Water Resources Statement by the President.

State systems for allocating and managing water resources have evolved over decades in the Western United States. These systems recognize the high value and relative scarcity of water. Their continuation is essential to stability and equity in the West. With the exception of unique Federal and Indian water rights, the States must allocate their water resources in the manner best suited to themselves.

I have proposed a major domestic energy production effort which we as a nation must undertake to reduce our reliance on imported oil. We hope to establish an energy mobilization board to ensure that decisionmaking on energy projects does not get tied up in redtape. At the same time, I strongly believe that we must preserve the essential and historic role of the States in the process of allocating water among competing needs. I have and will continue to support legislative language to make it clear that federally supported energy development should be accomplished without preemption or change of State water laws, rights, or responsibilities.

With proper planning and sensitivity to all of the human and natural resource problems associated with energy projects, we can produce the energy we need without jeopardizing agricultural and community water use. We can also maintain, as we must, the high quality of the Western environment.

We must respect the rights and responsibilities of our State governments—and when the issue is priorities of water use in a State, the State must and does have the ability to say no through existing State water allocation systems. This right must and will be protected in the energy proposals now pending before the Congress.