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<br />February 5, 1911 <br /> <br />000535 <br /> <br />A discussion and interpretation of language in the Act are contained <br /> <br />in the Conference Report dated September 4, 1968. The following <br /> <br />five paragraphs are quoted fioom that report. (Underscoring added.) <br /> <br />The language developed by the committee of conference as a substi- <br />tute for section 201 of the House amendment directs the Secretary <br />of the Interior to conduct full and complete reconnaissance investi- <br />gations for the purpose of developing a general plan to meet the future <br />water needs of the Western United States, a term which is defined in <br />title VI of the conference report as those States lying wholly or in <br />part west of the Continental Divide. The investigations and develou- <br />ment of the ulan are to be in accordance with reclamation law. and <br />the studies. investigatIOns. and assessments of water availability <br />must be coordinated with. other water nlanning activities bemg con- <br />ducted under the Water Resources Plannin Act. The ur ose of the <br />re erence to t eater esources annlnlZ ct IS to assure coopera- <br />tion and coordination among all Federal agencies. affected States... <br />and studv commissions established pursuant to the Planning Act <br />and to eliminate 'possible duulication in the overall water resources <br />. planning effort. Therelerence to the Planning Act does not, of course, <br />subject the ~ecretary of the Interior to the prohibition in that act <br />against the study of trans basin transfers of water. <br />It is intended that the Secretary initiate this westwide planning <br />effort by determining the water supplies available and the long-range <br />water requirements in each water resource region of the Western <br />United States. When this phase of the study is completed, the Sec- <br />retary can then proceed with investigations to determine the most <br />economical means of augmenting the water supply of the Colorado <br />River in order to serve the most critical water-short area of our <br />Nation. When the water needs of the Colorado River Basin and the <br />time schedule therefor have been established, all possible sources of <br />water must be considered, including water conservation and salvage, <br />weather modification, desalination, and importation from areas of <br />surplus. However, for a period of 10 years from the date of this act, <br />the Secretary cannot undertake studies of any plan for importation <br />of water into the Colorado River Basin from any other drainage basin <br />lying outside the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mex- <br />ico, and those portions of Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming which are <br />in the natural drainage basin of the Colorado River. As the studies <br />proceed, the Secretary is required to submit progress reports every <br />2 years and to submit. not later than June 30, 1977, a completed <br />reconnaissance report on water supplies and water requirements for <br />the entire 11 Western States area as well as the possibilities of aug- <br />mentation from within the Colorado River Basin States. Both the <br />progress reports and the final reconnaissance report are to be sub- <br />mitted to the President, the National Water Commission (while it is <br />in existence), the Water Resources Council, and the Congress. <br />The investigations and studies under this title do not end with <br />submission of this initial report in 1977. This is only the first phase. <br />It is intended that, following the completion of this phase of the <br />investigations and studies, the Secretary shall continue, pursuant to <br />existing authority, to pursue vigorously the stated objective of section <br /> <br />II-3 <br />