Chapter 1
During the last few decades the planning for the development of water
resources has progressed from single-purpose projects, such as for irrigation or flood control, to multipurpose programs encompassing entire river
basins. The rapidly increasing population of the United States and other
countries of the world, together with the resource-consuming characteristics of our present society, makes it imperative that we improve the quality
of our decision making for allocating public and private investments in
the water resources area. Of particular importance is the precedence ordering and sizing of the construction of units in a water resources system over
time. If a unit is constructed too soon, the cost of interest on the unused
investment for even a few years can be substantial. On the other hand,
failure to meet expected deliveries for firm hydroelectric energy and water
as specified in contracts can result in even greater losses of system revenues
and project benefits. This chapter discusses what the problems in planning
for a comprehensive water resources system are, how they are attacked,
and what criteria are used to evaluate the expansion of a water resources
system.
1.1· Development of Water Resources
Comprehensive plans for the construction and operation of dams, canals,
and so on have been completed or are being implemented in a number of
countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, the
Netherlands, South Africa, West Germany, and the United States. These
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