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Show pleted prior to beginning levee construction, so that adequate and suitable outlets can be provided. On many units under construction, technical assistance has been provided local people by the Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately, funds available for such technical assistance have been exceedingly limited. Lack of technical assistance on drainage problems thus has led to plans which may require later modifications. The most beneficial use of certain areas of wet land is for wildlife, especially migratory waterfowl, and fur bearers. Such areas should be delineated in the early stages of the program by the Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with State agencies. The areas determined to be most valuable for wild- life purposes should be excluded from drainage projects. It must be recognized, however, that most of these areas are in private ownership and the owners are usually interested in uses which will yield the greatest economic returns. Some method of compensation may be needed to offset economic losses to landowners, as an incentive to maintain adequate wildlife habitat. The other alternative would be public purchase of these wet areas. Ad- ministration of many small units of this kind would present difficulties to any responsible agency. In most irrigated areas, drainage is a serious problem, especially in the irrigated areas along the Yellowstone River, in Montana. It is intensified by alkali concentration in the topsoil. A major part of the 5 million acres now being irrigated in the basin meeds appropriate measures for removing excess surface or subsurface water. The general practice of delaying drainage until the need is acute has resulted in some serious land deteriora- tion. Conclusions (1) Further delimiting of areas in the basin requiring drainage is necessary, including plan- ning for l>est use of the lands. Technical and other assistance to local people is needed in plan- ning and constructing farm drainage and collec- tion systems, outlets, and other major works. (2) Areas that should not be drained but dedi- cated to wildlife uses should be defined. (3) Coordination of planning by Federal agen- cies and local interests to solve drainage and asso- ciated problems is essential in attaining proper use of land and water resources. (4) Wraere drainage problems are associated with local flood; protection works, drainage plans should be coordinated with those for flood control. (5) Irrigation projects should include adequate drainage of surplus surface or subsurface water. D. Distribution of Benefits and Responsibilities 1. The Place of State and Local Agency Participa- tion in Planning, Programing, Financing, and Operation The Problem The extent to which State and local government agencies should participate, or be called upon to participate, in planning, financing, and operation of water resources programs in the Missouri Basin. The Situation In any program of the size and complexity of the authorized Missouri Basin plans, close State and local participation is essential. Such partici- pation is needed in the over-all planning, in proj- ect planning, in the adjustment of basic differences in point of view, in local administration, and in financing. These needs already have been rec- ognized in the activities of the Missouri Basin In- ter-Agency Committee,32 in State compacts, in irrigation, conservancy, and other special districts, and even in informal activities. Over-all planning.-The need for State partici- pation in the planning and execution of projects in the Missouri Basin has been recognized and im- plemented through the Missouri Basin Inter- Agency Committee. The monthly meetings of this committee are rotated among the various States in the basin. Five governors representing the 10 Missouri Basin States are members of the commit- tee and participate regularly in the meetings. 32 The Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee was es- tablished by the Federal Inter-Agency River Basin Com- mittee, a voluntary organization established to coordinate water-improvement planning, construction, and opera- tions in the basin. The Corps of Engineers, Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Federal Power Commission, and Department of Commerce are repre- sented on it, as are the upper basin and lower basin States. In November 1950 it was expected that the Federal Se- curity Agency would soon participate formally as a mem- ber, although arrangements had not been completed at that time. The Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee works closely with its parent organization, the Federal Inter-Agency River Basin Committee in Washington. 242 |
