. John Tower (Re- publican— Texas) told news- men in Washington Saturday that President Nixon's budget recommendations included $50,- 000 in pre - construction funds for the Millican Dam project and $100,000 for Navasota No. 2. Tower told newsmen he un- derstands that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had recom- mended earlier that the Milli- can project be completed be- fore work at the Navasota No. 2 damsite was started. If that is true, Tower said, the budget recommendation is inconsistent and he will seek to alter it. A Tower aide said options might be to defer the Navasota project and apply its allotted funds to the Millican project with no change in the money allotted Millican. For about the past three days, backers of the Millican project — including officers of the Bryan - College Station Chamber of Commerce, and of both Republican and Democratic parties here — have known about the inclusion in the ad- ministration budget recommen- dation of funds for both pro- jects. On at least one occasion in the past, the Corps of Engi- neers recommended that the Millican dam be constructed first, then a new study of a dam at the Navasota River No. 2 site would be made. Frank Thurmond, a chamber vice president who has worked for several years on behalf of the Millican project, said of Tower's announcement. "Apparently the opposition to Millican, who also have gone on record in the past as sup- porting the Navasota No. 2 site, were able to u, , ain favor indi- rectly or direc ly with the ad- ministration fo the funds for the other proje (Navasota No. 2) to be includ d." Thurmond s id Tower was made aware of a inconsistency of the Bureau f the Budget's and the administration would completely disregard the find- ings of and the recommenda- tions of the Corps of Engineers' study," said Thurmond. Both Thurmond and local Re- publican Jim Ingram said they have no knowledge of who put in the request for funds for the Navasota No. 2 dam. Ingram said if any Republi- can had done it, he "would have known about it," and he didn't. Differences of political opin- ion recently were unearthed on the Millican Project when Rid- ley Briggs, former president of the Chamber of Commerce, said in a breakfast meeting that, in effect, Congressman Olin E .Teague had net request- ed funds for the Millican pro - about the "status" of it with regard to the president's bud- get recommendations. The chamber made it clear at that meeting and at the an- nual banquet a few weeks ago that they would ask Teague to specifically request some $200,- 000 in pre- construction and en gineering funds for Millican. Not much has been heard about whether or not the Milli- can project would be included in the 1971 budget which Pres- ident Nixon is expected to give to Congress early next week. Millican Reservoir would cover more than 100,000 acres, with an additional 15,000 acres set aside for flood control. The proposed dam would be an earthern structure about 27,500 feet long and up to 96 feet high. It would include a controlled spillway. The benefit - cost ratio of Millican Dam has been csti- mated by state park and wildlife department officials at 1.9 or $1.90 worth of benefits for every dollar spent on construction. recommendatio in light of what the engin ers had recom- mended. He said local members of the Republican par y had informed 4 Tower to this c feet. "I can't belie , e the Congress D i a I o 5 us The opinions expressed % Dialogue are solely those of the writer mA d• not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily Eagle. Readers are request- ed to Wait their letters to 300 words or less. D. R. Sacco Says Water Needed, Too To the Editor: D. R. Clark's main concern (Dia- logue, Jan. 19) is the locally envisioned Millican Dam inundating 100,000 acres (actually 66,000 acres or about an area 10 miles by 10 miles) of local landscape and removing this land from agricul- tural use. He cites a U.S. population of 300 bil- lion in the year 2000 as requiring as much land as possible for food produc- tion. He overlooks one other simple re- quirement for man's survival on earth. Water. Bryan- College Station could possibly be one of the 20 or 30 new cities of 100,000 to 200,000 needed in this country 30 years from now. Farsighted planners for this area and the entire state real- ize that using only three to four per cent of the land surface to store water for municipal and industrial supply and irrigation of western area crops is helping to solve our environmental problem —not create them as Mr. Clark portends. David R. Basco 1203 Pershing Drive College Station Money Voted for Dams At Millican, Navasota No. 2 By DAVE MAYES Eagle City Editor Appropriations t o begin planning Millican Dam and the Navasota No. 2 Reservoir were approved today by the House Appropriations Committee. According to The Associated Press, the committee ap- propriated $50,000 for pre - construction planning by the Army Engineers for Millican, and $100,000 for the Navasota No. 2 project. Frank Thurmond, secretary - treasurer of the Millican Dam Development Association, a local, organization supporting the project, told the Eagle the committee action was really what he expected from the House. "We had hoped that the House would do what the people of the community and the sate wanted and seem fit to approve the full $200,000 request for the project," he said. Thurmond said he couldn't say why the committee didn't approve, the total amount, but noted that Congressman Olin E. Teague said he couldn't obtain it. "But no one here knows why he couldn't obtain it," he added. Thurmond said that he was encouraged, nevertheless, by the House committee action. "We hope that the Senate now fill follow through and approve ,e full $200,000." Thus, he explained, when representatives of the two legislative bodies meet in conference committee, that the House members will "yield to the wishes of the people" and grant the original fund request. Concerning the $100,000 ap- propriated to the Navasota No. 2 Reservoir, Thurmond said he did not think that that much money for the project was required at this time. He said he thought it "strange" that more money would be authorized for Navasota project than for the Millican proposal. "There's politics involved in that," he said. Thurmond pointed out that the, House appropriation committee action does not mean that the Navasota Reservoir will now be built before the one at Millican. The bill authorizing the two projects was passed two years ago, he said, and it stipulated that Millican would be built before the other. "Congress hasn't changed that law," he said. Coulter Hoppess, a leading opponent of the Millican project, hailed today's committee action as being "very favorable to the Bryan- College Station com- munity." No matter what else happens, he said, $150,000 will be, spent in planning the two projects. "Something is moving on the Navasota River," he added. a SenateWLe v s ]]tact bi $150, 0 or illican By KATE THOMAS Eagle Staff Writer The U.S. Senate has left intact the $150,000 for Millican Dam recommended by the Ap- propriations Committee. The public works ap- propriations bill, which was passed Monday, also includes the recommendation that the pre - construction planning funds be used primarily for en- vironmental and ecological studies, according to Charles Holmes, press secretary for Sen. Ralph Yarborough. Holmes said the emphasis was being placed on Millican and that it would be considered before Navasota No. 2. He said, however, that the ecological study would include both projects. The bill will now go to a joint conference committee between the Senate and the House where differences will be ironed out. One of those is Millican. The House in its appropriations bill has allocated $50,000 to Millican and $100,000 to Navasota No. 2, as recommended in the President's budget. The Senate has asked the Corps of Engineers to report to the Environmental Council and Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate on the effect of each project on the ecology and environment of the area. In addition, the Senate has requested the Corps to update construction and land costs for the total project and for each state therof as the initial stage: In a speech to the Senate, Yarborough said, "These ad- ditional funds will enable or- derly progress to continue on insuring that the ecological features of this area are not destroyed. "Mr. President, the Millican Dam project is vital to the future economic development of the Brazos Valley of Texas. "In my opinion, this dam and reservoir when completed will be a lasting memorial to Geri. Earl Rudder, the late president of _Texas A &M University, who, during his life, believed in this project and worked hard for it." Holmes told the Eagle Monday it will probably be September before the bill is considered by the conference committee because the House is in recess.