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CHAPTER 2 

 BACKGROUND 



1.1 WHAT KI^4D OF DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE AND HOW ARE THEY 

 MADE 



2.1.1 Introduction 



In order to understand how the Forum may facilitate future decisions, it is helpful to 

 understand the different kinds of decisions that are being made and how these 

 decisions are currently made. The decisions are sununarized - in simplified form - 

 below, along with a discussion of the current process the operating agencies use for 

 resolving each. 



Each Federal project within the scope of the SOR was constructed under specific 

 Congressional authorizing legislation identifying the major intended uses for each 

 project, as shown on the next page in Table 2. All of those projects were specifically 

 authorized for hydropower production, most were authorized for rmvigation, amd some 

 were also authorized for flood control and irrigation. The seasonal abundance of water 

 and the predictability of its use allows a project to support other xises as well, but only 

 after its authorized purposes are met. General Congressional authorization allows for 

 such uses as water quality, fish and wildlife, recreation, and municipal and industrial 

 water supply. 



While the authorizing legislation stipulated intended use, it seldom contained explicit 

 provisions for operating the individual projects for their coordinated operation within 



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