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<br />basin issues could only be resolved by a relatively strong, single administrative <br /> <br />entity to plan and implement major basin development. As a result, the DRBC <br /> <br />was given unusually broad authority for the times, which included powers to <br /> <br /> <br />prepare and adopt a comprehensive plan for basin water development; "license" <br /> <br />projects that confor med to its basin plan; finance, construct and operate <br /> <br />projects of its own; and allocate the waters of the basin in accordance with the <br /> <br />principles of equitable apportionment. Although the Federal Government <br /> <br />approved the Delaware River compact with qualifications as to its ability to <br /> <br />bind federal water development decisions, Muys concluded it is a model to be <br />examined not only for what it has achieved, but also for its additional potential <br /> <br />for multi-state river basin management (Muys, 1973). <br /> <br />Interstate and federal-interstate river basin compacts in the western <br /> <br /> <br />United States have generally been concerned more with the apportionment of <br /> <br />water from interstate rivers than with a wider range of water management <br /> <br />issues as have eastern compacts. Western interstate and federal-interstate river <br /> <br />basin compacts typically authorize their administering commissions to conduct <br /> <br />such studies and adopt and enforce such regulations as are necessary to insure <br /> <br />the terms of the compact (apportionments) are met. Even where western <br /> <br />compact terms could be liberally interpreted to authorize wide-ranging studies or <br /> <br /> <br />planning, such as the following from the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact -- <br /> <br /><, <br /> <br />Engage in cooperative studies of water supplies <br />of the Colorado River and its tributaries (Article <br />VIII, Section (d)(4); <br /> <br />Collect, analyze, correlate, preserve and report <br />on data as to the stream flows, storage, diversions <br />and use of the Colorado River, and any of its <br />tributaries (Article VIII, Section (d)(5); <br /> <br />-22- <br />