About 273,000 acre-feet of Central Valley project water will be made available to the San Felipe division each year from the existing San Luis Reservoir. Approximately 180,000 acres of irrigated land and several cities and towns in the San Felipe service area will benefit from this supplemental water supply. The estimated cost of the new works to be constructed is about $92 million. The benefit-cost ratio for the project is 2.76 to 1 and about 92 percent of the total cost will be repaid within 50 years.

The Palmetto Bend Project Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain stage 1 of the Palmetto Bend reclamation project in Texas and it authorizes the purchase of lands for stage 2 of the project. The Palmetto Bend project is a multiple-purpose development, but it will primarily furnish municipal and industrial water supplies. It will also provide additional recreation opportunities and fish and wildlife enhancement. This project will regulate the flows of the Lavaca and Navidad Rivers by construction of a dam a short distance from their confluence near Edna, Tex. Stage 1 of the project will provide a dependable water supply of 75,000 acre-feet per year. The construction and operation of the pumping and distribution facilities and the administration of the recreation facilities will be the responsibility of the Jackson County Flood Control District. The cost of stage 1 of the project is estimated at $34,077,000, and the cost of acquiring lands for stage 2 is estimated at $2,700,000. About 68 percent of the project cost will be repaid within a 50-year period. The project has a benefit-cost ratio of 1.81 to 1.

The Mountain Park Project Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain the Mountain Park reclamation project in Oklahoma. This is a multiple-purpose project which will furnish municipal and industrial water to the cities of Altus and Snyder, Okla. It will also provide additional flood protection in the project area, increase recreational opportunities, and enhance fish and wildlife conservation. The project works consist of a dam and reservoir, a diversion dam and canal, and an aqueduct system to deliver water to the cities of Altus and Snyder. The project will make available about 18,600 acre-feet of water annually. The estimated cost of the project is $19,978,000, of which about 73 percent will be repaid within a 50-year period. The benefit-cost ratio is 1.9 to 1.

The Sacramento Canals Act authorizes an enlargement and realinement of the last 50 miles of the authorized Tehama-Colusa Canal of the Central Valley project. This additional capacity will be needed in the future and approximately $5.7 million in construction costs can be saved by including it in the initial construction. The cost of enlarging the canal at this time is estimated to be about $17.4 million.

APPROPRIATION AUTHORIZATION INCREASES

The committee and the Congress approved two measures increasing the amounts authorized to be appropriated for continuing work in the Missouri River Basin by the Secretary of the Interior. They are:

Missouri River Basin Project (P.L. 90-89; S. 1601; H.R. 8775, Aspinall) (P.L. 90-315; S. 3033; H.R. 15657, Aspinall).

The first of these measures increases the amount authorized to be appropriated for continuing work in the Missouri River Basin by $8 million. The Bureau of Reclamation needed this increase in connec

tion with its fiscal year 1968 construction program. The second measure increases the amount authorized to be appropriated for carrying out the Bureau of Reclamation's programs in the Missouri River Basin during fiscal years 1969 and 1970 by $59 million. Both of the authorization increases are for programs already authorized-no new projects are involved.

MISCELLANEOUS

Eight measures involving various matters under the jurisdiction of the Irrigation and Reclamation Subcommittee were approved by the committee and were enacted by the Congress. They are:

Metropolitan Water District Desalting Plant (P.L. 90-18;

S. 270; H.R. 207, Aspinall, and other similar bills 1).

Eklutna Project Rehabilitation (P.L. 90-523; S. 224; H.R. 7804, Pollock).

Reclamation Project Expenses (P.L. 90-400; S. 1251; H.R. 16946, Foley; H.R. 17007, Mrs. May; H.R. 16176, Hansen of Idaho).

Navajo Reservoir Water Contracts (P.L. 90-272; S.J. Res. 123; H.J. Res. 937, Morris).

Kings River Water Association Excess Payments (P.L. 90-260; S. 2402; H.R. 12892, Sisk).

Foss Reservoir Repayment Contract (P.L. 90-311; S. 1946; H.R. 12277, Steed; H.R. 13773, Smith of Oklahoma).

Shasta County California Land Exchange (P.L. 90-591; H.R. 8781, Johnson of California).

