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more frequent flooding and higher flood crests.”
SINCE THE streambeds are straightened and widened during channelization, flood waters flow through with greater velocity and strength. Thus it takes less rain to cause a flood downstream.” Ancarrow asserted that water supply for the city of Richmond, contained in reservoirs behind several small dams along the James, has been significantly decreased by the sediment from upstream. Thus the reservoirs need to be dredged, as do the harbors downstream. ‘‘Thus,after spending $7 million to channelize the smaller rivers upstream, we’ve spent $7 million to dredge out the silt that the channelization brought about.”
He noted another example of bureaucratic contradictions and waste; $5.4 million was spent to develop a park along the James above Richmond and subsequently $1.2 million more was spent to channelize part of that park to remove debris from the flood. The express purpose for building the park was to give visitors a chance to enjoy the natural riverbanks, he added.
‘‘Now there’s a proposal to build floodwalls to protect Richmond from floodwaters. Again, more millions spent without a proper understanding of the reasons upstream for that flooding,” he said.
“We’ve got to learn to live with the problem,” he said. •‘Let's not dam and channelize every stream. A natural stream has pools and ripples, rapid and calm stretches due to different size rocks, and the woody plants. It
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