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Show Chaffer 6 Elements of a Program for Ultimate Development of Water! Resources Use o£ the Missouri Basin resources has followed a pattern dictated by the wide range of conditions within tlie basin area. Although mineral deposits are found at many places in the basin, land and water are the major resources. The economy there- fore is primarily agricultural, with stock raising pre- dominant in the northwestern part and field crops in the more humid southeastern section. Water resources development in the basin will af- fect areas outside the basin as well. Hydroelectric power systems will be integrated with those of ad- jacent areas, benefiting both basin and nonbasin residents. Control of floods originating within the Missouri River watershed benefits the lower Missis- sippi Valley. Navigation improvements extend the inland waterway system to provide transportation into and out of the Missouri Basin and all market centers on the system. Some sections of the basin are more closely tied, economically, to adjoining areas outside the watershed than to the remainder of the basin. Elements of a comprehensive program for ulti- mate economic development of basin water re- sources must take account of the diversity of local, sectional, and regional needs and balance them to attain the most beneficial over-all control, preserva- tion, and use. They should conform to the fol- lowing general criteria: 1. Each element of the program must be sound. 2. Trie program should be aimed at improving and stabilizing productive capacity, in support of national defense and welfare. 3. It should form an organic part of a Nation- wide program for control and use of water and its associated resources to improve living standards and internal stability. 4. It should provide for full integration of the work of all responsible agencies. 5. The Federal elements of the program should be designed to provide the broadest public benefits. Ultimate Objectives of the Program A sound program for the Missouri Basin use should provide for the following functions. Watershed Management Watershed management includes those measures needed to protect the productivity of the soil, pro- vide the maximum amounts of usable water, and prolong the useful life of control structures. The proper use and treatment of the land is essentially a task for the 582,000 farmers and ranchers who own or operate over three-fourths of the land of the basin. Federal, State, and local agencies, how- ever, have a responsibility in this task. Govern- ment also is responsible for proper management of public lands. Ultimate development of the water and related land resources of the Missouri Basin will require full accomplishment of the watershed man- agement program by all responsible individuals and agencies. The program for croplands includes those prac- tices and conservation measures necessary to mini- mize erosion losses by both water and wind. Proper rotations, crop residue management, contour farm- ing, strip cropping, and terracing are essential to soil conservation. A basic consideration is that only those lands suited to crops will be so used. Lands whose productivity cannot be sustained by proper conservation measures should be converted to grass or other uses. The grazing lands of the basin should be so managed as to establish and maintain vegetative 273 |