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THE 1975 WATER ASSESSMENT IN BRIEF <br />During the next 21 /a years, State, regional, and Federal agencies, assisted by viable public <br />participation, will be focusing upon cooperatively identifying and describing the location, extent, <br />and magnitude of the Nation's severe water - related problems —those problems caused by lack of <br />adequate water supplies (volume; surface area, depth and cross section; flow characteristics; and <br />aquatic habitat) to meet potential future condition requirements. <br />Problem severity will be determined for four future time periods, <br />Immediate problems <br />1975 -1980 <br />Near term problems <br />1980 -1990 <br />Middle term problems <br />1990 -2000 <br />Far term problems <br />2000 -2020 <br />thus specifying the urgency of required problem resolution activities —those implementation, plan- <br />ning, research, and data collection activities, which are required to alleviate the impact of identified <br />future condition inadequacies. <br />In describing problem severity, special attention will be given to evaluating and describing the <br />economic, environmental, and social impacts of both inadequate water supplies, and existing con- <br />flicts among users which cause an otherwise adequate supply to become unavailable for use in meet- <br />ing future condition requirements. <br />The results of the 1975 Assessment will be presented in a manner which will be of direct use <br />to the Congress; State, regional, and Federal agencies; and other entities concerned with insuring <br />that the Nation's severe water problems are resolved in time to avoid severe negative economic, <br />environmental, and social consequences. <br />A FOUR -STEP PROCESS <br />Step 01 Specification of Future Conditions <br />The foundation for determining water requirements, and hence water problems, is the Assess- <br />ment's range of "what-if" assumptions specified in Step 01 about future <br />• population levels (400 million by year 2020 versus 300 million by 2020); <br />i gross national product (sevenfold increase by 2020 versus a fivefold increase); <br />• water quality goals (1983 goals achieved by 1983 versus by year 2000); <br />• water use efficiencies (those resulting from achieving water quality goals); <br />• agricultural export levels (moderate versus substantial increase); <br />• energy consumption patterns (current versus reduced trends); and <br />• flood plain management conditions (current versus increased regulation). <br />