WSP09412 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. ,....{.....- 1 0 i. ~; REGIONAL WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT The Board continued to support planning efforts that may lead to augmentation of the Colorado River. Board members and staff participated in and reviewed activities of the Federal Water Resources Council, the West- ern States Water Council, and the National Water Commission in order that the Board's interests would be considered in developing policies in the water resources field, Western United States Water Plan Study The Western U.S. Water Plan Study (called "Westwide Studies") originated in Titles I and II of the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-537). The Board's 1970 Annual Report details Cali- fornia's objections to the study plan outline initially drafted by the Bureau of Reclama- l;Ull. The majtlr tlbjeetioH was that the plm did not emphasize the problems of the Colo- rado River Basin, the planned solution of which was the principal purpose of the legis- lation, During 1971, the Board's Chief Engineer, as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Westwide Studies, continued to partici- pate in review of various drafts of the plan of study in cooperation with the Department of Water Resources. The final draft of the plan of study, dated April I, 1971, did not satisfactorily recognize California's previous comments, The Board coordinated its comments with those of the Department of Water Resources, which were transmitted to Commissioner of Reclamation Armstrong by letter of June 7, 1971, signed by Director of Water Resources William R. Gianelli, California's comments, which were attached to the first Progress Report on the Westwide Studies presented to Congress on June 30, 1971, are summarized as follows: 1. The plan of study continues to have the appearance of a Type I Framework Study and the scope is much broader than intended by Congress. The ef- forts of tbe study should be directed towards meet- 38 ing the dominant intent of Congress expressed in the legislative history of P.L. 90-537; i.e., to develop a plan to augment the water supply of the Colorado River, 2. The plan of study should state that recommended plans will be prepared for those portions of the Western States where the ten-year moratorIUm on interbasin water transfer studies does not apply. For other areas, such as the Colorado River Basin, the plan of study should state that the development of a recommended plan by June 1977 is not possi- ble. 3. The plan of study should recognize that salinity in the Colorado River Basin, especially below Lee Ferry, is a major water resources problem, Results of independently conducted salinity improveme~t projects should be included in the plan as approprI- ate. 4. All projections of population and economic devel- opment should be consistent for all the regions of the West and be consistent with one of the national projections. 5. The study should make maximum use of infotma- tlon trom other state and federal prograll1~, :<louL:h a.:s desalting. The work-flow sequence charts in the plan of study should acknowledge key information sources and include input from other programs at specific points in time. At the third meeting of the Advisory Com- mittee on June 18, 1971, staff members and consultants to the Senate and House Com- mittees on Interior and Insular Affairs dis- cussed the West wide Studies. They stated that in their opinion the principal emphasis of the studies should be on augmentation of the Colorado River and that not much em- phasis should be placed on a g~neral plan. for the entire West. Also, they did not believe that Congress intends to spend as much money on the Westwide Studies as is being proposed, As a result of criticism from congressional committees and federal and state agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation announced plans to revise the plan of study. At the close of 1971 a revised draft of the study plan had not been received for review.