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Show concession buildings, picnic areas, and related fa- cilities. The construction agencies are carrying forward a program of tree and other planting for wildlife habitat on land in reservoir areas. These planting's are limited to the land normally pur- chased ixi acquiring reservoir sites. Conclusions Becaimse of the dearth of fishery and of water recreation resources in the basin, needed fish and wildlife and recreation facilities should be planned and installed in all water resources projects. Such plans sh-ould be an integral part of the basin pro- gram, prepared with the cooperation of responsi- ble Stat« and Federal agencies. Feder-al investments in fish and wildlife and rec- reation facilities in the basin should be justified by their prospective widespread use, and the meas- urable Tjenefits accruing from them. Such in- vestments logically should be classed as specific ex- penditures for these functions, and should be so allocated. The Commission has recommended, in volume 1, that the basic features for improvement of fish and wildlife and recreation should be a Fed- eral cost, with operation and maintenance paid for by State and local governments. It also recom- mends that fees be charged to cover operation and maintenance, where collection is feasible and will not reduce public use of the facilities. E. Interrelations Among Proposed Programs, and Their Relation to Existing Developments 1. Adaptation of Projects and Programs to Existing Improvements and Programs The Problem The consideration to be given to existing im- provements in planning new projects and programs. The Situation In undertaking new projects and programs in the basin, proper consideration must be given to all existing developments. This is but one aspect of comprehensive river basin planning. The fol- lowing examples illustrate some of the ways in which account should be taken of present facili- ties. New reservoir projects affect the operation of existing downstream power plants. For example, the Canyon Ferry Reservoir, now under construc- tion on the upper Missouri River, will materially change the stream flow at the series of power plants of a private utility located downstream. The ex- isting Bagnell Power Project will be affected by upstream reservoirs proposed for construction in the Osage River Basin. These effects must be and have been considered in planning the operation of the new reservoir projects. In planning new generating and transmission facilities, consideration must be given to all ex- isting power facilities, both publicly and privately owned. New power projects should be integrated to the greatest practicable extent, subject to the requirements of Federal power policy, with pres- ent power facilities so that the resulting system provides the most efficient and economic power supply. Proposals for new irrigation facilities must also consider those already constructed. Plans for new works should encompass needed supplemental water supplies for existing projects where prac- ticable. (See problem B-3.) New projects should be integrated with existing facilities when improvements in operation and administration would result. For example, the integration of ir- rigated Indian lands with others in adjacent irri- gation projects may result in over-all economies in certain areas. Other examples are the North Platte and Platte Valleys, where water use for new lands must be carefully adjusted to existing de- velopments. Wherever water rights in a stream have been fully allotted, any irrigation plans must take existing developments as a point of departure. The Fort Peck Reservoir serves as an example of the adaptation of an existing project to a new program. That reservoir was constructed primarily to augment low water flows for the benefit of downstream navigation, for power production, and for incidental flood control. In the present comprehensive plan, a primary purpose of the proj- ect is to furnish a dependable water supply for irrigation purposes. The necessary carry-over storage for downstream navigation will be provided in the main stem reservoirs now being constructed below Fort Peck. Water developments also affect highway systems. It is expected that the extensive reservoir and chan- nel improvement program will require about 1,000 miles of road relocation. Local road construction 259 |