Evaluation of Programs for Regulating Withdrawal of Surface Water under the Riparian Legal System
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 132, Issue 5
Abstract
The frequency of water conflicts in riparian areas has increased in recent years, forcing water agencies to consider regulating water withdrawals from streams. In this paper, we evaluate permitting programs that would be part of such regulations. The research focuses on fixed- and fractional-flow-based permit systems, the former of which allows a constant volume of withdrawal similar to the practice in appropriative areas; the latter of which allows water abstractions proportional to streamflow. The evaluation is undertaken with respect to three performance criteria: Low flow frequency, users’ net benefit, and withdrawal interruption frequency. It is concluded that the fixed-flow-based permit program is able to provide a high net benefit but causes frequent minimum streamflow violations and withdrawal interruption due to its relatively simple withdrawal formula. The fractional-flow-based permit program is found to achieve a better tradeoff in preserving the natural flow regime, the net economic benefit, and convenience to water users and administrators.
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Acknowledgments
The writers gratefully acknowledge support by the U.S. EPA, which supported the research under its STAR program. The findings reported here have not yet undergone the Agency’s peer review process. The writers also express their gratitude to Professors John Braden, Richard Braatz, and Barbara Minsker at the University of Illinois for their invaluable comments, Jeff Arnold and Nancy Sammons for assistance in running the SWAT model, and Jeff Arnold for his cooperation and assistance in modifying the SWAT model to suit our needs.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 132 • Issue 5 • September 2006
Pages: 385 - 394
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 11, 2004
Accepted: Oct 19, 2005
Published online: Sep 1, 2006
Published in print: Sep 2006
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