INTRODUCTION The purpose of this web site is to promote coordination of information about water sustainability. Users are invited to send pertinent information to etsmithsiri@aol.com, for possible inclusion on the web site. Because this web site is nongovernmental, it does not represent policy positions of any agency or organization. The web site includes the Compendium of Water Indicators, a Full List of Water Indicators, Actions and Activities about water sustainability, Reports and Publications, Conditions and Trends Statistics, and Related Links. UN information is included, and definitions of sustainability. How indicators might be institutionalized is described in a session held by the National Council on Science and the Environment. A set of slides has been included here to help the user understand sustainable water resources, and the role that indicators play in determining sustainability. The slides can be found at: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B8FZ9WSEG7a2YTAwMTZlMzItZWIzZS00Yzk5LWI0MDEtODI2ZDZmNWNiYjQ2&hl=en
COMPENDIUM OF WATER INDICATORS During 2007, a water indicators framework was developed by the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR). To populate the framework with statistical data, mostly in the form of graphs and maps, a Draft Compendium of Feb. 5, 2008 was prepared. This statistical compendium was presented for review and comment at the February meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (http://acwi.gov). The complete water indicators compendium is on line at:
You can download a copy from that location. We are seeking additional or updated information that will help improve the draft compendium. For example, one comment is that there is little or no information about natural hazards like floods and droughts. Please help find additional statistical information for the compendium. The most useful leads are those that give specific web locations, reports, or similar concrete sources. Because this is quite a large undertaking, it may well take some time before the current document can be updated. Some updates and additions to the Sustainable Water Resources Indicators have been made. The National Environmental Status and Trends indicators have been utilized. For the updates of February 2010, please go to:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has posted a web site with indicators that relate to sustainability. Because this is an important aspect of sustainable water resources, this may be a useful reference. The web site can be found at: http://www.mel.nist.gov/msid/SMIR/Indicator_Repository.html The indicators are not exclusively aimed at water resources, but instead contain a variety of information.
TIM SMITH, SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES COORDINATOR, etsmithsiri@aol.com Contact etsmithsiri@aol.com to subscribe to weekly NEWS NOTES about water sustainability. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES ACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Year 2011
On December 6-7, 2011 the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a meeting at UC Davis in California. PRESENTATIONS
http://acwi.gov/swrr/p&p_library/dec6-2011_uc/index.html PROCEEDINGS
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8FZ9WSEG7a2OGYxMzNhNDctMzAxOC00MzQyLTk5ZjEtNTMxNzExN2VlN2Fi The agenda for the meeting follows: Day 1 [Session will highlight DWR water sustainability and ecosystem stewardship efforts and importance to California water management] Welcome Remarks and review of discussions and goals for the day: Robert Wilkinson and John Wells, SWRR Co-chairs; David Berry, SWRR Facilitator Welcome by DWR – Mark Cowin, CA DWR Director Roundtable Background: Summary of the Water Roundtable activities and history California Water Plan, Integrated Water Management – Kamyar Guivetchi, CA DWR [Session will discuss how the California Water Plan is advocating integrated water management and supporting water sustainability]California Water Sustainability Indicators Framework – Fraser Shilling, UC Davis [Session will summarize the water sustainability framework being developed collaboratively with Water Plan stakeholder. How the framework will be tested through two pilot studies] Amber Mace, California Ocean Protection Council will talk about the Draft Strategic Plan and critical ocean threats and potential solutions California and Regional Sustainability Efforts [Session will provide a roundup of regional sustainability efforts that have statewide significance in California. Presentations will describe important water sustainability actions that could be considered by the Water Plan in the framework described in the earlier session] The Delta Plan, Delta Stewardship Council Keith Coolidge The California Regional Progress Report, Trish Kelly, Principal, Applied Development Economics, consultant to the Strategic Growth Council State of San Francisco Bay 2011, Christina Swanson, NRDC California Water Foundation, Draft Concept for Water Sustainability. Lester Snow, Resources Law Group Reception Day 2:USEPA and NASA Indicator Efforts [This session will describe 4 pilot studies being funded by the USEPA to develop different components of sustainability indicators. Individual studies are looking at water footprint, ecological foot print, and the use of satellite information to evaluate groundwater conditions and exploring interactions between crop patterns and plant growth] Introduction – Vance Fong and Don Hodge USEPA, Region 9 Water Footprint - Fraser Shilling, UC Davis Ecological Footprint – Joy Larsen, Global Footprint Network Developing Indicators with the GRACE