Confronting the Nation's Water Problems The Role of Research (2004) / Chapter Skim
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3 Water Resources Research Priorities for the Future
3 Water Resources Research Priorities for the Future
Pages 64-96
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From page 64... ...
Thus, priority lists from ecologists emphasize ecosystem integrity, priority lists from water treatment professionals emphasize the quantity and quality of the water supply, and priority lists from hydrologists emphasize water budgets and hydrologic processes. In recent years, the limitations of discipline-based perspectives have become clear, as researchers and managers alike have recognized that water problems relevant to society necessarily integrate across the physical, chemical, biological, and social sciences.
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From page 65... ...
The category of water availability emphasizes the interrelated nature of water quantity and water quality problems and it recognizes the increasing pressures on water supply to provide for both human and ecosystem needs. The category of water use includes not only research questions about managing human consumptive and nonconsumptive use of water, but also about the use of water by aquatic ecosystems and endangered or threatened species.
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From page 66... ...
Understand national hydrologic measurement needs and develop a program that will provide these measurements 13. Develop new techniques for measuring water flows and water quality, including remote sensing and in situ.
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From page 67... ...
, Task Force EnvironmentWater, which emphasizes water availability and water quality and the social, economic, and political aspects of water management.
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From page 68... ...
Indeed, the institutional issues that constitute one of the three major themes in Table 3-1 are not explicitly targeted in the mission of any federal agency. This is the current state of affairs in the absence of a more coordinated mechanism for setting a national water resources research agenda.
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From page 69... ...
If the research area fills a knowledge gap, it should clearly be of higher priority than research that is duplicative of other efforts. Furthermore, there are several common underlying themes that, given the expected future complexity of water resources research, should be used to evaluate research areas: · the interdisciplinary nature of the research · the need for a broad systems context in phrasing research questions and pursuing answers · the incorporation of uncertainty concepts and measurements into all aspects of research · how well the research addresses the role of adaptation in human and ecological response to changing water resources These themes, and their importance in combating emerging water resources problems, are described in detail in this chapter.
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From page 70... ...
In the context of water resources, a diversified portfolio would capture the following desirable elements of a national research agenda: · multiple national objectives related to increasing water availability, improving water quality and ecological functions, and strengthening institutional and management practices · short-, intermediate-, and long-term research goals supporting national objectives · agency-based, contract, and investigator-driven research · both national and region-specific problems being encompassed · data collection needs to support all of the above Thus, the water resources research agenda should be balanced in terms of the time scale of the effort (short-term vs. long-term)
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From page 71... ...
After reviewing the varieties of activities classified as "research" by the federal agencies, the committee developed a taxonomy of research categories that was used to assess the distribution and balance of the national water resources research agenda. Following is a description of the categories as used by the committee to assess the current status of water resources research.
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From page 72... ...
For example, research contributing to an understanding of groundwater flow in fractured rock aquifers is fundamental research, as this is a poorly understood topic in hydrogeology. However, because there are many fractured rock aquifers that are major water sources for consumptive use and/or are contaminated, the knowledge has immediate application.
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From page 73... ...
Short term research is also likely to be mission-driven, for the same reason. Investigator-driven research is, by contrast, most likely to be conducted externally, by individuals based at universities, research institutes, and other nongovernmental organizations, and it is more likely to be funda mental and long-term.
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From page 74... ...
All measurements and observations entail some degree of error, as do methods of data analysis, estimation, and modeling. Understanding the sources and amounts of uncertainty attached to estimates of flow, water quality, and other water resource variables is crucial, because so many practical and often expensive decisions hinge on the results.
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From page 75... ...
These four themes are illustrated below, using a subset of the research priorities developed in Table 3-1. The portfolio of existing water resources research tends not to be organized along these thematic lines.
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From page 76... ...
. How particular flow regimes influence the structure of aquatic ecosystems is mostly unknown, even while the management of these ecosystems is critically dependent on such knowledge.
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From page 77... ...
