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I I I I I I I I I I I 201:') " .:,., u CONFUCJS. TRENDS & CHAlLENGES 21 positions harden and polarize. Mediation services and procedures also can be employed with success to resolve water-related conflict Designing Flexible Strategies and Systems Since patterns of water use and demand can change unpredictably, there is wisdom in preserving management options and in developing contingency plans for the future. One example of wise, flexible design is a dam that allows water to be released at a number of elevations in the structure, depending on the water temperature desired for a downstream fishery. When faced with a management decision, the Indian water manager should ask, "If conditions change later, will the tribal decision that is about to be made leave us in a position to respond or adapt effectively?" One eye needs to be kept on the future. Respecting Natural Limits and Processes The history of water development shows that unnecessary damage has bcen done to the environment and to natural systems of plant and animal life. Irrigation projects have been developed over formations that make drainage and salt management impractical or impossible. Dams have been constructed with unworl<able fish ladders. Water projects have induced land uses that cause erosion and produce sediment, which situation limits the life of reservoirs or degrades the quality of water. Ground water has been mined to the point of causing land subsidence or salt water intrusion. To avoid causing such problems, the Indian water manager needs 10 know how to obtain and apply information from environmental scientists. I I I I Integrating Decisions Affecting Human and Natural Resources I I I I Sound water decisions are not made in a vacuum, isolated from other human concerns and needs. Water protection, allocation, use and management ought to promote the well-being of people. This means that "natural resource" decisions should take account of "human resource" needs. In practice, decisions that commit human resources affect natural resources and vice versa. For instance a reservation's preschool, day-care or nutrition program may be deprived of funds if federal money is spent on a tribal water project. Water management priorities will compete with priorities in other areas. The modem water manager must be able to see and to demonstrate the imponance of water decisions for the surrounding human community so that water management finds its proper place on the political agenda. Balancing Immediate and Long-Term Goals Much of a water manager's time is spent responding to "brush fires," matters that seem to demand immediate attention. Some of these matters are crises of sorts; most are not. In any case, they tend to crowd out what little time there is for thinking