Based on a colloquium sponsored by the Water Science and Technology Board, this book addresses the need for research toward the problems of water management during drought episodes. It covers such topics as the causes and occurrence of drought, drought management options, acceptable risks for public systems, and legal and institutional aspects of drought management.

"Alex Prud'homme's remarkable work of investigative journalism shows how fresh water is the pressing global issue of the twenty-first century"--

California experienced severe water supply shortages in 2009, which led to economic disruption across the state, incl. losses in agricultural areas in the western portion of the Central Valley ¿ areas already experiencing declines in the housing industry and the economic downturn in general. At the same time, several fish species whose habitat lie at the heart of California¿s water supply system and throughout its northern rivers are in decline and some face the possibility of extinction. This situation too has had economic implications, resulting in job and income losses in northern California. Contents of this report: (1) Intro.; (2) What is Drought?; (3) Drought in California; (4) Regulatory Restrictions Affecting Water Deliveries; (5) California Water Rights. Illus.

Recent studies of past climate and streamflow conditions have broadened understanding of long-term water availability in the Colorado River, revealing many periods when streamflow was lower than at any time in the past 100 years of recorded flows. That information, along with two important trends-a rapid increase in urban populations in the West and significant climate warming in the region-will require that water managers prepare for possible reductions in water supplies that cannot be fully averted through traditional means. Colorado River Basin Water Management assesses existing scientific information, including temperature and streamflow records, tree-ring based reconstructions, and climate model projections, and how it relates to Colorado River water supplies and demands, water management, and drought preparedness. The book concludes that successful adjustments to new conditions will entail strong and sustained cooperation among the seven Colorado River basin states and recommends conducting a comprehensive basinwide study of urban water practices that can be used to help improve planning for future droughts and water shortages.

Always considered a classic renewable resource, after a hundred thousand years of farming and industry, rivers in many parts of the world are running dry and the groundwater is over pumped. In addition, the rate at which water sources are becoming contaminated with waste from humans, industry, and agriculture is truly alarming. Do these factors add up to a water crisis that merits drastic, large-scale action? Not necessarily say the editors of Water Crisis: Myth or Reality. They challenge this pessimism, concluding that while there are serious global water issues to be considered, the concept of a global water crisis is largely overstated. The book examines the issues and explores which conditions are permanent and unchangeable and which are remediable and changeable. The chapters explore when and where severe regional and local water problems occur and make suggestions about how they may be solved in a deliberate, non-crisis manner. The book covers recent breakthroughs in desalination technologies, the eco-sanitation revolution, international trade in agricultural products, methods of governance and negotiation in water allocation, and pricing and devolution of property rights and the roles they play in solving water issues. The editors, along with a panel of world-renowned experts, suggest that water issues can be solved over the next few decades using new technologies and processes.