Excellent paper in NGWA's journal Groundwater from Sharon B. Megdal, the 'Groundwater
Governance Guru'(or 'Goddess'), and her University of Arizona colleagues. The work they report here is based upon a publication I posted a few years ago: Groundwater Governance in the U.S. - Summary of Initial Survey Results
The paper is titled:
Groundwater Governance in the United States: Common Priorities and Challenges
Download FINAL gwat12294 2014_11_18
Megdal, S. B., Gerlak, A. K., Varady, R. G. and Huang, L.-Y. (2014), Groundwater Governance in the United States: Common Priorities and Challenges. Groundwater. doi: 10.1111/gwat.12294
You can enlarge the figures by clicking on them.
Abstract
Groundwater is a critical component of the water supply for agriculture, urban areas, industry, and ecosystems, but managing it is a challenge because groundwater is difficult to map, quantify, and evaluate. Until recently, study and assessment of governance of this water resource has been largely neglected. A survey was developed to query state agency officials about the extent and scope of groundwater use, groundwater laws and regulations, and groundwater tools and strategies. Survey responses revealed key findings: states' legal frameworks for groundwater differ widely in recognizing the hydrologic connection between surface water and groundwater, the needs of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and the protection of groundwater quality; states reported a range in capacity to enforce groundwater responsibilities; and states have also experienced substantial changes in groundwater governance in the past few decades. Overall, groundwater governance across the United States is fragmented. States nevertheless identified three common priorities for groundwater governance: water quality and contamination, conflicts between users, and declining groundwater levels. This survey represents an initial step in a broader, continuing effort to characterize groundwater governance practices in the United States.
I thought I would include Figure 2 for all my friends who discount the importance of groundwater:
I like the authors' concluding remarks:
This survey represents an initial step in a broader effort to characterize groundwater governance practices in the United States. This analysis, along with discussions with national and international groundwater experts, indicates the demand for and value of additional research on groundwater governance. Our two-tiered research plans include steps to expand our survey efforts: refining the questionnaire, reaching out to a broad spectrum of experts, and conducting in-depth analysis of case studies in the United States. We will investigate in further detail groundwater governance practices, approaches, trends, and innovations, focusing on catalysts of and impediments to integrating groundwater and surface water management. This work will allow us to assess the effectiveness of existing governance frameworks and to identify best practices for good groundwater governance.
Enjoy - I did!
“Current mechanisms in state law make it very time consuming to make a case against illegal groundwater appropriators, and the penalties are often minor.” - Minnesota respondent
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