Satellite Data, Felix Landerer, NASA JPLP Developing Indicators using the Plant Growth Index, Forrest Melton. NASA Ames and University of Monterey Bay Randall T. Hanson, U.S. Geological Survey, will talk about Using Climate and Hydrological Models to Assess Potential Future Conjunctive Use -- The Central Valley Example) Smart, Distributed Water Infrastructure and Technology [This session will focus on activities of industry to innovate around sustainable business practices] Sustainable Silicon Valley - Marianna Grossman, Executive Director, Sustainable Silicon Valley Industrial Best Practices and Solutions, Andrew Clark, IBM Agricultural sustainability topics [This session will highlight examples of sustainable initiatives within the agriculture sector both at the on farm scale and larger initiatives] CA Agriculture Water Stewardship Initiative, Katy Mamen, Ag Innovations Stewardship for Specialty Crops, Steve Shaffer, Environmental Consulting for Agriculture(invited) Wine Industry Stewardship Initiatives, Ann Thrupp, Fetzer Wines Summary,
Open Discussion, invite and exploration collaborations and Next Steps for SWRR
(briefing on Capitol Hill?) Reception
The Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) held a two-day meeting on July 12-13, 2011 at the USGS National Center in Reston, Virginia. In addition to the meeting, WebEx was available for those who could not attend in person. On the first day there were reports from the Dept. of Interior WaterSMART initiative, the National Streamflow Information Program, the Subcommittee on Sedimentation, the Subcommittee on Hydrology, the USGS Cooperative Water Program, and the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable. On the second day votes were taken on resolutions before ACWI. Reports were also given by the Watershed Flow and Allocation Model project, the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, the National Water Quality Assessment Liaison, and the Subcommittee on Ground Water. Discussion led by Anne Castle, Interior Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, focused on the SECURE Water Act and draft National Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate. Further information is available on the ACWI web site at http://acwi.gov/acwi-minutes/acwi2011_july_webex/index.html
On June 21 the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC about the water impacts of hydraulic fracturing of shale gas deposits. Speakers included representatives from both domestic and international organizations. The full set of results, with audio and video, can be found at: http://www.eesi.org/transatlantic-perspectives-shale-gas-development-21-jun-2011 Highlights from Speaker Presentations
On April 27-28, 2011 the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR), held a meeting at American University in Washington, DC. Important talks on the first day included information about the Key National Indicators Project (www.StateoftheUSA.org), the USGS National Water Census, the USFS National Watershed Assessment, and the EPA National Aquatic Resources Surveys. In the afternoon presentations included Federal-State Collaboration items like the AWRA National Water Vision, the Corps of Engineers Federal Toolbox, and the BLM/Western States Climate Change Collaboration. A session on Industry Water Footprint included a number of talks about how metrics are used by industry as part of product development. On the second day discussion focused on Effective Communication of Scientific and Sustainability Information to the Public. More information about the meeting will be posted on the government web site at http://acwi.gov/swrr/. The proceedings for this meeting can be found at:
On March 1, 2011 the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) held a one-day meeting in Reston, Virginia. Provision was made for some members to attend the meeting via webex and conference call. In the morning several federal agencies discussed their proposed water budgets for FY 2012. A question and answer period allowed members to find out more about plans for that fiscal year. In the afternoon the USGS Science Strategy Planning Teams presented their approaches for implementing the overall USGS strategic plan for 2007-2017, Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges. The plan is published by USGS as Circular 1309, and is available on the USGS web site at http://www.usgs.gov. There are 7 teams now in operation, for the topics Natural Hazards, Water, Environmental Health, Global Change, Energy and Minerals, Ecosystems, and Core Science Systems. Information about ACWI can be found on the web site at http://acwi.gov. More details about the USGS Science Strategy Planning Teams can be found on the web site at http://www.usgs.gov/start_with_science/. The minutes and action items from the meeting can be found at: http://acwi.gov/acwi-minutes/ACWI2011-mar_webex/ACWI_mar2011_final_minutes-actions.pdf January 2011: Sustainable Sites Initiative, Winter Update The
Sustainable Sites Initiative is a partnership of the American Society of
Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University
of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic Garden in conjunction with a
diverse group of stakeholder organizations to transform land development and
management practices with the first national rating system for sustainable
landscapes. These guidelines apply to any type of designed landscape, with or
without buildings, ranging from shopping malls, streetscapes, subdivisions,
corporate and academic campuses, transportation corridors, parks and recreation
areas, all the way to single family homes.
