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<br />002320 <br /> <br />The precepts under which the DepartDlent of the Interior has <br />historically acted have never encouraged the deveIopment of one area <br />to the detriment of another. The diminishing of an existing economy, <br />or the retarded development of another, carries nationwide implications. <br />In the Pacific Southwest, defined for the purposes of this study as <br />portions of each of the above five States--each dependent to some <br />extent on the CoIorado River--it is incumbent upon the Secretary of <br />the Interior in any plan of regional water development to preserve, <br />protect, and promote the economy and interests of all the affected <br />States. AlI water exportations from areas of surpIus to areas of <br />deficiency should protect the areas of origin within the States and <br />the States themselves. This protection could be in the form of legis- <br />Iative policies recently adopted by the Congress in connection with <br />the New Melones Project authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962 <br />(p.L. 87-874), in which diversions of water would be subordinate to <br />alI existing and anticipated future needs. <br /> <br />The greatest future water requirements of the region will be <br />for municipal and industrial uses, caused by the Nation' s fastest <br />rate of population growth. Other important needs are for irrigation, <br />power, and flood controI. The development plans presented in this <br />report include water supplies for recreation, fish and wildlife, and <br />cultural activities which we consider also essential to the well-being <br />of an expanding population. <br /> <br />There is not enough water available to the region at economic <br />cost to provide for an expansion of irrigated acreage, except on <br />Indian reservations and limited areas having local water supplies <br />available. However, because of the importance of agricul ture to the <br />region, a major objective is to augment the water supplies to main- <br />tain irrigated agriculture as close as possible to present levels. <br />Many crops are grown in the Pacific Southwest that cannot be grown <br />elsewhere in the Nation or do not have proper market relations. <br /> <br />The region presently has a total developed water supply of <br />16,410,000 acre-feet alL~ually. This is 1,340,000 acre-fe3t less than <br />the present demand of 17,750,000 acre-feet. Demand will increase to <br />20,120,000 acre-feet by 1975, 22,050,000 acre~feet by 1990, and <br />23,360,000 acre-feet by the year 2000--or 6,~0,000 acre-feet more than <br />the present supply. In the meantime, the flows of the Colorado River <br />available to the lower basin wiIl diminish steadily because of con- <br />tinuing de,,-eIopllli!nt in the upper basin within its Compact entitlement. <br />The California State Water Project will provide 1.9 million of the <br />nearly 7 miIIion acre-feet that must be added by the year 2000. The <br />balance wiII have to come from improved water management and from <br />neW' sources. <br /> <br />2 <br />