Nonpoint source pollutants have been shown to degrade the quality of groundwater and surface waters across the United States (USGS, 1999) , and in many cases they are a much larger contributor to poor water quality than are point sources.
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From page 78... ...
The key physical approaches for controlling nonpoint source contamination are local mitigation strategies provided by wetlands, sedimentation ponds, and riparian areas along streams, and land-management strategies that reduce runoff and chemical use. Mitigation is an expensive option, both in terms of implementation and reductions in farmed area.
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From page 79... ...
As an example, the Idaho Department of Water Resources increasingly must resolve conflicts among citizens concerning competing demands for (and assertion of rights over) surface water and groundwater, and it also must resolve interstate water conflicts between Idaho and neighboring states (Dreher, 2003)
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From page 80... ...
Moreover, changing temperature and precipitation patterns will affect nonaquatic ecosystems, such as upland forests and savannas, in ways that will feed back on hydrology (Raupach, 1999; Valentini et al., 1999)
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From page 81... ...
These connections, which have been well documented for tropical rain forests, are germane to understanding the connections between hydrology and climate worldwide. Moreover, the driving force for global climate change -- the rise in greenhouse gas concentrations associated with human activities -- will also affect aquatic ecosystems in ways that may amplify or dampen the effects of hydrologic change alone.
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From page 82... ...
Impacts of energy extraction on biotic resources may affect water supply and water use indirectly, by limiting potential options to manage water resources. For example, recent and rapid development of methane gas resources in the Powder River Basin is causing major disruptions in groundwater supply sources (BLM, 2003)
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From page 83... ...
This is especially the case for developing regionally relevant predictions and incorporating climate forecast models into water resource management tools (Georgakakos and Krzysztofowicz, 2001)
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From page 84... ...
The disposal of high-level nuclear waste presents a unique challenge for the water resources research community because of the waste's extraordinary longevity. The Department of Energy (DOE)
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From page 85... ...
This requires both watershed models (which take into account such processes as the movement of pollutants across land) and water quality models (which incorporate in-lake pollutant transport and transformation)
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From page 86... ...
will also need to adapt in order for these technological changes to be successful in maintaining drinking water quality. Thetaskofenhancingandrestoringaquaticecosystems(#25inTable3-1)
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From page 87... ...
. A study in Canada suggests that people believe that environmental quality (including water quality)
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From page 88... ...
Adaptation is anticipated to be particularly difficult but absolutely essential in large aquatic ecosystems where there are multiple competing interests (fisheries scientists, communities relying on fishing, farmers, water resource and dam managers, etc.) (Peterson, 2000)
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From page 89... ...
This suggests that water laws need to be more adaptable if they are to meet changing societal needs. As a first effort, many western states have adopted water transfer laws to accommodate changing water uses, including environmental needs such as instream flows.
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From page 90... ...
Water resource problems are commonly assumed to be only local or regional in scope because water management entities and water supply systems operate on these scales. However, some water-related problems have become truly national in scope, either because of their very large spatial scale (e.g., the connection of the upper Mississippi drainage basin with hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico)
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From page 91... ...
Six criteria are recommended for assessing both the scope of the entire water resources research enterprise and also the nature, urgency, and purview of individual research areas. These criteria should ensure that the vast scope of water resources research carried out by the numerous federal and state agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and academic institutions remains focused and effective.
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From page 92... ...
The current water resources research enterprise is limited by the agency missions, the often narrow disciplinary perspective of scientists, and the lack of a national perspective on perceived local but widely occurring problems. Research patterned after the four themes articulated above could break down these barriers and promise a more fruitful approach to solving the nation's water resource problems.
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From page 93... ...
2000. Water: the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change for the Water Resources of the United States.
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1996. Adaptive management for sound ecosystem management.
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From page 95... ...
2004b. Adaptive Management for Water Resources Project Planning.
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From page 96... ...
1997. Shortage management modeling for urban water supply systems, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management-ASCE 123(4)
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