467 



The findings of tlie select committee included an identific cation of 

 need for mechanisms for managing research data in water science and 

 technology, developing and presenting to the Congress comj)rehensive 

 coordinated plans for development of entire river basins, developing 

 criteria for priorities of projects and allocations of costs to functions, 

 ensuring State-iocal-regional interests a voice in planning, maintain- 

 ing surveillance of national and regional supply and requirements, 

 support for State research institutes, programs to expand the avail- 

 ability of water from new sources, and programs to reverse the trend 

 toward pollution of surface water. 



Effective planning for national water policy required that the Con- 

 gress would in the future be informed of all aspects and issues of 

 water — as to proposed major programs and contributory projects; 

 standards and criteria; needs, resources, and proposed corrective ac- 

 tions; interests of all affected groups, jurisdictions, and agencies; and 

 recommended decisions to mediate among interests in conflict. 



Manifestly, the problem of deciding issues regarding water had 

 become unmanageable within tlie framework of existing agencies and 

 laws. The executive branch had been unable to resolve conflicts within 

 itself. The technical comi^lexity of substantive problems of river basins 

 presented the Congress with an impossibly detailed set of issues not 

 amenable to resolution tlirough the usual processes of legislation. The 

 problem of water, it was abundantly documented, was becoming not 

 only more complex but also more urgent. 



The central information instrumentality that provided the founda- 

 tion for these congressional conclusions was the select committee. Its 

 focus was not on the solution of the countless issues presented to it. Its 

 finding on these issues was merely that some of them were urgent and 

 crucial, so that their resolution commanded a high priority. Wliat was 

 of concern to the Congress was to insure that the great array of tech- 

 nical issues (scientific research directions, management of research 

 data and findings, reconciliation of agency differences, coordination of 

 local and national planning) was delivered for resolution into com- 

 petent and objective hands. Issues that could not be thus resolved, but 

 which required resolution by means of the traditional "adversary 

 process," could be beneficially prepared for this process by the same 

 objective mechanisms of staff* analysis, factfinding, and recommenda- 

 tions. 



The select committee made no effort to make a final decision regard- 

 ing the i)olicy standards for new projects. But by identifying the need 

 for specific technical machinery of factfindhig' and analysis at both 

 the national and the regional level, and by presenting its recoimnenda- 

 tions at a time and under circumstances that madelilvcly a response 

 by both the President and the Congress, the select committee helped 

 to provide the tools by which acceptable criteria and standards could 

 be devised and brought to bear. 



