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<br />fI~ <br /> <br />5 <br /> <br />The Civil Works program contributes to the Nation's outdoor recrea- <br /> <br />tional opportunity through the development of water reSOurce projects. The <br /> <br />construction of reservoirs, harbors, and waterways, and the protection of <br /> <br />coastal beach areas foster increasing recreational benefits. Public use <br /> <br />visitation at reservoirs and certain waterway projects reported for <br /> <br />calendar year 1962 increased to 127 million, a significant contrast to <br /> <br />the 16 million annual attendance in 1950. Our expanding population with <br /> <br />more leisure time, more purchasing power, and more mobility continues to <br /> <br />seek more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and quickly takes advantage <br /> <br />of the new artificial lakes created through the construction of reservoirs. <br /> <br />This is evidenced by the peak-day attendance of 2,800,000 using the <br /> <br />facilities and 170,500 watercraft in operation on these waters. Recreation <br />has become So extensive a use of water resource projects that it can now <br /> <br />be considered a factor in the economic justification for construction of <br /> <br />multiple-purpose dams and reservoirs. <br /> <br /> <br />On 30 December 1963, the President signed a Rivers and Harbors and <br /> <br /> <br />Flood Control Act, PL 88-253, 88th Congress, which provided increase in <br /> <br /> <br />monetary authorization for ten river basin plans at an estimated cost of <br /> <br /> <br />$684 million. This Act also authorized five new projects estimated to <br /> <br /> <br />cost $117 million. Since enactment of the 1962 and 1963 Rivers and Harbors <br /> <br /> <br />Acts, the Corps has completed and submitted to Congress for its consideration <br /> <br />about 25 reports many of which have been considered by your projects <br /> <br />committee. There are many other reports in various stages of processing <br /> <br />to Congress. To carry out the large planning program, the President's <br /> <br />budget for Fiscal Year 1965 includes nearly $20,000,000 for general investi- <br /> <br />gations. These funds would provide for continuing 187 navigation, flood control <br />