Defining the Status Quo

Definition of Status Quo The “Status Quo” describes existing or anticipated conditions of a water resources system if policies, system configurations, regulations, and management strategies remain unchanged.

Defining the Status Quo Requires n A shared understanding of the physical, technical, regulatory, management, and policy attributes of the system n A statement of important problems facing the region n Identification of uncertainties and discrepancies in information and policies n A common vocabulary for future discussion

When the Status Quo is Defined Managers and stakeholders develop a shared understanding of system attributes and management concerns.

n Confirm the appropriateness of planning objectives n Identify constraints to planning alternatives n Establish a baseline for comparison with proposed alternatives Once the status quo is established it is used to

Status Quo for Tactical and Strategic Plans n Tactical Plans define the status quo in terms of existing conditions n Strategic Plans use long-term forecasts to describe future conditions

The Process of Defining the Status Quo

Activities in Defining the Status Quo n Perform a facility inventory, a resource inventory, a legal, policy, economics, management and demand inventory n Resolve conflicting information and data gaps n Develop a Shared Vision Model to develop an integrated expression of your system’s performance n Examine system performance under different hydrologic scenarios

Components of a Facilities Inventory n Reservoirs n Distribution facilities n Treatment plants n Diversions n Water-related structures such as boat ramps, locks n Pumping facilities

Components of a Resources Inventory Fish and Wildlife Important species Endangered species Hydrology/Climate Unregulated streamflow Data Gauging station locations Local inflows Precipitation Snowpack Evaporation Temperature Groundwater resources Water Quality Existing water quality Fish and wildlife needs (at different life stages) Sedimentation and scour areas Types of effluent discharged

Components of a Legal Inventory n Authorized project purposes n Existing water rights and priorities n Instream flow requirements n Water quality regulations

Components of a Management Inventory n Operating policies n Rule curves n Triggering mechanisms

Components of a Policy Inventory n Management preferences n Societal preferences n Political concerns

Components of an Economic Inventory n Facility costs n Recreational benefits n Marginal cost pricing n Benefit/Cost analysis

Components of a Demand Inventory n Water uses (instream, offstream, consumptive, non-consumptive) n Demand levels n Forecasted demand levels n Demand patterns n Driving factors n Cost of water n Conservation strategies n Curtailment measures n Revenue generated

Choice of Hydrological Data in Status Quo Analysis n Evaluation of the status quo requires understanding of the average performance of a system as well as its performance under extreme conditions n Good hydrologic data is essential for these assessments

Options for Short Hydrologic Records If hydrologic records are short n Accept historic data set and acknowledge uncertainty n Use data set from a region with similar characteristics n Develop “synthetic” data

Pros and Cons of Design Droughts and Floods Use of a Design Drought Pros n Represents a sequence of events that has actually occurred n Impacts may be tangible to managers and stakeholders

Cons n Will not reoccur in the future n A more severe drought may be possible n May provide region with a false sense of security n Does not provide information on overall system performance Pros and Cons of Design Droughts and Floods

Summary n Managers and stakeholders must work to establish a collectively endorsed vision of the status quo. n The status quo acts as a baseline for the comparison of alternatives. n Shared vision models are used to assess cumulative impacts of the status quo. n Hydrologic data sets should be carefully chosen when defining the status quo.

Exercise