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<br />General Princioles <br /> <br />· Institutional design for water resources management <br />should be directed at making the most effective use of <br />all levels of government. and strengthening opponu- <br />nities and incentives for private action. <br /> <br />· Federal systems should be designed to promote <br />integration of decisions and actions of government <br />clo5CSt to the levels at which problems are posed and <br />impacts felt. <br /> <br />· 1be federal government should promote imegra!ed <br />resource planning and management to meet water <br />needs. ..Integrated resource planning or manage- <br />~mt" at1Cmpts to find ways to meet water needs at <br />:ast cost - including economic costs and <br />(. "Onmental and other costs and values, whether <br />ql :i liable or not - through consideration of all <br />de. -'ld-reducing and supply-enhancing measures in <br />a pr...:ess that provides full opponunity for panicipa- <br />tion by members of the public. <br /> <br />· Federal agency organization for the implemeruation <br />of federal water management policies should promote <br />decisionmaking efficiency, consistent administration, <br />and public understanding of how such federal respon- <br />sibilities are exercised. <br /> <br />INSTITUTIONAL REFORM <br /> <br />To accomplish the goals of sound wiler policy, many, <br />water institutions must change. For some agencies. this <br />means new approacbes to carrying out their duties. In other <br />cases new allocations and combinations of duties and <br />functions are called for. <br /> <br />Governance of water policy is highly fragmented and, <br />in some imponant ~, outdated. At &be federal level. at <br />least 23 subcommittees of Congress have some legislative or <br />oversight authority over federal water pmgrams. Lack of <br />cohesion in policy-making is mllChed by fragmentalion of <br />administrative responsibilities across &be eleCUtive branch. <br />Many programs are unresponsive to comemporary societal <br />needs and values. <br /> <br />In our federal system, staleS exercise considerable <br />governmental responsibility over the use of wiler. State <br />programs are fragmented in pan by requiremems of federal <br />programs. Local governments and special purpose distric:rs <br />are major actors. but often confine their focus to the specific <br />and immedialC demands of a nanow CODSIituency. The <br />existing configuration of institutions is a major barrier to <br />responsible and timdy decision and acticn <br /> <br />Reform should have as its ultimate objective the <br />capacity to apply authoril)l of all levels of government to the <br />solution of water resource problems through panicipalOry <br />institutions at the ""probIem~hM" leveL Policy should then <br />be developed through an open process that considers all <br />quantifiable and nonquantiflable water values. <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />/- <br /> <br />