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" )....,1 , IEPAR'D4ENT OF CCM4ERCE A significant reorganization within the Department of Commerce vas effected during Fiscal Year 1971. It involved many of the bureaus and agencies directly, or indirectly, associated with land and vater resources developnent. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vas created within the Department on October 3, 1970, by PreSidential Reorganization Plan Number 4 of 1970, Its fornation brought together the functions of the COllIlllerce Depu-t- ment's Environmental Science Services Administration (including its major elements: The Weather Bureau, Coast and Geodetic Survey, Environmental Data Service, National Environmental Satellite Center, and Research laboratories); the Interior De.[8rtment' s Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Marine Game Fish Research Program, and Marine Minerals Technology Center; the Navy-administered National Oceanographic Data Center and National Oceanographic Instrumentation Center; the Coast Guard's National Data Buoy Development Project; the National Science Foundation's National Sea Grant Program; and elements of the ArrD::i Corps of E:ngineers' U. S. lake Survey. TWo agencies directly involved in land and ~ter resources planning were affected. The name of the Weather Bureau vas changed to the National Weather Service without material change in responsibilities. For this reason it is poSSible to submit a fairly accurate estill8te of expenditures for FY 1971 and describe plans for FY 1972 and IT 1973. The interim organization combines the Coast and Geodetic Survey and the U. S. Lake Survey under a new unit, the National Ocean Survey (NOS). Due to this change, it appears advisable to forego reporting NOS plans and estimated funding requirements. Delayed funding for the National Weather Service resulted in a status quo type operation for the first half of FY 1971. The program for replacing obsolete automatic recording precipitation gages in the National Network proceeded as scheduled, namely about 15 percent per year. Some changes in financing this cooperative network were made. Research and development work to improve the accuracy of forecastB of annual runoff from high elevation winter precipitation ,vas continued. A pilot program for expanding flash flood warning services for the State of Nebraska received limited support in FY 1971 appropriations. An experimental project to evaluate and digitize radar echoes vas started. Varying intensities of precipitation are composited for 6-hour periods by a computer and expressed in numerical values for zones with areas of approxillBtely 500 square miles. These data will be distributed on a real-time basis and should be extremely useful in hydrologic operations. The five objectives for improving the River and Flood Warning Service, as listed in the 1970-72 report, were implemented to a limited extent. More extensive eX.[8nsion is reflected in the proposed FY 1973 budget. 3~_, . ,', .,.il ."