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i ~ J ""!~ #-., .... ". /T~')'"~"~ - .~..":'ft-...,. _'-'J~,.".'~"'" ". and rello-rts .slJ.bmitted to Congress, but extend it also to i.nc1.ude continuing partici~ation by the Stateo in the fo~niLation of operating plans for completed projects. Accordingly, there is extensive and. continuing coordination by the Corps of Engineers \lith' tile States j,Jl the operation of projects under its jurisdiction. T~e desires and vio\-/s of tile States are fully considered and complied .ith insofar as pOSSible, consistent wIth project authorizations. For the l'!issouri River main stem reservoirs this continuing coordination is acco~plished primarily through the Coordinating Committee on ~lissouri River Icain Stem Reservoir Operations. Nost of you know the State and Federal repre- sentatives on that Committee, and are fruni1.iar with its operations since they have been reported to the CC>Itllni ttee on many occasions. I--rany members of that Committee are here today. I believe that the coordination effected by this Commi ttee is generall~' reCOGnized as an outstanding example of wbat can be done in this field. Tile relilainder of the O'}lahoney-]{illikin (b) of the Acts previously referred to, deals use of \-Iaters a~'ising in the western States. to quote in its entirety: Nnendment contained in Section 1 with possible conflicts in the Section l (b) is short enough "The use for navigation, in conpection ,-lith the operation and maintenance of such works herein authorized for construc- tioJl, of "laters arising in States lying wholly or partly west of the nineth-ej~ht.'h lN~'r'","H~n ~:n~ll 'hPo ('>""!~T e,.,;,}, \~C''':'' ?~ ~.":'':'~ not conflict with any beneficial consumptive use, present or future, in States lying \-Iholly or partly .est of the ninety-". "- eighth meridian, of such \-Iaters for dorne'stic, mll.'licipal, stock water, irrigation, mining or industrial purposes." The Corps of Engineers understands this provision as expressing the intent of Cong,"ess that, in the operation of Federal \later-resources projects utilizing ,,'aters arising in the \-Iestern States, beneficial consulli'ptive use of these \-Iaters in these States, the cited purp<:>ses shall be given prior~ty over use of these Haters for navigation whene'rer water silOrtages develop. The significunce of this provision is the restriction it places on any right the Federal Government might otherwise have to prevent the use of up- stream waters for beneficial consUlI!ptive purposes './hen such waters are needed for the use of navigation in connection IIi th the operation and maintenance of works authorized subject to this vrovision. The Corps of Engineers further understands that this provision does not'include hydroelectric power genera- tion in the \-later uses assigned a priority over use of the waters for navi- gation. This interpretation is supported by the records of the hearings befo=e the subcommittee of the COlllllJittee on Commerce, United States Senate, in j.!ay and June 1944 on H. R. 4485 (the flood-control bill) and H. R. 3961 (the river and hurbor bill). The discussions at these hearings centered to a large degree around consideration of a plan for improvement of the Snake River in the Columbia River Basin and consideration of the proposal for a 9-foot navigation project on the Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa, to the Mouth. ri~2 "