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8/2/2019 Water in the West Exec Sum[1]
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/water-in-the-west-exec-sum1 1/2
Foracopyofthispolicyreport,pleasegotowww.building-collaboration-for-water.org.
WATERINTHEUSAMERICANWEST:150YEARSOFADAPTIVESTRATEGIES
Manynationsthroughouttheworldarefacedwith
increasingdemandsonscarceandvariablewater
supplies.Theyarealsoexploringtheroleofwaterinaddressingsocialproblemsrelatedtopopulation
growth,economicprosperity,publichealth,
environmentalquality,andsocialjustice.
IntheU.S.AmericanWest,waterresourcepolicyand
investmentshasplayedasignificantrolein
transformingthesocial,economic,andenvironmental
dimensionsoftheregion.Thisstorycaninspire,
inform,andcautiontheinternationalwater
community.
WaterintheU.S.AmericanWest:150YearsofAdaptive
Strategiestracesthehistoryandconsequencesofwaterdevelopment,highlightsamenuofadaptive
strategiesthatcontinuetoevolve,andconcludeswith
asummaryofkeytrendsinpolicyandgovernance.
THETRANSFORMATIONOF AREGION
Injustafewgenerations,anambitiouscampaignto
harnesstheriversoftheAmericanWesttransformed
theregion,attractingtensofmillionsofnewresidents
andencouragingamajorgrowth-orientedeconomy.
Themultiple-purposewaterprojectsconstructed
throughtheearlytomiddle20thcenturyflattenedthe
greatvariationsinwateravailability,makingpossible
extraordinaryexpansionofeconomicactivityand
qualityoflifeforthenewsettlers.
Westernersenjoymanybenefitsofthisera,butalso
facesomeunanticipatedconsequences.Today’s
challengesincludereallocatingwatertomeetnew
andchangingdemands—driveninlargepartby
demographicshiftsandlegalmandatestoprotectand
recoverendangeredspecies—andaddressingthe
realitiesofagingdamsandotherinfrastructure.
Moreover,thetraditionallifewaysofindigenouspeopleswereadverselyaffectedbythisdevelopment.
ADAPTIVESTRATEGIES
ThechallengesofmanagingwaterintheU.S.
AmericanWesthavegivenrisetoavarietyof
innovativeandadaptivemanagementstrategies,
manyofwhichcontinuetoevolvetoday.
ManagingAScare&VariableResource
Westernstates’waterlawsemergedasaconflict
resolutiontoolinahistoricalperiodwithfewcourtsorgovernmentofficials.Thesystemofprior
appropriationworksasameansofallocatingprivate
rightstousewater,whiletheownershipofremainsin
thehandsofthepublic.
• Voluntarymarket-basedwatertransfershelp
meetnewandchangingneeds.
• Incentivesforconservationandefficiency
8/2/2019 Water in the West Exec Sum[1]
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/water-in-the-west-exec-sum1 2/2
Foracopyofthispolicyreport,pleasegotowww.building-collaboration-for-water.org.
maximizethebenefitsfromdevelopedwater
supplies.
• Conjunctivemanagementlinkssurfaceand
groundwater.
• Thefederalgovernmentsupportsstateprimacy
inwatermanagementwithalargeandongoing
investmentinscientificresearchanddatasharing.
ProtectingRiverEcosystemValues
Overtime,societalvaluesshiftedandrecognizedthe
valueofwaterflowinginrivers,whereitsupports
naturalecosystemfunctions.Newinformationreveals
importantlinkagesbetweendevelopmentpractices
andthesecurityofwaterforfuturegenerations.
Projectedimpactsfromclimatechangehavefocused
attentiononnecessarymeasurestoensurehealthy
andresilientwatershedsandrivers.
• Federalstandardsprotectwaterqualityandspeciesdiversity.
• Statelawsenableprotectionofenvironmental
flows.
• Riverrestorationincludesmulti-stakeholder
partnershipsthatworkoutmutuallybeneficial
plansforoperatingprojectsdifferently—insome
cases,decommissioningthem.
HonoringIndigenousWaterRights
IndiantribesinhabitedtheAmericanWestlong
beforetheformationoftheUnitedStates.Inceding
portionsoftheirland,Indiannationsreservedrightstohunt,fish,andcontinueothertraditionalusesof
theirhistoricalhomelandsandreservedthewater
necessarytosupportthoserights.Theyalsoreserved
rightsforirrigatedagricultureandotheruses
necessarytoasustainablehomeland.Insubsequent
years,thefederalgovernmentdidnotadequately
protectIndianreservedwaterrights,allowing
subsequentdevelopmentthatledtoconflicts.
• Indianreservedwaterrightsarebasedon
inherentsovereignty,protectedbytheU.S.
Constitution.
• Indianwaterrightsmaybedecidedinfederalcourtorinstatecourtingeneralstream
adjudications.
• Indianreservedwaterrightsareincreasingly
settledthroughnegotiationratherthanlitigation.
EngagingDiverseStakeholders
Manycompetinginterestswishtoparticipatein
governanceoftheWest’svaluablewaterresources.
Sortingoutthesediversedemandsthrough
enforcementoflegalrightsaloneresultsinwinnersandlosers,oftencostingagooddealofmoneyand
leavingmanyunsatisfied.Increasingly,westerners
arediscoveringnewmeansofdialogueand
cooperation,oftenoutsidethestrictboundariesof
legalregimes,resultinginmorecreativeandmutuallysatisfyingoutcomesthatmakebetteruseoflimited
waterresourcesandresolveproblemscreatively.
Perhapsthekeypointisthatthereisnosingle
formulaforasuccessfulcollaborativeinitiativeand
no“best”scaleatwhichtowork.
ManagingWaterAcrossBoundaries
Water–bothsurfaceandground–oftencutsacross
stateandnationalboundaries,creatingconflicts
relatedtoallocation,waterquality,andecosystem
values.
• Interstatecompactsaddressconflicts,with
creative,uniquemutualefforts.
• Thefederalgovernmentmayassertitsauthority
to“equitably”allocatewateraspursuanttothe
U.S.Constitution.
• Statesmayenterintoavarietyofvoluntary
agreementswitheachotherwithout
Congressionalconsentorotherfederal
involvement.
• Internationalagreementsoffersimilarbenefits,
andmayfosterbroaderapproachestoriverbasin
governance.
InnovativeToolsforFinancingInfrastructure
Thefederalgovernmentservedasamajorsourceof
financialsupporttoenableconstructionand
operationofthewaterinfrastructurethat
transformedtheAmericanWest.Privateinvestment
hasalsobeenimmenselyimportant.Inthelatterpartofthe20thCentury,alackofpublicandpolitical
supportfornewdamsandnewsubsidizedwaterfor
developmentresultedinarapiddecelerationof
water-relatedconstruction.Today:
• Federalagenciesfocusmoreonconservation,efficiency,ecosystemrestoration,andwater
security.
• Federalwaterfundingprogramsemphasizegrantsthatleveragestateandlocalresources.
• Cooperativefundinganduserfee-based
strategieshaveemergedasimportantmeansto
dealwithfederalfundingshortfallsandto
accomplishgoalsthatwerenotenvisioneda
centuryago.