Managing our water resources
Water is a plentiful, renewable resource if it is properly managed. The US allocates 82% of its water to agriculture, 10% to industries and utilities. American farmers are beginning to adopt water-conserving techniques long used in the world's arid regions because past profligate use and recent droughts lowered both water tables and farm productivity. Runoff and pollution are responsible for much of the waste of usable water. Because of local water shortages, there is interest in drip irrigation, setting aside more land for reservoirs, and other conservation techniques to ensure adequate supplies for industrial development and economic growth. American faith in technology has led to schemes for desalination, cloud seeding, iceberg towing, and aquifer recharging, as well as the existing system of dams. Proper management of river basins is an important step in the process. 1 figure. (DCK)
- OSTI ID:
- 5388438
- Journal Information:
- Compressed Air; (United States), Vol. 87:5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Underwatered West: overdrawn at the well
Water crisis: it's almost here
Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WATER REQUIREMENTS
WATER RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL
RESOURCES
290400* - Energy Planning & Policy- Energy Resources
520600 - Environment
Aquatic- Regulations - (-1989)
290200 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology