THE ETERNAL QUEST FOR WATER: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AND CURRENT EXAMINATION OF INTERBASIN TRANSFERS OF WATER(Chapter 17)

摘要

An interbasin transfer of water is the diversion of water from one water source basin to another.1 How many of these occur depends on the scale at which one considers them. An interbasin water transfer can take place on the scale of water transfer from one small stream to another, to the scale of a transfer from water sources draining to the Pacific Ocean to water sources draining to the Gulf of Mexico. Even considering only the large-scale transfers, trillions of gallons of water are transferred among basins each year to serve hundreds of thousands of farmers and millions of municipal residences.2 As noted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in announcing its rule on the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and water transfers (discussed below): Water transfers are administered by various federal, State, and local agencies and other entities. The Bureau of Reclamation administers significant transfers in western States to provide approximately 140,000 farmers with irrigation water. With the use of water transfers, the Army Corps of Engineers keeps thousands of acres of agricultural and urban land in southern Florida from flooding in former areas of Everglades wetlands. Many large cities in the west and the east would not have adequate sources of water for their citizens were it not for the continuous redirection of water from outside basins. For example, both the cities of New York and Los Angeles depend on water transfers from distant watersheds to meet their municipal demand.