The appropriation "River Basin Surveys and Investigations," funds three activities as authorized by Public Law 83-566, as amended. The Department cooperates with other Federal and State agencies in making surveys and investigations of watersheds of rivers and other waterways. Activities include:

1) USDA Cooperative Studies:

The Department participates in:

Studies of agricultural and other rural land and water resources within
river basins to gather basic data on existing and potential water
supplies, present and future land use, current and potential economic
development, and existing erosion and sediment problems.

Studies and investigations are made of agricultural, rural, and upstream water and land resources and problems to determine corrective actions needed and potentials for conservation, use, and development. Evaluations include:

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Erosion, floodwater, and sediment damage to rural lands and
properties,

Impaired drainage of agricultural lands,

Agricultural drought problems and irrigation requirements,

Agricultural water needs for livestock and domestic use,
Recreation demand,

Fish and wildlife needs,

Forest-based industries,

Municipal and industrial water needs.

The planning activity gives consideration to finding alternative combinations of land treatment, structural and nonstructural measures to solve the area's problems, meet the identified needs, and develop the indicated potentials.

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Floodplain management assistance

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Is carried out in cooperation with State and local governments,

Identifies flood hazards on selected floodplain reaches,

Provides reports which include flood profiles and maps showing areas subject to flooding by select frequency floods,

Provides information needed by State and local governments to implement land use and floodplain management programs.

Interagency Coordination and Program Formulation:

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Provides national policy and program leadership direction to studies of river basins, floodplain management, and Colorado River Salinity activities;

Provides USDA participation in policy and program activities of U.S.
Water Resources Council;

Provides USDA membership and participation in the activities of six
River Basin Commissions, three Federal-State Interagency Committees
(SEBIAC, PSIAC, AWRBIAC), and the Susquehanna and Delaware River Basin
Commissions;

Provides reviews of proposed reports and water projects of other
Departments and agencies.

The following tabulation shows the number of surveys and obligations by type of survey for fiscal years 1980, 1981, and 1982.

(1)

JUSTIFICATION OF INCREASES AND DECREASES

A decrease in appropriation of $2,362,000 for River Basin Surveys and
Investigations program consisting of: (on the basis of available funds
there is a decrease of $2,783,201).

Need for Change.

The program change will support a reduced level for USDA cooperative studies and interagency coordination and program formulation. This change is necessary due to the following:

(a) Increased nationwide data collection under other SCS programs in recent years;

(b) Completion of major, multistate River Basin Surveys;

(c) Availability to the States from the Water Resources Council of Federal planning grants; and

(d) The status of project operations for the Colorado River Salinity Control
Program which are behind the related planning efforts.

Nature of Change: New cooperative studies with State agencies will focus on
regional problems with special emphasis on soil erosion, water conservation,
stream water quality, prime farmland, and wetlands. USDA coordination
activity with the River Basin and the Water Resource Committees will be
reduced for water resource planning and assessment. Agricultural and forestry
projections for water resource planning will be eliminated. Work will be
terminated in two of the three ongoing units in the Colorado River Basin
Salinity studies. Two new river basin studies will be initiated in 1982
compared with six for 1981.

STATUS OF PROGRAM

The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, Public Law 83-566, Section 6, August 4, 1954, provides for cooperation with other Federal, State, and local agencies in making investigations and surveys of river basins as a basis for the development of coordinated water resource programs. Reports of the investigations and surveys are prepared to serve as a guide for the development of agricultural, rural, and upstream watershed aspects of water, land, and related resources. They are also used as a basis for coordination with downstream and other phases of water development.

The Soil Conservation Service has leadership for administering river basin surveys, investigations, and planning activities including the development of general principles, criteria, and procedures; determining land resources availability and land uses; appraising physical problems and needs; determining water, land, and related resources potential of upstream watersheds; and coordinating programs with the Water Resources Council and member agencies.

The Forest Service is responsible for forestry aspects of river basin planning, both Federal and non-Federal, and for rangelands administered within National Forests and for the analysis and projection of economic activity related to forest industries.

The Economics and Statistics Service is responsible for basinwide economic aspects of surveys and investigations; developing economic agricultural base information and projections of agricultural production, employment, income, rural population and land use for the economic analysis of agricultural water management needs and potentials; and evaluation of the regional economic impact of water resource plans of agriculture and related sectors of the economy.

Other agencies in the Department participate in reviews and provide inputs where items of concerns to the agency are involved.

The following table shows actual funds obligated under River Basin Surveys and Investigations program in FY 1980 by agency and estimates for FY 1981 and FY 1982 on the basis of available funds.

1/ Includes obligations of $822,455 of 12X1069 River Basin Surveys and Investigations funds from FY 1978 carryover.

COOPERATIVE RIVER BASIN SURVEYS

Current activities: The Department analyzes and projects the agricultural, forestry, and related economics of the river basin, including the use of land and water, and relationships to the total economy of the basin. The agricultural, rural, and upstream water, land, and related resources problems are studied to determine corrective actions needed and potentials for resource management and development. Evaluations include studies of erosion, floodwater, and sediment damage to rural lands and properties; problems related to and methods to preserve prime and unique farmlands; impaired drainage of agricultural lands; agricultural drought problems and irrigation requirements; opportunities for water conservation, improved instream flows and water quality improvement; water needs for livestock, rural domestic use, recreation, fish, wildlife, forest-based industries, municipalities, and industries.

The inventories and analyses of water, land, and related resources in upstream watersheds include water storage capacity; the effect of land use and management practices on water quality and flow characteristics; and the potential hydrologic effect of agricultural, rural, and upstream watershed management alternatives. Consideration also is given to the effects of potential water resource projects on lands and programs administered by the Department.

In accordance with Title II of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act (Public Law 93-320), USDA carries out detailed salinity investigations under SCS leadership. These investigations are performed in cooperation with the Department of the Interior's Water and Power Resources Services and the Environmental Protection Agency. The objectives of these investigations are to determine (1) the extent that onfarm irrigation is contributing salt to the Colorado River, and (2) the onfarm irrigation system improvement program needed to reduce deep percolation losses in order to reduce salt loading to the River. The initial USDA study report, for the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit (Colorado), was completed in FY 1978. The USDA report for the Uintah Basin Unit (Utah) was completed in FY 1979. Four additional reports are scheduled to be completed in FY 1980: Lower Gunnison River, Colorado; Big Sandy River, Wyoming; Virgin River, Nevada, Arizona and Utah; and McElmo Creek. Colorado. Two additional salinity control units will be in planning in FY 1981: San Juan River, Colorado and New Mexico; Price-San Rafael Rivers, Utah. In FY 1980, obligations for Colorado River Basin Salinity studies were $480 thousand. The funding level for 1981 is $647 thousand and for 1982 is $269 thousand.

Three types of investigation and surveys are conducted--Water Resources Council Interagency Studies, USDA Cooperative River Basin Surveys, and Joint USDA-Corps of Engineers Studies (PL 87-639).

Water Resources Council Level B and Special Studies: These studies are carried out jointly by the concerned Federal Departments and the involved States and are coordinated at the State level. Forty studies have been initiated by the Water Resources Council. As of September 30, 1980, 35 of these surveys have been completed. All of these studies are centrally funded by the Water Resources Council through reimbursable agreements with participating agencies.

USDA Cooperative Surveys with Local, State, and Concerned Federal Agencies: The Department cooperates with local, State, and concerned Federal agencies in the preparation and updating of State water resource plans and special water, land, and related resources studies. The Department helps States coordinate upstream and downstream elements of water, land, and related resources planning activities.