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<br />21<8
<br />National Water Commission Act (5.3107)
<br />
<br />On March 21, 1966, Senator Henry Jackson
<br />of the State of Washington and 44 other sena-
<br />tors introduced a bill S. 3l 07, Eighty Ninth
<br />Congress entitled the "National \Vater Commis-
<br />sion Act." The bill would provide for a seven-
<br />man commission to bc appointed by the Presi-
<br />dent from among persons outside the .F ~deral
<br />Government, to review present and annclp~ted
<br />national water resource problems, to conSider
<br />economic and social consequences of water re-
<br />source development and to advise on specific
<br />water resource matters referred to it by the
<br />President and Water Resources Council. Life of
<br />the commission would be no longer than fivc
<br />Years.
<br />, At its mceting of May 4, 1966, the Colorado
<br />River Board approvcd a resolution that nothing
<br />in S. 3107 should be construed to delay con-
<br />gressional authorization of a. western ,regional
<br />water project study as prOVIded for m H.R.
<br />4671.
<br />Hearings were held on S. 3107 before the Sen-
<br />ate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs on
<br />Mav 16 'I.nd \7, \966, and the bill passed thc
<br />Senate on June 9, 1966, but was not considered
<br />by the House and failed to be enacted into law.
<br />
<br />Water Quality Act of 1965 (PL 89-234)
<br />
<br />A bill to amend the Federal \Vater Pollution
<br />Control Act was introduced during the first ses-
<br />sion of the 89th Congress. Purposes of the bill
<br />were to establish the Federal Water Pollution
<br />Control Administration, to proyide grants for
<br />research and development, to increase the grants
<br />for construction of municipal scwage rreatment
<br />works and to authorize the establishment of
<br />standards for preventing, controlling, an~ abat-
<br />ing pollution of interstate waters. The bIll was
<br />signed by the President on October 2, 1965, as
<br />Public Law 89-234.
<br />At the end of fiscal year 1965-66, the Colo-
<br />rado River Basin states 'commenced working to-
<br />gether on guidelines for the establishment by
<br />each state of water quality standards applicable
<br />to the interstate waters of Colorado River. Staff
<br />members of the Board participated.
<br />
<br />Water Resources Planning Act (PL 89-80)
<br />
<br />S. 21 was introduced on January 5, 1965, by
<br />Senator Anderson of New Mexico, and signed
<br />
<br />by the President on July 22, 1965, as Public Law
<br />89-80, to provide for optimum development of
<br />the Nation's natural resources through the co-
<br />ordinated planning of water and related land
<br />resources. Title I creates a Water Resources
<br />Council composed of the Secretaries of Intenor,
<br />Army, Agriculture, Health, Education and \Vel-
<br />fare, and the Chairman of the F e,der~l Power
<br />Commission. The Council is to mamtam a con-
<br />tinuing study of the Nation's water supplies ~nd
<br />watcr requirements and the relation of fiver
<br />basin plans to the requirements of larger regIOns
<br />of the Nation, to rcview eXlstmg polICIes and
<br />programs to meet such requirements, and.1o
<br />make recommendations to the PreSident With
<br />respect to rhese policies and prog:rams.
<br />Title II authorizes rhe PreSident to creatc
<br />a river basin commission upon the requesr of a
<br />state or the \Vater Resourccs Council if such
<br />request is concurred in by the Council. and by
<br />not less than one-half of thc affected bas1l1 states,
<br />and in the event the Upper Colorado River
<br />Basin or the Columbia River Basin is involved,
<br />by at least three of the four states in which each
<br />b~sin is located.
<br />Section 3 (d) as worded on thc motion of
<br />Senator Jackson of \Vashingron prohibits any
<br />entity acting under provisions of the Act from
<br />stud)'ing, planning or recommending the ~rans-
<br />fer of waters between areas under the )unsdlc-
<br />tion of more than onc river basin commission or
<br />cntitv performing the function of 'I. river basin
<br />com~ission, At its meeting on July 7, 1965, the
<br />Colorado River Board considered this prohibi-
<br />tion but took no action thercon, because Board
<br />counsel advised that, if cnacted, the proposed
<br />Colorado River Basin legislation, directing the
<br />Secretary of the Interior to study importation
<br />plans to' supplement th~ supply?! the Colorado
<br />River, would nulhfy thIS prohIbition.
<br />
<br />H.R. 14215, Fiscal 1967 Appropriation
<br />for the Department of the Interior and
<br />Related Agencies
<br />During consideration of the fiscal 1967 De-
<br />partment of the Interior Appropriation bill, the
<br />Housc Appropriations Committee proposed a
<br />reduction of funds for the U.S. Geological Sur-
<br />vey cooperative Basic Water Data program. The
<br />Board sent telegrams to Senators Hayden and
<br />Kuchel, members of the Senate Appropriations
<br />Committee, pointing out the adverse conse-
<br />
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