PUB00024

• Year: 1998
• Title: Water in the West: Challenge for the Next Century
• CWCB Section: Interstate & Federal
• Description: Report of the Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission
• Publications - Doc Type: Tech Report

population growth and movement. Consideration
must be given at all levels of government to growth
impacts on water and associated land and open
space resources. Policies which encourage growth
must be assessed carefully in relation to the
available resource base.

Water in the West: The Challenge for the Next Century

discussion and choices. In this report, we offer
suggestions for addressing water problems in a
proactive manner that will foster the necessary
policy discussion and integrate the increasingly
complex interests in western water.

This summary describes the many recommendations
offered by the Commission. Two areas are
highlighted first because they received the widest
support among the diverse group of Commission
members-Principles of Water Management for the
21st Century and New Governance of Watersheds
and River Basins.

Principles of Water Management
for the 21st Century

The Commission proposes principles by which any
federal water program should be guided or judged
against. The first principle, sustainable use of
water, is adopted from the President's Council on
Sustainable Development and forms the backbone
of the Commission's recommendations. Both
internationally and domestically, sustainable
development links together the diverse elements of
the water use community and provides the basis for
common dialogue and problemsolving. Sustainable
water use seeks to achieve a balance between the
capability of a system to meet social needs and its
biological capacity.

Ensure Sustainable Use of Resources

Use and manage water and related resources so that
at the national, regional, and local levels,
environmental, social, economic, and cultural values
can be supported indefinitely. All water resources
policies and programs in the West must recognize
and address the dramatic current trends in

Maintain National Goals and Standards

National standards and goals for the quality of water
and related resources playa valuable role in the
maintenance and restoration of resource health.
There is a continuing need for national standards
and goals.

Emphasize Local Implementation,
Innovation, and Responsibility

Federal, tribal, state, and local cooperation toward
achieving national standards should be the basis of
water policy. Where possible, responsibility and
authority for achieving these national standards
should rest with nonfederal governing entities.
Reasonable flexibility should be allowed and
innovation encouraged in the approaches taken to
achieve national standards within a framework of
monitoring and accountability.

Provide Incentives

Wherever possible, use economic and other
incentives to achieve national, regional, or local
water resource goals. Existing incentives and
policies for water use and associated land
management should be examined to determine
whether they promote or impede sustainable use of
resources and serve contemporary social goals.
Funding should be used to provide incentives for
state and local entities to achieve resource goals.

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