646 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



Vernon Overview on the Potomac. Individual leadership and co- 

 operation should be thus stimulated. 



Water and waterfronts need special treatment in all city plans. 

 Historic waterfronts, especially, should be preserved, restored, and 

 protected Annapolis, Savannah, New Bedford, Alexandria, New- 

 port, R.I., and many others. Waterfront land and access should be 

 gradually limited to those activities which actually require waterfront 

 location or access. 



To improve urban planning we recommend the establishment of 

 Urban Waterfront Districts, somewhat along the lines of the historic 

 and highly successful Soil Conservation Districts. Existing water- 

 shed protection programs should be modified to include multipurpose 

 protection, not only in the agricultural areas where this now applies, 

 but in urban areas as well. The same assistance that is extended 

 to fanners should be extended to suburbanites and city residents. 



New techniques for extending the use of waterfront lands to metro- 

 politan residents should be developed. There is far too little actual 

 water's edge available to the typical city resident. The arts of the 

 architect and landscape architect should be coupled with the engi- 

 neer's skills to open up the edge to the populace. Fill and rubble 

 should be used creatively as a resource, rather than as a waste mate- 

 rial, to complement the urban design plan. At the same time, we ac- 

 knowledge the dangers involved and strongly urge against further 

 filling of major bodies of water unless this is done in accordance with 

 an urban design plan. 



Urban renewal powers should be used in a comprehensive way 

 to improve waterfronts and set them free from transportation bar- 

 riers, blight, and dumps in order to realize their environmental values. 



State and local actions to integrate land-use planning with Federal 

 water resource development must be encouraged. The pending 

 Water Resources Planning Act should provide that beautification 

 and scenic values be a specific concern of all Federal, State, and local 

 agencies involved. Federal funds should not be made available for 

 flood control facilities unless the communities concerned provide 

 adequate flood plain zoning. 



Strengthened water pollution control is needed as well. The panel 

 supports the strengthened water quality standards proposed in pend- 

 ing legislation and believes in a national policy, either by amendment 

 to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or otherwise, of a basic 

 level of secondary treatment as a floor for sewage and industrial 

 wastes. There should be greatly increased financing for research 



