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Topic: Water Recycling

Overview April 24, 2014

Water Recycling

All water is recycled and reused as a part of natural water processes such as the hydrologic cycle.

Man-made water recycling, also known as water reclamation or water reuse, centers on using treated wastewater.

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Aquafornia news February 1, 2023 Stormwater Solutions

San Francisco’s first onsite greywater reuse project reveals the future of urban water

Facing the worst Western drought in 1,200 years, San Francisco is the first city in the nation to mandate onsite water reuse for new buildings above 100,000 gross square feet.   The crucial word here is “onsite.” In contrast to a typical building, where wastewater flows from the building into a network of underground pipes to the city’s centralized treatment plant, each building with onsite water reuse contains a small wastewater treatment system. This system purifies wastewater and directs it toward non-potable applications including toilet flushing, irrigation, laundry, and cooling towers. By using recycled water for non-potable purposes, buildings with onsite water reuse reduce their potable water use by up to 95% In residential high-rises, this can translate to millions of gallons of water — and hundreds of thousands of dollars – saved per year.

Related articles: 

  • Noozhawk: Ron Fink - Why Do We Have Stormwater Retention Basins?
  • Stormwater Solutions: Chino Basin cuts ribbon on new concrete spillway  
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news February 1, 2023 The Nevada Independent

Opinion: Desalination and conservation are the answer to drought

If conservation alone can’t help us, there is another solution that, in combination with conservation, can make a difference: The construction of large-scale desalination plants along the Pacific coast are inevitable if we are to avert disaster. There are already 14 small-scale desalination plants on the west coast, but their production is far too little to make a meaningful contribution to potable water supply. The largest one is Poseidon’s Carlsbad plant, which produces 56,000 acre-feet of potable water per year, enough to supply about 10 percent of San Diego’s needs. Many countries get drinking water from seawater this way. The Israelis get 80 percent of their potable water needs from desalination plants, and Saudi Arabia has desalinated seawater for many years. U.S. Navy ships and submarines supply sailors with water for drinking and bathing from “stills” installed on-board.
-Written by Ron Aryel, a pediatrician and property owner in Reno.

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Aquafornia news January 30, 2023 Tri County Sentry

Committee reviews water policy and related litigation

The [Oxnard] Public Works and Transportation Committee reviewed its water policy on Tuesday, January 24, and received a related litigation update. Deputy City Manager Shiri Klima said the committee requested reports about water, recycled water, and wastewater. Committee members wanted a Water Division tour as well as an update about the City water resources and a drought update. … She said the City serves potable water to more than 43,000 service connections, and approximately 85 percent are single and multi-family residential connections. … The City’s groundwater wells produce another third of the City’s water supply, and the final third is groundwater pumped by the United Water Conservation District for the City.

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Aquafornia news January 26, 2023 CBS Colorado - Denver

New rules will expand how water can be reused in Colorado

Water is already a scarce commodity in the West, but if Colorado keeps growing we are going to need even more. One source could be treating reused drinking water. It’s a scenario water providers and the state are already planning for. … It’s not something that will likely happen soon. Direct potable reuse water will need to be treated with state-of-the-art technologies to make it safe to drink and that process is expensive, but providers and the state want to be prepared. That’s why just this month [Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment] implemented new rules to regulate direct potable reuse water. So that way if water providers are going to practice direct potable reuse, they are doing it safely. 

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Aquafornia news January 24, 2023 KTNV - Las Vegas

Water panel talked key issues in Colorado River basin states Monday

We’re getting a peek at the future of our economy. The Las Vegas Chamber hosted Preview Las Vegas Monday. Key Colorado River state leaders address Southern Nevada’s water issues. One of the main focuses of Preview Las Vegas this year was the water supply for Southern Nevada. The biggest take away? Colorado river states are working together as one to combat the water crisis. … At Monday’s panel discussion, talk turned to the importance of a partnership with California’s regional recycling system. The agency is evaluating a restoration process that one day could send water back to Colorado River using states. But for now, the project’s targeted start date isn’t until 2030.

