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Show has been done recently in connection with the Com- mission's action to license plants owned by the Aluminum Co. of America. At present two projects in the basin operate under licenses from the Federal Power Commission, both granted prior to the establishment of the Authority in 1933. Public Health Service.-The Tennessee Valley Authority's malaria control program has been co- ordinated with the activities of the United States Public Health Service and of local and State or- ganizations. In discharging its malaria control responsibilities the Tennessee Valley Authority en- gages in a program of applied research for develop- ment and improvement of techniques. This research program is correlated with similar research by other Federal agencies, specifically the Public Health Service and the Department of Agriculture. The Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 pro- vides that the Public Health Service "after careful investigation, and in cooperation with other Federal agencies, with State water pollution agencies and interstate agencies, and with the municipalities and industries involved, prepare or adopt comprehensive programs for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries thereof and im- proving the sanitary condition of surface and underground waters. In the development of such comprehensive programs due regard shall be given to the improvements which are necessary to con- serve such waters for public water supplies, propa- gation of fish and aquatic life, recreational purposes, and agricultural, industrial, and other legitimate uses." 7 Under this authorization the Service, in coopera- tion with the Tennessee Valley Authority and other Federal agencies and with the States, recently has completed a preliminary report on the pollution problems and control requirements in the basin. Fish, wildlife, recreation.-Through the joint efforts of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the United States Fish and "Wildlife Service, the State conservation departments and local farmers, a pro- gram of waterfowl food planting has been estab- lished in the basin. These feeding areas are used by both migratory wildfowl and those wintering in the valley. Over 100,000 acres of TVA reservoir lands are administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service as game refuges. The Authority has been able to effect some coordination in programs for fish and wildlife in the basin with those for malaria control. 7 Act of June 30, 1948, § 2, 62 Stat. 1155, 33 U. S. G. 466a. The activities of the National Park Service in the basin are, in general, limited to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park located in the eastern edge of the watershed. The parks established in connection with the reservoirs generally are operated by State and local organizations rather than by the Federal Government. Conclusions The experience in the Tennessee Basin, in which broad responsibilities of development have been as- signed to a single agency, provides a valuable guide in determining the effectiveness under such circum- stances of interagency cooperation and of general program coordination. This experience suggests: (1) There is a definite advantage to be gained in a regional program by having a definite focus for coordination of activities. The leadership can be supplied by the establishment of regional bodies for planning regional programs and to insure coordina- tion in their execution, as recommended by this Commission. (2) The existence of a regional agency can aid in educating the general public on the character, responsibilities, and benefits of comprehensive water resource use. (3) The place of agencies that administer Na- tion-wide programs is important in maintaining a balanced national point of view. (4) Some Federal agencies, such as the Federal Power Commission, having investigatory and regu- latory rather than construction responsibilities, can maintain as effective relations with an agency hav- ing regional responsibility as with traditional func- tional agencies. (5) The coordination of objectives in water use projects in the Tennessee Basin in general has been effective. (6) Where conflicts appear they should be re- solved on the principle that public interests take precedence over questions of agency jurisdiction. 4. Watershed Management Policy The Problem The place of watershed management in the water resources program for the basin. The Situation Watershed management needs.-Agricultural and forest industries are highly important elements 753 |