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Conflicts Over The Use Of Water: Examples From The American West By Bradley T. Cullen University of New Mexico.

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Presentation on theme: "Conflicts Over The Use Of Water: Examples From The American West By Bradley T. Cullen University of New Mexico."— Presentation transcript:

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2 Conflicts Over The Use Of Water: Examples From The American West By Bradley T. Cullen University of New Mexico

3 Frontier Worldview  Settlers saw a hostile environment to be conquered and cleared as quickly as possible;  Settlers believed there would always be more!!!

4 Beginnings of the Federal Role in Resource Conservation (1870- 1916) *1872 – Yellowstone National Park  1891 – Forest Reserve Act  1892 – Sierra Club founded  1901-1909 – Theodore Roosevelt President  1905 – U.S. Forest Service established  1912 – U.S. National Park Service created

5 Gifford Pinchot  “The first great fact about conservation is that it stands for development. There has been a fundamental misconception that conservation means nothing but the husbanding of resources for future generations. There could be no more serious mistake…The first principle of conservation is the use of the natural resources now existing on this continent for the benefit of the people who live here now.”

6 John Muir  Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.  One may as well dam for water tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.

7 Water Problems  Not enough  Not in the right place  Too much

8 Los Angeles Aqueduct

9 Federal Water Projects  Carry-over storage reservoirs

10 Water Law  Perpetual right to use water by capturing it and putting it to beneficial use

11 Colorado River Aqueduct

12 Shasta Dam

13 Central Valley Project

14 Oroville Dam

15 California Water Project

16 Central Valley Agriculture 1911

17 Central Valley Agriculture Today

18 Southern California

19 Las Vegas

20 Phoenix

21 Silvery Minnow’s Decline  Water impoundment for agriculture  Decreased and interrupted stream flow  Canalization of the river

22 Enforcement of ESA  1994 – Listed as endangered  1999 – Designation of critical habitat (FWS)  1999 – Declared arbitrary and capricious  2001 – Issuance of Biological Opinion  2002 – Rio Grande Silvery Minnow vs. Key  2003 – Appeals Court upholds decision

23 Judge Parker’s Ruling  “If the Court allows the Rio Grande to dry this year (2002) as proposed by the FWS and BOR, the federal agencies will have violated the ESA, and the Court will have failed in its Congressionally-mandated duty to afford injunctive relief to prevent further harm to the species.”

24 Dissenting Opinion  The ESA, “like Frankenstein, despite the good intentions of its creator, has become a monster.”

25 Water Restrictions  Spring & Summer Watering Restrictions –No sprinkler usage between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm

26 State Water Law  Prior appropriation –‘first in time, first in right’

27 Water Banking System  Water rights can be sold  Few mechanisms for selling surplus water

28 Land-Use Policy and Water Law  Public utility law –Duty to service all customers in its service area –Service priced at the average rather than the margin  Restrictions on water use


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