WSP12403

• File Number: 8112.600
• Description: Arkansas White Red Basins Interagency Committee - AWRBIAC
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 10/1/1977
• Author: AWRBIAC
• Title: Annual Report 1976 - 1977
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Annual Report

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CHAPTER IV
EVALUATION OF ACCCMPLISHMENrS

The Arkansas-white-Red Basins Inter-Agency Committee completed its twenty-
second year with a renewed sense of appraisal and assessment of its
pro~ram and its relationship with the Water Resource Council. The
declsion by the Main Committee to upgrade Al~IAC was thwarted by the
lack of legal status for contracting and the indefinite program
support potential of tne Wat<,r Re';Ollrce council. Procedures to upgrade
the AWRBIAC were held in abeyance until the future role of the WRC and actions
to be requested of inter-agency committees by the Council were more definite.

The Main Committee voted to combine the Environmental Quality and the Fish
and Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Standing Committees into the
Environmental Resources Standing Committee. The Committee upgraded the
Ad Hoc 75 Assessment Committee to the Comprehensive Planning Standing
Committee to complete the 75 National Water Assessment and to carry out
the WRC proposed Ivater Assessment and Appraisal Program. The Charter
was changed to delete the Departrrent of Health, Education, and Welfare
and Departrrent of Labor as members of the Committee. The language in
Section 4(c) of the Charter limiting size of Standing Committees to seven
was changed to accommodate the new Comprehensive Planning Standing
Committee which will have representation from each member agency.

There were 3 regular meetings during Fiscal Year 1977 (October 1, 1976 -
September 30, 1977). The regular meeting scheduled for July 13-14, 1977,
was postponed until October 19-20, 1977. Each meeting provided opportunity
for canrunication and cooperation arrong the eight state and eight Federal
agency members. Each meeting had two or more discussions of water-related
programs being implemented in the Basin. The Basic Data, Exchange of
Program Information, and Recreation Standing Committees presented an
annual report, one at each of the three meetings. The business session
of each meeting included reports from the Ad Hoc Committee for the 75 Water
Assessment and the Administrative Committee. A representative of the WRC
attended the October and January meetings and discussed the potential
cooperative program between the Committee and the Council.

The Ad Hoc Committee for the 75 Water Assessment essentially completed
the four technical reports and public participation requirements
required in the Merrnrandum of Agreement with the WRC. Review of the
national report draft is all that remains to fulfill the requirement
of the agreenalt.

Fiscal Year 1977 could be labeled a frustrating year for the Committee.
While the normal program was carried out successfully as in past years, the
reorganizing for program coordination with the WRC was ineffectual. It
was fOlIDd the Committee lacked legal status to contract for hire a permanent
staff. There was also nuch study and discussion of the committee
organization for cooperation with the WRC program which was not implemented
as proposed. It was concluded no further work on reorganization would be
done until the WRC program becares finn,

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