Role of Basic Research 



The Bureau of Reclamation has no policies con- 

 cerning support or nonsupport of basic research. 

 For the most part, the Bureau's research is pro- 

 ject-oriented, applied research, and funding is jus- 

 tified on that basis. However, the Bureau is free to 

 fund basic research and has done so on a small 

 scale over the years. Generally, it supports basic 

 research only to the extent that its mission-ori- 

 ented research activities incidentally have some 

 basic research component. 



Examples of Basic Research 



Following are basic research projects carried out 

 during the last 10 years: 



• Electric power research. Dynamic character- 

 istics of system loads and automation of pow- 

 er apparatus. (Research reports REC-ERC- 

 73-18 and REC-ERC-76-17.) 



• Evaporation reduction from reservoirs. (Re- 

 search reports REC-ERC-72-23 and Stanford 

 Institute evaluation report.) 



• Vibratory compaction of cohesive soils. (Re- 

 search report REC-OCE-70-28.) 



• Corrosion of metals in concrete. (Research 

 report ChE86.) 



• A.c, d.c. circuit breaker research. (Research 

 reports from Hughes Corporation.) 



• Research on aquifers and aquifer drainage. 

 (Research report REC-ERC-71-44.) 



• Water quality related to stratified flow. (Re- 

 search report REC-ERC-71-32.) 



Additional research in the field of Atmospheric 

 Water Resources Management (AWRM), which 

 may have some component of basic research, in- 

 cludes: Colorado River Basin pilot project, Central 

 Sierra research project, San Juan ecology project. 

 Medicine Bow ecology project, Bridger project. 

 North Cascades rapid-cloud catcher project. 

 North Dakota pilot project, Florida area cumulus 

 experiment, and High Plains cooperative experi- 

 ment. 



Current and Future Research 

 Emphasis 



Basic research projects currently in progress in- 

 clude continuation of electric power projects on 

 dynamic characteristics of system loads and auto- 



138 INTERIOR 



mation of power apparatus. AWRM projects that 

 may include some components of basic research 

 are the High Plains experiment and the Sierra co- 

 operative pilot project. 



For the next 3 to 10 years, priorities will be 

 changing toward more research in environmental 

 problems related to water resources development 

 projects, and more research on energy-related 

 problems, automation of power and water sys- 

 tems, and conservation of existing water supplies 

 through more efficient use. In the AWRM pro- 

 gram, high priority will be given to development of 

 technology for management of winter orographic 

 and summer convective precipitation. 



In most areas of research the Bureau is currently 

 covering all vital areas. In the AWRM project, 

 areas in basic research that warrant increased 

 emphasis and support include: 



• Basic principles affecting downwind precipita- 

 tion 



• Basic principles relating precipitation to long 

 period changes in the environment 



• Basic principles relating to statistical evalua- 

 tion of nonrandomized experiments, ice nu- 

 cleation mechanisms, numerical methods 

 used to simulate physical processes in multi- 

 dimensional cloud system models, modeling 

 of dynamical atmospheric processes, parame- 

 terization of physical processes in numerical 

 models, short-term forecasting of precipita- 

 tion and precipitation mechanisms, identifica- 

 tion and use of predictor variables and co- 

 variants in experimental evaluation of precipi- 

 tation modification experiments, and the ef- 

 fect of precipitation amount, timing, duration, 

 distribution, and intensity on agricultural crop 

 production. 



Organization and Management of 

 Research Activities 



Research is initiated, reviewed, and evaluated 

 by the Division of AWRM and the Division of 

 General Research at the (E&R) Center and various 

 branches, divisions, and offices in the Bureau's 

 seven regions. Research is normally initiated by 

 working level scientists and engineers who then 

 submit a research proposal through normal chains 

 of command for review, evaluation, and approval. 

 A research review committee meets yearly to give 

 general guidance and review of the Bureau's over- 

 all research programs. In the AWRM program, a 

 yearly meeting of Bureau personnel and outside 

 contractors and scientists is held to review the 

 program. 



