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<br />J <br /> <br />) <br />,/ <br /> <br />002501 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Perhaps more importantly, if the development of the floodplain <br />continues, it can be expected that pressure to increase the flood storage <br />capacity of the upstream dams will mount. Such an increase of flood storage <br />capacity can only be obtained at the expense of.the water supply storage <br />behind the dams. The Bureau of Reclamation has calculated that to provide <br />the flood control storage necessary to prevent the flood flows of 1983, <br />water supply storage valued well in excess of $1 billion would have to be <br />foregone. Since the resulting flood control benefits in no way approach <br />this level of magnitude, such a reallocation of resources is clearly <br />unacceptable. <br /> <br />In reporting the Coastal Barriers Resources Act (P.L. 97-348) the <br />Committee on Environment and Public Works gave explicit recognition to the <br />idea that in certain areas of high risk, Federal development assistance and <br />incentives should be withdrawn to help save federal dollats and eliminate <br />resource use conflicts. By its approval of S.1696, the Committee again <br />recomnends this approach to the Senate as the best way to address the <br />serious problems caused by the continued development of the Lower Colorado <br />River floodplain. <br /> <br />DISCUSSION <br /> <br />The main purpose of S.1696 is to withdraw federal assistance for new <br />development within the Colorado River floodplain. The bill requires the <br />establishment of a federally declared Floodway after an extensive study and <br />public participation process. . Within the Floodway, most forms of federal <br />development-related assistance would be prohibited, but existing development <br />would be grandfathered. The most import3nt form of grandfathering would be <br />the continued availability (within certain limits) of flood insurance, and <br />the continued, conditional eligibility for disaster assistance. In <br />addition, federal leasing would be required to be consistant with protection <br />of the Floodway. <br /> <br />The bill contains no zoning or restrictions on the use of private <br />land. That remains the responsibility of local governments. Residents of <br />the affected areas will be allowed to build anywhere they could legally <br />build under existing law, and to obtain traditional forms of bank financing <br />for such construction, as well as any available private flood insurance. <br /> <br />Furthermore, the bill does not tell the Bureau of Reclamation or the <br />Corps of Engineers how to manage the Colorado River. If management changes <br />are necessary or desirable, 'they can be made in the same manner in which <br />they would be made now. Section 9 of S.1696 specifically preserves all <br />necessary legal authority for both agencies, and generally protects the <br />existence and operation of the "Law of the River". <br /> <br />S.1696 has the unanimous support of the all of the states in the <br />Colorado River Basin and enactment of the bill will accomplish several <br />important objectives: first, it will protect existing conservation storage <br />along the Colorado River, thus reducing the need for.new water project <br />construction in a growing area of the country. Second, maintenance of the <br />Floodway as specified in this legislation will decrease future flood <br />