Recreational Conflicts

Just when you think most conflicts over natural resources are resolved, out pops, again, the age-old battles over who "owns" a river.

This is a perfect example why thoughtful conflict resolution and discussion over "ownership" of water is so important.

Water Wars

There is an old saying: "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting."  And there is no place like the arid west where water is a major battlefield.

And the biggest wars are now between farmers and other stakeholders who view agriculture's demands for water too costly to fish, urban water needs, and hydro power.  

This is a case, again, of whether technological fixes, such as new irrigation systems and reservoirs can increase available water for farmers, or whether the legacy of complex water laws competing with modern demands on the resource will result in innovative ways to think about water.

In Washington State it's an issue governmental agencies constantly visit and re-visit, without many solutions in sight.

Snowpack Concerns

Here is the latest report on snowpack for the Pacific Northwest.  This could have enormous implications for hydro power, irrigation, fish and wildlife management.  This recent cold spell will hopefully conserve the snow, but for those "systems" that rely upon snow as their reservoir, it could be a long long summer.