Laserfiche WebLink
<br />, <br />(..... .. <br /> <br />c) The technical report on water av~ilability concludes <br />that sufficient water is available to meet all <br />beneficial consumptive uses considered in water <br />resource development plans to date. However, the <br />analysis fails to distinguish between "natural flows" <br />of the river and its tributaries and "stored" or <br />"captured" water. Until this determination is made, <br />the answer of how much water is available for which <br />water service charges are justified cannot be fully <br />answered. <br /> <br />d) The marketing policy of wholesaling stored water with <br />the states as a preference customer does have some <br />merit, but additional justification needs to be <br />developed as to the price proposed. <br /> <br />2. Concurrent Issues <br /> <br />The four questions posed by Mr. Ford and Horton are <br />carefully limited to municipal and industrial water use. <br />However, there is no indication as to the impact on <br />irrigation, domestic, or other water service charges. This <br />matter must be considered also. <br /> <br />Secondly, the policy issues understudy have been <br />discussed in terms of the six Missouri River mainstem <br />reservoirs. Yet initial water applications for large scale <br />coal development also consider upstream tributary storage. <br />Many of the other depletions are dependent upon tributary use. <br /> <br />Third, an operating function of the mainstem system is to <br />provide municipal and industrial water supply to users along <br />the Missouri River downstream from the reservoir system. Is <br />there a possibility the application of the water marketing <br />policies being developed at this time may be applied down- <br />stream, and if so, under what conditions? <br /> <br />Fourth, the federal agencies have assumed States or their <br />agencies can market water. In some cases this is a false <br />assumption since several of the States, through constitutional <br />or statutory language have dedicated the use of water to the <br />people of the State for beneficial purposes. Only water <br />services, such as storage, conveyance, or treatment can be <br />bought and sold and the water use itself is acquired only <br />through appropriate water right acquisition in accordance <br />with state statutes. <br />