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<br /><"z.', <br /> <br />,!f;i7Jc.. <br />u.. -~,; <br />!!tb <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />have been provided for commercial fishing, recreational boating, and harbors <br /> <br />of refuge. Great Lakes harbors joined by the connecting channels, provide a <br /> <br />low-cost transport artery that permits movement of materials and products in <br /> <br />huge quantities to advantageously located industrial areas. Controlling depths <br /> <br />in the connecting channels are now 27 feet in both upbound and downbound <br /> <br />channels. There are some 60 harbors on the Great Lakes with authorized pro- <br /> <br />ject depths of 18 to 27 feet, The Federal Government has improved in varying <br /> <br />degree some 22,000 miles of inland waterways, of which about 19,000 miles are <br /> <br />currently in commercial use. Commerce on the inland and intracoastal waterways <br /> <br />increased about eight percent during the past year, to establish a new record <br /> <br />of 133 billion ton-miles. <br /> <br />The authorized flood control program, including the $1.8 million <br /> <br />Mississippi River and tributaries project, is estimated to coast $6.9 <br /> <br />billion. Since 1936, the Corps of Engineers has completed nearly 500 projects <br /> <br />having a cost of about $1.6 billion. Projects having an estimated cost of <br /> <br />$3 billion are under construction, and many of these have been advanced to the <br /> <br />point where they are at least partially effective for flood control. The <br /> <br />remainder of the active flood control programs, estimated to cost $2.3 billion, <br /> <br />has not been started. Many multiple-purpose reservoir projects with power also <br /> <br />provide important flood control benefits. A total of almost 800 Corps of <br /> <br />Engineers projects of all categories are now fully or partially effective for <br /> <br />flood control. <br /> <br />Corps of Engineers projects have been highly effective in reducing <br /> <br />flood damages. During the limited period they have been in operation, they <br /> <br />have prevented flood damages of almost $12 billion. More than $525 million <br />