OCR Text |
Show forestry activities, and vice versa. Agricultural production of food, fibers, fats, and forest prod- ucts can be expanded by bringing new lands into cultivation through irrigation, drainage, and flood control, as well as through other methods of resources conservation. There are opportunities of this sort in almost every river basin in the country. Control of floods can prevent serious damage to crops and agricultural land and property. For instance, more than 6 million acres are subject to flood in the Missouri Basin alone, much of it agricultural land. Changes in land use and stabilizing measures, such as provision of supple- mental watex supplies and rehabilitation of drain- age and irrigation systems, can strengthen the existing agricultural economy. While opportu- nities of this kind are outstanding in the Rio Grande, the Upper Missouri, and the Central Valley of California, they also exist in many other widely separated regions. Soil conservation (particularly in the Southeast and on the Great Plains), forest management, and land improvement measures conserve the basic resources, increase production, and pro- duce important benefits through sediment reduc- tion and more even stream flow. In some areas, as in parts of the Missouri Basin, such measures may assist in flood reduction. Similarly, the development of the Nation's hydroelectric power resources greatly influences the character and level of industry and commerce. Through interconnection of hydroelectric and fuel power sources by networks of transmission lines, large regional power systems, as in the New England-New York area, can be developed which use both fuel and hydro power sources to mutual advantage and for greatest efficiency. Our re- serves of oil, gas, and high-grade coal are nation- ally limited; in some regions, like the Pacific Northwest, they are all but nonexistent. But every major r egion in the country has important resources of undeveloped hydroelectric power. Progressive development of this power will make possible some saving of fuel resources while meet- ing the growLng energy needs of an expanding economy. The existence of a sound transportation system is also obviously of vital importance to the econ- omy of the Nation, and its development is signifi- cantly affected by the availability and state of development of our resources. Waterways have always constituted an important means of low- cost transportation, stimulating the growth of commercial and industrial centers. Compre- hensive basin development will provide extensive waterways, which can be planned to fit effectively into an integrated transportation system. Plentiful supplies of good quality water are essential for industrial and commercial growth, and are particularly important where water sup- ply is a limiting factor, as in the 17 Western States. In some cases, water shortages disrupt the exist- ing economy, as in the El Paso, Tex., vicinity, or at Geneva, Utah; in others they limit the devel- opment of industries, as in southern California, in Texas, or on Long Island. Our natural resources of streams, lakes, forests, and mountains, with their fish and wildlife, are vital recreational assets. With the continued growth and urbanization of the population, in- crease in amount of leisure time, improved trans- portation, and higher standards of living, outdoor recreation is becoming increasingly important. Water resources development may affect recrea- tional resources, including fish and wildlife, in some cases beneficially, in others, adversely. In general, opportunities for outdoor recreation will become more and more limited as our population grows. Our lakes and streams are also important re- sources in terms of commercial fisheries. An expanding population will put increasing de- mands on this important food source. Generally speaking, the objectives designed to assure a firm resources base for an expanding economy are also national security objectives. But there are special defense objectives which give high priority to such aspects oi water re- sources development as those which would aug- ment industrial water supply in critical raw- material areas, or provide new supplies of hydroelectric power. 38 |