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Show Chapter 5 Development and Conservation Opportunities and Needs The major opportunities for the growth and eco- nomic progress of the Pacific Northwest center upon the development of the Columbia River and its tributaries. The waters of the Columbia, to- gether with natural storage basins provided by its lakes and the basin's many magnificent reservoir and power head sites, are the keys to the region's future wealth. The Columbia's water and the electric power which can be produced from it affect the relative values of every other resource in the region. The 34 million kilowatts capacity of electric generation which can be developed in the American part of the basin and the undeter- mined but large additional capacity of the Cana- dian part is the only energy resource of importance in the region. The fullest use of products from the region's extensive forests, the proper processing within the region of minerals which are likely to be produced for many years in the future, and local processing of agricultural products depend upon abundant low-cost electric power. The development of manufacturing industry beyond the processing of materials produced in the region also depends upon the availability of low- cost electric power from the Columbia. The open- ing of many possible industrial sites within the region to low-cost transportation depends upon navigational improvements of the river, and the accessibility of the Northwest's forests can be signi- ficantly enhanced by other channel improvements. The major source of processing water for manu- facturing use must be the river and its tributaries. To a remarkable degree, therefore, the extent of future industrial development of the region is re- lated to the comprehensive development of the Columbia's water. Further increments to agricultural production, and the maintenance of an important part of the region's commercial fishery are linked to proper use of the Columbia's waters. The estimated pos- sible 4 million acres of new irrigable lands in the basin are likely to constitute the bulk of new agri- cultural development within the foreseeable future. They can be developed only by the diversion of water from the Columbia or its tributaries. Mi- gratory fish runs in the Columbia contribute at minimum about 11 percent of the commercial fish- ery catch of the North Pacific States. Finally, im- provement of or addition to the already impor- tant recreational attractions is related to develop- ment of the Columbia's waters. Among the regions of the world with important economic potentials, probably no other has its fate so closely tied to the character of water develop- ment as the Columbia Basin. In this circumstance it is fortunate that the po- tentialities of the Columbia and its tributaries are abundant. Their electric power possibilities com- prise 40 percent of the United States potential ca- pacity, and they include a major part of the re- maining low-cost power sites. The river has de- velopable storage capacity of about 100 million acre-feet. With the exception of the upper Snake River, the volume of water available in the Co- lumbia and its tributaries is so large that it is enough to meet all foreseeable demands in most parts of the basin, provided it is intelligently managed. The size of the basin's water resources and their capacity for benefiting or handicapping the whole northwestern region suggest the importance of measures which contribute toward their efficient use. In general, these may be classified under three headings: (a) opportunities for further develop- ment of primary facilities; (b) need for preserva- tion of present water assets and existing or author- ized facilities; and (c) opportunities for enhance- ment of present water use. 21 |
