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<br />On206~\
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<br />CONGRESSMAN ASPINALL EXPLAINS WATER RESOURCE BILL
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<br />Congressman Wayne Aspinall (Colorado),Chairman,House Interior and
<br />Insular Affairs' Committee, inserted in the Congressional Record a rather
<br />comprehensive statement explaining'his bill H. R. j704.
<br />
<br />This is a bill that has been given a great deal of study, and consideration
<br />by many NRA members, as well as several committees and'the Board of
<br />Directors.
<br />
<br />One of the most significant features of the bill is that ,,;.,.*,"costs
<br />allocated to the improvement of public recreational opportunities shall
<br />be treated as non~reimbursable." It would also provide that "1""''Where
<br />benefits such as those from salinity control, pollution 'abatement, and the
<br />like accrue to a project or unit, and allocation of costs are made to such
<br />purposesM""." "Mr1'a determination shall be made as to those portions of
<br />such allocated costs which should be reimbursable and those portions of
<br />'such costs ,which IIhould be treated as non~reimbursable.1'*,'" '
<br />
<br />The bill also would provide that the evaluation of all plans for water
<br />resources shall be conducted on a uniform basis.
<br />
<br />It would authorize the Presid\!nt, "To create a commission for any major
<br />river basin or region containing a group of related river basins." In
<br />this respect the law is similar to the Texas River Commission law and also
<br />the Georgia Water Commission law.
<br />
<br />The statement by Congressman Aspinall reproduced from the Congressional
<br />Record follows on this page'.
<br />
<br />~~6~.:'~"~;::.. " '.' '.' 'i",;:;,'::89~~~S.!Q~~t',:P~RRH;.;ff9F~Jl;
<br />"VEi.\QPt~dTHm'NATION'gWATEIf' fmet46dsto,!,>efoUowe<lb...." Federl>l
<br />,1lii'\1Nl"IN:"f';1'!.:mSOUf\CES..,' '"".,' ,: ",,", 'i !:1I1 glejnc\lteSdlnt' etvtlupa,tlng ~rcjehcts"::fhe.'t'lUe\l:
<br />,~.""",>,''','.,''.c'','\.''.'..l1'''>;~'';:'~,'-,'''.'',.',.,'.;.sk..e'.d.'a"n'.d. ....,'w'-..a'..'.'...'...'.'g'..lv"e','.'n'.',:'. I: ,$' 111 "e, ' o,.e, ~!)li",g p ase vW" t: '
<br />ll'> "Vll' ~.,.,""~ ~ 'reso\l\'ce~,deV"loPll1ent~llfl:,cloes' '1.0tj11,~:
<br />'llili'b:lISsloxit<{extendW.' relliatkSi>t this: ~YOIVe'tl1\\<!uestlon'of'Vlb\1, cOnstr!1llts 1'he)
<br />',\>olntlntbe,R~colli>.) .',', "', ,.' l',;' "workS recollU\\eildeq'ln'the:basill,wldec
<br />li::!.a~. ,ASPWALL;,:Mri Speaker, olle, of,' 'pla.n.'R Is .I\ntjclpllted }/ll\t '1\ 'pl~,
<br />!!!,e 'l11o~Hml'<>rtant l11at~er~ faclngthl. ,;wllUl4 pe eVolved f"f e!';Ch'l11ajor basll);
<br />la~IQll'ill,tlie Ye9,1'$ a\1ead lIl,thee9n-: ~Intowhlch 9,11 projecw; wMthiir thel'i>re:
<br />rvatIOl\,'~A~V\llopment.and wise 1Il!e of i:cQI\Strlicted, py the, Fe,cleralGOver,nnl~nt'
<br />,:.W1"llmlte!l:lI'l\ter,,reso1ll'ees.' Wltlltha' [or. lill as.tllt.. a IQ.cal a, go. nc. Y.<>r a. ,pfl,vate. '.