A “site”
is a built landscape that encompasses all land in a designated space. Like
green buildings, sustainable sites use less energy, water and natural
resources; generate less waste; and minimize the impact on the land compared to
traditional design, construction and maintenance techniques. Unlike buildings,
sustainable sites can even give back by cleaning the air and water, reversing
climate change, restoring habitat and biodiversity – all while providing
significant social and economic benefits as well to the immediate site and
surrounding region.
The
Initiative seeks to apply sustainability principles to any site, with or
without buildings, which will be protected, developed or redeveloped for public
or private purposes. The Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines and
Performance Benchmarks can apply to all landscapes including commercial and
public sites, parks, campuses, roadsides, residential landscapes, recreation
centers and utility corridors.
More
information can be found at http://sustainablesites.org. January
2011: Sea Level Rise
in California, Oregon, and Washington A committee will provide an evaluation of sea level rise for California, Oregon, and Washington for the years 2030, 2050 and 2100. The evaluation will cover both global and local sea level rise. In particular, the committee will evaluate each of the major contributors to global sea level rise (e.g., ocean thermal expansion, melting of glaciers and ice sheets) and combine the contributions to provide values or a range of values of global sea level rise for the years 2030, 2050, and 2100. They will also characterize and, where possible, provide specific values for the regional and local contributions to sea level rise (e.g., atmospheric changes influencing ocean winds, ENSO [El Nino-Southern Oscillation] effects on ocean surface height, coastal upwelling and currents, storminess, coastal land motion caused by tectonics, sediment loading, or aquifer withdrawal) for the years 2030, 2050 and 2100. Different types of coastal settings will be examined, taking into account factors such as landform (e.g., estuaries, wetlands, beaches, lagoons, cliffs), geologic substrate (e.g., unconsolidated sediments, bedrock), and rates of geologic deformation. For inputs that can be quantified, the study will also provide related uncertainties. January 2011: The Sustainable Society Foundation has posted a sustainability tour on the website www.ssfindex.com. This tour offers each passenger an introduction to the main aspects of development towards sustainability. Just get on the bus and be guided along the highlights. You may drop off the bus at any stop and have a closer look at an issue of your particular interest. When you are done, just jump back on the bus and continue the tour. We hope this tour is valuable for those who are interested in development towards sustainability, though not yet familiar with the subject. Moreover it may be helpful for students of any school, college and university (as one of the comments already proved). Geurt van de Kerk, Sustainable Society Foundation, geurt.vandekerk@ssfindex.com January 2011, National Academy of Science: Incorporating Sustainability in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency A committee under the Science and Technology for Sustainability Program (STS) will conduct a study at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development to help define their efforts to incorporate sustainability concepts into Agency programs. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of EPA, a launch was held for this study on November 30, 2010, at the Marian Koshland Science Museum in Washington, DC. Ralph J. Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences, Lisa P. Jackson, EPA Administrator, and Bernard Goldstein, chair of the committee that will conduct the study, made remarks at this event. A video of the event is available on the EPA website. Additionally, the first meeting of the committee was held from December 14-15, 2010, in Washington, DC. The agenda and presentations from the meeting have been posted on the STS website.