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Aquafornia news January 23, 2023 Grist

Wastewater recycling combats drought in California wine country

Standing under a shady tree drooping with pomegranates late last year, Brad Simmons, a retired metal fabricator who has lived in Healdsburg, California, for 57 years, showed off his backyard orchard. … Of course, the small grove requires plenty of water — an increasingly scarce resource in a state that continues grappling with a historic drought despite recent torrential rains. Yet Simmons, like many of his fellow 12,000 residents, has managed to keep much of this wine country community north of San Francisco looking verdant while slashing the city’s water use in half since 2020. Healdsburg benefits from an invaluable resource that keeps gardens, trees, and vineyards irrigated: free, non-potable water produced by its wastewater-reclamation facility.

Related articles: 

  • Washington Post: California’s vineyards were thirsty. Historic rains were ‘a dream come true.’
  • BBC: The California storms were great for wine
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 9, 2023 California WaterBlog

Blog: Drought and the Colorado River: Localizing water in Los Angeles

In October 2022, water agencies in Southern California with Colorado River water rights announced plans to reduce water diversions. The agencies offered voluntary conservation of 400,000 acre-feet per year through 2026. This annual total is nearly 10% of the state’s total annual usage rights for the Colorado River. The cutbacks help prepare for long-term implications of climate change for the river’s management, which are starting to be acknowledged. In urban Southern California, an important aspect of this need is reducing imported water reliance through investments in local water resources. … What would happen if Southern California lost access to Colorado River water for an extended period?

  • Read more
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Aquafornia news January 5, 2023 New Times San Luis Obispo

Morro Bay’s Water Reclamation Facility operational ahead of schedule

After two years of construction, Morro Bay’s Water Reclamation Facility is ahead of schedule. According to Greg Kwolek, director of Public Works, the expected completion date for the facility was March 23, 2023, but the city already hit that deadline set by the Regional Water Quality Control Board…. The new facility … includes two new lift stations as well as 3.5 miles of pipelines and wells that inject purified water into the groundwater aquifer, which can be reused through the city’s existing infrastructure.

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Aquafornia news January 4, 2023 Escalon Times

Congressman raises concerns regarding tunnel project

Not building the controversial Delta tunnel means Southern California and Bay Area cities would need to invest in desalination plants and groundwater recharge of brackish water that could impact the visual pleasantries of coastal scenery. That is the bottom line buried in the no-project alternative of the Army Corps of Engineers’ latest 691-page Environmental Impact Study on the proposed Delta tunnel study released in late December. The report determined building the tunnel will have major impacts on San Joaquín County as well as the Northern San Joaquin Valley including agricultural, local water supply, air quality, endangered species, and essential fish habitat…. The Army Corps of Engineers has declined to hold any in-person hearings for feedback on the study whose comment period ends Feb. 14, 2002. That fact has drawn a sharp rebuke from Congressman Josh Harder.

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Aquafornia news January 3, 2023 Los Angeles Times

In Arizona, Colorado River crisis stokes worry over growth and groundwater depletion

Water supplies are shrinking throughout the Southwest, from the Rocky Mountains to California, with the flow of the Colorado River declining and groundwater levels dropping in many areas. The mounting strains on the region’s water supplies are bringing new questions about the unrestrained growth of sprawling suburbs.[Kathleen] Ferris, a researcher at Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy, is convinced that growth is surpassing the water limits in parts of Arizona, and she worries that the development boom is on a collision course with the aridification of the Southwest and the finite supply of groundwater that can be pumped from desert aquifers.

