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N orth w este rn U n lv er9 tt y L '-'" r-::iry THE WORK S u~~o. 4 - 125~UG J o PROGRAM *** --Works Pr ogress Administra tion-- For Immedi a te Release July 29, 1936. • iiopkins Reports to President 32,010 Destitute Fa rmers at Work on iVPA Projects i n Six of the Nine Western Drought Sta tes. Administrator Harry L. Hopkins reported to the President a t Ce.mpobello today that in six of the nine states comprising the Great Plains drought area a total of ·32,010 destitute farmers were at work on Works Progress Administration projocts. In making public here the report submitted to the President by Mr. Hopkins, Deputy Administrator Aubrey Williams announced that the Works Progress Administration had received approvals by the President of 828 conservation and 8,810 road projects designed for special drought relief purposes in the nine states in the western area. ,. The report gave the following summary of Works Progress Administration activities in the western drought area: Present employment Minnesota Wyoming Montana Sou th Dakota North Dakota Colorado Total 1018 900 3042 13000 13467 583 --32,010 MINNESOTA 38 roads and misce],laneous projects, 65 water conserva tion included in total of 233 appr~ved by the President ample for any needs. Estimated cost of present drought activities approximately $3,000,000. Digitizea by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY No. 4 - 1255 - 2 - The 233 projects provide for $9,000,000 Federal funds. Drought employment is now 1018. Expect case load to increase to 5,000 in the Fall. Lac Q,ui Parle Dam in Lac Qui Parle, Chippewa, Swift and Big Stone Counties, now started, will create a lake 20 miles long and 2 miles wide, giving water control of a large area, and peak emploYJ!!ent of 3,000 persons. Whetstone water diversion and dam project in Big Stone County will provide 113,000 acre feet reservoir on one of Mississippi's chief tributaries. 65 The cost will be $250,000. of the immediately operating water conservation projects will provide 1,000,000 acre feet storage. WYOMING 198 projects selected for special operation will carry an expenditure of $4,100,000. 100 of these projects are water conserva tion. Drought employment is now 900. Expect heavy increase in the early Fall to Winter. Wheatland Reservoir in Albany County near Laramie is in operation, tv~-thirds complete, and will cost $300,000. This reservoir will aid in a large agricultural area 500 families in Platte County. Men were transferred from WPA to co:ilba t forest fires and pa.id from Emergency Relief Ad..~inistration funds. Similar plan used in Minnesota, State Department of Conservation paying them for this werk. Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY No. 4-1255 - 3 - HOWT.ANA Total projects operating or selected fo r operation 458, e)Cl'.)enditure of $5,365,000 for completion. These largely county-wide road proj ects by applications are being received, and action taken on water conservation projects. Water cons ervation projects are rapidly increasing • .Anticipated in the region that this case load will grow rapidly in the Fall and Winter, estimating as high as 30,000. Drought employees are now 3,042. COLORADO Drought conditions are not yet as severe as others in Great Plains Area. The first projects to be used for drought employment is by expansion of present road programs. Drought quota granted 4,000. Total quota now 32,000. K.Al"\JSAS and NEBRASKA Conference now being held with State Officials and Field Repres entative to get programs there for immediate operation. NORTH DAKOTA Combined ouotas in operation or auplications for water conservation projects total of over 200. Drought employment at p resent 13,467. $5,000,000 are estimated to be spent this year including ap9roximately $2,000,000 now available on warrants for water conservation projects. Farm-to-Market roads are n ow ample to meet employment demands of 53 counties in the state. Drought employables are working on road work in 40 counties at this time. Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY l:o. 4-1255 800 projects, · all t~rpes, are now in use or available for drought purposes. Epping Dam, Williams County, in process and nearing completion as one of the largest clay core dams in the world. Will create a lake 12 miles long, 2 mil e s wide and benefit an area of approximately 200 square mil es. Water now accumulating behind the dam. SOUTH D.AKOTA Total projects selected for special operation 964 involving estimated total of $8,005,814. Total probable destitute load in tho Fall 55,000 . Drought employment at present 13,000 . Rural Resettlement estimates subsist enc e gra,.,ts will be needed for 22,000. SUMMARY DROUGHT PROJECTS .Attached t able shows character, distribution and total of projects available for Qrought employables. A classified list of water conserva- tion projects is there shown • • Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY No . 4-1 255 - 5 - PROJECTS GIVING SPECIAL DROUGHT RELIEF .AS A P.ART OF TOTAL PROJECTS FOR THESE S'rATES Drainage and State Land Renai r KANSAS Itrigation 11 72 13 MONTANA ::i, 1,232 pnrt of the tot al 21 50 1,706 10 4 5 Road projects available a part of the total COLORADO Road projects available a part of the tot al MISSOURI Ro a d projects ave.ilable a par t of the totru. TOTALS • • • .,- • • • • • • • 77 1,070 48 89 79 674 58 11 43 4 172 17 57 5 713 33 11 4 59 144 13 Many of tho se projects County-wide for large number farm ponds and wells. Road projects available a part of t he total WYOMING 51 608 46 9 Many of these projects County-wide for largo number farm ponds and wells . Road projects av~,ilable a pnrt of the tot n1 SOUTH DAKOTA 629 9 32 Road projects availab l e a part of the total NORTH DAKOTA 106 35 Many of these projects Cowity-wide for largf-; numbe r farm ponds ru:id wells. Ro ad projects available n pnrt of the t ot al NEBRASKA 109 41 55 Road projects avRilable 146 63 Ro ad projects available a part of the total MINNESOTA Conservation Total Wate r Conservation 399 . . •• 342 . 2,089 .... TOT.AL ROAD PROJECTS • 0000000 Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY •• 828
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