Year 2010
The Water Environment Federation (www.wef.org), held its annual conference, WEFTEC.10, during October 2010 in New Orleans. The Sustainable Water Resources Management Track was part of the conference, and consisted of two sessions of technical papers. In the first session, a methodology for rating watershed sustainability in preparation for possible certification was applied to the New Orleans area. The effects of climate change on estuarine salinity were applied to the Savannah River in Georgia. A business model for total water management and resource conservation was presented that uses incentives for consumers, regulators, and developers. Associated posters covered TMDL implementation in watersheds, and the effects of climate change on water quality in the South Platte River, Colorado. The second session included 6 papers with a networking break. Before the break, papers covered sustainable water supply in Los Angeles using recycling, interbasin transfer management in North Carolina, and sustainable water supply and water quality in the James River, Virginia. After the break, papers covered water resources planning, water and energy at an eco-tourism resort, and comparing water security practices in the Colorado River Basin and Australia. An associated poster covered water treatment processes for Stone Mountain Park in Georgia.
The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a two-day meeting on Oct. 21-22, 2010 at the Freshwater Society in Excelsior, Minnesota. The draft agenda can be found at:
The proceedings can be found at http://acwi.gov/swrr/proceedings/SWRR-Proceedings_October2010_minneapolis_mn.pdf On the first day some national initiatives were discussed, like the USGS National Water Census, and the Corps of Engineers Collaboration for a Sustainable Water Resources Future. The University of Minnesota presented a Framework for Sustainable Water Management. Two panels were held, one on Planning for the Future, and the second on River Sustainability Issues and Initiatives. The second day was devoted to a panel on Great Lakes Initiatives, with talks on the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference, the Role of Ecological Research, Energy and Water, and an Industrial Stakeholder View. The meeting report can be found at http://acwi.gov/swrr/proceedings/SWRR-Proceedings_October2010_minneapolis_mn.pdf
The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), in cooperation with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), has completed a research effort to help communities overcome their challenges. The project, Sustainable Water Resources Management Volume 3: Case Studies on New Water Paradigm (DEC6SG06a), created a framework to support communities’ efforts to organize around and operate under key sustainability principles and practices. The project, which considered the real-life challenges of two communities in Tucson/Pima County Arizona and Northern Kentucky, developed a new water management paradigm based on a composite of five integrated components:
The report constructs a framework for supporting the new paradigm which includes an integrated planning structure that connects current institutional silos; a technical toolbox to use in the context of performance-based requirements at the watershed and community scale; and regulatory flexibility to encourage innovation and affect better outcomes. The framework also addresses research and demonstration to build knowledge and capacity; new partnerships and funding mechanisms; and a variety of means for engaging the community stakeholders to broaden support and affect better outcomes. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR) held a meeting at Palo Alto, California
Year 2009 The Roundtable on Sustainable Forestry (Meridian Institute)
maintains a website that contains very useful information about ongoing
discussions, meetings, and the documents that relate to them. It can be found
at http://www.sustainableforests.net/summaries.php.
Of particular interest for water resources, the site includes information about
the Dec. 3, 2009 joint meeting between the forestry, water, and rangeland
roundtables held in Arlington, Virginia. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a meeting at Top of the Town, Arlington, Virginia, on December 1-2, 2009. Highlights of the first day included the status of the National Environmental Status and Trends (NEST) project, which has now reported its results to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). NEST information may be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/NEST/ The Water Environment Federation (WEF) reported its plans as part of a partnership with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (http://www.allianceforwaterstewardship.org). A North American Initiative is to be launched in 2010. Appearing as part of this presentation were representatives of the World Wildlife Federation and the Nature Conservancy. The luncheon presentation was given by the US Army Corps of Engineers (http://www.building-collaboration-for-water-org). Some significant reports are planned by the Corps for the near future. On the second day the USGS National Water Census Program was described (http://water.usgs.gov/wsi/). The program plans significant advances in developing data layers, statistical sampling, and regression models. Near term focus may be on ground water and the modeling of aquifers, as well as the major water uses of thermoelectric power generation and agricultural irrigation. Exploration has begun on an ad hoc process by which the water roundtable could act in an advisory capacity for the Census. The meeting final report can be found at