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<br />, <br /> <br />O ~ #' ~I r> ') <br />V6V"l. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />... <br /> <br />These records establish clearl,y .~ha't t4e O'l/.ahoney-Millikin Amendment <br />stemmed primarily from fears that the authorization and development of <br />certain navig~tion 'projects would establish a priority for use 01' waters of <br />navigable streams, which might pre~lude future developments for irrigation <br />on t~ese strewns ana their tributaries. ~roponents of the .~endment repeatedly <br />stressed the need for protection of water rights for future irr~gation. <br />Occasionally, this 'las broadened to include other upstream beneficial consump- <br />tive uses. Review of the hearing records revealed no ~ention whatsoever of <br />any priorities for bydroelec'tric power generation and" as a matter of fact, <br />there is practically no mention in these hearings of hydroelectric power. It <br />does not seem reasonable that if Congress had intended to assign a priority <br />to hydroelectric power generation, as some now contend, it would have omitted <br />this important use from the rather lengthy list of named uses specifically <br />aSEigned a priority over navigation use. <br /> <br />With regard to the Missouri Basin Program, its purposes are defined by the <br />legislative authorization of the Program. The 1944 Flood Control Act author- <br />ized the co:nprehensive plans set forth in House Document 475 and Senate Docu- <br />ment 191, 78th Congress, 2d Sessio~, as revised and coordinated by Senate <br />Document 247, 78t~ Congress, 2d Session. The primary purposes of the Missouri <br />River ~zin Stem reservoirs as defined by these documents are flood control, <br />irrigation, navigation and hydroelectric power production. None of the docu- <br />ments included any indication that power would oe given priority over navi- <br />gation. The folloWing statement from Senate Document 245, 78th Congress, 2d <br />Session, defines the intended relationship of power to other beneficial uses <br />of water: <br /> <br />"Both agencies (the Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of <br />Reclamation) recognize the importa.."lce of the fullest development <br />of the potential hydroelectric power in the basin consistent <br />with other beneficial uses of water." <br /> <br />OUr operation of the main stem reservoir system has been fully in accord <br />with this stated objective. \{e in the Missouri River Division are fully aware <br />of the importance of power in the Missouri River Basin. Close coordination <br />has been established. and. maintained. with all applicable offices of the Bureau <br />of Reclamation and other agencies, and every effort is being made, including <br />pioneer use of electronic computers in planning reservoir and power operation, <br />to insure maximum practicable power benefits. The success of this effort is <br />d.ocumented. by the increase in annual power generation at the main stem plants <br />from 0.6 billion kilowatt hours in, 1953 to 3.8 billion kilowatt hours in 1959; <br />and by the operation of the main stem reservoirs in such a manner that sub- <br />stantially all water released. for all purp?ses is used and re-used. through <br />the chain of main stem power plants. <br /> <br />In conclusion, I woul.d. like to emphasize that it is the vie,l or the <br />Corps of Engineers that t~e broad over-all objective 01' the J.lissouri Basin <br />Program is to obtain the optimum development and utilization of the water <br />resources of the Missouri River Easin to best serve the needs of' all the <br />people. This means that maximum sustained publiC benefits should be provided <br />considering all of the purposes that can be served by the projects. <br /> <br />D-3 <br />