| OCR Text |
Show not support the creation of a Board of Review to examine proposed water resource development projects. Another proposition not supported by any resolution of the National Reclamation Association convention at Amarillo is that made by Mr. Shaw to the effect that the National Reclamation Association favors the sale of hydroelectric energy at the busbar and the construction of transmission lines by the Federal Government only for direct connection between plants. Some of the discussion by the group above mentioned with officials of the Bureau of the Budget must have been reminiscent of the report of the Basin Development Committee to the 19th Annual Meeting of the National Reclamation Association at Spokane in November 1950. That report has been analyzed in detail by the Upper Colorado River Commission. Such analysis is contained in Appendix A of the Second Annual Report of the Commission. Copies thereof will be made available to the Bureau of the Budget along with this memorandum. At the outset it may be of interest to consider whether there is occasion for the establishment within the Upper Colorado River Basin of a River Basin Commission with an independent chairman and composed of federal and state agencies sharing both the planning and financing responsibilities. So far as the Upper Colorado River Basin is concerned a good organizational base has already been established through the creation of the Upper Colorado River Commission. The Bureau of the Budget is familiar already with the functions, powers and duties of the Upper Colorado River Commission. It is, therefore, unnecessary to extend this memorandum by any discussion of them. Suffice it to say that these functions, powers and duties, coupled with the fact of representation of the United States on the Commission and with the policy which the Commission has consistently followed of seeking to encourage the full exercise by the Federal agencies concerned of their respective functions, powers and duties and the harmonization of activities of all of these federal agencies, presents a total picture of organization for water resources development, conservation and utilization that is far more complete than anything now in effect in any area of the country, including the Tennessee Valley. The creation of a Commission such as has been suggested by the Bureau of the Budget would, so far as the Upper Colorado River Basin is concerned, be superfluous and, therefore, wasteful. The report of the President's Water Resources Policy Commission has undoubtedly been reviewed with great care by the Bureau of the Budget. |