http://acwi.gov/swrr/proceedings/SWRR_Proceedings_December-1-2-2009.pdf On October 14-15, 2009, the Roundtable on Sustainable Forests held a national meeting in Washington, DC, to develop an action strategy for the future. This is the oldest of the roundtables; documents may be found on the web site at http://www.sustainableforests.net/ The roundtable is beginning to focus more attention on water resources, as can be seen in its action plan. Important actions include conducting economic valuation of the nation’s priority watersheds, and supporting national data gathering and reporting activities, including water data. On August 13, 2009 a workshop on water sustainability was held in Cincinnati, under the auspices of such organizations as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the National Science Foundation. The goal of the workshop was to provide a forum on the science required to sustainably manage the nation's water resources. A diverse but limited cross-section of the Federal, academic, and water provider and user communities convened to identify challenges, knowledge gaps, and research needs (with a time horizon of up to 15 to 20 years out) that must be addressed, as well as to discuss the most effective means of translating research into sustainable water management. The agenda included overviews of federal efforts like the Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality (SWAQ) report, and the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). Also included were perspectives of the academic, community, and corporate organizations. Discussion groups were organized around the themes of Knowledge Base, Science Agenda, Technology Agenda, System Level Water Sustainability, and Improved Coordination. A web site with relevant background reports can be found at: http://www.aiche.org/IFS/Conferences/Workshops/WaterWorkshop/Publications.aspx A report on the workshop is being prepared, and will be widely disseminated in the future. See this item under Reports and Publications for a web link to results.
The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a meeting at
Top of the Town, Arlington, Virginia, on June 16-17, 2009. Highlights of the
first day included reports from the Roundtable on Sustainable Forests, the
Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable, and the Sustainable Water Resources
Roundtable. The Water Roundtable presentation included a status report on the
2008 Annual Report, which was passed out in draft form. The luncheon talk by
the Council on Environmental Quality covered possible new legislation, e.g., on
water quality. A major presentation on the National Environmental Status and
Trends pilot study on water quantity and quality took most of the first
afternoon. Important questions involve the amount of water, its use, aquatic
ecological communities, water quality, and human use and contact. On the second
day there was a panel on federal agencies current programs in the new
Administration that relate to water sustainability. Reports were given by USFS,
BLM, EPA, NOAA, USGS, & NRCS. A notable interest in analysis at the
watershed level was seen in some talks, e.g., USFS & BLM. EPA has worked at
the watershed level for some years. Later in 2009 a Water Roundtable meeting
may be held that would focus on outreach mechanisms for water sustainability topics. Year 2008 The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a meeting at Top of the Town, Arlington, Virginia, on June 26-27, 2008. Highlights of the first day included a summary of the recent Water Environment Federation Sustainability 2008 conference, and a panel on climate change with talks from USGS on the Water For America initiative, an update from EPA on the National Water Program Strategy, Response to Climate Change, and a summary of NOAA water sustainability programs. On the second day there was a presentation on the interagency water indicator effort that the Council on Environmental Quality has recently transferred to the Forest Service, and a presentation on the new Ecosystem Report by the Heinz Center. Much of the time consisted of breakout sessions about future actions; a series of draft Action Items was completed by the end of the meeting, which include possible changes in outreach and communication. One important action concerns how to best support the National Environmental Status and Trends (NEST) pilot study on water quantity and quality. Some follow-up work on this action occurred after the meeting. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable presented its annual report for 2007 at the Feb. 20-21, 2008 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI), in Herndon, Virginia. In addition to describing 2007 actions and planned activities for 2008, a Statistical Compendium for Populating the Framework was presented for review and comment. The compendium seeks to propose draft statistics in the form of tables or maps, that serve to present actual data in each of the categories now being used in the indicator framework. A small group discussion was held during lunch, and review by the full ACWI was requested by April 1, 2008. The goal is to obtain recommendations for better or more recent statistics from the agencies, that will better support their missions. The work of populating the framework is expected to evolve over a long period of time, as better information is obtained
