BOARD01669

• Board Meeting Date: 1/14/1970
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

in the
about.
seemed

large numbers that we are
As I said, several other
to feel the same way.

talking
people

Since the benefits from this potential
plan of improvement are widespread, the dams
and reservoirs would be constructed, operated,
and maintained by the federal government. The
total estimated cost of the plan of improve-
ment is $50,000,000.

Construction of the dams and reservoirs
would require about 15,000 acres of land.
The reservoirs would be filled on a relatively
infrequent basis. In a somewhat similar situ-
ation in the Souris River basin in North
Dakota, the Board of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors recommended selected taking by ease-
ments rather than fee title on lands to be
flooded. This could be the case with the
reservoirs in the Bijou Creek basin.

I would like to emphasize that our
potential plan of improvement would not be
a remedy for all of the water resources
problems in the Bijou Creek basin. It would,
however, Serve as a first step in solving
these problems. The plan would not preclude
the possibility of solving localized flood
and erosion problems under authorities avail-
able to the corps of Engineers and other
federal agencies or the state and local agen-
cies.

On December 10, 1969, I held public
hearings in Wiggins and in Deer Trail concern-
ing our studies in the Bijou Creek basin. A
total of about 120 persons were in attendance
at the Wiggins hearing. Fourteen persons
made oral statements. The testimony was
overwhelmingly in favor of the potential
plan of improvement. One individual asked
for further study of potential alternative
reservoir sites on East and West Bijou Creeks.
My staff is currently investigating the

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