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<br /> <br />The Study Setting <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Of approximately 50 million acres <br />of cropland irrigated in the <br />United States, about 47 million <br />are in the 17 Western States. <br />Reclamation and Indian Affairs <br />have been active in developing <br />land and water resources, in this <br />semiarid region, for it is <br />here that adequate food and fiber <br />production for an increasing <br />population can be assured only <br />through application of water <br />supplemental to that available <br />from natural but deficient <br />precipitation. Approximately <br />20 percent of the i rri gated <br />acreage in the Western Uni ted <br />States is served by facilities <br />provided by the Federal <br />Government, while 80 percent is <br />supplied with water developed <br />wi thout Federa 1 fi nanci al <br />assistance. Many of the lands <br />presently bei ng provi ded water <br />through Reclamation and Indian <br />Affairs programs were irrigated <br />many years before the Federal <br />Government assisted in the <br />establishmen't and development of <br />the present irrigation economy. <br />Projects have been selected <br />for study from the 17 Western <br />Uni ted States and the resul ts <br />reported herein. <br /> <br />Purpose of Projects <br /> <br />1" <br /> <br />Bureau of Reclamation <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Reclamation program was <br />established by the Congress in <br />1902 to assist in the development <br />of the West by reclaiming arid <br />land by supplying irrigation <br />water. Reclamation's basic <br />mission is to assist the states, <br />local governments, and other <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />Federal agencies to stabilize <br />and stimulate local and regional <br />economies, provide family farm <br />opportunities, enhance and <br />protect the envi ronment, and <br />improve the quality of life, all <br />through development and management <br />of water and related land <br />resources. Since its inception, <br />the Reclamation program has grown <br />into a multipurpose concept <br />including irrigation water <br />service, water quality protection <br />and enhancement, municipal and <br />industrial water service, <br />hydroelectric power generation, <br />flood control, river control and <br />regulation, outdoor recreation, <br />and fish and wildlife enhancement. <br /> <br />As a general policy, irrigation <br />faci 1 i ti es, constructed by <br />funding secured from Federal <br />appropriations, are transferred to <br />local water user organizations for <br />operation and maintenance as <br />rapidly as such organizations <br />become staffed, equipped, and <br />financially viable to assume these <br />functions. These organizations <br />h a vet her e s po n sib i 1 i ty 0 f <br />operating and maintaining <br />the irrigation facilities, <br />administering and collecting <br />water charges, and meeti ng the <br />cons tructi on repayment charges as <br />set by contract with the <br />Government. <br /> <br />Reclamation operates and <br />mai ntai ns, on a permanent bas is, <br />only power projects and reserved <br />water supply works on multipurpose <br />projects. Of the 174 operating <br />projects providing service in <br />1976, 113 were operated entirely <br />by water user organizations, <br /> <br />5 <br />