WSPC01049

• File Number: 8040.950
• Description: Section D General Studies - General Water Studies
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 4/1/1971
• Author: Unknown
• Title: Western United States Water Plan Study - Western US Water Plan - Proposed Plan of Study - Official Review Draft
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

orr0357

April 1, 1971

A discussion and interpretation of language in the Act are

contained in the Conference Report dated September 4, 1968. The

following five paragraphs are quoted from that report. (Under-
scoring added.)

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The language develor' ed by the committee of conference as a substi-
,tute for section 201 0 the House amendment directs the Secretary
of the Interior to conduct full and complete reconnaissance investi-
gations for the purpose of developing a general plan to meet the future
water needs of the Western United States, a term which is defined in
title VI of the conference report as those States lying wholly or in
part west of the Continental Divide. The investilZafions and develon-
ment of the 11lan are to be in accordance with rec amation law. and
the studies. mvestilZations. and assessments of water availabilitv
must be coordinated with' other water lllanninlZ activities beinlZ con-
ducted under the Water Resources Hannin!! Act The pUrpose of the
reference to the Water Resources Planning Act is to assure COOllera-
tion and coordination amont all Federal alZenciesh affected States,
and stud commissions esta lished ursuant to t e Plannin Act
and to e immate ~OSSl e UD ca~lOn in t e over water resources
planninlZ effort. T e reference to t e Planmng Act does not, of course,
subject the Secretary of the Interior to the prohibition in that act
against the stndy of trans basin transfers of water.
It is intended that the Secretary initiate this westwide planning
effort by determining the water supplies available and the long-range
water requirements in each water resource region of the Western
United States. When this phase of the study is completed, the Sec-
retary can then proceed with investigations to determine the most
economical means of augmenting the water supply of the Colorado
River in order to serve the most critical water-short area of our
Nation. When the water needs of the Colorado River Basin and the
time schedule therefor have been establisbed, all possible sources of
water must be considered, including water conservation and salvage,
weather modification, desalination, and importation from areas of
surplns. However, for a period of 10 years from the date of this act,
the Secretary cannot undertake studies of any plan for importation
of water into the Colorado River Basin from any other drainage basin
lying outside the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mex-
ico, and those portions of Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming which are
in the natural drainage basin of the Colorado River. As the studies
proceed, the Secretary is required to submit progress reports every
2 years and to submit, not later than June 30, 1977, a completed
reconnaissance report on water supplies and water requirements for
the entire 11 Western States area as well as the possibilities of aug-
mentation from within the Colorado River Basin States. Both the
progress reports and the final reconnaissance report are to be sub-
mitted to the President, the National Water Commission (while it is
in existence), the Water Resources Council, and the Congress.
The investigations and studies under this title do not end with
submission of this initial report in 1977. This is only the first phase.
It is intended that, following the completion of this phase of the
investigations and studies, the Secretary shall continue, pursuant to
existing authority, to pursue vigorously the stated objective of section

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