Related articles:

  • The New York Times: Thousands will live here one day (as long as they can find water) 
  • Arizona Republic: Opinion: No more Band-Aids: How to make the Colorado River sustainable for the long term 
  • Arizona Department of Water Resources: Blog – Water Year in Review: Sure, It Was Mostly About The Colorado River, But It Wasn’t All About The River​ 
  • The New York Times: Opinion: Arizona Is in a Race to the Bottom of Its Water Wells, With Saudi Arabia’s Help 
  • Arizona Big Media: Arizona water cuts for the new year may be just the beginning, experts say
  • The Arizona Republic: Hobbs retains Arizona water director, appoints new leaders for other natural resources agencies
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news January 3, 2023 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Court fight averted: San Diego makes a deal with East County water project over contested pump station

The city of San Diego and East County leaders have resolved a months-long dispute over a planned water recycling project, heading off a potentially expensive court fight over what to do with the plant’s waste. The two sides are set to sign a series of agreements early next year concerning the Advanced Water Purification Project, which is projected to help make the region less dependent on outside water sources. … The agreements were approved by the Joint Powers Authority, the water project’s governing body, on Nov. 17 and by the San Diego City Council on Dec. 6. … Leaders of the $950 million water project said the dispute threatened to delay construction and drive up costs, and they filed a motion in California Superior Court to seize the station from San Diego.

  • Read more
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Western Water April 29, 2022 Nick Cahill Colorado River Basin Map Layperson's Guide to Water Recycling WESTERN WATER-As Drought Shrinks the Colorado River, A SoCal Giant Seeks Help from River Partners to Fortify its Local Supply By Nick Cahill

As Drought Shrinks the Colorado River, A SoCal Giant Seeks Help from River Partners to Fortify its Local Supply
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Metropolitan Water District's wastewater recycling project draws support from Arizona and Nevada, which hope to gain a share of Metropolitan's river supply

Metropolitan Water District's advanced water treatment demonstration plant in Carson. Momentum is building for a unique interstate deal that aims to transform wastewater from Southern California homes and business into relief for the stressed Colorado River. The collaborative effort to add resiliency to a river suffering from overuse, drought and climate change is being shaped across state lines by some of the West’s largest water agencies.  

  • Read more
Western Water September 26, 2019 California Water Map Gary Pitzer

Often Short of Water, California’s Southern Central Coast Builds Toward A Drought-Proof Supply
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Water agencies in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties look to seawater, recycled water to protect against water shortages

The spillway at Lake Cachuma in central Santa Barbara County. Drought in 2016 plunged its storage to about 8 percent of capacity.The southern part of California’s Central Coast from San Luis Obispo County to Ventura County, home to about 1.5 million people, is blessed with a pleasing Mediterranean climate and a picturesque terrain. Yet while its unique geography abounds in beauty, the area perpetually struggles with drought.

Indeed, while the rest of California breathed a sigh of relief with the return of wet weather after the severe drought of 2012–2016, places such as Santa Barbara still grappled with dry conditions.

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Western Water July 11, 2019 California Water Map

Your Don’t-Miss Roundup of Summer Reading From Western Water

Dear Western Water reader, 

Clockwise, from top: Lake Powell, on a drought-stressed Colorado River; Subsidence-affected bridge over the Friant-Kern Canal in the San Joaquin Valley;  A homeless camp along the Sacramento River near Old Town Sacramento; Water from a desalination plant in Southern California.Summer is a good time to take a break, relax and enjoy some of the great beaches, waterways and watersheds around California and the West. We hope you’re getting a chance to do plenty of that this July.

But in the weekly sprint through work, it’s easy to miss some interesting nuggets you might want to read. So while we’re taking a publishing break to work on other water articles planned for later this year, we want to help you catch up on Western Water stories from the first half of this year that you might have missed. 

  • Read more
Western Water June 13, 2019 Layperson's Guide to California Wastewater Gary Pitzer

As Californians Save More Water, Their Sewers Get Less and That’s a Problem
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Lower flows damage equipment, concentrate waste and stink up neighborhoods; should water conservation focus shift outdoors?

Corrosion is evident in this wastewater pipe from Los Angeles County.Californians have been doing an exceptional job reducing their indoor water use, helping the state survive the most recent drought when water districts were required to meet conservation targets. With more droughts inevitable, Californians are likely to face even greater calls to save water in the future.

