OCR Text |
Show If charges are made only to those benefited by surface deliveries, those pumping ground water obtain benefits without cost. In the field of watershed management, those benefits which are reflected in improved net in- come for the farms on which the work goes for- ward may be readily identified and measured. But there are also benefits to other private inter- ests which can hardly be approached except on a community basis. In order to secure some rea- sonable degree of reimbursement for the latter type of benefits, State and local governments, either directly or through appropriate district or- ganizations, might assume this responsibility. Flood control, sediment control, pollution abatement, fish and wildlife improvement, and recreation all present a reimbursement problem which can probably be more readily solved through contributions from communities, States, and Federal Government than through efforts to contract for payments by primary beneficiaries. It is true that the savings due to local flood pro- tection works or the enhancement in property values due to more general flood control parts of multiple-purpose programs might be estimated for certain primary beneficiaries, or that indus- trial and municipal water supply systems could be assessed for the advantages of pollution abate- ment. It is also true that nominal charges could be made use of for fishing and recreational op- portunities. But most of these benefits have a community, regional, or national character, and their cost may be considered the joint responsi- bility of local, State, and Federal Governments. Local and State Participation High in importance among secondary benefits are the increased volume of trade and business from higher incomes, such additional economic activities as processing or handling of products, and increased demands for services. These are of particular significance to the local community; in many cases much of the motivation for projects comes from the people who expect to reap these secondary benefits. The types of development which produce particularly large secondary bene- fits are irrigation and drainage, flood control, harbor improvements, hydroelectric power, navi- gation, watershed protection, and improved land use measures. Because of the size of these secondary benefits, some reasonable reimbursement might well be ex- pected from the affected municipalities or coun- ties. The share of project costs thus assumed might be apportioned on the basis of land values-but not improvements-or, if feasible, gross income of the individuals and business firms in the particular community or communities. In many instances, however, the beneficial ef- fects may extend to a whole State or several States, depending upon the region. The particular unit which should represent this larger area then be- comes a question of some importance. For prac- tical reasons, the State will probably have to be relied on principally to represent the regional area, or that part of it affected by water resources projects. The possibility should be considered that States might assume some obligation for repayment of secondary benefits accruing to their people from irrigation, navigation, land drainage, watershed protection, and recreation projects as well as for such direct benefits as those resulting from flood control reservoir projects. The States' acceptance of financial responsibility may well be accom- panied by active participation in planning, better selection of projects, less pressure for unsound projects, and assistance in enforcement. The Federal Government The national interest in water resources devel- opment is obviously large. It includes the bene- fits which accrue to the Nation as a whole, such as the strengthening of national security and the national economy, the conservation of soil, water, forest, and mineral resources, the encouragement of a wider and more economical dispersal of in- dustry, the provision of opportunities for new investment and thus for employment, the provi- sion of an adequate supply of food, fibers, and electric energy at reasonable prices, and the ex- pansion of opportunities for the public enjoy- 81 |