Water Wars in the United States
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Water is a precious commodity across the globe. Due to a shortage of water and desperate need for more, conflicts have arisen over the control and distribution of this liquid gold and the United States is not excluded from the battle. While there are a number of international Water Wars, the United States has its own list of intra-national Water Wars. Below you will find a list of the top three major Water Wars in the United States:
Chattahooche River
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(1)
Class: Stream
Source: Several headstreams in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia
Depository: Gulf of Mexico
Length: 430 miles
Primary states involved in conflict: Georgia, Alabama, Florida
(2)
Key Issue: All three states have a growing demand for water, and low water levels and runoff from Atlanta’s industrial complexes diminishes the water quality for all three states.
Court proceedings have been underway for over twenty years, but only minor steps have been taken to resolve the dispute. In 1994 Congress passed a set of interstate compacts, or legal agreements between two or more states, that left the issue in the hands of the states to agree on how to proportion the water. As of 2003, the three states had not reached an agreement and the compacts expired thus sending states back to court. The issue is still being fought over in Federal courts in Alabama, Georgia and Washington, D.C. (3)
Source: Several headstreams in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia
Depository: Gulf of Mexico
Length: 430 miles
Primary states involved in conflict: Georgia, Alabama, Florida
(2)
Key Issue: All three states have a growing demand for water, and low water levels and runoff from Atlanta’s industrial complexes diminishes the water quality for all three states.
Court proceedings have been underway for over twenty years, but only minor steps have been taken to resolve the dispute. In 1994 Congress passed a set of interstate compacts, or legal agreements between two or more states, that left the issue in the hands of the states to agree on how to proportion the water. As of 2003, the three states had not reached an agreement and the compacts expired thus sending states back to court. The issue is still being fought over in Federal courts in Alabama, Georgia and Washington, D.C. (3)
Klamath River
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(1)
Class: Stream
Source: Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon
Depository: Pacific Ocean
Length: 263 miles
Primary states involved in conflict: Oregon, California
(4)
Key Issue: The two states are fighting for the resources and money to clean up the river and reestablish the natural ecosystem of the river. The creation of dams along the river, high temperatures and runoff, have destroyed the once thriving population of salmon in the river.
In 2010 the representatives from both states met and created the Klamath Basin agreements, which included the removal of four dams from the river and agreed upon designated fishing grounds and allocation of water supplies for farmers along the river. While the two states have found some common ground, the war is far from over. The states are still waiting on approval from the federal government to supply $500 million to begin the restoration process. (5)
Source: Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon
Depository: Pacific Ocean
Length: 263 miles
Primary states involved in conflict: Oregon, California
(4)
Key Issue: The two states are fighting for the resources and money to clean up the river and reestablish the natural ecosystem of the river. The creation of dams along the river, high temperatures and runoff, have destroyed the once thriving population of salmon in the river.
In 2010 the representatives from both states met and created the Klamath Basin agreements, which included the removal of four dams from the river and agreed upon designated fishing grounds and allocation of water supplies for farmers along the river. While the two states have found some common ground, the war is far from over. The states are still waiting on approval from the federal government to supply $500 million to begin the restoration process. (5)
Colorado River
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(1)
Class:Stream
Source: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Depository: Gulf of California
Length: 1450 miles
Primary States involved in Conflict: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California
(6)
Key Issue: The Colorado River serves the water needs of over 40 million people and it is one of the most fought over rivers in the world. Along the length of the river, many dams and canals distribute water to the states. As the desire for water from the Colorado River expands, more diversions of the water are created and with each additional diversion, the water levels drop and the water becomes more polluted.
While many measures have been taken to try and counteract the over usage of the Colorado River, there is no end in sight for this water war.
Source: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Depository: Gulf of California
Length: 1450 miles
Primary States involved in Conflict: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California
(6)
Key Issue: The Colorado River serves the water needs of over 40 million people and it is one of the most fought over rivers in the world. Along the length of the river, many dams and canals distribute water to the states. As the desire for water from the Colorado River expands, more diversions of the water are created and with each additional diversion, the water levels drop and the water becomes more polluted.
While many measures have been taken to try and counteract the over usage of the Colorado River, there is no end in sight for this water war.
Water in specific States
Since water is such an important resource, there are many different and specific domestic laws that focus on its distribution and regulation. For example taking a look at a country as large as the United States of America, there can be a vast amount of water in between different states. Furthermore, multiple states can share the same body of water. As talked about above, many states fight over similar bodies of water, taking The Colorado River as an example. What seems to go overlooked, however, is the private implications of water use, and its regulation on the individual. In the two vastly separated states of New York and Oklahoma, although they are in entirely different geographic areas, water regulation remains similar between the two.
