FREE MARKETS - A STIMULUS OR IMPEDIMENT FOR INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT?

A significant philosophical water management controversy exists over the balance between economics, social equity and environmental protection in integrated water resources management. For many, the economic outcomes predominate, even to the marginalization of the others. This conviction became significant in the United States in 1980 when the United States Supreme Court ruled that groundwater, under certain circumstances, could be considered a commodity of interstate commerce. The ruling differentiated between water as a human need and as an economic good. (Sporhase, 1982

Energy - Water Nexus -- Meeting the Energy and Water Needs of the Snake/Columbia River Basin in the 21st CenturyScience and Technology SummitConference Results

In June 2007, representatives from federal, state, and academic institutions met to discuss the role of innovative science, technology, and policy in meeting future energy and water demands in the Snake-Columbia River Basin. Conference members assessed the state-of-the-science, technology, and associated research to develop cost-effective and environmentally sound methodologies and technologies to maximize the production of energy and availability of water and to minimize the consumption of both water and energy in the Snake-Columbia River system. Information on all phases of science and technology development, theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments, pilot tests, and field applications were relevant topics for discussion. An overview of current management needs was presented the first day. On the second day, five focus groups were created: ? Energy Generation and Use ? Water Allocation and Use ? Energy/Water Storage ? Environmental Considerations ? Social, Economic, Political, and Regulatory Considerations. Each group started with a list of status items and trends, and discussed the future challenges and research needed to reach four goals: ? Balance energy production and resource consumption ? Balance water availability and competing needs ? Balance water consumption/energy production and competing needs ? Balance environmental impacts and water use/energy production ? Balance costs and benefits of water use. The resulting initiatives were further broken down into three categories of importance: critical, important, and nice to do but could be delayed. Each initiative was assigned a number of dots to show a more refined ranking. The results of each focus group are given in the pages that follow. These results are intended to help local and regional researchers 1. Develop a technical strategy for developing cost-effective science and technology to predict, measure, monitor, purify, conserve, and store water and to maximize power generation, storage, and efficiency in the region 2. Evaluate methods and technologies for reducing the impacts of energy and water development and use on the environment

A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IWRM) PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES

The United States (U.S.) is a resource-rich nation and the development of our water and water-related resources has created great socioeconomic stability and allowed Americans to prosper for more than 200 years. However, development of these resources has not been without its attendant costs. Global change has impacted virtually every river basin in the U.S., often degrading the quality and availability of water and water-related resources. The concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has evolved over approximately the past 50 years and it was formally accepted internationally as part of Agenda 21 in 1992. IWRM provides a holistic, systematic, and integrated framework that promotes the sustainable development and management of water and water-related resources in order to maximize the economic and social welfare of humans without compromising the sustainability of the environment. IWRM was designed for world-wide applicability; it has been largely embraced by the international water resources community, but not by the U.S. water resources community. However, a growing number of U.S. organizations now believe that IWRM can significantly improve water resources management in the U.S. (e.g., AWRA 2011, AwwaRF 1998, and USACE 2010a). As demands for and conflicts over water and water-related resources continue to increase, it may be time for the U.S. water community to develop more holistic, systematic, and integrated policies, laws, methods, and tools to meet those growing demands and changing needs. IWRM may be the most appropriate next step for managing water and water-related resource needs in the U.S. A few others have discussed conceptual models for implementing IWRM in the U.S. (e.g., Shabman and Scodari 2012). However, most IWRM-related research in the U.S. is focused on the implementation of project-level or watershed-level programs. This research focuses on developing a scientifically-based policy and legal framework to assist state, tribal and federal natural resource and environmental policy- and decision-makers refocus and/or modify their existing policies and laws with respect to implementing IWRM, where they deem it is appropriate and desirable to do so within their jurisdiction.Thesis (Ph.D., Water Resources) -- University of Idaho, 201

INEEL Source Water Assessment

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) covers approximately 890 mi2 and includes 12 public water systems that must be evaluated for Source water protection purposes under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Because of its size and location, six watersheds and five aquifers could potentially affect the INEEL’s drinking water sources. Based on a preliminary evaluation of the available information, it was determined that the Big Lost River, Birch Creek, and Little Lost River Watersheds and the eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer needed to be assessed. These watersheds were delineated using the United States Geologic Survey’s Hydrological Unit scheme. Well capture zones were originally estimated using the RESSQC module of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Well Head Protection Area model, and the initial modeling assumptions and results were checked by running several scenarios using Modflow modeling. After a technical review, the resulting capture zones were expanded to account for the uncertainties associated with changing groundwater flow directions, a thick vadose zone, and other data uncertainties. Finally, all well capture zones at a given facility were merged to a single wellhead protection area at each facility. A contaminant source inventory was conducted, and the results were integrated with the well capture zones, watershed and aquifer information, and facility information using geographic information system technology to complete the INEEL’s Source Water Assessment. Of the INEEL’s 12 public water systems, three systems rated as low susceptibility (EBR-I, Main Gate, and Gun Range), and the remainder rated as moderate susceptibility. No INEEL public water system rated as high susceptibility. We are using this information to develop a source water management plan from which we will subsequently implement an INEEL-wide source water management program. The results are a very robust set of wellhead protection areas that will protect the INEEL’s public water systems yet not too conservative to inhibit the INEEL from carrying out its missions

