Until August 1, 2011, the Department of Interior is seeking public comments on its draft WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) Strategic Implementation Plan. The draft plan identifies actions to secure and stretch water supplies for use by existing and future generations.
Aging infrastructure, rapid population growth, depletion of groundwater resources, impaired water quality associated with particular land uses and covers, reservoir sedimentation, water needed for human and environmental uses, increased domestic energy development, and climate variability and change all play a role in determining the amount of fresh water available at any given place and time. It is increasingly recognized that water is the primary means through which climate change impacts the earth and people's livelihoods and well being. Water shortage and water-use conflicts have become more commonplace in many areas of the United States.
To ensure that the Department of the Interior is positioned to meet these challenges, the Secretary issued an order (Secretarial Order 3297) in February 2010 establishing the WaterSMART Program. Through the Water SMART Program, the Department of the Interior will work with states, tribes, local governments, and non-governmental organizations to secure and stretch water supplies for use by existing and future generations to benefit people, the economy, the environment, and will identify adaptive measures needed to address climate change and future demands. Within Secretarial Order 3297, Section 5(a) calls for the development of a written plan to implement the WaterSMART Strategy. The draft Strategic Implementation Plan fulfills that requirement and will provide the framework the Department of the Interior will use to provide Federal leadership in moving toward a sustainable water resources future.
The draft Strategic Implementation Plan includes information from each Department of the Interior bureau and office presented within 11 sections, including:
- Program Coordination.
- The Energy/Water Nexus: Water Used in Energy Production and Energy Used in Water Supply.
- Best Available Science.
- Water Footprint Reduction Program.
- WaterSMART Clearinghouse.
- Promoting Sustainable Water Strategies.
- Evaluation of Needed Information.
- Education and Awareness.
- Collaboration with States and Tribes.
- Planning Efforts.
- The Colorado River Basin Pilot.
The activities identified within the draft Strategic Implementation Plan represent a comprehensive and coordinated approach by which the Federal government can provide leadership in working with other Federal agencies, states, tribes, and local governments as well as non-governmental organizations to achieve a sustainable future.
Send written comments to Mr. David Raff, Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Policy and Administration 84-51000, P.O. Box 25007, Denver, Colorado 80225; or email WaterSMARTBOR@usbr.gov.
The draft Strategic Implementation Plan for the WaterSMART conservation program is available at http://www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART/docs/FedRegister_WaterSMART_Implementation_plan_FINAL.PDF.