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WATERINTHEUSAMERICANWEST:150YEARSOFADAPTIVESTRATEGIES 

Manynationsthroughouttheworldarefacedwith

increasingdemandsonscarceandvariablewater

supplies.Theyarealsoexploringtheroleofwaterinaddressingsocialproblemsrelatedtopopulation

growth,economicprosperity,publichealth,

environmentalquality,andsocialjustice.

IntheU.S.AmericanWest,waterresourcepolicyand

investmentshasplayedasignificantrolein

transformingthesocial,economic,andenvironmental

dimensionsoftheregion.Thisstorycaninspire,

inform,andcautiontheinternationalwater

community.

WaterintheU.S.AmericanWest:150YearsofAdaptive

Strategiestracesthehistoryandconsequencesofwaterdevelopment,highlightsamenuofadaptive

strategiesthatcontinuetoevolve,andconcludeswith

asummaryofkeytrendsinpolicyandgovernance.

 THETRANSFORMATIONOF AREGION

Injustafewgenerations,anambitiouscampaignto

harnesstheriversoftheAmericanWesttransformed

theregion,attractingtensofmillionsofnewresidents

andencouragingamajorgrowth-orientedeconomy.

Themultiple-purposewaterprojectsconstructed

throughtheearlytomiddle20thcenturyflattenedthe

greatvariationsinwateravailability,makingpossible

extraordinaryexpansionofeconomicactivityand

qualityoflifeforthenewsettlers.

 Westernersenjoymanybenefitsofthisera,butalso

facesomeunanticipatedconsequences.Today’s

challengesincludereallocatingwatertomeetnew

andchangingdemands—driveninlargepartby

demographicshiftsandlegalmandatestoprotectand

recoverendangeredspecies—andaddressingthe

realitiesofagingdamsandotherinfrastructure.

Moreover,thetraditionallifewaysofindigenouspeopleswereadverselyaffectedbythisdevelopment.

 ADAPTIVESTRATEGIES

ThechallengesofmanagingwaterintheU.S.

AmericanWesthavegivenrisetoavarietyof

innovativeandadaptivemanagementstrategies,

manyofwhichcontinuetoevolvetoday.

ManagingAScare&VariableResource

Westernstates’waterlawsemergedasaconflict

resolutiontoolinahistoricalperiodwithfewcourtsorgovernmentofficials.Thesystemofprior

appropriationworksasameansofallocatingprivate

rightstousewater,whiletheownershipofremainsin

thehandsofthepublic.

•  Voluntarymarket-basedwatertransfershelp

meetnewandchangingneeds.

•  Incentivesforconservationandefficiency

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maximizethebenefitsfromdevelopedwater

supplies.

•  Conjunctivemanagementlinkssurfaceand

groundwater.

•  Thefederalgovernmentsupportsstateprimacy

inwatermanagementwithalargeandongoing

investmentinscientificresearchanddatasharing.

ProtectingRiverEcosystemValues

Overtime,societalvaluesshiftedandrecognizedthe

valueofwaterflowinginrivers,whereitsupports

naturalecosystemfunctions.Newinformationreveals

importantlinkagesbetweendevelopmentpractices

andthesecurityofwaterforfuturegenerations.

Projectedimpactsfromclimatechangehavefocused

attentiononnecessarymeasurestoensurehealthy

andresilientwatershedsandrivers.

•  Federalstandardsprotectwaterqualityandspeciesdiversity.

•  Statelawsenableprotectionofenvironmental

flows.

•  Riverrestorationincludesmulti-stakeholder

partnershipsthatworkoutmutuallybeneficial

plansforoperatingprojectsdifferently—insome

cases,decommissioningthem.

HonoringIndigenousWaterRights

IndiantribesinhabitedtheAmericanWestlong

beforetheformationoftheUnitedStates.Inceding

portionsoftheirland,Indiannationsreservedrightstohunt,fish,andcontinueothertraditionalusesof

theirhistoricalhomelandsandreservedthewater

necessarytosupportthoserights.Theyalsoreserved

rightsforirrigatedagricultureandotheruses

necessarytoasustainablehomeland.Insubsequent

years,thefederalgovernmentdidnotadequately

protectIndianreservedwaterrights,allowing

subsequentdevelopmentthatledtoconflicts.

•  Indianreservedwaterrightsarebasedon

inherentsovereignty,protectedbytheU.S.

Constitution.

•  Indianwaterrightsmaybedecidedinfederalcourtorinstatecourtingeneralstream

adjudications.

•  Indianreservedwaterrightsareincreasingly

settledthroughnegotiationratherthanlitigation.

EngagingDiverseStakeholders

Manycompetinginterestswishtoparticipatein

governanceoftheWest’svaluablewaterresources.

Sortingoutthesediversedemandsthrough

enforcementoflegalrightsaloneresultsinwinnersandlosers,oftencostingagooddealofmoneyand

leavingmanyunsatisfied.Increasingly,westerners

arediscoveringnewmeansofdialogueand

cooperation,oftenoutsidethestrictboundariesof

legalregimes,resultinginmorecreativeandmutuallysatisfyingoutcomesthatmakebetteruseoflimited

waterresourcesandresolveproblemscreatively.

Perhapsthekeypointisthatthereisnosingle

formulaforasuccessfulcollaborativeinitiativeand

no“best”scaleatwhichtowork.

ManagingWaterAcrossBoundaries

Water–bothsurfaceandground–oftencutsacross

stateandnationalboundaries,creatingconflicts

relatedtoallocation,waterquality,andecosystem

values.

•  Interstatecompactsaddressconflicts,with

creative,uniquemutualefforts.

•  Thefederalgovernmentmayassertitsauthority

to“equitably”allocatewateraspursuanttothe

U.S.Constitution.

•  Statesmayenterintoavarietyofvoluntary

agreementswitheachotherwithout

Congressionalconsentorotherfederal

involvement.

•  Internationalagreementsoffersimilarbenefits,

andmayfosterbroaderapproachestoriverbasin

governance.

InnovativeToolsforFinancingInfrastructure

Thefederalgovernmentservedasamajorsourceof

financialsupporttoenableconstructionand

operationofthewaterinfrastructurethat

transformedtheAmericanWest.Privateinvestment

hasalsobeenimmenselyimportant.Inthelatterpartofthe20thCentury,alackofpublicandpolitical

supportfornewdamsandnewsubsidizedwaterfor

developmentresultedinarapiddecelerationof

water-relatedconstruction.Today:

•  Federalagenciesfocusmoreonconservation,efficiency,ecosystemrestoration,andwater

security.

•  Federalwaterfundingprogramsemphasizegrantsthatleveragestateandlocalresources.

•  Cooperativefundinganduserfee-based

strategieshaveemergedasimportantmeansto

dealwithfederalfundingshortfallsandto

accomplishgoalsthatwerenotenvisioneda

centuryago.