Water Resources Exam 1 Review

What are some of the competing interests that confront water management?

• Domestic use

• Agriculture

• Hydropower generation

• Recreational use

• Ecosystems

• International boundaries

• Esthetic & Spiritual interest 

Water is never the single - and hardly every the major cause of conflict but?

But it can exacerbate existing political, ethinic, or religious tensions

• Opens up dialogue and negotiations

What are the four key issues in water disputes?

1. Quantity

2. Quality

3. Timing

4. Space

Quantity in water disputes?

Competing claims for a scarce resource

Quality in water disputes?

Unclean water poses serious threats to human and ecosystem health

Timing in water disputes?

Timing of water flow is often critical and operational patterns of dams have competing interests

Spatial levels in water disputes?

Dynamics of confllict can vary depending on the geographic scale

International level of water disputes?

• Degraded political relations

• Inefficient water management

• Ecosystem neglect

National level of water disputes?

• Disputes between provinces, ethinic or religious groups, or economic sectors have a high potential for violence

• National sovereignty issues can inhibit international involvement

Local level of water disputes?

• Likelihood and intensity of violence increases as geographic sale drops

• Loss of water-based livelihoods can lead to migrations to citires or neighboring countries

• Local core values held for generations are threatened by new demends for cities and hydropower

4 Cooperative Management Mechanisms?

• Provide forums for joint negotiations, thus ensuring that all existing and potentially conflicting interests are taken into account

• Consider different perspectives and interests to reveal new management options and win-win solutions

• Build trust and confidence through collaboration and joint-fact finding

• Make decisions that are much likely to be accepted by all stakeholders, even if consensus cannot be reached

How many international basins?

310 international basins

• Many have numerous international agreements to manage water resources

Translating global issues to local scale

Global: climate change, transboundary water stress, urbanization

Local: Boil water advisories, seasonal shortages, flash floods, and groundwater depletion

What is community-centered water planning? Why is it important?

• Involves inclunding the community in decision-making, not just engineers or officials

• Makes sure solutions reflect real needs and cultural values of the people who live there

• Helps avoid wasting money on infrastructure people won’t use or support

• Gives communities a sense of ownership > better care and maintenance

How can we addres inequities in community-centered water planning?

• Recognize that some groups have historically been left out or undeserved

• Provide equal access to clean water and safe infrastructure

Who was Rachel Louise Carson?

• American marine biologist and conservationist

• Began career as aquatic biologist in U.S. Bureau of Fisheries

• Became a full-time nature writer in 1950s

• Wrote the book, Silent Spring, which reported ecosystem damage from overuse of pesticide

Why was the Fire on the Cuyahoga River (1969) important?

• It exposed the extent of river pollution

• Served as a major catalyst for the modern environmental movement, inspiring the creation of EPA and Clean Water Act

Formation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

• Following President Richard Nixon’s plan, EPA was officially established on December 2nd, 1970

• The agency consolidates federal research, monitoring and enforcement activites in a single agency

• EPA’s mission is to protect human health by safeguarding the air we breather, water we drink and land on which we live

The Clean Water Act of 1972?

• 1st Act: Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948

• CWA is amendment to FWPCA that set a basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants to water of the US

• The law gave EPA the authority to set effluent standards

Point Source Pollution?

A source of potential pollution that is discharged to a lake, river, or stream from a defined point, such as the end of a pipe or channel

(Ex. wastewater treament plant discharge)

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)?

• Enforcement arm of the EPA Clean Water Act

• Discharge of pollutants to waters of the US require an NPDES permit

• Who is included?

  • Wastewater treatment plants

  • Industries

  • Stormwater

Non-Point Source Pollution?

A source of potential pollution that enters a lake, river or stream from a diffuse source

(Ex. snowmelt or rain moving over the ground and picking up pollution)

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)?

• A TMDL establishes the maximum amount of pollutant allowed in a waterbody and serves as the starting point or planning tool for restoring water quality

1. States identify water that are impaired or in danger of becoming impaired

2. For these waters, states calculate and allocate pollutant reduction levels necessary to meet approved water quality standards

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) - 1974?

• Focused on protecting public drinking water supplies

• Authorized the EPA to set national health-based standards

Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (RCRA) - 1976?

• Purpose: Governs the management of hazardous and solid waste from generation to disposal

• Key functions:

  • Regulates landiflls, incinerators, and underground storage tanks

  • Establishes a “cradle to grave” system for tracking hazardous waste

  • Promotes wate minimization and resource recovery

• Adminstered by EPA

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA - 1980)?

Purpose: Addresses the cleanup of hazardous waste sites and holds polluters financially responsible

Key functions:

• Identifies and prioritizes contaminated sites for remediation

• Establishes the Supurfund trust to finance cleanups when responsible parties that are unable to pay

Adminstered by EPA

Order of Fragmented Governance in U.S. Water Policy? (Top-Down)

Federal, State, Regional, Local

Tragedy of the Commons?

A situation where individuals, acting in their own self-interest, overuse and deplete a shared resources

Consumer surplus?

The difference between what consumers are willing to pay and what they actually pay

Producer Surplus?

The difference between the price producers receive and the minimum they would accept

Market efficiency?

When consumer and producer surplus are maximized, the market is considered efficient.