Year 2007 The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a meeting at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington, DC on Nov. 15-16, 2007. Highlights of the first day included an update on White House indicator efforts, NOAA integrated ecosystem assessments, and a presentation on the National Coastal Conditions Report. Water indicators used by EPA, USGS, USFS, and NOAA were also described. Discussion covered how these different efforts could assist one another. On the second day a talk about corporate responsibility and opportunities in sustainability was presented. Much of the day consisted of breakout sessions about future actions; one key action was to commit to preparation of a statistical compendium to populate the current framework with actual data. This draft compendium would be presented at the next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI), for agency review and comment. The
Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a special session at the
annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, in San Jose,
California, on August 6, 2007. At this session the current list of
indicators and rationale were presented for discussion, with the goal
of eliciting input about ecological systems, and how this concept might
be improved in the present framework. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a two-day meeting at the National Wind Technology Center of the Dept. of Energy on May 22-23, 2007. The status of national efforts about sustainability was first presented as a background. The status of the Roundtable framework and indicators was presented and discussed in breakout sessions; the present set of indicators is currently being revised. After lunch a special forum on water resources and energy was conducted. This included work on types of renewable energy production, and topics like power plant cooling and municipal applications. The final session of day one was about climate change impacts on water. Day 2 began with a panel on Western water issues, with talks by the Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA, and the City of Tucson. A final session included topics like agriculture, irrigation, and ethanol. The wrap up focused on next steps for the Water Roundtable. The First Western Forum on Energy & Water Sustainability was held on March 22-23, 2007 at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The results of the conference can be found at http://www2.bren.ucsb.edu/~keller/energy-water/forum_agenda.htm. The forum featured experts on energy and water, including a keynote address on power plant siting in California. Among many other topics, population growth, energy projections, and climate change were featured on the first day. On the second day, the subjects included energy efficiency, management options, alternative futures, and policies that might be developed to address current and future problems. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a two-day meeting at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments on January 25-26, 2007. A panel on the connection between fossil fuel energy and sustainable water resources included representatives of the Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. A second session on the current indicator framework focused on suggestions for improvements, and included representatives of the Minnesota Water Quality Board and the Council of Governments. Breakout sessions resulted in the formation of an energy-water work group, with members who have an interest in this crucial interaction. On the second day a session on EPA and water sustainability was presented by representatives of the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, and the EPA Office of Wastewater Management. A final session on water sustainability in the metropolitan Washington region included representatives from the Council of Governments and the Alice Ferguson Foundation. The closing summary session included the formation of a local-regional work group to focus attention on water sustainability as practiced in regions such as the Washington metro area. Some actions in the future may include a small group retreat to consider how the indicator framework might evolve, and further work on the research needed in water sustainability. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable presented its 2006 annual report at the January 17-18, 2007 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information. The Roundtable outlined its planned 2007 activities, including a track at the Water Environment Federation WEFTEC’07, an article in Water Environment and Technology, papers at the World Water Congress in Tampa, a proposed special session at the Ecological Society of America annual conference, and a spin off conference on energy and water sustainability at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Year 2006 The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a two-day meeting focused on the water resources of the metropolitan Washington region on April 25 and 26, 2006. A panel on the Potomac and regional water sustainability included representatives of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program, and the Trash Free Potomac Initiative. Other speakers were from the Council on Environmental Quality, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council. Discussion groups during the meeting concentrated on review and revision of the indicators currently in the 2005 Preliminary Report, and on possible future actions that the Roundtable might undertake. The 2005 Preliminary Report of the Roundtable was subsequently completed and approved by the Advisory Committee. At the January 18-19, 2006 meeting of the Committee, a summary of the effort was presented, and some possible areas of interest for future work of the Roundtable were given. In a small group meeting, further suggestions were made by Committee participants for next steps that the Roundtable might take. The potential areas of interest were documented for further consideration.
