Laserfiche WebLink
<br />'; 3'::,1 <br />J.. <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />The 1975 Assessment of the Nation's Water and Related Land Resources is undertaken <br />by the U.S. Water Resources Council to carry out one of its major program objectives as <br />required by the Water Resources Planning Act of 1965, I which states the Council shall, <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />. . . m3inlain II continuing study and prepare an assessment biennially, or at such less frequent intervals as the Council <br />may determine, of the adequacy of supplies of water necessary to meet the water requirements In each water resource <br />region in the United Stales and the national interest therein. <br /> <br />The Council's first national assessment, completed in 1968, was a first step in the <br />development of a continuing assessment process. On a national and broad regional basis, <br />it described the nature of available water and related land supplies, projected requirements <br />to the year 2020, and identified and discussed emerging problems. The 1968 Assessment <br />also contained recommendations for a three-phase approach for conducting future assess- <br />ments: <br /> <br />Phase I-Initial assessments of the adequacy of the national water supply based on readily :lvailable data and limited <br />analyses. <br /> <br />Pha~ II-More fundamental analytical frameworks for the assessment and more detailed measures of adequacy <br />requiring substantial data inputs. <br /> <br />Phase IlI-Contmuing refinement of Phase II exploring the relationships of the water supply-use comparisons and the <br />meaSures of adequacy 10 economic f<lewrs, differences in productivity, instituti~nal constraints, and other factors. <br /> <br />The next National Assessment will bc a continuation of Phase I with refinements In geographic detail; improvements <br />in the w:Jter supply and use data, including quantitative dat:J on in stream uses, and modified delTIographic. economic, <br />and land use projections. It will be able to use the results of more of the comprehensive planning studies as they are <br />completed. <br /> <br />The 1975 Assessment represents a second step toward a continuing assessment process, <br />following the general guidelines in the 1968 Assessment, but modifying the procedures as <br />explained herein to be consistent with the "Principles and Standards for Planning Water and <br />Related Land Resources."2 This assessment will identify and describe existing and emerging <br />needs and problems at national, regional, State, and subregional levels. It will relate these <br />needs and problems to the adequacy of water and related land reSOllrces to meet the require- <br />ments and goals of the people for the proper conservation, development, use, and manage- <br />ment of these resources, both now and for the foreseeable future. It will identify specific <br />geographic areas with complex problems which require more detailed investigations and <br />planning. A more specific statement of the objectives of the 1975 Assessment is contained <br />in the following section. <br /> <br />IThe legislative reference to the assessment is found in Section 102 of Public Law 89.80, the Water Resources <br />Planmng Act. <br />, Published in the Federal Register. vol. 38, No. 174, pt. 3, Sept. 10.1973. <br /> <br />