WSP10526

• File Number: 8210.110.60
• Description: Colorado River Water Users Association
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/6/1962
• Author: CRWUA
• Title: Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

RIVER BASIN PLANNING
by
General Arthur H. 'Frye, Jr.
Division Engineer
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
San Francisco, California

My subject today - "River Basin Planning" - relates to comprehensive de-
velopment of all water and related land resourFes, and implies exactly what it
says -- planning such development for an entil1e river basin. We are talking about
the entire river basin from the headwaters all ,the way down to the mouth of the
main-stem. And the most important element in river basin planning is the element
familiarly known as "local interests." Water Users are the local interests.
Where these users are organized it facilitates ,greatly the work of Federal and
State agencies.

Every day we realize more fully that our technology as applied to compre-
hensive water resource development, is moving ahead at an ever increasing pace.
Cons equently it is equally important that all of, us keep fully and accurately in-
formed. By keeping informed about technological changes we are forced to think
ahead -- if we don't we will fail in our responsibilities to the citizens and the
nation.

Flood plain studies and river basin planning are designed to cope with water
and related land resources development problems as they relate to the extremely
fast population growth. The status of these pr.ograms demonstrates the effort we
are making to think ahead. But unless: local governments also think ahead to
determine their requirements and, most important, request the services we can
provide, action can not be taken until it is too,late.

Here let me point out that flood control is only one of our nation's water
problems. Flood control and navigation have long been responsibilities of the
Corps of Engineers. However, through legislation, the civil works mission of
the Corps of Engineers has been progressively broadened and strengthened until
today our mission includes participation in all activities pertinent to complete
development of the nation's water resources.

To discharge this mission, we must deve~op complete river basin plans.
Basin-wide planning includes not only flood co4trol but municipal and industrial
water, irrigation" water quali ty control, navigation, hydro~electric power, pol-
lution control, underground water storage and, supply, land use, water drainage
problems, fish and wildlife, recreation, and all other related land and water
resource developments.

One point I would stress here is that you can talk to any man or woman you
meet and they may profes s concern over the water pr,oblems we face today and in
the future.

But that's where it dies.

There is no widespread public interest. There is no clamor to learn what
plan~ the responsible people have made.

It is difficult to understand, for until the local people fully understand the
problems ,they are not going to ask their responsible local officials to take action.

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