Multi-resolution integrated modeling for basin-scale water resources management and policy analysis

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2004

OSTI ID:977391

Brookshire, David S; Springer, E P; Wagener, Thorsten

Approximately one-third of the land surface of the Earth is considered to be arid or semi-arid with an annual average of less than 12-14 inches of rainfall. The availability of water in such regions is of course, particularly sensitive to climate variability while the demand for water is experiencing explosive population growth. The competition for available water is exerting considerable pressure on the water resources management. Policy and decision makers in the southwestern U.S. increasingly have to cope with over-stressed rivers and aquifers as population and water demands grow. Other factors such as endangered species and Native American water rights further complicate the management problems. Further, as groundwater tables are drawn down due to pumping in excess of natural recharge, considerable (potentially irreversible) environmental impacts begin to be felt as, for example, rivers run dry for significant portions of the year, riparian habitats disappear (with consequent effects on the bio-diversity of the region), aquifers compact resulting in large scale subsidence, and water quality begins to suffer. The current drought (1999-2002) in the southwestern U.S. is raising new concerns about how to sustain the combination of agricultural, urban and in-stream uses of water that underlie the socio-economic and ecological structure in the region. The water stressed nature of arid and semi-arid environments means that competing water uses of various kinds vie for access to a highly limited resource. If basin-scale water sustainability is to be achieved, managers must somehow achieve a balance between supply and demand throughout the basin, not just for the surface water or stream. The need to move water around a basin such as the Rio Grande or Colorado River to achieve this balance has created the stimulus for water transfers and water markets, and for accurate hydrologic information to sustain such institutions [Matthews et al. 2002; Brookshire et al 2003; Krause, Chermak Brookshire, 2003].

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE
• OSTI ID: 977391
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-04-0047; LA-UR-04-47
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUIFERS
CLIMATES
DROUGHTS
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
ENDANGERED SPECIES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EXPLOSIVES
HYDROLOGY
MANAGEMENT
PUMPING
RIVERS
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
SURFACE WATERS
WATER QUALITY
WATER REQUIREMENTS
WATER RESOURCES
WATER RIGHTS
WATER USE