Year 2005 The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable presented its 2005 Preliminary Report at the September 14, 2005 Interim meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information. The report is currently being reviewed by the Committee, and portions of the report are yet to be completed. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a one-day meeting at the White House Conference Center on June 24, 2005. This meeting included an update on the status of other national indicator-related efforts, followed by a summary of the current state of the Roundtable indicators. The remainder of the day was used in breakout groups that reviewed the indicators in detail, and made comments on additions or deletions that should be considered for the list. The result led to the reduced list of indicators that was carried forward. Hosted by the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable and the University of Michigan, 75 experts convened for a two-day workshop April 5 and 6, 2005 in Ann Arbor Michigan. The workshop consisted of over 25 technical presentations on sustainability research by leading experts from six perspectives. At every meeting of the Roundtable there were presentations by water resource experts who shared information as well as perspectives to promote better decision making in the U.S. on sustainability of water resources. Discussions of research needs and opportunities for collaboration among public and private organizations have been central to our work from the outset. To further this objective this workshop of experts was convened to explore research priorities with an emphasis on sustainability in the Great Lakes Region. While the meeting focused on the Great Lakes Region, the discussion and conclusions are broadly relevant to sustainability of water resources. Eight Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR) members conducted two, two-day indicator retreats, one at the Alice Ferguson Foundation's Hard Bargain Farm (Feb. 24-25, 2005) and one for a day at the Forest Service (March 8) and a day at the Ecological Society of America (March 9, 2005); all of these locations are in or near Washington, DC. This group of the SWRR went through an intense selection process to draw from the nearly 400 indicators identified in previous SWRR meetings, a much smaller draft set of indicators to publish to a broad range of people. Such an indicator list should be able to convey a general sense of the sustainability of water resources in the watershed or basin, in larger regions and aggregated to give a picture of water resources in the nation as a whole. Some important consequences and effects are omitted in this selection process as details are left out, including some that may be useful in diagnosing the causes of sustainability problems and designing responses. We think that the more detailed indicators should be produced as part of a national information system to be available to water resources planners and managers and the interested public.
Year 2004 The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a one-day meeting on December 7, 2004, hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service, in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Ecological, Social, and Economic breakout groups continued to refine their indicator frameworks. Later in the day, a start was made on developing crosscutting indicators that might focus interests across all three areas. In addition, updates were given about current national indicator efforts, at the Council on Environmental Quality, the General Accountability Office, and the National Academy of Science. A Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable Meeting was held September 13-14, 2004 at the Landmark Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The meeting was held to encourage participation from people in the Upper Midwest. The goal was to focus on the criteria and indicator categories that had been worked on at previous meetings and "populate" those categories with indicators from the large list of candidate indicators drawn from many sources including other multi-stakeholder groups working with water. Significant progress was made and lists of categories and indicators for the ecological, economic and social systems are being edited by volunteer subcommittees. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a one-day meeting on June 4, 2004, hosted by the Wilderness Society in Washington, DC. The meeting continued work on the framework for developing water indicators, and focused on how best to describe the necessary Ecosystem, Social, and Economic elements. Participants included representatives of government, industry, public interest groups, and professional associations. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a regional meeting, hosted by the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, California, on March 2-3, 2004. This meeting involved participants who explained the progress to date in developing a national approach to water resources Criteria and Indicators, as well as those who spoke about the specific water problems of this region. A keynote speaker who placed these in a national and international setting was Peter H. Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute of Oakland, California. At this meeting the current results of the conceptual model were presented, including Criteria for Ecosystems, Social characteristics, and Economics, as well as categories within each criterion, such as water quality. Research in sustainable water resources was also covered. Further work on developing concepts of sustainable water resources and the research needed will be carried out at future meetings.
