Area Financing of Water Resource Development in West Minnesota

Abstract

A 14-county environmental planning area in West Minnesota was identified for the purpose of studying financing alternatives in water resource development. Nine of the 14 counties belong to a newly established Regional Development Commission. This Commission has responsibility for planning, research and review of local government activities in the nine-county area. The remaining five counties are included with other newly organized Minnesota planning regions. Altogether, 719 units of government (exclusive of the newly established planning commissions) were included in the study area in 1967 , which is the base year for the study. Economic and organizational structures in the 14-county area are described and analyzed in this study. A computable model of the area economy is presented. Estimates of the degree of internal interdependence of the area economy are derived as basis for assessing the current status of the area economy and its public financing potentials. The base-year data are used subsequently in the preparation of a projected 1980 inter-industry transactions table. An expanded system of area product and income accounts is presented, also, for both the base year and the target year. These accounts are used in assessing the public economy as part of a total area economy. Water resource development potentials and financing requirements and alternatives are identified in the context of all public expenditures and outlays in a multi-county area. The data and methodology developed in the study provide a basis for comprehensive resource planning and programming on a multi-county scale. Use of the technical capability for these purposes in illustrated for the 14-county study area. Further study is underway to facilitate use of the data and models in multi-county resource development and planning.