Toward a Sustainable and Secure Water Future A Leadership Role for the U.S. Geological Survey (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 1-15
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The Committee on Water Resources Activities at the U.S. Geological Survey, a committee of the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Research Council (NRC)
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External stakeholders praised the WRD's leadership and commitment to long-term data collection, fundamental to water science studies of other parties and critical to understanding the nation's water resources. The committee and collaborating agencies both note that the USGS WRD provides leadership in very fundamental areas such as standardizing data collection methods across the nation.
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WRD has used its unique position in the USGS, incorporating water, solid Earth, ecosystems, and geographical information systems to promote large-scale interdisciplinary assessments of water resources. Some examples include studies of how surface water and groundwater interact in the Florida Everglades and around Chesapeake Bay or how water circulation and sediment deposition affect biological habitats in San Francisco Bay.
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There are fundamental impediments to more cooperation of the Disciplines within the USGS, including that their offices are not co-located, and the Disciplines evolved with different missions and organizational structures, as well as different clients. Yet many examples can be noted, including collaborations on hydrologic and ecologic science of the Platte and Missouri Rivers, the assessment of groundwater resources and earthquake hazards in the Los Angeles basin, and the study of groundwater resources of the middle Rio Grande basin.
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The committee considered reviewing the WRD budget by categories defined in the Strategic Directions plan, but the USGS has introduced a new budget system which made that impractical. With that perspective, we offer this recommendation: In the past, the USGS WRD program balance was assessed through the Strategic Directions plan (USGS, 1999; see Box 2-5)
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The NRC review noted, for example, that "NAWQA cannot continue to be downsized and still be considered the national water quality assessment that the nation needs." The WRD has an excellent record of utilizing external, independent expert panels to evaluate the effectiveness of their programs. The NRC's standing Committee on USGS Water Resources Research has conducted studies that have reviewed essentially every WRD program over the last two decades.
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Changes in the hydrologic cycle will have economic effects, as have been documented in the past. New tools will be needed to forecast, design, and manage water resources and infrastructure that is sensitive to these environmental changes.
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The increase in funding provided by state and local cooperators may be an encouraging measure of WRD product demand by supporters. However, this trend raises some concern about the balance between national/regional and local/state priorities in the Coop program and the ability of the Science Centers to address regional and national priorities.
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They stand on a long tradition of studying the impact of human activities on water resources and ecosystems. Whether society can manage water resources sustainably in light of the growing interdisciplinary issues such as population growth, wealth production, ecosystem needs, and climatic uncertainty, has become the signature environmental issue of our age.
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This approach should include two key issues of water availability -- the water census and climate variability and change -- particularly forecasting and predictions, evaluating uncertainty, and developing enhanced monitoring systems to assess the nature of the problem with respect to water resources. A Water Census of the United States: Quantifying, Forecasting, and Securing Fresh Water for America's Future The Water Census (strategic science direction number six)
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Forecasting and predictions of water availability that identify and quantify uncertainty over time are critical for decision makers. Programs need to support interpretive activities for syntheses, forecasting, and predictions to address regional and national priorities.
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The USGS and WRD leadership should refocus their vision to define the national water priorities that they will address and develop a management approach to integrate the WRD programs to meet these needs and lead the nation in water science. Pressing national issues will require integration of WRD programs, from the Groundwater Resources Program, to NAWQA, and NSIP, the NRP and the Coop program.
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It should provide incentive for team-oriented work, and substantive contribution to and leadership of projects that address critical national priorities. The Cooperative Water Program and Science Centers There needs to be improved alignment of the Coop program and the Science Centers to address regional and national priorities.
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But to adequately address the nation's growing water science needs, the WRD and USGS leadership will need to provide a more focused vision of the national water priorities that they will address and a management approach to integrate WRD programs and the interdisciplinary character of the USGS. The committee advocates a more targeted selection of water science projects that address critical national needs.
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From page 15... ...
Summary 15 science agency: to ensure high quality data collection, interpretive programs, and development of essential forecasting and predictive tools to support effective management of the nation's critical water resources.
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