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0094. the 1930's, have generally atte~pted to notify the states of water uses and needs and to file for some water rights pursuanf to applicable state law. Task Force Report at 36. Since 1946, the Forest Service has generally not filed-for water rights on reserved lands, although it has filed for water rights on acquired lands and, since 1966, has informed state officials of the scope of its reserved water rights. The policy of the National Park Service has been to comply with state water laws, particularly with respect to rights not available under the reserved right doctrine. Id. Other agencies have often complied with state procedures in acquiring water rights, but have also asserted rights or used water in many instances without compliance with state law or notice to appropriate state authorities. ~/ While the ad hoc approach reflected in the practice of responsible agencies may have acco~modated both state and fed- eral concerns when water supplies were relatively ample, over- appropriation of streams in ~ost of the western states and increasing ccmpetition for water between and among private and public users has led to efforts at the state and federal levels to achieve certainty in the definition and allocation of water rights. In 1978, President Carter submitted a Federal "later Poli cy Message to Cong ress, wh ich recogn ized the di fficul ti es created for the states by the existence of unquantified, unde- termined federal reserved rights to water in the western states, and reconmended that priority be given to quantification of federal reserved rights. g/ At the same time, federal agencies :'. 61/ For example, fOllowing the Pelton Dam decision in 1955 (see pp. 26-27 supra), the Department of the Navy apparently ceased filing any clai~s for water with state agencies. See Nevada ex reI. Shamberger v. united States, supra n.29, l~F. Supp. at 606. That has not, however, heen the consistent position of the Department of Defense since then. We understand, for example, that the Air Force has agreed that water necessary for deployment of the MX missile syste~ in Nevada and Utah will be appropr ia ted only under sta te laws. See Le tter from Grant C. Reynolds, Assistant General Counsel, Department of the Air Force, to Myles E. Flint, Chief, General Litigation Section, Land and Natural Resources Division, Dept. of Justice (Nov. 19, 1981). 62/ Presidential Papers, Administration of Jimmy Carter, 1978, pp. 1044-51. Pursuant to this initiative, a Task Force on Non- Indian Reserved Rights was established. The Task Force issued a final report in 1980, in which it recommended, inter alia, that federal agencies attempt to quantify all current ana-- future water requirements, that state law be used to the fullest extent possible for water uses not subject to existing reserved rights, and that the Executive Branch attempt, as a matter of policy, to obtain future water rights by purchase, (Continued) - 38 -