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Show Appendix 4 Introduction Water resources development began generations ago, with only local objectives, generally implemented by indi- vidual or local capital. As broader conceptions became necessary, programs of greater magnitude followed, under the sponsorship of larger private corporations and by municipal and State legislation. Now the basin, the re- gion, and the national interests are considered-a broad concept, worthy of the interest of the whole Nation. The protection and conservation of the wealth of the Nation are considered for the permanent benefit of all through national programs. Private and public enterprise may prosecute the programs, but often the support of the Nation as a whole is required to assist in or to undertake the program. The regional or national approach is neces- sary, and the multiple-purpose projects on a basin basis are now the accepted procedure in water-resource develop- ment. Public actions in water-resource development have en- countered problems, successes, and shortcomings as have private developments. The difficulties have been greater, because the general scope of the undertakings has been greater. By and large, public action took place after private action had long been used. For example, the most easily developed sites and the most feasible projects in irrigation had already been partially or fully utilized before the Federal Government entered the field of land reclamation by irrigation. Also, some of the types of projects and activities could only be undertaken by the Federal Government, because the scope of the work was beyond the efforts of individuals and local public bodies. In others the return on investment was too low, or uncer- tain, or too long term to attract private capital. Conse- quently, the nature of the problems handled by public action in water-resource development has been more com- plex, of broader scope, and more difficult than those handled by private undertaking. But counterbalancing this handicap are the larger resources, available on a national scale for projects affecting the Nation as a whole. Development of water resources, in one or another man- ner, has been encouraged and has long been aided by the public. Private developments could not be undertaken without the framework of law, the protections to property, the incentives to progress, and the rules and regulations provided by organized government. The expansion of public action, the growth in kinds of services performed, and the spread in both regulation and direct construction and management of facilities, by and large, have all come about through expressions of demands by the people. There has been an increasing demand for water resources because the population and industrial growth have been increasing. With the increasing complexity of our econ- omy and the increasing recognition of the interrelations of the various classes of water resources, there has grown a realization that only through the pooling of effort could the problems be efficiently handled. The results of these many years of design, construction, and operation can now be examined in order to put to use the experience gained in planning our future course of development. The Committee on Evaluation of Con- structed Projects has reviewed in detail some 55 operating projects and has drawn from the knowledge of the com- mittee members information relative to many other proj- ects. Information on these projects, which was furnished the committee by the agencies in charge of these projects, is summarized in section I. The projects reviewed are distributed over the whole United States. They cover many types designed for various purposes, including those constructed (1) by private or local public enterprise, (2) under Federal licenses, and (3) by the Federal Govern- ment. The Federal projects include the older develop- ments as well as the more recent integrated multiple- purpose projects. The inclusion in this report of detailed analyses of numerous projects is impossible because of space limita- tions. Complete and careful study of even one multiple- purpose project, covering all the important and related phases, requires months of work. However, the main lessons from experience derived from such projects can be demonstrated by general analysis of specific examples. These lessons are discussed and described herein. The study here is in no sense to be interpreted as a condemnation of past private or public programs. On the whole, the results of those programs have been good, in view of the complexity and scope of the problems in- volved. The purpose of this examination is rather to assist in program improvement. 387 |