Activities, Results and Preliminary Report ACWI Meeting September 14, 2005 The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR)

SWRR Activities Development of principles, criteria and indicators to support decision-making Identification of opportunities for collaboration on research needs Strategies to expand SWRR participation to states, non-profits, academia and corporations

SWRR’s Four Principles for the Sustainability of Water Resources Management 1.Involve policies, plans, and activities that improve equality of access to water 2. Recognize limits of water use beyond which ecosystem behavior might change in unanticipated ways

SWRR’s Four Principles for the Sustainability of Water Resources Management 3. Consider the interactions across different geographical ranges – global, national, regional, local 4. Look to the future to assess and understand implications of decisions made today – –on the lives and livelihoods of future generations, –on the natural ecosystems upon which they will rely

SWRR’s Framework General Framework for Driving Forces and Underlying Processes

SWRR’s Framework Specific Categories for Indicators

Gross Water Availability Water Uses And Reuses Water in the Environment: Streams Lakes Wetlands Aquifers System Capacity and Water Allocation Examples of Indicators Treatment Social Infrastructural Capacity: Drinking water and wastewater treatment capacity Net Water Availability Social Institutional Capacity: Water law and rights Regulation of appropriations Water Withdrawals for Human Uses: Total withdrawals for all purposes Return Flows

Water Dependent Resource Uses: Fish consumption Water Dependent Resources and Conditions: Fish stocks Aesthetics Water in the Environment Environmental Conditions: Water quality Biological integrity Water Condition Dependent Uses: Sailing Consequences of Water Allocation Examples of Indicators Water Uses And Reuses: Municipal and Industrial use Water Withdrawals For Human Uses Return Flows Water Dependent Resource Harvests: Fish landings

Effects on People Examples of Indicators Water Uses: Crop Irrigation Water Dependent Res. Uses: Fishing Water Condition Dependent Uses: Sailing Value of Goods and Services Produced with Water: Value of produce and processed foods Value of Goods and Services Produced With Resources: Food & recreational value Value of Uses Dependent on Water Conditions: Boating expenditures Recreational value Health Effects: Nutritional value Exposure to toxic chemicals Incidents of drowning

A.System capacities, quality and allocation 1. Gross water availability 2.Total withdrawals for human uses 3.Water remaining in the environment after withdrawals and consumption 4. Water quality in the environment 5.Total capacity to deliver water supply over unit of time (i.e., infrastructure capacity) 6. Social and organizational capacity to manage water sustainably

B. Consequences of the way we allocate water capacity 7. Environmental conditions 8. Resources conditions 9. The quality and quantity of water for human uses 10. Resources withdrawals and use

C. Effects on people of the conditions and uses of water resources 11. Human conditions -- Measures of the economic value people receive from the uses of water and the costs they incur

D. Important factors affecting water resources 12. Land use 13. Residual flows: the flow of water and wastes back into the water system 14. Social and economic processes: the systems people and organizations develop to influence water resources and sustainability 15. Ecosystem (environmental) processes

E. Composite sustainability assessment 16.Water use sustainability -- In each watershed, the ratio of water withdrawn to renewable supply 17. Water quality sustainability-- In each watershed, indicators of the suitability of water quality for the uses desired, including ecosystem uses

Sample Indicator Gross Water Availability

Collaboration on Research Needs Hosted by SWRR and the University of Michigan, 75 experts from the public and private sectors convened in April in Ann Arbor, Michigan to discuss: Process Research Decision Support Tools Data Inventory Technologies Value of Water in Policy Decisions Better Law & Policies Human Resources Collaboration

SWRR’s Outreach About 300 active participants from Federal State and Local Government, Corporations, Non profits and Academia About 550 people on distribution list Meetings held in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia Various publications and conference presentations

SWRR Future Work Complete, revise and refine indicators for tracking the sustainability of water resources –including indicators scalable to national, state and local levels Assist agencies –by describing the need for programs to collect the information necessary for generating indicators Increase representation – from regional water management programs

SWRR’s Future Work Expand relationships with the scientific community –to draw on the best ideas in water disciplines –to encourage research into sustainability as it relates to water resources Consult with other programs on water- related indicators, including –National Research Council’s Key National Indicator Initiative –Council on Environmental Quality –Heinz Foundation –Others Plan a National Forum on Sustainable Water Resources

SWRR Contacts Co chairs Rick Swanson Bob Coordinator Tim Manager and Facilitator David Berry