466 



closely compatible with that of the select committee. This institution 

 was able to provide the committee with a wealth of documentation and 

 studies in depth that could not have been obtained otherwise except at 

 great expense, serious loss of time, or both. Moreover, Resources for 

 the Future, Inc., had additional significance as a participant in the 

 study in that it enjoyed wide professional contacts with the academic 

 community, and was able to draw on almost the total non-govern- 

 mental expertise of the Nation in a specialized field that has been 

 chronically undermanned. 



The select committee made a systematic effort of its own to collect 

 data at both the official and professional staff levels of Federal agencies 

 concerned with water. It made a systematic effort to collect data at the 

 State level from both the Governors' staffs and the professional plan- 

 ning levels. It conducted a comprehensive series of hearings at the local 

 level to obtain an indication as to what problems and views were 

 shared from one region to another. 



It began to appear that the problem was not one of further increas- 

 ing the complexity of the technical process of water management or 

 increasing the arbitrary regulation of projects under national ])olicy. 

 Instead, the committee recognized that there were local and national 

 policy issues, and that these needed to be differentiated. 



Then, the need was identified for a mechanism by which a single 

 agency could decide the national issues, apart, from historical com- 

 mitments, and supported by such analytical tools as the issues required 

 for resolution. 



Third, the need was identified for a regional mechanism, to elicit 

 local views as to needs and aspirations, to resolve systems problems 

 concerning single coherent basin programs, and to coordinate national 

 with regional efforts. 



Finally, the need was identified for a general strengthening in the 

 research activity and professional resources required for water re- 

 source ]ilanning: mechanisms for managing data, conducting research, 

 increasing the availability of trained researchers, developing and pre- 

 senting data to users, developing useful criteria for determining the 

 relative advantages of alternative solutions to regional problems, and 

 bringing about a progressive increase in public understanding of the 

 needs and opportunities of water management. 



It was apparently assumed that when these needs were met, the 

 Congress itself would be able to rely on the new administrative mech- 

 anisms created to meet these needs, to provide more authoritative, 

 better structured, more uniform and systematic information bearing 

 on proposed projects. The projects themselves might still be under- 

 taken by the agencies with traditional responsibilities in flood control, 

 irrigation, or power development. The primary representations to the 

 Congress in support of their authorization might also be by the estab- 

 lished agencies. But undoubtedl}' the Congress would find beneficial 

 the added information resources available in an agency charged with 

 total water policy formulation and coordination, an agency charged 

 with responsibility for the planning of water development in an entire 

 river basin, and an agency charged with responsibility for sponsoring 

 research in all aspects of water science and technology. 