<br />' Ibjectlve ,pt'::,,!\CWeVlng. maximum' USe.', fco1'poratlon, , could' fit.', The lCglsllltlon
<br />\ll!ieW'iif::~1ichreso\licesi 'I,lntrQduce4t Aoes 'notlnVQ1VPthe' matter ofr~iIlI.-
<br />l'ilti~e~l~\l;imwrtant andfar;iO!';Clllitg' ;pursablllty orl1011l'e!ll1!,>urllllbllltY"f 1'he
<br />...~" 'II' hili H~ 3704 'T'''' 1 . '. 'w;ualml\lo1',ltelll!l"of'lrrlgatlon,:fioo<l
<br />, "'i'r",po, cY ~)' ..~;, " . ...~'egul~, rc~pt1'"I, "hydrdelecttlc'power; i>,n,d".Ci
<br />..,t\,?c!f:ijl\l!'Peep!Jllder~UdY,lln4reVleW, 'fQnh, except thatreCl'OlItlonal develop-,
<br />.or'.'l!-','Year :I?:,o,:the,Fe4eraldepartanelltll, 'inentlll'cotillectlollwlth l11ultlple-pur-
<br />rfP-d'9,genclesJnvoIVe<\, thcStlltes, an", !nnse projects. would !,>ea,uthorlzed on a
<br />,,,ther:,lrte,ested groups." I hope t/lat It',.- hI Is t
<br />[Will :lle',rel\<li' forcongresslonal.,consld"' ;l1Onrelmpursau e bas .', '. 0 herwlse 1'e-
<br />loratlon In the neal', future,! would llkc ,paYl11ent requirements woul4 1'el1111m for,
<br />it<> brlet!y,exp!aill wha,t Is InVolved \nt/ll~ ;t/le' most pllrt as' pre.ently set out In
<br />'b\1I,''':'''''I'',,)I;';'.''' ,''.,', ',,' d' :exlstlnglllw.", , <',', <, :' ,"":
<br />: :'Thepurpo;e:ot.H.R; 37Q41s toestap,: ':The'rlver 'baslncommlssloll would
<br />:l!sh congressional pollcy' to thee1fect' i~erve ili;the principal agency for coordl~
<br />that the coIiBel'vatton~ development. and- ~natlng Federal, .State," and loca.! plans tor
<br />~utiUzat1on ot the water resow'ces of the ,.wa.ter- resources development- in 0. rivel'
<br />,United States shall be administered on a' ,basin or a gl'OUp of l'elated,r1ver basins,
<br />h I It. lb' 'It ,wolll<l be ,the l11echanlsm throug/l
<br />'compre enave, mu IP e-purpose. asm- ',which "'ederal agencies,. states. an~ local
<br />'Wide basis so 'as to achieve maximum" "
<br />:.~efullless' of' suci'l resources. and to set: 'agellcle. and !pterests would prepare an4
<br />: U.P . the 'l11echanism, 01' means fOI' cany,' publlsh Joint 'plal18 for water re.ources
<br />I 11 h t bllsh t develojJment.The ..'. commission would
<br />I: ng'out..thls po cy. ,T ees a men: ;lceep uP-to-dllte,' cOlnpre/lellslve Joint
<br />i"Of,:rf.ver basin wa.te~j. resources commis..! '--I f t ~ I .
<br />(iOns \V9\l1":,);leautho~12ed ,to coor"lnl1\6 .. ans or wa er resources "eve opmell.
<br />'JJ1q,Pl!mnlpg'()fWlltenesOm'~esdevelop., :In t/le basIn alld would"recOl11l11end 11
<br />. iliItit~'i~llllt.j\I~:1irc4e,jbeiJ\lll!forlll,i ; .che<\ule of priorities' for' the collectlol);
<br />- \lIM: al1alYs14 ..Qtlllllllo..dl\tft,: Iirnl tQl'..ln~
<br />
<br />'lJ' ~l}J'1.fAJ:.r:JjLt
<br />
<br />::Vestlgiitlotis :\>od ' jJrojectplatiDlnli'>'fliilJ
<br />[eommlsalon"V1oul<\ .)ll\ve: 'l>ulilorlty:",tpj
<br />t\l1llkeSUC!l..tudles . Ill!'! -!nye.tlgatlo)jS !III,
<br />Jt d,et~ril1illed' necess~1i"to' oo.1TI'Piltlt/j,
<br />fespo. ,118.,.I.P ,.lIlt.y., :f,.oran'!'v. erl'll b.as. .!p.'. p.l.a., ,n...'m'.'..!
<br />~;;' ,Eac/l 'rlve,r pasln commlssl04 wOulclll~
<br />'composed of Il full-lillle epalrgU,lon;,Pn
<br />!inemberfro"leac~'li'ederitJ, department.
<br />pr.' agellcy 'Fllv.lllga sUbstrm. tlalll\~reatil
<br />;olle member frQUl, ellch alfl:ct<l<l ata.W'1
<br />'l>nd' olle, member from o.lly';,wt<lrstate i
<br />compact commission' havlngjurlsdletloti;
<br />:)il>tendlni1' to.. the, waters' Qftlio,l>lIS4I.'J
<br />1fhe . President' llQul<l tiofcreat<l,ll' 'coti!:~;1
<br />}lllsslon In' allY basin 'wl1ere l!U,el<jstiWj
<br />'com!l1isslol\;, crel>ted by Congress: pr"by,
<br />1;O"lj;lllCt, w~ alreadt<iclipg ~n,1l9eq,!1l~J.
<br />
<br />: 'Job of cO'l~l1atlng wa~er ,.esQurees plal1:!
<br />
<br />mug, . " ..... '.'-. . ~_' . o' ," . -...._-..i;~
<br />We /lave peen talld,ng. mUltlple"llilr,J
<br />pose. basinwide development for 3Q yeal'/SI
<br />but to date ,no such :\>OJlefhas,i?eel\!
<br />establls/le4 bYli>w."pro1>ab'yJ/le grei>h
<br />est slnglewealmess Iptile Fedel'llIGov.'
<br />, ernment's 'llCtlvltles in the field df water
<br />"resources development is the lacJs:.of.co...,
<br />opers,.tion arid coordjna~ion ot the Feel";
<br />eral agencies with each otl1er anl;l W1tll;
<br />the States and local Interests. , 'r\ll~'half '
<br />, been occasioned by the fllctthat t/le Fed.;
<br />era! intel'ests in water rcs_ources qevelop+:
<br />;:- ment ha.ve, been expressed- in different'
<br />,Jaw. empowerIng different agencies tQ
<br />',pursue dllferent pl'(>gl'llms fOI', dIlferi>!i~
<br />purpose~ wltliout l'equl~l1)g close cQope~Jt
<br />;', aUon an<\ cordlnatlon, In other woraa~
<br />{ Cong1'es~ has not provlde<! ~ '~Ingle: cw.h
<br />(fol'1l1 \>Ol1cyor evenunI!9rD;lcrl~r)l1(:f\111
<br />i"plIlOOlng Wlltef IJrQj~ta.:i,,,,"',k',(~
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