Minnesota Water 2005
John R. Wells
Minnesota Environmental Quality Board &
Sustainable Water Resources RoundtableOctober 26, 2005
Measuring the Sustainability of Water Management in the U.S.
Staffed By….Office of Geographic & Demographic Analysis
Department of Administration
MinnesotaMinnesotaEnvironmental Quality BoardEnvironmental Quality Board
Governor’s Office (Chair) 5 Citizens Administration Agriculture Commerce Employment & Economic
Development Health Natural Resources Water & Soil Resources Pollution Control Agency Transportation
A national collaboration of federal, state, local, corporate, non-profit
and academic interests
Sustainable Water Sustainable Water Resources RoundtableResources Roundtable
SWRR ProgressSWRR Progress
A conceptual framework for understanding the A conceptual framework for understanding the worldworld
Principles, criteria and indicators to support Principles, criteria and indicators to support decision-makingdecision-making
Collaboration on research needsCollaboration on research needs
Principles of Water SustainabilityPrinciples of Water Sustainability
1.1. The value & limits of waterThe value & limits of waterPeople need to understand the value and People need to understand the value and appreciate the limits of water resources appreciate the limits of water resources and the risks to people and ecosystems and the risks to people and ecosystems of unbounded water and land useof unbounded water and land use
Principles of Water SustainabilityPrinciples of Water Sustainability
2.2. Shared responsibilityShared responsibilityBecause water does not respect political Because water does not respect political boundaries, its management requires boundaries, its management requires shared consideration of the needs of shared consideration of the needs of people and ecosystems up- and people and ecosystems up- and downstream and throughout the downstream and throughout the hydrologic cyclehydrologic cycle
Principles of Water SustainabilityPrinciples of Water Sustainability
3.3. Equitable accessEquitable accessSustainability suggests fair and equitable Sustainability suggests fair and equitable access to water, water dependent access to water, water dependent resources and related infrastructureresources and related infrastructure
Principles of Water SustainabilityPrinciples of Water Sustainability
4.4. StewardshipStewardshipManaging water to achieve sustainability Managing water to achieve sustainability challenges us while meeting today’s challenges us while meeting today’s needs to address the implications of our needs to address the implications of our decisions on future generations and the decisions on future generations and the ecosystems upon which they will relyecosystems upon which they will rely
General Systems PerspectiveGeneral Systems Perspective
Ecosystems
Social System
Biophysical Environment
EconomicSystem
Fisheries Fisheries Systems PerspectiveSystems Perspective
Social System for Fishery Management
Aquatic Ecosystem
Social System
Biophysical Environment
EconomicSystem
Economic System for Fishing
Ecosystem ProcessesEcosystem Processes& Societal& Societal DriversDrivers
Natural
Processes:
Disturbance & Response
Energy Cycling
Hydrologic Cycle & Flow Regime
Materials Cycling
Social &EconomicDrivers:
EconomicDevelopment
Energy Production and Use
Land Use
Population Growth
Transportation
Ecosystems Society
Ecosystem
goods & services
Human alterations & discharges
tim
e
tim
e
Indicator CategoriesIndicator Categories
Gross WaterAvailability
Social Capacity
HumanConditions,
Infrastructure Capacity
Water WithdrawalsFor Human Uses:Quantity Quality
Water DependentResource
Withdrawals
Water Uses
WaterDependent Resource
Uses
HumanConditions
Water DependentResources and
Conditions
WaterQuality
Water in the
Environment
Environmental Conditions
Social &EconomicProcesses
EnvironmentalProcesses Water Dependent
ConditionUses
Specific Categories for Water-Resources Sustainability Indicators
Environmental Conditions
StartingConditions
Ending Conditions
Processes
Return, Waste and Residual Flows
Alterations of Landform & Stream Morph.
