Pacific Southwest Water Plan August 1963

Document: "Pacific Southwest Water Plan- Corrected to 8/19" Chapter IX, August 19, 1964, page 10Other parts of the Pacific Southwest also contain deposits of potentially useful minerals. There, however, the likelihood of conflict between management programs for water and for minerals is small. Consequently, the Federal mineral lands would be classified as an incidental product of the geologic and mineral-resource investigations to be outlined. In recent years, the Bureau of Mines has made reconnaissance examinations of proposed reservoir and canal sites to determine the extent of mineral involvement, and the long-range benefits and damages that will accrue if the facility is established. In addition to these local studies, the Bureau will continue to investigate mineral occurrences of potential importance to the Pacific Southwest economy. Fish and Wildlife Research--The waters related to the Pacific Southwest Water Plan will provide much new fish and wildlife habitat. They also will bring forth problems that will warrant investigation to insure that fish and wildlife benefits are realized. With respect to the fisheries, avenues of investigation include fish stocking and the maintenance of fishery productivity, control of undesirable fish populations, water quality, fishing pressure, and related aspects, all related to maintaining fish life and fishing at its optimum levels. Similarly, wildlife investigations will be needed. They will cover such facets as water level control, particularly in marshes; manipulation of food and cover; counting or otherwise estimating numbers of waterfowl, upland game, and big game as a basis for maintaining breeding stocks; crop depredations; phreatophyte control to insure the retention of appropriate wildlife cover; and similar activities. As with the fisheries, studies will be designed to maintain wildlife and hunting at their optimum levels. Saline Water Conversion There is general agreement among scientists and engineers who are working on the problem that presently available processes for desalting sea or brackish water are not the best that can be expected. Improvements developed during the past decade have substantially reduced the cost of conversion. Several new or improved processes--some still in the laboratory stage of development--give promise of further reducing desalting costs. The Anderson-Aspinall Act (P. L. 87-295), has provided an authorization that has permitted the Office of Saline Water to accelerate and expand its research and development activities. IX-10Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,171,994 byte