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AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF USDA LAND AND WATER RESOURCES PROGRAMS IN THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN The United States Department of Agriculture has a wide interest in water and related land resources planning and development in the Missouri River Basin in several major areas, These currently are: cooperating with state and federal agencies in Level B and Type IV studies; administering the Water- shed Protection and Flood Prevention Program (P,L, 566); directing the Resource Conservation and Development Program (P,L, 87-703 as amended); planning and managing land and water resources for watershed protection on national forest lands and national grasslands administered by the Forest Service and on pri- vately owned lands throughout the basin; forest, range and watershed research; agricultural aspects of water and related land resources research; and in evaluation of and determination of social and economic impacts of planned and functioning water and related land resources programs, Type IV Studies Providing assistance to state water resource planning agencies for develop- ment of state water plans and cooperating with state agencies in planning river basins or portions of basins within states is referred to as Type IV Studies. These studies are funded under Section 6 of the Small Watershed Act (P,L. 566). In states where the studies have been authorized, the work is carried out by a USDA staff with representation of Forest Service, Economic Research Service and Soil Conservation Service, Federal matching funds made available to states through Title III of the 1965 Water Resource Planning Act have created considerable interest on the part of state agencies resulting in many requests for cooperative assistance from USDA, Level B Study The Department of Agriculture is also participating in the Level B Study of the Platte River Basin in Nebraska. This study is being conducted under the guidance of the Water Resources Council. Input for the Department of Agriculture is being provided by the USDA river basin planning staff headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, The staff is composed of representatives from the Forest Service, Economic Research Service and Soil Conservation Service with assistance as required from other USDA agencies. Small Watersheds (P,L. 566) The Small Watershed Program was enacted in 1954 to bridge the gap between the conservation work done on the individual farms and the structural systems for larger river basins, This program for watershed protection and flood pre- vention is administered by the Soil Conservation Service with assistance where needed provided by the Forest Service, Farmers Home Administration and other USDA agencies, Small watershed planning funds are appropriated in a lump sum nationally and allocated to states for reallocation to specific projects by the respective state conservationist, Planning funds are also appropriated in a lump sum nationally and allocated to states on the basis of need, Project plan- ning costs are not maintained by individual projects so are not available for the Missouri River Basin, Construction funds are also appropriated in a lump sum nationally and allocated to states on the basis of need, -2- I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I