The Columbia river - responsible river management through interagency coordination

The Columbia basin is one of the most fully developed river basins in the world, containing over 160 reservoirs, extensive irrigation systems, and a 480-mile slack water navigation channel. Dams and reservoirs have been developed within this basin to meet various functional requirements; including flood control, hydroelectric power, irrigation, navigation, recreation, fish and wildlife, M & I water supply, andd water quality. Politically, the basin lies within two countries and five states. This means that no less than 25 Federal and State agencies, as well as numerous private organizations, are directly involved in one way or another in the Columbia River resource. This paper traces the historical development of the Columbia basin, and describes the operational emphasis and the institutional structure that has evolved over the years. Current controversial issues facing river managers will be described, particulary the tradeoff between providing the instream flows desired by some interest groups, versus maintaining the current operation plan for power generation and flood protection. The paper examines the ability of the present institutional system to be responsive to changing operational needs and to maintain a balanced objective in the reservoir system operation. It addresses the question of whether a major change in organizational structure would improve the basin management, and concludes that effective, unified river basin management can continue to be achieved through extensive interagency coordination and cooperation

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	67931 FLIGHTNER, G.R., 2688 American Water Resources Association, Minnesota (EUA), 39086 Unified River Basin Management Symposium Gatlinburg, Tennessee (EUA) 4-7 May 1980
Format:	biblioteca
Published:	Minneapolis, Minn. (EUA) 1981
Subjects:	ASPECTOS INSTITUCIONALES, CUENCA RIO COLUMBIA, ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA,
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