Designating the Oahe Reservoir as Lake Oahe (P.L. 90-270; H.R. 2901, Reifel).

The Metropolitan Water District Desalting Plant Act authorized the Department of the Interior, through the Office of Saline Water, to participate financially in the construction and operation of a large dual-purpose plant for sea water conversion and nuclear power generation. Under the legislation, Federal financial participation in the project was limited to $72.2 million. The plant was to have been built by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in partnership with a group of public and private utilities, but because of increased costs and other problems, the plant will not be built as envisioned under this authorization. Should continuing studies result in agreement on another plan, new legislation will be required for Federal participation.

The Eklutna Project Act makes nonreimbursable the cost of work which was necessary to rehabilitate the Eklutna hydroelectric power project in Alaska because of damage caused by the earthquake in March 1964. This means that there will be a reduction of $2,805,437 in the amount required to be repaid to the Federal Government during a 50-year period in connection with the Eklutna project. The rehabilitation work has already been performed under existing authority. The legislation relating to reclamation project expenses relieves certain water users' organizations from the responsibility of making severance payments to Bureau of Reclamation employees whose employment has, or will be, terminated because of a transfer of the operation of irrigation facilities to such organizations. To require the four

1H.R. 721, Hosmer; H. R. 2096, Hanna; H.R. 2843, Van Deerlin; H. R. 4929, Wyatt; H. R. 5155, Reinecke; H.R. 6106, Bell.

water users' organizations in the States of Idaho and Washington that are involved in this legislation to assume liability for these severance payments would result in an inequitable burden on the individual farmers and water users because of the way the amount of the severance payments is determined under existing law.

The legislation relating to the Navajo Reservoir water contracts authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into three contracts for the delivery of water for industrial purposes from the existing Navajo Reservoir in New Mexico. Congressional approval of these contracts is required by a provision in the 1962 act authorizing the Navajo Indian and San Juan Chama projects. It is expected that delivery of water under these contracts will return to the United States approximately $450,000 annually.

The legislation relating to excess payments by the Kings River Water Association and other irrigation organizations in California involves the question of whether certain payments made by these organizations in 1954 and 1955 were in excess of amounts properly chargeable to them. The settlement involved in this legislation directs the Secretary to credit the sum of $1,100,000 against outstanding obligations of the organizations concerned. There will be no refund to the water users, but a credit will be allowed against the payments last coming due under existing repayment contracts with the Federal Government.

Legislation involving the Foss Reservoir repayment contract authorizes the Department of the Interior to conduct studies and research in connection with the problems associated with the poor quality of water available from the Foss Reservoir of the Washita River Basin project in Oklahoma. The objective of these studies is to find alternative water sources, as well as the most practical and feasible means of alleviating the water quality problem. In addition to authorizing the studies, this measure relieves the Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District from making any further construction charge payments under its existing contract until good quality water is delivered, and it refunds about $218,000 which the district has already paid. The Shasta County land exchange legislation authorizes the Secre tary of the Interior to convey to the Summit City Public Utility District approximately 7.2 acres of land in Shasta County, Calif., in exchange for conveyance to the United States by the district of approximately 5.9 acres. The tract of land conveyed to the district is devel oped as a Little League ball park. The objective of the exchange is to permit it to continue to be used for this purpose. The two parcels are approximately equal in value, but the legislation provides for cash payments to make up any difference that may result from final appraisals.

The purpose of the measure relating to the Oahe Reservoir is to give the official name "Lake Oahe" to the reservoir behind the Oahe Dam on the Missouri River in the State of South Dakota.

OTHER LEGISLATION CONSIDERED

One bill, which was approved by the subcommittee and reported to the House favorably by the full committee, was not enacted. The legislation (S. 862 and several companion House bills) would have amended the Small Reclamation Projects Act in two respects. First,

it would have removed certain language in the existing act which is objectionable to the President on the grounds that it violates the "separation of powers" doctrine. And, second, it would have extended the benefits of the small reclamation projects loan program to projects which include irrigation as a project purpose but which are or may be used primarily for domestic, municipal, or industrial water supply. The failure to enact this legislation has brought the small reclamation projects program to a halt because the executive branch has refused to fund any small reclamation project loans until the language objected to has been deleted from the act. The language deemed objectionable by the executive branch involves the right of the legislative branch to exercise a veto over an executive branch action.

