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

including budgets, that aims at the completion of inte rdepartmental investigations
of the major river basins in the United States by 1970. 'this is in keeping with
recommendations of the Senate Select Committ~e on Water Resources. The recom-
mendations have been accepted by President Kennedy.

One further recent development to bear out the prologue of history is author-
ization for the Secretary of Agriculture to cooperate with other Federal and with
State and local agencies in making investigatiol').s and surveys of the watersheds
of rivers and other waterways as a basis for the development of coordinated pro-
grams. The author had the privilege of motiva,ting interest in and developing a
Western States-USDA usage of this authority during the past five years.

FIELD INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEES

The Inter-Agency Committee on Water Resources was organized by agree-
ment among the concerned Departments in the Federal establishment with approv-
al of the President. Subsequently, the Committee prepared and issued "Charters"
for the organization of Field Inter-Agency River Basins Committees. Thus, the
Field Committees are the creatures of the Inter-Agency Committee on Water Re-
sources.

The basic function of a Field Inter-Agency Committee operating under the
ICWR procedure is coordination of the water and related land resource activities
of the constituent States and Federal agencies. The responsibilities and interests
of the agencies and States vary considerably. Several Federal agencies have plan-
ning, research and management responsibiliti~s in various aspects of water re-
source development. Some agencies carryon !or assist in extensive construction
programs. Some have primarily a regulatory ~unction. Furthermore, there is
considerable variation among the States in suc~ factors as area, population,
climate, type and amount of economic activity, and their relation to water resources.

Coordination of the water resource activities of such diverse interests is a
formidable task and the Field Committees under the Federal Inter-Agency proce-
dure have been established with that as the major objective.

More specifically, a Field Inter-Agency ,Committee is intended to accom-
plish the following:

(a) Through reports and through presentations at public meetings, serve as
a source of information about water and related, land resource needs, planning
and development. '

(b) Provide a mechanism to facilitate eJ<;change of information so that each
agency and State can plan its program with full knowledge and better understanding
of the related programs of other agencies.

(c) Further coordination of the technica~ aspects of agency and State programs
through the activities of subcommittees in such fields as hydrology and recreation.

(d) Provide a forum for discussion and clarification of matters of mutual
concern.

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