WSP09509

• File Number: 8027
• Description: Section D General Correspondence - Federal Agencies - BOR - Senate Comm Interior-Insular Affairs
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 12/20/1957
• Author: Interior-Insular Aff
• Title: Relationships of River and Related Water Resource Development Programs of United States-Soviet Russia-and Red China - Memorandum of the Chairman
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

WATER RE'SOURCEl DEVEWPMENT PROGRAMS'

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In an attempt to overcome the first of these deficiencies a system of canals
which provide east-west links between the north-south rivers of European
Russia has been developed over the years. With the completion of the V olga-
Don Canal in 1952 it is now possible to go by barge from the Baltic to the Caspian
Sea. The Soviets have been disappointed with the slow growth of traffic on the
V<>>lga-Don Canal and its failure t<>> relieve the overloaded railroads.
Bulk freight on rivers and canals was distributed in 1956 as follows:

[In tons]

Petroleum_____________._________ 10. 2 CoaL_________________. _________ 6. 0
Timber________________._________ 49.3 BuildIng materials_____.._________ 23.1
Grain_________________._________ 3. 8 Miscellaneous___________________ 6. 2

SaIL__________________._________ 1. 4
TABLE 4.-U. H. S. R.-Inland. water transport

Length of Total freight Total freight Passenger Traffic
Year waterways turnover tonnage (million (million
(thousand (million ton- (million passenger. persons)
kilometers) kilometers) tons) kilometers)
1928 _ _ __ _ _____ __ ______ _ mm ____ 71.6 15.9 18.3 2.1 17.8
1940___>_________________________ 107.3 35.9 72.9 3.8 73.0
1950_____________________________ 130.2 45.9 91. 5 2.7 53.6
1955_______________>____>________ 131.9 67.4 139.1 3.6 82.4
1956_ ___________________,________ 132.0 70.2 146.8 3.5 81. 7

Source: Sta.tistical Han(.ibook of the U. S. S. R. in 1956 (Narodnoe Khozyaistvo S. S. S. R.IQ56), Moscow,
1957.

In consultation with the Corps of Engineers, corresponding U. S.
ton-mile and U. S. total tonnage figures on.U.S. waterways for cor-
responding years were found. Calculated and corrected for the dif-
ferent units of distance and weight involved, it was found that on a
ton-mile basis in the 38'year recent span, the U. S. inland waterway
ton-mile figure rose 2.3 times contrasted to a Soviet increase of 4.4
times, and ill the same period, while U. S. total inland water-haul traffic
total tonnage was approximately doubling, Soviet total toimage multi-
plied 8.2 times.

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COMMENT OF CIDEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. ARMY

Maj. Gen. E. C. Itschner, Chief of Engineers, U. S.Army, on
December 5, 1957, at New Orleans, before the Mississippi Valley F~ood
Control Association, made a public report embracing certain of the
Army's information on the relative J?ositions of the U. S. S. R. and
U. S. in river development falling WIthin the corps' authority. The
chief of Engineers emphasized Russian progress in hydroelectric and
inland water transport and gave as his opinion, the view:

We would be very negligent if we did not build up our national economy so
as to be in abetter position to.support a greater military effort in advance of the
possible initiation of war. It follows that now, more than ever before, as part of
our national improvement program, we should develop our water resources" " ".
Thus, to my mind, the new era of military preparedness encompasses a new natu-
ral resource development age which is an integral part of what must be OUr broad
program to meet the severe demands of national preservation.

SOVIET RUSSIA'S FLOOD CONTROL

The U. S. S. R. has an unemphasized flood-control program on
which sufficient data is not easily available or at least not located,
to attempt a fruitful presentation of the type requested in the instruc-