This book examines the role of unauthorized water use in the American West (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) and the coming demand for water accountability. Arguing that status quo responses to unauthorized water use (or water theft) and the protection of water rights are largely inadequate, this title examines the far-ranging impacts of this lackluster response on issues ranging from food production to urban livability, and concludes that there will be intense pressure at both the federal and state level to address these issues. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative models and collaborative management literature to identify ideal approaches, this project ultimately seeks to address this major crisis of states’ legitimacy and analyze potential solutions under the ever-expanding threat of climate change.

Water security has received increasing attention in the scientific and public policy communities in recent years. The Handbook on Water Security is a much-needed resource that helps the reader navigate between the differing interpretations of water security. It explains the various dimensions of the topic by approaching it both conceptually and thematically, as well as in relation to experiences in different regions of the world. The international contributors explore the various perspectives on water security to show that it has multiple meanings that cannot easily be reconciled. Topics discussed include: challenges from human security to consumerism, how trade policies can help to achieve water security in a transboundary setting, the potential of risk-based governance arrangements and the ecology of water security. Scholars and postgraduate students in the social sciences working on water-related issues will find this book to be of substantial interest. It will strongly appeal to policymakers and practitioners looking at the strengths and limitations of water security.

Whatcom County, Washington is currently under pressure to develop a water resource management plan to come into compliance with Washington State law, including recent legislation set forth in Engrossed Senate Substitute Bill (ESSB) 6091 (January 18,2018). ESSB 6091 requires Whatcom County to engage in a planning process to mitigate for water withdrawals for new permit-exempt wells and to ensure that new water users over a twenty-year period do not result in decreased ecological function of instream resources. It responds to the Washington State Supreme Court's recent decision in Whatcom County v. Hirst, Futurewise, et al, often referred to as the "Hirst" case. Hirst ruled that Whatcom County failed to protect rural character as required by the GMA because its Comprehensive Plan did not include measures that would adequately protect water quality and quantity. The GMA requires Whatcom County to contain or otherwise control rural development and protect surface water and groundwater resources. The purpose of this policy analysis is to discuss and compare three policy options that are proposed to Whatcom County as possible solutions to address the requirements in Hirst and ESSB 6091. These policy options are the construction of reservoirs to provide water storage capacity, the extension of existing public water supplies to serve areas that do not have such service, and the development of a water banking program. Three criteria will be used to evaluate each policy option: cost-effectiveness, implementation/feasibility, and compliance with law. Of the three options that are commonly proposed answers to Whatcom County's problems of water shortage and depleted instream flows, water banking is the recommended policy solution. In addition, comprehensive planning and conservation are recommended to help ensure the success of any policy intended to address water scarcity problems. Other options for water resource management likely exist and could be applied to Whatcom County. Due to research and time limitations, a narrowed focus on three policy options allowed for initial determination of an effective policy solution.

The United Nations estimates that more than 2 billion people in over 40 countries are negatively affected by water shortages. Increasing demand for water has been identified as one of four major factors that will threaten human and ecological health over the next generation. As public health, development, economy and nature suffer, ensuring access to clean water is rising towards the top of government agendas. Water resources management is the aggregate of policies and activities used to provide clean water to meet human needs across sectors and jurisdictions and to sustain the water-related ecological systems upon which we depend. Knowledge that is crucial for water management is distributed across governments, non-governmental organizations and the water users themselves. In most circumstances, water management aims to address the interests of and integrate usage across hydrologically meaningful units, such as watersheds. Some management aspects, however, such as transboundary flows across multiple basins and inter-basin water transfers via channels or virtual water, may necessitate a broader geographical scope. Public participation aims actively to increase attention to and inclusion of the interests of those who are usually marginalized, e.g. politically disenfranchised minorities or poor people indirectly affected by water management. In this book, the authors identify successful mechanisms, approaches and practices for promoting public involvement in water resources management, including both conventional approaches and those based on information technology.