Conjunctive water management in the US southwest

Abstract

Water demands in the US Southwest have been subject to great pressures due to explosive population growth and climate variability that has produced decadal droughts. These pressures have led to unsustainable use of surface water and groundwater, forcing states to adopt conjunctive management of ground and surface water systems. Unfortunately, federal and state laws have not kept pace with the scientific development of management strategies. A series of examples are presented to illustrate some successes and failures of integration of surface water and groundwater management and its accompanying legal implications. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.