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xvi TRIBAL WATER MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I the physical characteristics of the resource. Pan II provides the technical background needed to begin fOlmulating a comprehensive water management plan. Chapter 6 opens with a look at the components of the hydrologic cycle and a description of the distribution of water resources across the United States, including rainfall, runoff, ground water and use panerns. The science of precipitation is explained, including how it can influence surface flows, be consumed by plants or cnLer the ground water supply. Surface and ground water hydrology are discussed in further detail, with emphasis on the importance of understanding the interactions between these two sources of water. This leads into discussions of well hydraulics and the undertaking of a water balance in order to assess the supply available within a particular basin. No technical discussion of water resources would be complete without a section on water quality considerations. Part II concludes with such a presentation, providing tribal water managers with a description of water chemistry and other clements of water quality assessment. Chapter 7 also provides important infonnation on how water quality may be affected by alternative land and water use patterns. PART ill: MAKING THE DIFFICULT CHOICES Indian tribes in the arid West ultimately will be faced with malcing difficult choices between alternative uses of limited water supplies. For instance. water allocated to energy development may result in less supply being available for agriculture and in harm being done to fisheries and other instream flow values. Part III introduces the elements that tribal water managers and decision-makers should consider in malcing these difficult choices and in fonnulating policy for water use. A first step in water policy planning is undertalcing a benefit-cost analysis of proposed water uses. Chapter 8 presents an introductory discussion of water markets and the economics of evaluating water use alternatives. Several methods of benefit- cost analysis are explained, followed by consideration of how uniquely tribal values may influence this economic evaluation process. Chapter 9 follows with a review of the elements of water policy planning that can be pursued once a tribe has detennined the economic viability of some of its proposed water use alternatives. Although existing models and tools for planning a water policy could fill several volumes. Chapter 9 summarizes the major components involved in the process, including a detailed presentation of one suggested pl3IUling model. A necessary step in water policy fonnulation is assessing how much water is available. This detennination is related both to the physical supply, as discussed in Pan II, and to the legal availability, In 1963, the United States Supreme Court established the concept of "practicably irrigable acreage" (PIA) as a standard under which the amount of water legally possessed by tribes generally is quantified. Chapter 10 contains a discussion of the means for identifying PIA and how this identification process can best be designed for effective court litigation or negotiation.