Minnesota Water 2005 John R. Wells Minnesota Environmental Quality Board & Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable October 26, 2005 Measuring the Sustainability of Water Management in the U.S.

Staffed By…. Office of Geographic & Demographic Analysis Department of Administration Minnesota Environmental 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 Resources Roundtable

SWRR Progress  A conceptual framework for understanding the world  Principles, criteria and indicators to support decision-making  Collaboration on research needs

Principles of Water Sustainability 1.The value & limits of water People need to understand the value and appreciate the limits of water resources and the risks to people and ecosystems of unbounded water and land use

Principles of Water Sustainability 2.Shared responsibility Because water does not respect political boundaries, its management requires shared consideration of the needs of people and ecosystems up- and downstream and throughout the hydrologic cycle

Principles of Water Sustainability 3.Equitable access Sustainability suggests fair and equitable access to water, water dependent resources and related infrastructure

Principles of Water Sustainability 4.Stewardship Managing water to achieve sustainability challenges us while meeting today’s needs to address the implications of our decisions on future generations and the ecosystems upon which they will rely

General Systems Perspective Ecosystems Social System Biophysical Environment Economic System

Fisheries Systems Perspective Social System for Fishery Management Aquatic Ecosystem Social System Biophysical Environment Economic System Economic System for Fishing

Ecosystem Processes & Societal Drivers Natural Processes: Disturbance & Response Energy Cycling Hydrologic Cycle & Flow Regime Materials Cycling Social & Economic Drivers: Economic Development Energy Production and Use Land Use Population Growth Transportation EcosystemsSociety Ecosystem goods & services Human alterations & discharges time

Indicator Categories

Gross Water Availability: Precipitation Water Uses And Reuses Water in the Environment: Quality/Quantity streams, lakes, wetlands & aquifers System Capacities and Their Allocation Example Indicators Treatment Social Infrastructural Capacity: Drinking water and wastewater treatment capacity Net Water Availability: Water available for people Social Institutional Capacity: Water law and rights Regulation 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 Dependent Resources and Conditions: Fish stocks Aesthetics Water in the Environment Environmental Conditions: Water quality Biodiversity Water Condition Dependent Uses: Sailing Consequences of Water Allocation Water Uses And Reuses: Municipal and industrial use Water Dependent Resource Harvests: Fish landings Water Withdrawals For Human Uses Return Flows Example Indicators

Effects on People Water Uses: Cropland 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 Incidence of drowning Example Indicators

Information Pyramid Fewer Pieces Of Information More Pieces Of 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 Indicators 5. Composite sustainability assessment

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

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

Effects on people of the conditions and uses of water resources 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 forces Land use Residual flows – the flow of water and wastes back into the water system Social and economic processes – the systems people and organizations develop to influence water resources and sustainability Ecosystem processes

Composite sustainability assessment Water use sustainability – in each watershed, the ratio of water withdrawn to renewable supply Water quality sustainability – in each watershed, indicators of the suitability of water quality for the uses desired, including ecosystem uses

Figure Available Precipitation Source: S. Roy, K. Summers and R. Goldstein

Ground Water Levels in the High Plains Figure 4.3.1

Figure Nitrate Load Carried by Major Rivers Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency State of the Environment 2006 report

Figure Watersheds with a High Potential for Pesticide and Nitrogen Leaching

Figure Capacity of Water Resources to Support Human Use Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Water Quality Inventory 1998 Report

Source: Rural Community Assistance Partnership 2004 Figure Population Lacking Complete Plumbing

Figure Reported Incidence of Waterborne Disease Source: Surveillance for Waterborne Disease Outbreaks - US,

Figure Total Freshwater Withdrawal in 1995 (as a percent of available precipitation) Source: S. Roy, K. Summers and R. Goldstein Figure Water Use Sustainability Withdrawals as a % of available precipitation, 1995

Collaboration on Research Needs   Process research   Decision support tools   Data inventory   Technologies   Value of water in policy decisions   Better law & policies   Human resources   Collaboration

Outreach   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 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’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 Information   