Sulphur River log jam blocked by need for study, funds

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

November 28, 2002 -- The log jam located on the Sulphur River near the Highway 37 bridge in Red River County was the main topic of interest at the Sulphur River Basin Authority (SRBA) meeting on Nov. 18.

Kevin Craig, U.S. Corps of Engineers representative, explained to the audience what the Corp has done to alleviate the problem.

"From the Corps of Engineers prospective, everything we do is both authorized by Congress and funds are appropriated by Congress. Those are the two major points," Craig began.

"The completed reconnaissance study is not a situation where we make it final or even a recommended plan for implementation. The purposes of the recon study is basically to identify the problems, needs and opportunities in the area; to identify a potential Corps of Engineers interest based on our priority commissions; to prepare an analysis; and then to identify a non-federal cost-sharing sponsor to further detail the studies that would lead to a recommendation to Congress for project construction or implementation of any changes that we have in our existing system," Craig cited.

"Finally," Craig continued, "we would develop a project management plan for the feasibility study that would develop in conjunction with our non-federal sponsor a scope of work, schedule, budget. We would define the federal and non-federal roles and responsibilities in that study, so that at no point is it a Corp of Engineers telling the non-federal sponsor 'here is what we are going to do for you.' It is a team process throughout with lots of opportunity for public input and involvement."

As far as the log jam, Craig stated the reconnaissance study has been conducted and the draft report was sent to Congress in November 1999. The conclusion of the study was "the log jam was causing several problems."

So, what has been done since 1999 to alleviate the problem? And, in the meantime, the log jam continues to grow.

"The Corps came to the SRBA in '99 after the study was completed, needing a non-federal sponsor," Mike Burke, SRBA administrator said, "We didn't have the money ($1 million) needed to initiate the feasibility study (which would be the next step)."

The feasibility study will take at least three years, but to even begin, the Corps needs a letter of intent from a non-federal sponsor. With a projected cost of $4-million, finding a non-federal sponsor has been difficult. (A non-federal sponsor can be anybody who does not have federal ties such as local or county government.) The Corp will pay one-half the cost of the project and "in-kind" contributions, such as mapping, surveying, etc., may be applied.

Meanwhile problems such as environmental degregation, destroying of bottomland hardwoods, increased flooding and increased highway maintenance continue to plague the area.

The Corps has looked at several alternatives to help with the problem, according to Craig, and the one that has the potential for Corp participation really consists of two parts, both necessary.

"One, is a series of 10 water control structures along the North Sulphur. The purpose would be to reduce the amount of sediment coming down the North Sulphur by slowing down the water, catching some of the sediment," Craig stated.

The second part would be a diversion channel around the log jam.

"Both parts are necessary because if you create a diversion channel around the log jam, but you don't stop the sediment coming down the North Sulphur, then obviously you are going to continue to have the problem," Craig added. "If you stop the sediment coming down, but you don't do anything about the log jam itself, you are not getting any flood damage reduction benefits. It's really a two-part process."

Craig brought up that the Corps is involved in an ongoing study in response to Texas Senate Bill 1.

"In 1997 Congress appropriated money to the Corps for a Texas water allocation assessment," Craig began. "Basically, what that does is tells the Corps to assist the State of Texas in determining if the existing water resources can be better allocated to meet future Texas water needs."

These assessments would be to look at Corps' lakes: Wright Patman in Texarkana, and Jim Chapman, commonly known as Cooper Lake, in Cooper.

"With the authorization of Cooper, the Jim Chapman, we did receive authority to reallocate up to 120,000 acre feet of flood storage of Wright Patman to conservation of water storage. That has not been exercised. We will have to conduct detailed impact studies," Craig said.

"The assessments were strictly water availability studies, how much additional yield could come out of the system," Craig continued. "The study did show that an additional 50,000- to 300,000-acre feet could be used."

Whether audience members understood the reasoning for bringing out the additional water availability, Burke did.

"The feasibility study would be a wide-range study, not just a study about the log jam," Burke said.

The cry from those attending the meeting was: "We need help now."

But a lot of beaucratic red tape will need to be cut in order for the log jam to be eliminated sooner than the proposed, initial study is completed.

When it comes to cutting red tape Congressman Max Sandlin had the following to say. "I have pursued and have explored the option of a more immediate remedy to fix the problem, however, through all of my meetings that I have attended since my election in 1996, there has not been any opportunity presented to immediately fix the problem. I am willing to explore any option at this point to correct the problem."

So, what happens now depends?

Finding a non-federal sponsor or sponsors who is willing to allocate funds to the feasibility study.