455 



on fish and Avildlife needs, and on methods of system planning 

 for the optimum development of water resources of river 

 basins. 



(d) Evaluating completed projects with a view to deter- 

 mining modifications to enable them more effectively to meet 

 changing needs, to provide better guidelines for future proj- 

 ects, and to better detemiine their effect on the local, regional, 

 and national economy. 

 The executive branch should be requested to review present re- 

 search programs in the field of water and to develop a coordinated 

 program of research designed to meet the foregoing objectives. 

 This should be submitted to Congress in January 1962, so that it 

 can be considered along with the budget estimates for the 1963 

 fiscal year. 



4. The Federal Government should prepare biennially an assess- 

 ment of the water supply-demand outlook for each of the water 

 resource regions of the United States, as a means of informing 

 the Congress and the public of current and prospective public ac- 

 tion needed to meet future demands. The executive branch should 

 be requested to submit the first such report to the Congress in Janu- 

 ary 1963. 



5. The Federal Government in cooperation with the States 

 should take the following steps to encourage efficiency in water 

 development and use : 



(a) Regulate flood plain use as a means of reducing flood 

 damages whenever such regulation provides greater net bene- 

 fits to the national economy than would be provided through 

 other methods of preventing flood losses. Additional steps 

 should be taken to delineate flood hazard areas so that the 

 public will be aware of the risks involved in occupying flood 

 plains. 



(h) Study the emerging water problems of the areas in 

 which water shortage will be most acute by 1980, with a view to 

 finding ways that these water shortages can be dealt with in 

 such manner as to minimize adverse effects on the economy 

 of the area. 



(c) Study the future needs for major storage reservoirs for 

 river regulation for all purposes, and report to the Congress 

 with specific recommendations as to ster»s that should be 

 taken to preserve any necessary sites so that they will be avail- 

 able for use when needed at minimum cost. 



(d) Provide for public hearings to be held in the vicinity 

 of federally sponsored water resources facilities whenever 

 such facilities are proposed for development or whenever any 

 major change in works or policies is to be made. Prior to the 

 hearings, the proposed change or develo]:)m-ent should be made 

 public, and comments should be solicited from _ State and 

 local agencies and from organizations and individuals 

 affected. 



The committee hopes that appropriate legislation to implement 

 these recommendations will be introduced in the Senate and 

 considered by the appropriate legislative committees. 



