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'ltlis nerorandum directed the inplenentation of the foll<Ming part of the President's water policy, ann:>unced on June 6, 1978: States rust be the focal p:>int for water resource management. These water refoI111S are based on this guiding princij,lle. 'Iberefore, I am taking several initiatives to strengthen federal-state relations in the water policy area and to develop a new, creative partnership . . . [TJhe actions I am taking include: . . . an instruction to federal agencies to work p!:alptly and eXj,>editiously to inventory and quantify federal reserved and Indian water rights. In several areas of the country, states have been unal.lle to allo- cate water because these rights have not been determined. '!his quantification effort should focus first on high priority areas, should involve close consultation with the states and water users and should er.phasize negotiations rather than liti- gation wherever possible. The l'ask Force has attenpted to carry out this Presidential directive.y This report slllll1\arizes the Task Ebrce's efforts and recann-endations . 1/ 'Ibis report has little to dO with Indian reserved water rights. The President carefully separated Iooian and oon-Iooian federal re- served water rights in establishing task forces to carry out his p:>licy. In what follows, then, every reference to federal water rights stx>uld be understood to mean oon- Indian federal water rights unless otherwise clearly iooicated. Also, the reconmeooations contained in section V of this report represent the reca,1nendations and views of the Task Force and oot necessarily the official views of any department or agency of the federal government. '!he individual agency reports attached as appeooices to the draft Report or this Rep:>rt (see oote 43, infra) have been officially approved by the individual department, agency or bureau. -2-