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OJ2S2'i "'~ .t'~'1jl ~ttI';' t~ . -10 - planning and development agencies and legislative commissions, have de- veloped some materials for water resource planning, but none of this has been on a continuing basis. 'i Varying organizational patterns have been used in providing for water resource planning. Comprehensive state water planning can be the responsibility of an independent board which does not directly conduct water activities itself, but rather is concerned with planning and policy development and coordination of programs. Responsibility can be assigned to an independent water resource department or board with program as well as planning activities. Or responsibility can be assigned to a water re- sources division of a natural resources agency. Which of the various possible administrative arrangements is adopted in any state will depend on local needs and existing organizations, among other factors, Regardless of the organizational pattern adopted, several posi- tive steps would seem to .be important. The responsibility for compre- hensive state water planning should be clearly lodged with a specific agency as a major activity. While all state agencies with water re- source activities will plan for their own programs and will participate in the development of comprehensive plans, ultimate responsibility for the broad, encompassing plans and policy should be lodged with one agency to minimize conflicts. Such a planning agency could well be the major contact in the state for federal agencies. It would then be the agency responsible for assembling and transmitting comments concerning proposed federal projects and for approving proposals by local agencies for federal assistance. This would be a method for seeing that comments and approved plans conformed to general state water plans and policy. This obviously does not preclude the regular continuing operating contacts between federal and state agencies in connection with continuing programs. Specific plans snd proposals developed by other agencies could be required to have the approval of this agency to certify that they conformed to state policy or to the official state plan once such a plan was approved. The planning and coordination activities of the agency charged with these responsibilities should not be undertaken for their own sake. Rather they should be closely related to specific state needs, including the necessity of relating state plans and programs to federal activities. However, this should not be merely a reaction to a series of federally initiated proposals. The states, if they are to retain and strengthen their position in water resource development. must have positive, workable plans and programs for activities within their own competence. They must be in a position to participate actively in the development of federal plans. for regions of which they are a part. Such participation should include the defense of legitimate state interests as reflected in their own state plans. The development of state water plans (or a state water plan, if this approach is taken) is a continuing process. Flexibility is necessary in all phases of the planning to permit adaptation to Changing needs. The precise degree of detail and rigidity necessary in any particular case cannot be defined. It will vary with conditions. But, in any case, even those states that develop ~ state water ~lan, really develop a series of plans, ora plan that is constantly adapted to discard out-