SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS APPROPRIATIONS JOHN E. FOGARTY, Rhode Island JOE L. EVINS, Tennessee JOHN J. RHODES, Arizona GLENN R. DAVIS, Wisconsin EDWARD P. BOLAND, Massachu setts JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1965. WATER RESOURCES PLANNING WITNESSES KENNETH HOLUM, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT Mr. KIRWAN. The committee will please come to order. We are glad to have with us this morning, Mr. Kenneth Holum, Assistant Secretary of the Interior, to testify in support of two supplemental estimates submitted to initiate work under the Water Resources Planning Act of 1965. Do you have a statement, Mr. Secretary? Mr. HOLUM. Yes, sir. Mr. KIRWAN. Please proceed. Mr. HOLUM. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I am appearing here this morning on behalf of Secretary Udall of the Department of Interior, who is Chairman of the Water Resources Council. It is a pleasure to appear before the committee to discuss the funds requested by the administration to initiate the activities authorized by the Water Resources Planning Act of 1965 which has been enacted during the current session of the Congress. President Johnson approved Public Law 89-80 on July 22 of this year. The supplemental appropriation request you have under consideration would provide $235,000 to permit initial staff for the Federal Council and $110,000 to be available to meet Federal responsibilities for one river basin commission. This committee has long recognized the great importance of water resource development to the country's economic well-being. Every one of the 50 States has attained new and higher levels of development because of the Nation's continuing investment in water resources. Many agencies of the Federal Government, the States, and local jurisdictions all have important responsibilities that must be recognized and exercised. The Water Resources Planning Act recognizes that these diverse responsibilities exist. The act is designed to make sure that close coordination is maintained so that these all-important water needs are met and unnecessary and costly duplication is avoided. Title I of the act creates a Federal Water Resources Council. The Secretaries of Interior, Army, Agriculture, Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Chairman of the Federal Power Commission are members of the group. President Johnson has appointed the Secretary of the Interior Chairman of the Council. JUSTIFICATION The Water Resources Planning Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-80, approved July 22, 1965), establishes that it is the policy of the Congress to encourage the conservation, development, and utilization of water and related land resources of the United States on a comprehensive and coordinated basis by the Federal Government, States, localities and private enterprise with the cooperation of all affected Federal agencies, States, local governments, individuals, corporations, business enterprises, and others concerned. The act established a Water Resources Council, composed of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Army, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Chairman of the Federal Power Commission, and authorized the establishment of River Basin Commissions, and financial assistance to States for comprehensive planning grants. In view of the urgency for implementation of this act, it is proposed that the Water Resources Council be provided with an adequate staff as soon as possible. A supplemental appropriation of $235,000 would be required. The Water Resources Council staff would be established as of October 1, 1965. The budget estimate of $235,000 would provide for the necessary expenses of the Council staff consisting of a Director, Deputy Director, three Assistant Directors, three professional staff and five secretarial positions. The duties of the Council are: 1. Maintain a continuing study and preparation of assessments of the adequacy of supplies of water necessary to meet the water requirements in each water resources region and the national interest therein. 2. Maintain a continuing study of the relation of regional or river basin plans and programs to the requirements of larger regions and of the adequacy of administrative and statutory means for the coordination of the water and related land and resource policies and programs of the several Federal agencies. 3. Appraise the adequacy of existing and proposed policies and programs to meet water resources requirements. 4. Establish principles, standards, and procedures for Federal participants in the preparation of comprehensive regional or river basin plans and for the formualtion and evaluation of Federal water and related land resources projects. 5. Review plans or revisions thereof from any river basin commission with special regard to the efficacy of such plan or revision in achieving optimum use of the water and related land resources; the effect of the plan on the achievement of other programs for the development of agricultural, urban, energy, industrial, recreational, fish and wildlife, and other resources; the contributions which such plan or revision will make in obtaining the Nation's economic and social goals. Based upon such review, the Council will formulate such recommendations as it deems desirable in the national interest and transmit such recommendations, together with the plan or revision of the river basin commission and the views, comments, and recommendations with respect to such plan or revision submitted by any Federal agency, Governor, interstate commission, or U.S. section of an international commission, to the President for his review and transmittal to the Congress with his recommendations in regard to authorization of Federal projects STUDY OF ADEQUACY OF WATER SUPPLIES Mr. KIRWAN. One duty of the Council will be to study and prepare assessments of the adequacy of water supplies in each water resources region in the country. Just what will this involve and how does it compare with information currently available on the adequacy of water supplies? Mr. HOLUM. I think the Council's responsibility here will be unique and tremendously important as the Council becomes a vehicle for bringing together all of the information that is available in the multitude of Federal agencies that have responsibility in the Federal water resources field as well as the States and local jurisdictions, Mr. Chairman. A very small amount of the workload will be done by the Council itself. It will make use of the talents and the information that is |