Water Scarcity in the American West : Unauthorized Water Use and the New Future of Water Accountability

"This book examines the role of unauthorized water use in the American West (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) and the coming demand for water accountability. Arguing that status quo responses to unauthorized water use (or water theft) and the protection of water rights are largely inadequate, this title examines the far-ranging impacts of this lackluster response on issues ranging from food production to urban livability, and concludes that there will be intense pressure at both the federal and state level to address these issues. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative models and collaborative management literature to identify ideal approaches, this project ultimately seeks to address this major crisis of states' legitimacy and analyze potential solutions under the ever expanding threat of climate change."-- Provided by publisher Acknowledgements......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acronyms......Page 7 List of Figures......Page 8 List of Tables......Page 9 Chapter 1 The American West Responds to Climate Change......Page 10 Unauthorized Water Use: The Now and Future Problem......Page 13 The Rise of Water Accountability......Page 17 Climate Change in the American West......Page 18 Population Growth......Page 23 Why Water Matters......Page 26 Considering the Importance of Environmental Security......Page 30 Organization of This Book......Page 33 References......Page 36 Introduction......Page 39 There Is a Water Crisis in the West......Page 40 Water Policy and Management......Page 45 Environmental Security......Page 48 Making Sense of the Water Literature......Page 53 References......Page 56 Chapter 3 American West and Unauthorized Water Use: An Examination of the Status Quo Protection of Water Rights......Page 58 The Stakes of Water in the American West......Page 59 The Legal Dimensions of Water......Page 61 The Distribution of Water Right Enforcement Authority......Page 67 The Role of Unauthorized Water Use......Page 68 Unauthorized Water Use Trends in the American West......Page 70 What Are the Implications of Unauthorized Water Use?......Page 74 Political Dynamics at Play......Page 76 Agriculture......Page 77 Urban Users......Page 80 Environmental Movements......Page 83 Status Quo......Page 84 How Complaints Get to the State......Page 88 State Investigations......Page 92 Conclusion......Page 96 References......Page 98 Chapter 4 Water Accountability, Environmental Security, and “Adaptation Interactions”: Explaining Water Right Enforcement Capacity Among Western States......Page 101 Adaptation Interactions......Page 103 Securitization Theory......Page 107 Water Accountability, Adaptation Interactions, and Securitization......Page 112 Unauthorized Water Use Response......Page 113 Outreach and Education......Page 114 State Compacts......Page 115 The Future of Water Accountability......Page 116 Conclusion......Page 120 References......Page 124 Methodology......Page 125 The Data......Page 126 Collect Data (Is There a Centralized Process to Collect Data?)......Page 127 Make the Data Available to the Public (Publication on the State Website)......Page 131 Fund the Field (State Spending Per Irrigated Acre)......Page 132 Publish an Annual Report on Unauthorized Water Use......Page 134 Implement a Robust Groundwater Management Plan Built on Accountability......Page 135 The Typology......Page 136 Determining State Outcome......Page 139 Explaining the Pattern......Page 142 Illustrative Case Study: The Story of Elmore County, Idaho......Page 149 Conclusion......Page 153 References......Page 155 Chapter 6 The State and Federal Response: Probing the Possibilities......Page 157 Improvement of Record-Keeping Practices......Page 158 Increase Penalties for Unauthorized Water Use......Page 161 Increase Investigation Budget and Staff......Page 164 Community Partnerships......Page 165 Groundwater Management......Page 168 The Federal Government Response......Page 170 Federal Government Outcome 1: Extensive......Page 177 Enforcement Actions......Page 178 Major Water Infrastructure......Page 179 Managing Crop and Water Access: The End of Prior Appropriation......Page 180 Export Ban......Page 182 Farm Subsidies......Page 183 Federal Government Outcome 2: Securitization......Page 184 Conclusion......Page 187 References......Page 188 Chapter 7 Moving Forward: Policy Actors and Strategy......Page 190 The Cost of Inaction......Page 191 Agriculture......Page 193 Environmental Groups......Page 195 Urban Users......Page 197 Research Weaknesses and Moving Forward......Page 198 References......Page 200 Bibliography......Page 201 Index......Page 213