More than 20 years ago, I read Marc Reisner's book Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water. I had no idea when I read Reisner's account of the mismanagement of the groundwater and surface water resources of the states west of the Mississippi River, especially in the high desert regions of the North American continent, that my perspective on how Americans (especially agencies of the U.S. Government) use/abuse of water would evolve to something that is now diametrically opposed to the views I held when I was a much younger geologist.
In the years since I read Cadillac Desert, I have worked extensively on water resource problems in all regions of Texas and in other states of the west/southwest, and in many southeastern States (especially, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina). What I have seen has convinced me that the average American has no clue where the water originates that pours from his faucets, fills his bath tub, irrigates his lawn, flushes the toilets in his house, fills his swimming pool, or spouts from mega-fountains in gaudy desert resorts such as Las Vegas, Nevada. More disturbing has been the realization that many State governments and especially the National (Federal) Government deal myopically with important intrastate, interstate, regional, interregional, and international matters regarding the access to and use of water resources.
As long as water flows when Americans want/need it, then all is well. Most people, however, are not prepared to live in a world that cannot deliver water (especially potable water) on demand. If something were to disrupt the ability to produce, treat and deliver water at any scale, then life for Americans affected by the disruption would change remarkably ... that is, much for the worse. It is my objective to use this blog as a forum to address the broad range of issues related to the management and use of water in the United States ... and in many other Nations around the world. I hope not to provoke arguments, but thoughtful discussion of matters that ought to be of great concern to people everywhere.
Much more to come. I look forward to your comments.
Best Regards,
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After years of working seasonally as a raft guide and ski bum, I felt it was time to get a "real job." This proved to be difficult when I had to answer the question, "what have you been doing in the last five years?" Charged with an interest in natural resources, water in particular, I decided to go back to school. I read Cadillac Desert on a suggestion from a professor at a prospective grad school, and after finishing the book I knew that more schooling in the field of water resource management was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteAs I break from working on my thesis proposal, I realize that the number of water related issues that need to be addressed is both great and daunting. My question for you is, “what approach should be taken? A top down, or bottom up approach?”
One of my projects addresses the value of water-based ecosystem services in a large National Forest. I hope to gain public input about the services supplied, and how certain stakeholders value those services. My hope is this information can be used to inform water-based management decisions. Another project of mine dealt with the processes of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with regard to water conservation and the release of greenhouse gases. What I learned from this project is that the sum of smaller local efforts may be more effective than large scale plans. I also learned ways in which the Clean Water Act could be used to help leverage the WWTPs to change their processes for the better. However, how can this bottom-up approach work within a rigid system? There are public comment periods and rulemaking clauses, but do these really work? Or are they appeasement strategies used by those that have already made the decisions?
Great comment, Christopher - certainly more than I can address at this time. I'll take a stab at the top-down/bottom-up matter from the perspective of one who has been involved in several regional/statewide water planning programs. See my new post as a reply to your questions/comments.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck in your graduate studies.
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