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Show C. Types of Socio-Economic Studies There are three types of studies of basic socio-economic data necessary for river basin planning: 1. An over-all economic base study of the river basin and the larger region of which the watershed may be a part, setting forth future population, employment, income, and production levels and needs to which water resources planning should be geared-the major conclusion of such a study to be reviewed from time to time in light of new knowledge and events. 2. Separate functional studies of the various economic activities and individual problems of water resources in the light of present and probable future requirements of the basin. 3. Continuing background information on socio- economic conditions for evaluation and review of indi- vidual projects and programs with respect to timing and need. Some of the more important data under the various functional studies not covered elsewhere in the report are listed in the following paragraphs: 1. Food requirements under given diet standards re- lated to the land available. 2. Food production trends and factors and practices which might affect them. 3. Inventory of present and prospective agricultural areas with respect to present development and programs needed, such as flood control, drainage, clearing, and irrigation, to make new areas available. 4. Data on costs and benefits of improving production on present agricultural areas in comparison to bringing in new areas by various methods. 5. Agricultural prices and costs and their relationship to farm production. 6. Data for alternative sources of supply of agricul- tural products as between major regions of the country. Coordinated with the foregoing classes of basic economic data required are the types of data needed in connection with land ownership and water, especially use and owner- ship of land outside farms, crop rotation and cover crops, methods and costs of land improvement, and farm product prices. Forestry.-Fundamental economic data needed in con- nection with forestry are complete inventories. Two-thirds of the 624,000,000 acres of forest land in the United States has been initially inventoried. This leaves one-third un- touched mostly in the Rocky Mountains and California. Resurveys of one-half of the area previously inventoried are needed to bring the results of the initial survey up to date. This is especially necessary because heavy cutting during the war period and normal depletion and growth before and since have brought about changes in forest cover and timber volume. After a reasonably up-to-date inventory has been obtained for the entire country, it would be desirable to maintain records and to make re- surveys at a sufficient rate to keep the over-all inventory current. Commercial fishing.-Although annual statistics are collected and published on quantities and values of fish taken, fishery products, and the numbers of fishermen, ves- sels, and items of equipment, there is not complete coverage of the country or of detailed data regarding costs and in- comes. Present data apply principally to the coastal, Great Lakes, and Mississippi Valley fisheries. The ma- jority of reservoir and inland stream fisheries are not in- 'suisuq I3AU Aq A\ieinoyuvd 'aSviiAoo reuotjippy -papnp is needed and more detailed data should be gathered to enable studies of the effect of river basin projects on the fishing industry. Commercial trapping.-Present data on the wild fur catch are gathered by States and by species. Data are lacking for specific river basins and it would be desirable to have intensive surveys of commercial trapping and associate activities in each river basin area to be used as a basis for determining the effects associated with river basin projects. Manufacturing.-Basic economic data for manufactur- ing are needed in many types of analyses including river basin development. Particularly important are data on source and use of water by types of industries, similar to that gathered by Geological Survey and Public Health Service, and information on its cost. The more general data on water usage by different types of industries should be correlated with indices of plant size-for example, em- ployment or production-and can be collected on a Nation-wide basis or on a sampling basis. Forecasts of industrial water demands should be based on specific sur- veys made in river basins, as required, and the techniques and methods of sampling developed for this purpose should be employed in other areas. Mining.-The general categories of economic data re- quired for analysis of mining in connection with river basin planning are essentially the same as those needed for manufacturing. Data on amounts and values of mineral products, including petroleum, are of fundamental use in transportation studies involving navigation, in flood control, and hydro power investigations where the mining properties might be affected by the improvements, and in water supply studies where, as in manufacturing, the need for water is a basic part of the process. Recreation.-Economic data are lacking in this cate- gory. The value of recreational pursuits has never been clearly established and basic data are needed which would permit the standardization and adoption of values which reflect as accurately as possible the benefit to recreation from the development of river-basin projects. At the present time the principal data available are figures on attendance and additional information is needed to convert attendance into per capita or over-all monetary benefits. Recreational surveys are essential also to determine what people require in the way of recreation, how much, and where. Navigation.-Much economic data is now available on traffic and commerce on the waterways of the United States as collected by the Corps of Engineers, the Ten- nessee Valley Authority, and the Inland Waterways Commission. The standards and kinds of economic data, collected are normally sufficient for most studies of this nature. The costs of transportation by water as dis- tinguished by rates are an important part of the problem, and data for this kind of analysis are obtained generally as needs arise. Although data now available or being collected are generally sufficient for the study of new^ projects or modifications of projects, collection of similar data for completed projects should continue to permit current analyses of the effects of waterway improvements- 365 |