The Alahama-Coosa River System 185 



control storage be less than that required to compensate for the 

 effects of valley storage displaced by the proposed reservoirs. (3) 

 The storage shall not be less in quantity and effectiveness than the 

 amount of flood control storage which could feasibly be provided 

 by the currently authorized federal multiple purpose project at 

 Howell Mill Shoals, constructed to elevation 490 with surcharge 

 storage to elevation 495.^'' 



The applicant's engineering plans show that adequate storage 

 is being provided to compensate for the effect of valley storage 

 displaced. -0 The U. S. Corps of Engineers, reviewing these plans 

 for the FPC, concludes: 



The applicant's plans would provide substantial flood control for 

 minor and moderate floods and would not make major floods of 

 record any greater in peak discharge downstream from the Kelly 

 Creek development. Therefore, it can be stated that the appli- 

 cant's project would compensate for Valley Storage displaced by 

 the reservoirs, if properly operated. ^^ 



With respect to the development of the maximum amount of 

 flood control which is economically feasible, the Corps' judgment 

 is expressed as follows: 



. . . the plan of development as described in the application 

 would provide the maximum economical storage at the Kelly 

 Creek development. Incremental storage at this development 

 above that in the application was studied and the incremental 

 flood control equivalent to that at the authorized Howell Mill 

 Shoals site would have a benefit cost ratio of 0.59. The cost of 

 providing additional storage at the Leesburg development would 

 be expensive. ^2 



To understand the third provision of the law relating to flood 

 control, we need to review the evolution of the Corps' planning 

 for the Coosa in the period following submission of its report to the 

 President's Water Resources Policy Commission. Detailed plans 

 for the Howell Mill Shoals site were presented in 1952,^^ and 



" Public Law 436, op. cit. 



^Alabama Power Company, Application, op. cit.. Exhibit H, Figures 3, 4, 5, 

 8, 9 and 10. 



" Letter from Major General E. C. Itschner, Assistant Chief of Engineers for 

 Civil Works, to FPC Chairman, dated May 18, 1956. 



" Ibid. 



" Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, Mobile, Alabama, Definite Project Report 

 on Howell Mill Shoals Dam, Alabama-Coosa River, March 1952. 