Year 2003 The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a meeting at the Department of the Interior in Washington, DC, on Nov. 13-14, 2003. This meeting was the third two-day gathering held by SWRR. Over the course of those meetings the participants heard and interacted with senior policy makers in Federal Agencies such as the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, the Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, and officials of the Department of Agriculture. Corporations such as Southern Company, Georgia Pacific, Dow Chemical, Minnesota Power, and ALCOA have participated, as have States, localities and interstate councils related to water and a variety of non-government organizations including the Ecological Society of America, Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program and the Electric Power Research Institute. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable presented its activities to date at the annual meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information, Sept. 9-10, 2003. The revised Terms of Reference were accepted by the Committee with some edits. The Roundtable has held two meetings to date, with more planned for 2003 and 2004. Research is underway in the form of papers at professional meetings, and a special issue of the journal Water Resources Update. A conceptual model is being developed, and reviews are being done of the water indicators of other roundtables, in the report of the Heinz Center, and those done by EPA and USGS. Outreach to professional organization meetings will continue to disseminate results and to elicit ideas from new participants. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable held a meeting at USGS in Reston, Virginia on June 19-20, 2003. The attendance of about 50 people included representatives of federal and state government, local government associations, professional associations, industry, environmental groups, and academia. The nature of water resources sustainability was examined during the keynote panel from the differing perspectives of industry, the states, academia, and watershed associations. A proposed conceptual framework describing water sustainability was presented by a roundtable study group. The criteria and water indicators being used by seven existing projects were described in detail, to offer a possible starting point for future work in developing Water Roundtable indicators. Breakout groups carried out brainstorming sessions that addressed each session as it was held, and made a start on how to define water sustainability, and what goals should be formulated to achieve water sustainability. Future actions for the Water Roundtable were developed at the close of the meeting, and these included additional joint efforts, publication of results, enlisting additional sources of support, outreach to other stakeholders, and seeking support for further research.
Year 2002 The inaugural meeting of the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable was held December 10 and 11, 2002 near the WEF headquarters in Alexandria, VA. Almost 60 people participated, representing many Federal Agencies involved in water, some state and state organizations, and some from the corporate sector and environmental organizations. The group developed a clear consensus that decision-making from the national level to the individual level would be well supported by better information on water in the form of indicators that summarize the information and make it readily understandable to the layman. We also discussed research on water information and issues. Several Federal Agencies expressed enthusiasm for participation and support of the work as did the others present. This Roundtable is the fourth such multi-stakeholder resource roundtable to be established, the others being (Forests, Rangelands, and Minerals and Energy) . Each Roundtable designs criteria for indicators and, over a period of time, indicators themselves that participants agreed reflect the important aspects and trends of the resource. With respect to water, we expect this work will focus on a wide range of supply, usage and quality topics. The Advisory Committee on Water Information endorsed the Terms of Reference at the meeting of April 2-3, 2002. It was announced that a meeting of the Roundtable is planned for late in 2002. Resources to hold this meeting are being sought. The USGS agreed to provide the web pages for the Roundtable, and placed them on-line in February 2002. The Roundtable now has a draft Terms of Reference, which is intended for presentation and review at the April 2002 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information. This will provide the starting point for subsequent dialogue within the Roundtable. During January 2002 e-mail was distributed to encourage participation in the work of the Roundtable by those from many different agencies and organizations. One important action is the compilation of indicators that show the status and trends of statistics that describe various aspects of water resources. Such indicators can provide facts that show what is happening in water resources, and may assist those concerned with determining choices for alternative policies for the future. Work is now underway to compile indicator data from available sources. Recipients were asked to consider the following questions, and to send their ideas about possible answers: What water resources indicators are most helpful in defining sustainability and why? From what organizations can statistics about the status and trends be obtained for these indicators? If new data should be collected for these indicators, what organizations should do it and why?
Year 2001 A planning meeting was held on November 27, 2001 at the Water Environment Federation, which included Federal and Non-governmental representatives. The Water Environment Federation will be the convener of the first Roundtable meeting, when sufficient support is identified. Actions from this meeting included: (1) Make contact with agencies and organizations that might have an interest in providing support for the Roundtable; (2) Start looking for organizations that might provide facilitation services for the first Roundtable meeting, and cost them out; (3) Look for an organization that would be able to provide a web site for the Roundtable. In October 2001 the Chief of the Forest Service sent a letter of support for the Roundtable, and named points of contact for this effort within the Forest Service. A presentation was made to the May 2001 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information. The Roundtable was accepted as an ad hoc action with permission to begin organizing. Organizations expressing interest included the American Water Works Association, Ecological Society of America, Electric Power Research Institute, and Universities' Council on Water Resources. The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable originated at the March 2001 meeting of the Interagency Working Group on Sustainable Development Indicators. Other roundtables now existing include those on forests, rangelands, and for minerals. These roundtables focus, in part, on developing criteria and indicators to help report status and trends for more effective decision making. The meeting proposed that the water roundtable should follow an approach similar to the other roundtables. |