Freshwater Resources?

Question

How can conflict arise from multiple states sharing a single water source? How can these conflicts be resolved?

Answer 1

Conflicts arise from over use ,

such as irresponsible or un economic irrigation,

And people causing contamination,

because of the use of dangerous chemicals on the land that leach in to ground water supplies.

or misplaced sewage outlets

as well as  dumping trash in water courses,

or dumping contaminants in to the water itself ,such as coffee husks or detergents.

Many ways to annoy people ,when it comes to their water supplies.

Answer 2

The conflicts that arise from states sharing a single water resource tend to be based on the use of the resource, i.e. agriculture/aquaculture, transportation, tourism, etc.. This becomes even more complex when the the uses further conflict with each other.

The biggest conflicts tend to arise from "downstream" impacts which tend not to be correctly assessed.

Many states have resource management agencies which are set up specifically to address the conflicts which arise. The regulations that govern these agencies are often written to be consistent with federal guidelines which address the needs of the nation as a whole. Also, the federal government has agencies with regional offices (EPA, USDA/NRCS, Army Corps) which deal directly with interstate resource issues.

In addition, the private entities which depend on the water resource will often have some sort of private group, union, or other organization which provides support for that industry or interest on  local, state, and or federal levels (for example, the farming and fishing industries have many). These groups provide support on multiple levels, and can act as a mediator for these groups.

Answer 3

If you look at the Southwest US there is a huge conflict.  The Rio Grande typically no longer reaches the ocean due to water being used up stream.

There are major conflicts for water from the Colorado River and even in more water rich areas like NY and NJ where rivers flow from one state to the other with water rights assigned to users in each state with minimal discussion between the states in question.  if one state allocates or takes too much it leaves less for the neighboring states.

Conflicts should be handled through a stakeholder process where different water users from different states within the same watershed are brought together to work through issues.  It would be a long and painful process and there would have to be an objective facilitator to keep the process moving forward and in a positive direction without politics and grandstanding taking over the process.

Answer 4

Easy, as more people move to the desert Southwest, the crunch for water will be felt even more.  In some cities they require people with grass to pay more than people with natural landscaping which doesn't use as much water.  These conflicts will not be settled easily or without hard feelings since farmers are the ones that need the water the most.