Planning for Drought: A Management Perspective

The Corps of Engineers' efforts to influence the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area to agree on a regional solution to water supply, while still maintaining service area independence, are examined. The nation's capital and surrounding environs face potentially severe water shortages in the future. The Metropolitan Washington Area (MWA) generally depends on the Potomac River for most of its supply, which is highly variable, subject to both floods and droughts. As population increases in the MWA, the risk of shortages also increase. The MWA's water supply has been studied for years with little or no regional cooperation. The Congress, by its actions, has assumed a lead role for regional water supply planning by acting through the Corps of Engineers, which was directed to make a complete investigation of the water resources needs of the MWA.