The other two bills that failed to be enacted relate to the naming of two reservoirs in Texas.

TERRITORIAL AND INSULAR AFFAIRS

The Subcommittee on Territorial and Insular Affairs has major responsibility for Federal legislation affecting the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; the territories of Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa; and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. In addition, it has limited responsibilities in Antarctica. The subcommittee also has jurisdiction over certain residual legislation resulting from the admission of Alaska and Hawaii to statehood. Its major responsibilities involve more than 2,000 islands in the Pacific and Caribbean having approximately 24 million inhabitants.

Of the 33 bills referred to it, the Subcommittee on Territorial and Insular Affairs and the full committee reported a total of seven, all of which were enacted by the 90th Congress. The subcommittee held a total of 28 meetings in Washington. Field trips and hearings were conducted in the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands and in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Three members of the committee made a field inspection trip to Antarctica in January 1968. Members of the subcommittee, or the professional staff, also attended sessions of the United Nations Trusteeship Council, the South Pacific Commission in Noumea, New Caledonia, and the Semicentennial Anniversary Celebration in the Virgin Islands. In addition, a member of the professional staff visited American Samoa.

GUAM

The following bills affecting the territory of Guam were enacted: Guam Elective Governor Act (P.L. 90-497; S. 449; H.R. 7097, Matsunaga; H.R. 7329, Carey).

Guam Development Fund Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-601; S. 1763; H.R. 15151, Carey).

Amending Guam Rehabilitation Act (P.L. 90-511; S. 3072; H.R. 16801, Carey).

Amending the Organic Act of Guam, Public Law 90-497 provides or the popular election of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Guam and for the appointment of a government comptroller for Guam. The first elected Governor will be chosen at the general election on November 3, 1970. Subsequent gubernatorial elections will be held very 5 years thereafter.

Public Law 90-601 authorizes the appropriation of $5 million to be made available to the government of Guam for use as an economic development fund. This fund will enable the government of Guam to encourage the development of private enterprise and industry on Guam.

The Guam Rehabilitation Act of 1963 is amended by Public Law 90-511 which increases the amount authorized to be appropriated from $45 to $75 million. It also extends the time for making payments to the government of Guam for a period of 5 years and provides for the reimbursement of such funds, with interest, over a 30-year period from the date of transfer of the funds to the government of Guam.

VIRGIN ISLANDS

The Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands was amended by the following:

Virgin Islands Elective Governor Act (P.L. 90-496; S. 450; H.R. 7330, Carey).

Public Law 90-496 amends the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to provide for the popular election of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the Virgin Islands and for the appointment of a government comptroller for the Virgin Islands. The first election is to be held at the general election on November 3, 1970. Subsequent gubernatorial elections will be held every 4 years thereafter.

TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

Two measures, amending the Act of June 30, 1954, as amended. were approved. They are P.L. 90-16 (S. 303; H.R. 902, Morton H.R. 5277, Carey) and P.L. 90-617 (S. 3207; H.R. 18205, Foley).

Public Law 90-16 authorized an increase of $7 million in the amount authorized to be appropriated for civil government and capital improvements in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands for fiscal year 1967 and it doubled the annual appropriation authorization by increasing it by $17 million for the fiscal years 1968 and 1969.

Public Law 90-617 stepped up the annual appropriation authori zation for fiscal years 1970 and 1971. The increase authorized for the government of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands will permit appropriations to be raised from $35 million in fiscal 1969 to $50 million in fiscal years 1970 and 1971. In addition, the legislation authorizes the appropriation of such sums as the Secretary of the Interior deems necessary, but not to exceed $10 million for any 1 year, to alleviate suffering and damage resulting from major disasters which frequently occur in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

ALASKA

The following measure amending the Alaska Omnibus Act was enacted:

Development Planning in Alaska (P.L. 90-69; S. 1281; H.R. 10645, Pollock).

The 1964 amendments to the Alaska Omnibus Act were amended by Public Law 90-69 to continue the authority for the Federal Field Committee for Development Planning in Alaska, which was estab