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<br />OOD351 <br /> <br />April I, 1971 <br /> <br />I. INTRODUCTION <br /> <br /> <br />Water has played a vital role in the economic development <br /> <br /> <br />and growth of the West since the advent of the first settlers. <br /> <br /> <br />The distribution of water resources throughout the West is dependent <br /> <br /> <br />upon climatic conditions and related factors which vary widely from <br /> <br /> <br />region to region. Precipitation varies from nearly zero in some of <br /> <br /> <br />the arid parts of the West to over 100 inches per year in some of <br /> <br /> <br />the coastal'and mountainous areas. Temperature ranges are similarly <br /> <br /> <br />wide. Runoff and streamflows resulting from these widely different <br /> <br /> <br />conditions necessarily vary even more widely. Many of the water <br /> <br /> <br />problems of the West are directly related to the disparities in the <br /> <br /> <br />occurrence of water supply and requirements, both in time and place. <br /> <br /> <br />A great deal of progress has been made since the turn of the <br /> <br /> <br />century in development of the water resources in the West by private <br /> <br /> <br />and local interests, as well as various State and Federal agencies. <br /> <br /> <br />Local water supplies .were developed first. Some of the major water <br /> <br /> <br />resource projects which have been constructed, notable as they are <br /> <br /> <br />and vital as they have been to growth and economic development, <br /> <br /> <br />represent comparatively localized planning when viewed from a west- <br /> <br /> <br />wide regional standpoint. Economic growth throughout the West <br /> <br /> <br />which has been made possible by progressive water resource devel- <br /> <br /> <br />opments has constantly created new water and related problems, each <br /> <br /> <br />of which has become increasingly more difficult to solve. All too <br /> <br /> <br />often limited planning for the future has resulted in the construction <br /> <br />) <br /> <br />I-I <br /> <br />I <br />