462 



In its final form, tlie Water Resources Planning Act ^^ established 

 the policy of the Congress — 



In order to meet the rapidly expanding demands for water throughout the 

 Nation, * * * to encourage the conservation, development, and utilization of 

 water and related land resources of the United States on a comprehensive and 

 coordinatetl basis by the Federal Government, States, localities, and private 

 enterprise with the cooperation of all affected Federal agencies, States, local 

 governments, individuals, corporations, business enterprises, and others 

 concerned. 



The act established a Water Resources Council, composed of the 

 Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture, Army, and Health, Education, 

 and Welfare, and the Chairman of the Federal Power Commission. Its 

 functions would l>e (paraphrase) : 



To maintain a study (and report biennially) on the adequacy of 

 regional water supply ; 



To study the relation of regional or river l:»asin plans to tlie 

 requirements of larger regions, and the adequacy of organization 

 for coordination of water plans and policies ; 



To establish principles, standards, and procedures for Federal 

 participants in the preparation of comprehensive river basin plans, 

 and for the formulation and evaluation of water projects : 



To review plans prepared by river basin commissions (also pro- 

 vided in the act) , with special regard to — 



(1) The efficacy of such plan or revision in achieving opti- 

 mum use of the water and related land resources in the area 

 involved ; 



(2) The effect of the plan on the achievement of other pro- 

 grams for the development of agricultural, urban, energy, 

 industrial, recreational, fish and wildlife, and other resources 

 of the entire Nation ; and 



(3) The contributions which such plan or revision will make 

 in obtaining the Nation's economic and social goals. 



The act provided that the President might create river basin water 

 commissions, at the recommendation of the Council or the States con- 

 cerned. These commissions would coordinate the development of plans 

 for the regional basin, keep them up to date, make studies necessary for 

 this purpose, and recommend priorities for projects. The principal task 

 of the commissions would be the submission of a comprehensive, co- 

 ordinated, joint plan for the region. 



Finally, the act provided for Federal aid to the States "to assist them 

 in developing and participating in the development of comprehensive 

 water and related land resources plans." 



Administrative support was provided in 1968 by a further consres- 

 sional enactment, the National Water Cormnission Act,^® creating a 

 seven-member National Water Commission, with an executive director, 

 and staff, to "submit simultaneously to the President and to the U.S. 

 Congress such interim and final reports as it deems appropriate * * *." 

 These reports were to result from the Commission's assignment of 

 scope and responsibility as delineated in section 3-a of the act, which 

 said : 



The Commission shall (1) review present and anticipated national water re- 

 source problems, making such projections of water requirements as may be 



"5 Public Law 89-80, 79 Stat. 244-254. approved July 22, 1965. 

 «« Pnhllc Law 90-515, approved Sept 20, 1968. 



