GOALS, COMPONENTS, AND STATUS OF THE USGS GREAT LAKES BASIN WATER AVAILABILITY AND USE PROGRAM

In January, 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a study of Water Availability and Use in the Great Lakes Basin as a pilot for a National Assessment of Water Availability and Use Program. The Great Lakes Basin Pilot integrates analysis of ground water, surface water, and water use to quantify water availability at a regional scale, demonstrate local-scale assessment, and identify data needs. Limitations on water use in the basin may arise through of the interplay between local hydrology and geology, demand, water quality, and societal decisions regarding in-stream use or desired ecological flows. Water availability and use assessments are crucial for proper resource management under complex, uncertain, and changing environmental and social conditions. Water availability and use assessments also provide the context to understand how water demands interact with water resources. This project builds on past studies to quantify regional water availability in the Great Lakes Basin and provides the ground work to both quantify and monitor stocks, flows, and processes governing regional water resources. As a pilot project, this study provides techniques and methods for regional and regional-to-local water-availability and use assessments that may be applied across the nation.