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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />, <br /> <br />033422 <br /> <br />,"\. ~ ) C. .'. <br /> <br />State-Level Drought Planning: Current Status <br /> <br />integrated to provide a comprehensive snapshot of water availability and <br />outlook, Many recommendations for the development of a national drought <br />watch (Riebsame et aI., 1991) or integrated climate monitoring system <br />(U.S. Congress, U.S. Congressional OTA, 1993; Wilhite and Wood, 1994; <br />FEMA, 1996) have been offered, but not implemented. Some States have also <br />undertaken vulnerability assessments of public water supplies in conjunction <br />with drought planning efforts. This is an especially critical issue in States <br />with many small water supply systems that may be quite sensitive to <br />extended periods of water shortage, It is important to identify vulnerable <br />systems in advance so that adequate mitigation measures can be adopted. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Legislative actions included the passage of measures to protect instream flows <br />and guarantee low-interest loans to farmers, Low-interest loans, a common <br />Federal response to drought, are not generally State financed. Many States' <br />have been reexamining aspects of water rights doctrine in response to <br />growing water use and associated conflicts. Water banks have been used in <br />some States (e.g" California) as a means of temporarily modifying water <br />allocation procedures during water shortages, The California Drought Water <br />Bank program is an example of an innovative and successful mitigation <br />action (California Department of Water Resources, 1992), This program was <br />created in 1991. It allowed the Department of Water Resources to acquire <br />water in three ways: (1) by purchasing water from farmers who chose not to <br />irrigate; (2) by purchasing surplus water from local water districts; and (3) by <br />paying farmers or water districts to use groundwater instead of surface water. <br />MacDonnell et al. (1994) present a review of water banking in the West, <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Augmentation of water supplies during recent droughts included <br />rehabilitating reservoirs to operate at design capacity and reviewing reservoir <br />operation plans. Cities also worked with self-supplied industrial users on <br />programs to reallocate some water for emergency public water supplies. <br /> <br />One of the key responsibilities of State Government during periods of drought <br />is to keep the public aware of the severity ofthe situation through timely <br />reports. These reports must provide a clear rationale for mitigative actions <br />that are being imposed on either a voluntary or mandatory basis. During <br />recent droughts, States organized informational meetings for the media and <br />the public, implemented water conservation awareness programs, prepared <br />and distributed informational materials, and organized workshops on <br />drought-related topics. Sample ordinances on water conservation were also <br />prepared and distributed to municipalities and rural suppliers. <br /> <br />23 <br />