505 



were at odds with the administration on water policy during much of 

 the period 1952-60. Partly to lay to rest this conflict, a vigorous in- 

 vestigative effort was set underway by Senate Resolution 48 of the 86th 

 Congress, in April 1959. The data and findings resulting from this 

 action contributed significantly to subsequent development of water 

 legislation in the Congress. 



Sources^ kinds of techniGal information for Congress. — The Select 

 Committee on National Water Resources, pursuant to Senate Resolu- 

 tion 48, was m^ade up of 17 members drawn from four standing com- 

 mittees, supported by a staff of four c^ualified professionals. It was 

 also supported by a research foundation specializing in natural re- 

 sources policy. The committee called upon professional persomiel in 

 Govermnent departments and agencies, and on State and private 

 advisory resources. A total of 92 reports were contributed to the com- 

 mittee by these outside resources. The committee held many field 

 hearings, and also hearings in "Washine^ton, D.C. A total of 961 wit- 

 nesses testified. Upon completion of its infonnation-gathering phase, 

 the staff in consultation with the committee spent more than 6 months 

 in analyzing the findings and preparing the final report. 



Decision. — The recommendations of the select committee covered 

 five broad policy areas, each supported by detailed program specifica- 

 tions. The five basic recommendations were : 



(1) A national effort to prepare and keep up-to-date, compre- 

 hensive, basin development plans for all major U.S. rivers; 



(2) Aid to States for long-range planning of water develop- 

 ment; 



(3) Coordinated Federal research on water utilization; 



(4) Biennial supply/demand analyses of U.S. water resources ; 

 and 



(5) Measures to improve efficiency of water development and 

 use. 



Assessment. — Over the nest 8 years, a concerted legislative effort 

 resulted, in which action was taken on all of these recommendations. 

 The President promulgated liberalized standards for water resource 

 projects; research in desalting technology was stepped up; new water 

 pollution control legislation was passed ; and action was taken in the 

 Water Research Act of 1964, the AYater Resources Planning Act of 

 1965, and the National Water Commission Act of 1968. 



Gommentary. — The outgrowth of the recommendations of the select 

 committee was that the Congress developed authoritative sources of 

 data, mechanisms for generating planning of wat-er projects and use 

 at all jurisdictional levels with the effort coordinated within each basin. 

 Moreover, the effort was coordinated nationally among all basins on 

 the basis of national criteria of urgency of need. The effect was to 

 rationalize the decision process. At the same time, research emphasis 

 was provided to expand the availability of water and to intensify its 

 utility. Political criteria would still be applied in the ultimate con- 

 gressional decisionmaking process, in which funds would be appro- 

 priated for specific basin projects and programs. But to facilitate this 

 process, the Congress had assured itself of a continuing flow of reli- 

 able, coordinated and comprehensive technical data that reconciled 

 the interests of all parties. 



