TODAY'S DEBATE: TAXPAYER MONEY SPENT ON FLOOD CONTROL; KEEP PROTECTING RESIDENTS (OPPOSINT VIEWPOINT)

Opposing view: money used for flood control is well spent and benefits the whole nation.

This year's spring flooding is a painful reminder of just how important flood control is to modern America -- now and in the future.

Unfortunately, a vocal minority of Washington special interests wants to take advantage of the horrific pictures of displaced families, lost lives and damaged property by arguing incorrectly that our nation's flood-control system could be responsible for this destruction. Assertions like this are preposterous.

Just look at the region I represent in southern Missouri, which includes portions of the lower Mississippi River valley. Without significant flood-control advances through the 20th century, the southeast corner of Missouri, known as the Bootheel, still would be a vast swampland. Instead, it's one of the most productive agricultural regions in the USA, producing one-third of our state's agricultural products alone.

All told, the Mississippi River and Tributaries Flood Control Project has invested $9.5 billion since the turn of the century. It has returned $182.3 billion in benefits from flood damages prevented by protecting 6 million people who live there. So please don't tell folks that our nation's dams, levees and other flood-control structures aren't a worthy investment.

And it's not just agriculture. All our nation's communities, small businesses and industries depend upon a viable flood-control and navigation network. Moving goods by water is the least expensive and most efficient form of transportation. Nationwide, our inland waterways system helps to make American businesses more competitive in the global economy. In fact, our navigable river system handles 660 million tons, carrying goods with a value in excess of $100 billion, each and every year.

Simply put, those who believe our flood control network somehow caused additional flooding obviously don't have a grasp of our inland waterways system. The fact is that flood control helps to save lives and prevent further destruction by protecting communities and commerce for future growth and competitiveness.

In the aftermath of the floods of '97, the federal government, states and local communities all must work together to enhance our flood-control network and not destroy an investment upon which millions of lives and livelihoods depend.

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., is a member of the House subcommittee on water resources and environment.