West To Big Water

Conflicts among water users still occur in the American West. Environmentalists, who want water to be left in the rivers to preserve threatened species, compete with urban & agricultural users for the West's limited water resources. Native American water rights are also receiving more attention. This study analyzes the policy tools slated for use in California, estimates the costs of those reforms to agriculture in the state, & discusses the implications of using those policy tools in the rest of the West. Policy changes introduced in California could serve as models for changes throughout the West. Charts & tables.

"The history of the largest transmountain diversion project ever built - the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) - designed to bring Colorado River water through a thirteen-mile tunnel under the Continental Divide to farmers in the South Platte River basin. The book also offers a detailed exploration of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD), the agency created to oversee the design, construction, water delivery, and payment of the monumental C-BT. Using a wealth of sources - minutes, reports, speeches, memoranda, newspaper accounts, and interviews with NCWCD officials - Daniel Tyler presents a practical, hands-on story of construction, operation, and maintenance of a supplemental water delivery system. Tyler writes history that reflects the pros and cons of litigation and negotiation in water-conflict resolutions. His book is also a chronology of the struggle between disciples of water development and proponents of environmental causes, including many issues of relevance to other state and federal entities with a stake in western water"--P. [4] of cover.

The American West faces many challenges, but none is more important than the challenge of managing its water. This book examines the role that water transfers can play in allocating the region's scarce water resources. It focuses on the variety of third parties, including Native Americans, Hispanic communities, rural communities, and the environment, that can sometimes be harmed when water is moved. The committee presents recommendations to guide states, tribes, and federal agencies toward better regulation. Seven in-depth case studies are presented: Nevada's Carson-Truckee basin, the Colorado Front Range, northern New Mexico, Washington's Yakima River basin, central Arizona, and the Central and Imperial valleys in California. Water Transfers in the West presents background and current information on factors that have encouraged water transfers, typical types of transfers, and their potential negative effects. The book highlights the benefits that water transfers can bring but notes the need for more third-party representation in the processes used to evaluate planned transfers.

The small water bodies such as headwater streams, springs, ditches, small lakes, and ponds are critical to maintaining freshwater biodiversity. This is especially true for Dinaric karst, where they are often the only water bodies present. However, despite their importance, they remain widely overlooked and excluded from government policies like the EU Water Framework Directive. This book includes information on different aspects of these essential but still neglected habitats. This book intends to be of interest to a wide range of audiences, from researchers and conservationists to the public and decision-makers.

The nexus between water and energy raises a set of public policy questions that go far beyond water and energy. Economic vitality and management of scarce and precious resources are at stake. This book contributes to the body of knowledge and understanding regarding water, energy, and the links between the two in the American West and beyond. The research and analyses presented by the authors shed new light on the choices that must be made in order to avoid unnecessary harm in the development and management of water and energy systems to meet public needs in an ever changing environmental and economic climate. Indeed, the book shows, thoughtfully designed new technologies and approaches can help restore damaged environments and provide a range of benefits. The focus is the American West, but many of the lessons are global in their applicability. After a broad, stage-setting introductory section, the volume looks first at the use of water for energy production and then follows with chapters on the role of energy in water projects. The final section looks at the way forward, providing cases and recommendations for better, more efficient linkages in the water–energy nexus. Students and researchers in economics, public policy, environmental studies and law along with planners and policymakers will find this accessible and very current volume invaluable.