A NATIONAL VIEW OF SCIENCE AND POLICY FOR WATER RESOURCES UNDER STRESS

An assessment of several American river basins where science and policy intersect for water resources under stress shows that the commonalities among the cases are stronger than their uniqueness. In the Columbia River, Lower Colorado River, Rio Gande, Platte River, Louisiana Delta, Congaree River, Chesapeake Bay, and Everglades the primary drivers of stress for water resources are population growth, agricultural majority use of water, endangered species, and restoration demands. Every case combines federal and non-federal land and water in great complexity, with the fundamental issue of balancing water supply with other contrary interests such as flood control, hydroelectric power, navigation, or pollution abatement. Each case wrestles with the needs of endangered species, and has constraints imposed by existing water rights with resistance to change. Collisions between water rights on one hand and the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act are common. Lawsuits and heated politics are features of every case. In each basin, administrators seek to employ adaptive management that depends on useful science, which often fails because of inconsistent funding, loose agency agreements, and little competition for research contracts. The science to support water policy often does not include adequate synthesis or integration, and as a result there is insufficient inclusion of science in management. Congressional support often requires scientific input, but there are few mechanisms to hold science accountable. In each case, the water control infrastructure that is viewed as part of the problem is also an indispensable part of the solution. The adoption of a national perspective and initiative rather than a case-by-case approach is likely to result in a sharing of successful strategies and lead to solving the problems of establishing a productive connection between science and policy.