BOARD02203

• Board Meeting Date: 3/20/1975
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

The question of priorities and the establishment thereof after legis-
lative and executive authorization has always bothered me. It makes no
difference whether the determination of priorities is sought by state
officials, by Administration officials or by congressional members.

Throughout all the history of the Bureau of Reclamation, that is, since
1902, there has been a continuing controversy over the matter of who, I
or what department of federal government should control the establishment
of priorities of construction of water resource projects.

It is well to recall the procedures, which are used in the study of
reclamation programs. The first step has always been what is known as
reconnaissance study. If the reconnaissance study shows possible
potential of values for the construction of a project, then there
follows naturally the so-called feasibility study - determining the
physical feasibility, the economic justification, and the financial
feasibility, in other words, the payout of costs of construction.

Following the completion of a favorable feasibility report there has
always been the authorization either by the Secretary or by Congress.
Following the authorization, it is only logical that final plans and
specifications and designs be had.

From the beginning of the authorization of the reclamation program in
the United States until around the middle of the 1950's, the Department
and the Bureau controlled all three studies, that is, the beginning of
the work and the recommendations following. In those earlier days of
reclamation programs, Secretarial authorization was the normal procedure.
Legislative authorization was the exception. During those times prac-
tically all the responsibility that Congress had and used was oversight
and appropriation authority.

During the last two decades the procedure of Secretarial authorization
was abandoned. Later on, the automatic authority of the Bureau of
Reclamation for feasibility studies and reports was discontinued. Con-
gress first accepted the responsibility for authorization and then has
accepted the responsibility for authorizing the feasibility reports.

Today's procedures and the consideration of potential reclamation proj-
ects is as follows:

1. Congress usually controls the reconnaissance procedure through the
power of the appropriation of funds. This takes place through the
Committee on Appropriations in Congress rather than thrOugh the opera-
tions of the Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs.

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2. Feasibility studies can only be undertaken after congressional
authorization, with the authorization depending upon what appears to
good pot~ntia1s for an acceptable feasibility report.

3. Final specifications, designs and final planning report can only be
undertaken after congressional authorization of the project and the
congressional authority of funds therefor.

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