Problems and Challenges in Water Resources Management — A Municipal Water Manager's Perspective

Access to an assured supply of fresh water is critical to sustain ourselves, our communities, the economies in urban and rural areas that have grown as a result of our development of the West and for the environment that we live in. We have developed some of the largest economies and population centers in the world in this semi-arid climate subject to climate variation, aridity and drought. Forecasts are for substantial population growth, sustainability and expansion of those economies and expectations of a vital ecosystem will place even greater demands on our natural resources across the West. At this time, we are over-subscribing the capacity of these natural water systems and shortages are being experienced. The water manager must consider a range of adaptive strategies to create an acceptable balance of solutions to meet those multiple needs in this highly political and contentious setting.