8 MULTIPLE PURPOSE RIVER DEVELOPMENT 



the district form of organization, with general obligation bonds, sup- 

 plied the major part of the developmental capital during this phase 

 of development. 



Yet, while the practicable limit of such localized development 

 was approaching, no evidence suggested that requirements for 

 water would cease to grow. Residents at the arid end of the basin 

 were becoming acutely aware of their deficient sources of supply 

 and conscious of the large and often destructive surpluses from the 

 other end which escaped to the sea unused. 



The basin entered a dry phase at this point of its development. 

 Even in the upper basin, where seasonal surpluses accrued, stream- 

 bank pumping during the dry season for supplemental irrigation 

 and diversions reduced downstream flows measurably. Pollution 

 concentrations became high as stream flows declined. In the delta 

 area, saline waters from the sea began intruding many miles 

 upstream, reaching concentrations high enough to destroy the pro- 

 ductive potential of many acres of agricultural lands and to 

 threaten even larger areas. Pumping from subsurface aquifers 

 reduced water tables in some areas at an alarming rate. In some 

 localities, aquifers more than a thousand feet below the surface had 

 to be tapped to supply water required to sustain the production on 

 which a large portion of the population depended. 



Local development progiams proved inadequate for meeting 

 problems arising under these circumstances. There was recognition 

 that an integrated approach transcending local levels of jurisdiction 

 was necessary to redress the imbalance. Equilibrium in the basin's 

 supplies and requirements might require long-distance transfers of 

 water from surplus to deficit areas; the capture of flood flows during 

 the wet phase to replenish subsurface storage depleted during the 

 dry phases; and co-ordinated releases from surface storage to gen- 

 erate power and to maintain flows in established stream beds for 

 abating pollution, providing minimum channel depths for water- 

 way transport, and repelling the intrusion of salinity at the river 

 mouth. A water resources development plan equal to such a task 

 might require extensive multiple purpose reservoirs in mountainous 

 terrain where adequate storage could be developed at minimum 

 costs. Power installations might be included to utilize mechanical 

 energy coincident with water releases to serve other joint purposes. 

 Moreover, the plan might conceivably include an interconnected 

 canal system, as well as storage pools to permit water exchanges 



