ditions put all water control for the entire United
States under the direct supervision of Harbrace and his counterpart
director in Region Five. It meant all but emergency fire and disaster
systems shut off; industrial supplies halted; domestic waters limited
to a pint of water per person per day. Since it was midwinter,
agricultural waters were not running in the Northwest. But in Region
Five, already in short supply, only those crops nearing maturity and
having essential food needs for the populace, would be given minimal
supplies to bring them to harvest. The later-growing crops were
doomed.

"Here's what we know right now," Harbrace turned to an illuminated map
of the region and using a light beam indicator, began pointing to the
various storage and supply facilities.

"Spokima is leaking at the rate of a quarter million acre feet an
hour. We've got sub scanners working the bottom now to survey the
crack. The bottom has gone out of Moses Lake and the whole east end of
McNary is shot. Hanford has enough water in emergency storage to
continue reduced power output for about another seventy-two hours."

The point of light moved east towards the Snake, Clearwater and
Kootenai rivers in Idaho.

"All aqueducts leading into the Columbia system have been closed and
we can give thanks that this has come in winter rather than in the
spring runoff. Even so, we're going to have some flooding problems as
the rivers back up.

"We feel that the aqueducts in the Pullman area are probably gone
although we haven't verified. Our big problem now is to find out what
transfer systems are still functional and start salvaging what we can.

"Secondly, if and when we can make repairs, we've got to get water
back into the critical areas and figure some way of storing and
valving to keep it functional.

"That's the big picture and it's damned black. Public Information is
taking care of the video and radio information. We want to avoid panic
if we can and to avoid mass exodus into outlying areas that couldn't
possibly cope with the population demands because of the messed-up
system. We've got to handle it where we are, keep the people in place
and face it here. And by here I mean not only Spokane but Portland,
Seattle and all the rest of the major cities. We live or die on this
situation. Now let's get to work. You'll have detailed instructions
from your section leaders in fifteen minutes."

* * * * *