WSP10572 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

f'.O''),:,!.,. U tJ lJ v -' .. . . "The language developed by the committee of conference as a substitute for section 201 of the House amendment directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct full and complete recon- naissance investigations for the purpose of developing a general plan to meet the future water needs of the 'Western United States, a term which is defined in title VI of the conference report as those States lying wholly or in part west of the Continental Divide, The investigations and development of the plan are to be in accordance with reclamation law, and the studies, investigations, and assessments of water availability must be coordinated with other water planning activities being con- ducted under the Water Resources Planning Act, The purpose of the reference to the Water Resources Planning Act is to assure cooperation and coordination among all Federal agencies, affected States, and study commissions established pursuant to the Planning Act and to eliminate possible duplication in the overall water resources planning effort, The reference of the Planning Act does not, of course, subject the Secretary of the Interior to the prohibition in that act against the study of trans- basin transfers of water. "It is intended that the Secretary initiate this westwide planning effort by determining the water supplies available, and the long- range water requirements in each water resource region of the Western United States, When this phase of the study is com- pleted, the Secretary can then proceed with investigations to determine the most economical means of augmenting the water supply of the Colorado River in order to serve the most critical water-short area of our Nation, When the water needs of the Colorado River Basin and the time schedule therefor have been established, all pOSSible sources of water must be considered, including water conservation and salvage, weather modification, desalination, and importation from areas of surplus, However, for a period of 10 years from the date of this act, the Secretary cannot undertake studies of any plan for importation of water into the Colorado River Basin from any other drainage basin lying outside the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and those portions of Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming which are in the natural drainage basin of the Colorado River, As the studies proceed, the Secretary is required to submit progres s reports every 2 years and to submit, not later than June 30, 1977 a com- pleted reconnaissance report on water supplies and water require- ments for the entire 11 Western States area as well as the pos- s ibilities of aUgmentatlon from within the Colorado River Basin States, Both the progress reports and the final reconnaissance report are to be submitted to the Pres ident, the National Water Commission (while it is in existence), the Water Resources Council, and the Congre ss. - 2 -