OCR Text |
Show 489 In 1927, the Army Engineers were authorized to formulate general plans for the most effective improvement of a large number of specified streams for the purpose of navigation and the prosecution of such improvement in combination with the most efficient development of potential water power, the con- trol of floods and the needs of irrigation. From the "Depression" to Date.-The "depression" fo- cused attention on a new aspect of river-basin development. Projects were undertaken as a means of putting men to work, as well as to conserve and develop water resources. Increased emphasis was placed upon the public utilization of the com- pleted projects for the direct benefit of the greatest number of people. Responsibility for carrying out particular aspects of river- basin development had been assigned to separate agencies with- out a requirement for integration of efforts under a comprehen- sive plan. But as the development of larger river-improvement projects was made possible by advances in engineering meth- ods, as populations in river basins increased, as industry ex- panded, and as our economy grew more complex-increasing legislative recognition was given to the multiple-purpose utili- zation of projects. Steps were also taken to allocate primary responsibility for each of the functions served by any project to the agency tradi- tionally responsible for that function, irrespective of which was the constructing agency. Congress also declared its policy to "facilitate the considera- tion of projects on a basis of comprehensive and coordinated development." Generally, however, the partial implementa- tions of this policy have been in the directions indicated above rather than complete integration of efforts for comprehensive development. Authority for Interagency Coordination.-Within statu- tory limitations, further steps toward comprehensive develop- ment have been effected through executive and administrative action directed toward coordination of efforts. Principal among such steps was the formation of the Federal Inter- |