|
funds to start the North
Atlantic Regional Study, a framework on which subsequent basin and
project justification studies in the North Atlantic region would be
based.
A month before the August
meeting, the President had signed the Water Resources Planning Act,
which established the Water Resources Council. The Act and the North
Atlantic Regional Study were the predecessors of the current federal
rules for water resources planning that emphasize a basin perspective,
multi-objective assessments, public involvement, and risk assessment.
Several federal/state river basin organizations were formed under Title
II of the Water Resources Planning Act, but supporting federal funds
were terminated in 1981. The organizations that survive take a variety
of forms designed by their member states to address specific issues,
often including drought. Their diversity is demonstrated in the
following sample from the northeastern quadrant of the country.
 |
The
Delaware River Basin Commission, created in 1961, is active in
drought management. The Commission informed us they have
coordinated efforts to negotiate drought mitigation programs
throughout the Delaware River Basin. Such initiatives help cities
and states in the basin prepare for, not simply respond to,
drought. The programs have been responsible for preserving
billions of gallons of reservoir storage while maintaining
streamflows during drought periods.
|
|
The
Susquehanna River Basin Commission, created in 1970, was built on
a statute similar to that of the Delaware River Basin Commission
and is likewise engaged in drought management. The Commission
presents the opportunity for major water users and other
interested parties to assess the effectiveness of drought
management measures, list the lessons learned in managing drought,
and compile and distribute the findings to key decision makers.
The Commission told us that they recently developed a plan to
coordinate drought management activities among the signatory
agencies in the river basin. The next stage of the plan will
develop strategies to mitigate environmental impacts resulting
from drought. Those strategies incorporate what the Commission
described as detailed instream flow needs assessments that are
cutting-edge technologies in environmental drought management.
|
|
|
Congress
ratified an interstate compact for the Potomac River, but the
member states did not sign it. They rely instead on the Interstate
Compact on the Potomac River formed under the older (1940) Potomac
Valley Compact. This organization helped broker a water supply
agreement among Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia
that relies on joint operation and annual drought exercises to
assure dependable water supply. It has demonstrated that
coordination and management of water resources on a regional
multi-jurisdictional basis during drought periods can allow a
major metropolitan area to sustain itself. This group emphasized
that its coordination efforts involve "the development and
maintenance of a drought preparedness plan and the annual exercise
of that plan." The exercise is undertaken "to refine
[the plan’s] relevance and bring newly hired and replacement
personnel from the several jurisdictions and water suppliers up to
date on this critical issue of regional water resources
management." |
The Ohio River Basin
Commission, established in 1971, is an informal structure that serves as
a forum to discuss, study, develop, and coordinate regional policies and
positions on common interstate water issues. Member states include
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Commission should not be
confused with the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission, which was
formed in 1948 under an interstate compact to manage water quality.
Return
to Table of Contents | (Next
Page) |