Water and New York
New York Law states, “…each owner of riparian land is permitted to make use of the water in a waterbody regardless of the effect the use has on the natural flow so long as each user does not transgress the equal rights and uses...” (qtd. in Cassuto 1) (8) It is of no doubt that water has helped New York facilitate its title of the “Empire State” as both the Eerie Canal and the Hudson River have proven to be useful for commercial and private ventures. (8) In terms of regulation, New York basically allows its waters to be used by the public for surface uses. Surface uses include but is not limited to transportation and recreation, so long as it does not impede water flow. This impediment of water flow can be related to illegality of damming the Hudson River. (8) In terms of public health, safety, and nutrition, the DEC controls most of water regulation for private means. (8)
Water and Oklahoma
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Surprisingly, the laws in Oklahoma are not much different. Mentioned in the “Oklahoma Water Law Handbook,” if water is on an individual’s private property, that water is considered owned by the person of mention. However, the individual will only have use and ownership of the water if it is surface water. In terms of underground water, Oklahoma State has ownership. For private ownership, Oklahoma defines the use of stream water for the household, farming, and irrigation as acceptable. (9)
It can be shown through the two different examples of New York State and Oklahoma, as well as the water wars, that domestic water laws and regulation is similar in terms of its necessity and practices for preserving private property, and individual rights.
Concept Questions
1. Who should own the water rights in the United States? State or Federally allocated?
2. What should the United States Federal Government's stance be on Water Wars? Should they have a plan to deal with each one when it arises?
2. What should the United States Federal Government's stance be on Water Wars? Should they have a plan to deal with each one when it arises?
Sources
1. Neslage, Stephen, and Kerrie Cassani. "Water Wars: Ownership of a Natural Resource." The Weather Channel. Weather.com, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/water-wars-the-battle-for-a-natural-resource_2012-03-25>.
2. "GNIS Detail - Chattahoochee River." GNIS Detail - Chattahoochee River. U.S. Geological Survey, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:2323556374016012::NO::P3_FID:354236>.
3. "Tri-State Water Wars (AL, GA, FL)." Southern Environmental Law Center » Cases » Tri State Water Wars Background. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.southernenvironment.org/cases/tri_state_water_wars_al_ga_fl/tri_state_water_wars_background/>.
4. "GNIS Detail - Klamath River." GNIS Detail - Klamath River. U.S. Geological Survey, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:1625123301185043::NO::P3_FID:266887>.
5. Shipley, Frank. "Klamath Basin: A Watershed Approach to Support Habitat Restoration, Species Recovery, and Water Resource Planning." USGS Science for a Changing World (2007): 1-4. Print.
6. "GNIS Detail – Colorado River." GNIS Detail – Colorado River. U.S. Geological Survey, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:3315963256139023::NO::P3_FID:45730>
7. Braun, David. "Restoring Floods to "America’s Nile"€." News Watch. National Geographic, 11 Aug. 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/08/11/restoring_floods_to_grand_caynon_river/>.
8. Cassuto, David. "Waters and Water Rights: New York Survey" 29 Nov. 2012. PDF file.
9. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Oklahoma State University. "The
Oklahoma Water Law Handbook" Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://osufacts.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-6654/E-1016%20Water%20Law.pdf>.
10. http://www.freeworldmaps.net/united-states/oklahoma/oklahoma-map.jpg
11. http://www.sitesatlas.com/Flash/USCan/static/NYFF.gif
12. http://home.comcast.net/~rhaberlin/images/swrivrs.gif
1. Neslage, Stephen, and Kerrie Cassani. "Water Wars: Ownership of a Natural Resource." The Weather Channel. Weather.com, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/water-wars-the-battle-for-a-natural-resource_2012-03-25>.
2. "GNIS Detail - Chattahoochee River." GNIS Detail - Chattahoochee River. U.S. Geological Survey, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:2323556374016012::NO::P3_FID:354236>.
3. "Tri-State Water Wars (AL, GA, FL)." Southern Environmental Law Center » Cases » Tri State Water Wars Background. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://www.southernenvironment.org/cases/tri_state_water_wars_al_ga_fl/tri_state_water_wars_background/>.
4. "GNIS Detail - Klamath River." GNIS Detail - Klamath River. U.S. Geological Survey, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:1625123301185043::NO::P3_FID:266887>.
5. Shipley, Frank. "Klamath Basin: A Watershed Approach to Support Habitat Restoration, Species Recovery, and Water Resource Planning." USGS Science for a Changing World (2007): 1-4. Print.
6. "GNIS Detail – Colorado River." GNIS Detail – Colorado River. U.S. Geological Survey, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:3315963256139023::NO::P3_FID:45730>
7. Braun, David. "Restoring Floods to "America’s Nile"€." News Watch. National Geographic, 11 Aug. 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. <http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/08/11/restoring_floods_to_grand_caynon_river/>.
8. Cassuto, David. "Waters and Water Rights: New York Survey" 29 Nov. 2012. PDF file.
9. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Oklahoma State University. "The
Oklahoma Water Law Handbook" Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://osufacts.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-6654/E-1016%20Water%20Law.pdf>.
10. http://www.freeworldmaps.net/united-states/oklahoma/oklahoma-map.jpg
11. http://www.sitesatlas.com/Flash/USCan/static/NYFF.gif
12. http://home.comcast.net/~rhaberlin/images/swrivrs.gif