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<br />".. <br />~ , <br /> <br />0'895 . <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />SupplY-side Water Conservation <br /> <br />Having delinated its role, the next important step is to provide <br /> <br />a workable definition of water conservation, which requires a dualistic <br /> <br /> <br />view. Traditionally, water conservation has been synonomous with <br /> <br />the capture and control of rivers and streams. This perception <br /> <br />is evident throughout western history, including social and economic <br /> <br />policy, politics and water law. Today many of the best large <br /> <br />multipurpose water storage projects have been built, and the <br />construction of new projects is becoming ever more difficult. <br /> <br />Water conservation through the development of new storage will <br /> <br />continue to be essential to meeting future western water needs, <br /> <br />though perhaps on a smaller yet broader scale. <br /> <br />Storage projects are an important part of what may be termed <br /> <br />"supply-side" water conservation. In addition to storage, other <br /> <br />supply-side water conservation measures would include weather <br /> <br />modification and vegetation management. The latter involves the <br /> <br />management of watersheds specifically to increase water yields. <br /> <br />Weather modification can increase precipitation in arid areas, <br /> <br />and it appears particularly promising and cost effective. Both <br /> <br />of these innovative approaches to increasing available water <br /> <br />supplies may be important in the future. Supply-side water <br /> <br />conservation may be defined as altering the natural physical and <br />hydrologic environment to increase the availability of water for <br /> <br />various uses. <br />