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<br />Since the personal and the economic welfare of the people <br />of Texas depend directly upon a steady, daily supply of water <br />usable by people, usable by the environment, usable by the <br />businesses and .industries that feed, clothe, house, and otherwise <br />serve the people of Texas, it is imperative that all possible <br />actions be taken to insure that there is an adequate quantity of <br />sui table 'lualitY'Mter available at the time and place of need. <br />Bitte~ and costly experience has shown that in order to do this, <br />Texans must plan to develop and store flood flows in sufficient <br />quantities to meet the regular, daily needs and to sustain deliver- <br />ies through the multi-year critical periods of drought. <br /> <br />Groundwater, historically the reserve that has supplies large <br />areas of Texas with water, is being consumed more rapidly than it <br />is being replaced through natural processes. This phenomenon, <br />coupled with the large and growing size of the Texas water require- <br />ment, the need to match water resources with land and other re- <br />sources and the necessity to protect human habitation from the <br />ravages of floods and droughts dictates that accurate information be <br />obtained constantly and that this information be used to understand <br />the forces and relationships of the environment that is Texas. The <br />knowledge gained, when applied appropriately, is the means whereby <br />Texans can evaluate and choose a course of action that will satisfy <br />the basic water resources requirements of the people, the environ- <br />ment, and the economy of the State in the years ahead as the POPULI-- <br />tion grows and competition for scarce water, land, minerals, capit~l, <br />atmosphere, and other resources increases. <br /> <br />To fail to plan well, and to fail to develop water resources <br />according to the schedule required by population, technological <br />and environmental change has social and economic costs of pratJcally <br />inestimable magnitudes. The failure to plan and implement timely <br />water resources programs, with today's large population and elevated <br />economic level, is to invite economic and social crises that have a <br />high probability of resulting in disaster for Texaaa. <br /> <br />Effects relating to specific problems are included <br />in the Texas problem summaries. <br /> <br />-', < r-' <br />\.."!vl~.A. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />'-' <br /> <br />77 <br />