Treatment
Treatment Econ.Production
Gross WaterAvailability:
Precipitation
Water UsesAnd Reuses
Water in the Environment:Quality/Quantity
streams,lakes, wetlands
& aquifers
System Capacities and Their AllocationSystem Capacities and Their AllocationExample Indicators
Treatment
Treatment
Social Infrastructural Capacity:
Drinking water and wastewatertreatment capacity
Net WaterAvailability:
Wateravailablefor people
Social Institutional Capacity:
Water law and rightsRegulation of appropriations
Water Withdrawals for Human Uses: Total withdrawals for all purposes
Return Flows: Return water & physical, chemical and biological pollutant loading
Water Dependent Resource Uses:
Fish consumption
Water DependentResources and
Conditions:Fish stocksAesthetics
Water in the
Environment
Environmental Conditions:Water qualityBiodiversity
Water ConditionDependent Uses:
Sailing
Consequences of Water AllocationConsequences of Water AllocationWater UsesAnd Reuses:Municipal andindustrial use
Water Dependent Resource Harvests:
Fish landings
Water WithdrawalsFor Human Uses
Return Flows
Example Indicators
Effects on PeopleEffects on People
Water Uses:Croplandirrigation
WaterDependent Res. Uses:
Fishing
WaterCondition
Dependent Uses:Sailing
Value of Goods and ServicesProduced with Water:Value of produce and
processed foods
Value of Goodsand Services Produced
With Resources:Food & recreational value
Value of Uses Dependenton Water Conditions:Boating expenditures
Recreational value
Health Effects:
Nutritional valueExposure to toxic
chemicalsIncidence of
drowning
Example Indicators
Information PyramidInformation PyramidFewer PiecesOf Information
More PiecesOf Information
Stories
Measurements
Criteria
Indicators
1. System capacities and their allocation
2. Consequences of water allocation
3. Effects on people
4. Underlying processes and driving forces
Major Categories of IndicatorsMajor Categories of Indicators
5. Composite sustainability assessment
System capacities and their System capacities and their allocationallocation
1. Gross water availability2. Total withdrawals for human uses3. Water remaining in the environment after
withdrawals and consumption4. Water quality in the environment5. Total capacity to deliver water supply (i.e.,
infrastructure capacity)6. Social and organizational capacity to manage
water sustainably
Consequences of the way we Consequences of the way we allocate water capacityallocate water capacity
7. Environmental conditions8. Resource conditions9. The quality and quantity of water for human
uses10.Resources withdrawals and use
Effects on people of the conditions Effects on people of the conditions and uses of water resourcesand uses of water resources
11.Human conditions – measures of the value people receive from the uses of water and the costs they incur, including health effects
Underlying processes and driving Underlying processes and driving forcesforces
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 processes
Composite sustainability Composite sustainability assessmentassessment
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
Figure 4.1.1.
Available PrecipitationAvailable Precipitation
Source: S. Roy, K. Summers and R. Goldstein
Ground Water LevelsGround Water Levelsin the High Plainsin the High Plains
Figure 4.3.1Figure 4.3.1
Figure 4.4.1
Nitrate Load Carried by Major RiversNitrate Load Carried by Major Rivers
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency State of the Environment 2006 report
Figure 4.12.3
Watersheds with a High PotentialWatersheds with a High Potentialfor Pesticide and Nitrogen Leachingfor Pesticide and Nitrogen Leaching
Figure 4.8.1
Capacity of Water Resources to Capacity of Water Resources to Support Human UseSupport Human Use
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Water Quality Inventory 1998 Report
Source: Rural Community Assistance Partnership 2004
Figure 4.11.1
Population Lacking Complete Population Lacking Complete PlumbingPlumbing
Figure 4.11.2
Reported Incidenceof Waterborne Disease
Source: Surveillance for Waterborne Disease Outbreaks - US, 1997-1998
Source: S. Roy, K. Summers and R. Goldstein
Figure 4.16.1
Water Use SustainabilityWater Use SustainabilityWithdrawals as a % of available precipitation, 1995
Collaboration on Research NeedsCollaboration on Research Needs
Process research Decision support tools Data inventory Technologies Value of water in policy decisions Better law & policies Human resources Collaboration
OutreachOutreach
300 active participants from federal, state and local governments; corporations; nonprofits and academia
Meetings in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia
Publications and conference presentations
Future WorkFuture Work
Complete, revise and refine indicators– including indicators scalable to national, state and
local levels
Assist agencies– describing the need for programs to collect the
information necessary for generating indicators
Increase representation– incorporating indicators of regional water
management programs
Future Work, cont’dFuture Work, cont’d
Expand relationships with the scientific community
Consult with other programs on water related indicators
– National Research Council Key National Indicator Initiative
– Council on Environmental Quality– Heinz Foundation
Plan a National Forum
Contact InformationContact Information
Email: [email protected]: [email protected]
www.eqb.state.mn.uswww.eqb.state.mn.us
http://water.usgs.gov/wicp/acwi/swrrhttp://water.usgs.gov/wicp/acwi/swrr