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LJ ,q Dlrectlons The task of accelerating proper land treatment, developing acceptable new land conservation and management techniques, and transferring technology to individual landowners is formida- ble. However, new techniques continue to surface that can mate- rially aid in overcoming obstacles. Planning-related research into the application of remote sensing techniques for the development of new methodologies is warranted. The support of current Bureau of Land Management studies of new methodologies for analysis should be continued, and the results shouid be coordi- nated with the Missouri Basin Water Institutes Consortium for its research application by others. Continued support of the U.S. Department ot Agriculture's research programs, especially those ot the Agricultural Research Service and the Economic Research Service, is also needed. Instituting land conservation and management practices is an effort that is well worth the cost and one that should be strengthened and accelerated for both public and privately- owned lands. Federal soil conservation cost-sharing providing for increasing funding for State, local, and private land and water conservation programs should be supported at the State and Federal levels. Municipal, Related Industrial and Rural Domestic Water Supply ~ - - Windmill on western Nebraska ranch Situation Statement Water for municipal, industrial, and rural domestic uses is of primary importance to the Basin's communities. The volume of water used, however, is not large relative to other water uses in the Basin. Generally, adequate water supplies can be deveioped from either surface or ground water sources locally, although water must sometimes be transported a considerable distance to meet acute local needs. Provision of adequate quality water, and less frequently an adequate quantity, for municipal and reiated industrial supplies is a major concern in many parts of the Basin, especially in smaller communities. Quite often, the cost of de- veloping storage and conveyance facilities for remote areas is prohibitive. Adequate water supply systems for rural domestic, farmstead, and stockwatering purposes have been difficult to develop in many large areas of the Basin. Even so, rural commu- nity water supply and distribution systems are being installed at an increasing rate throughout the Basin. Too often they need expansion or improvement soon after completion because of increased demand. Ground water supplies are often inadequate in quantity or quality for development at specifiC locations, or are becoming contaminated. Surface water sources often are not dependable, and in periOds of drought, become nonexistent. Increasingly, this requires that regional water supply systems be considered to meet normal requirements. The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and State standards lend added emphasis and direction to community improvements to the quality of their domestic supplies. Directions Improvement of the quality of municipal and related indust- rial water supplies should receive increased emphasis in water planning efforts. Surveys consistently find supplies, especially in small communities, to be of inadequate quality. Improvement in water treatment facilities and their operation should be a major Basin objective. Provision of adequate water supplies of good quality today can provide almost as much improvement to the Basin's rural quality of life as rural electrification did three decades ago. Con- tinuation of the ongoing programs for adequate treatment in waste disposal systems for large and small communities alike should also be a primary objective. The water supply and quality programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should be actively pursued. New water supply approaches must be evolved to serve the needs of rural areas. For example, industrial pipelines provid- ing water for multiple uses are receiving and should continue to receive serious consideration in a number of locations throughout the Basin. The development of economically feasible methods of desalinization could also meet pressing needs in some localities. Natural, Historic and Cultural Resources Situation Statement The Missouri River Basin is replete with many unique land forms. In general, these include the high mountain ranges, broad valleys, subalpine and alpine plateaus, jagged and colorful rock formations, and diverse flora and fauna in the areas of higher elevation. A prairie-pothole region with its scenic landscapes, 39