Overview of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute's "Guidelines For Integrated Water Resources Management" Project

Integrated Water Resources Management is a systematic approach to optimizing our understanding, control and management of water resources within a basin to meet multiple objectives. Recognition of the need for integrating water resources within basins is not unique to the Environmental and Water Resources Institute’s Integrated Water Resources Management Task Committee. Many individuals, governments and other organizations have attempted to develop holistic water resources management programs. In some cases, the results have been very effective and in other cases, valiant attempts have fallen far short of their initial goals. The intent of this Task Committee is to provide a set of guidelines that discusses the concepts, methods and tools necessary for integrating and optimizing the management of the physical resources and to optimize and integrate programs, organizations, infrastructure, and socioeconomic institutions into comprehensive water resources management programs

Idaho National Laboratory Materials and Fuels Complex Natural Phenomena Hazards Flood Assessment

This report presents the results of flood hazards analyses performed for the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and the adjacent Transient Reactor Experiment and Test Facility (TREAT) located at Idaho National Laboratory. The requirements of these analyses are provided in the U.S. Department of Energy Order 420.1B and supporting Department of Energy (DOE) Natural Phenomenon Hazard standards. The flood hazards analyses were performed by Battelle Energy Alliance and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The analyses addressed the following: • Determination of the design basis flood (DBFL) • Evaluation of the DBFL versus the Critical Flood Elevations (CFEs) for critical existing structures, systems, and components (SSCs)

Idaho National Laboratory Materials and Fuels Complex Natural Phenomena Hazards Flood Assessment

This report presents the results of flood hazards analyses performed for the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and the adjacent Transient Reactor Experiment and Test Facility (TREAT) located at Idaho National Laboratory. The requirements of these analyses are provided in the U.S. Department of Energy Order 420.1B and supporting Department of Energy (DOE) Natural Phenomenon Hazard standards. The flood hazards analyses were performed by Battelle Energy Alliance and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The analyses addressed the following: • Determination of the design basis flood (DBFL) • Evaluation of the DBFL versus the Critical Flood Elevations (CFEs) for critical existing structures, systems, and components (SSCs)

A Source Water Assessment of the INEEL: Conjunctive Delineation of a Large Scale Area

Presently, the INEEL operates and monitors 12 Public Water Systems that pump water from 22 wells for at the Site (Table 1). The source of water for each of these facilities is the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. Because the INEEL operates Public Water Systems, it is required to conduct source water assessments for those facilities and to develop a Source Water Management Program

Sustainability and Energy Development: Influences of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Options on Water Use in Energy Production

Climate change mitigation strategies cannot be evaluated solely in terms of energy cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential. Maintaining GHGs at a “safe” level will require fundamental change in the way we approach energy production, and a number of environmental, economic, and societal factors will come into play. Water is an essential component of energy production, and water resource constraints will limit our options for meeting society’s growing demand for energy while also reducing GHG emissions. This study evaluates these potential constraints from a global perspective by revisiting the climate wedges proposal of Pacala and Socolow (<i>Science</i> <b>2004</b>, <i>305 </i>(5686), 968–972) and evaluating the potential water-use impacts of the wedges associated with energy production. GHG mitigation options that improve energy conversion or use efficiency can simultaneously reduce GHG emissions, lower energy costs, and reduce energy impacts on water resources. Other GHG mitigation options (e.g., carbon capture and sequestration, traditional nuclear, and biofuels from dedicated energy crops) increase water requirements for energy. Achieving energy sustainability requires deployment of alternatives that can reduce GHG emissions, water resource impacts, and energy costs

Mapping water availability, projected use and cost in the western United States

New demands for water can be satisfied through a variety of source options. In some basins surface and/or groundwater may be available through permitting with the state water management agency (termed unappropriated water), alternatively water might be purchased and transferred out of its current use to another (termed appropriated water), or non-traditional water sources can be captured and treated (e.g., wastewater). The relative availability and cost of each source are key factors in the development decision. Unfortunately, these measures are location dependent with no consistent or comparable set of data available for evaluating competing water sources. With the help of western water managers, water availability was mapped for over 1200 watersheds throughout the western US. Five water sources were individually examined, including unappropriated surface water, unappropriated groundwater, appropriated water, municipal wastewater and brackish groundwater. Also mapped was projected change in consumptive water use from 2010 to 2030. Associated costs to acquire, convey and treat the water, as necessary, for each of the five sources were estimated. These metrics were developed to support regional water planning and policy analysis with initial application to electric transmission planning in the western US