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2 A Selective History of Changing Goals and Authority for Aquatic Ecosystem Management
Pages 41-54

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From page 41...
... ." (Nash, 1968~. In the 1920s a series of congressional actions began to increase federal flood control project construction, primarily in the lower Mississippi River 41
From page 42...
... Initial federal efforts to engage in river basin water management began with the Lower Mississippi Valley Commission during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt. The 1934 National Resources Planning Board (NRPB)
From page 43...
... On the matter of cost distribution, the federal government was believed to have the greater financial capacity for basin-scale development, and this belief resulted in limitations on cost sharing and social an, ,, ,` To ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~^ ~s ~ s~s v~- ~^ v' ~' r1~J`~= · · · ~' ~ ·~ ~ 1~J repayment obligations for the beneficiaries of federal expenditures on water development. This repayment philosophy encouraged the political demand for water development projects.
From page 44...
... River basin planning continued to be development project oriented: national water assessments focused exclusively on hydrology and water supply, and the regional water management plans developed became lists of federal water projects. As much as any other factor, the intent of the Water Resources Planning Act was undone by the council's failure to incorporate many of the new social concerns for the quality of the environment in its program development.
From page 45...
... In addition to water quality management, EPA was given responsibility for implementing a suite of programs created by environmental legislation in the 1970s and 1980s, much of which was motivated by concerns about the nation's aquatic ecosystems. Historically, wastewater management emerged as a national concern at the same time that federal water development programs were being established.
From page 46...
... Until the mid-1980s (the following section) , COE was often put in the position of using its Section 404 authority to protect aquatic ecosystems at the same time that federal water development pressures supported the physical destruction of those systems.
From page 47...
... levels, in many lakes and rivers has improved, and loadings of some toxic contaminants have decreased. At the same time, it is well recognized that the nation's water quality programs have not been effective in controlling and reducing loadings of nutrients, sediments, and some toxicants associated with "nonpoint source" pollution from agricultural, urban storm water discharge, mining, and oil and gas extraction activities.
From page 48...
... In 1966, a prestigious federal task force on federal flood control policy recommended that nonstructural measures such as flood warning systems and zoning to control building in the floodplain be placed on a par with structural measures such as dams, dikes, channelization, and levees. The goal of nonstructural measures is to adjust the use of the floodplain to the flood threat, rather than modify flooding.
From page 49...
... The act excludes from the benefit base for justifying new water projects any new or substantially reconstructed structure built in the floodplain after July 2, 1991 (Section 14~. FEDERALLY OWNED LANDS AND PUBLIC INCENTIVES FOR PRIVATE DECISIONS Federal influence on the nation's aquatic resources has not been limited to water project construction and water quality regulation.
From page 50...
... The 1986 Water Resources Development Act (P.L.
From page 51...
... Indeed, the states are developing the necessary planning expertise and research capacity to execute water management programs. We mention some examples.
From page 52...
... EMERGING ROLE OF THE STATES The history of aquatic ecosystem management in the twentieth century in the United States has been one of federal domination. The federal river basin planning process came to be identified with the missions and priorities of federal water project construction agencies; the states tended to retreat from an active role in this process and take a "let the federal government do it and pay for it" attitude (Allee et al., 1982~.
From page 53...
... The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 placed major new cost burdens on the beneficiaries of water project construction, often states and their political subdivisions. The construction grants program for wastewater treatment facilities has been phased down.
From page 54...
... 29, 1990. Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972.


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