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Western Water February 28, 2019 California Groundwater Map Layperson's Guide to Flood Management Gary Pitzer

Southern California Water Providers Think Local in Seeking to Expand Supplies
WESTERN WATER SIDEBAR: Los Angeles and San Diego among agencies pursuing more diverse water portfolio beyond imports

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination Plant in Carlsbad last December marked 40 billion gallons of drinking water delivered to San Diego County during its first three years of operation. The desalination plant provides the county with more than 50 million gallons of water each day.Although Santa Monica may be the most aggressive Southern California water provider to wean itself from imported supplies, it is hardly the only one looking to remake its water portfolio.

In Los Angeles, a city of about 4 million people, efforts are underway to dramatically slash purchases of imported water while boosting the amount from recycling, stormwater capture, groundwater cleanup and conservation. Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2014 announced a plan to reduce the city’s purchase of imported water from Metropolitan Water District by one-half by 2025 and to provide one-half of the city’s supply from local sources by 2035. (The city considers its Eastern Sierra supplies as imported water.)

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Western Water February 28, 2019 Groundwater Education Bundle Gary Pitzer

Imported Water Built Southern California; Now Santa Monica Aims To Wean Itself Off That Supply
WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: Santa Monica is tapping groundwater, rainwater and tighter consumption rules to bring local supply and demand into balance

The Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF) treats dry weather urban runoff to remove pollutants such as sediment, oil, grease, and pathogens for nonpotable use.Imported water from the Sierra Nevada and the Colorado River built Southern California. Yet as drought, climate change and environmental concerns render those supplies increasingly at risk, the Southland’s cities have ramped up their efforts to rely more on local sources and less on imported water.

Far and away the most ambitious goal has been set by the city of Santa Monica, which in 2014 embarked on a course to be virtually water independent through local sources by 2023. In the 1990s, Santa Monica was completely dependent on imported water. Now, it derives more than 70 percent of its water locally.

  • Read more
Tour November 6, 2019 - 7:30am - November 7, 2019 - 6:30pm Nick Gray Central Coast Tour Highlights Dam Removal & River Restoration, Ocean Desal and Innovative Recycling Project Using Ag Runoff Explore Airborne Mapping of Seawater Intrusion on Central Coast Tour November 6-7 Central Coast Tour Explores Solutions to Water Resource Challenges That Offer Lessons for California

Central Coast Tour 2019
Field Trip - November 6-7

This 2-day, 1-night tour offered participants the opportunity to learn about water issues affecting California’s scenic Central Coast and efforts to solve some of the challenges of a region struggling to be sustainable with limited local supplies that have potential applications statewide.

  • Paul Sorensen Presentation
  • Keith Van Der Maaten Presentation
  • Andy Fisher Presentation
  • Jeff Cattaneo Presentation
  • Pure Water Monterey Presentation
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Western Water October 5, 2018 Douglas E. Beeman Douglas E. Beeman

What Would You Do About Water If You Were California’s Next Governor?
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Survey at Foundation’s Sept. 20 Water Summit elicits a long and wide-ranging potential to-do list

There’s going to be a new governor in California next year – and a host of challenges both old and new involving the state’s most vital natural resource, water.

So what should be the next governor’s water priorities?

That was one of the questions put to more than 150 participants during a wrap-up session at the end of the Water Education Foundation’s Sept. 20 Water Summit in Sacramento.

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Western Water April 6, 2018 California Water Bundle Gary Pitzer

Statewide Water Bond Measures Could Have Californians Doing a Double-Take in 2018
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Two bond measures, worth $13B, would aid flood preparation, subsidence, Salton Sea and other water needs

San Joaquin Valley bridge rippled by subsidence  California voters may experience a sense of déjà vu this year when they are asked twice in the same year to consider water bonds — one in June, the other headed to the November ballot.

Both tackle a variety of water issues, from helping disadvantaged communities get clean drinking water to making flood management improvements. But they avoid more controversial proposals, such as new surface storage, and they propose to do some very different things to appeal to different constituencies.

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Tour October 8, 2015 - October 9, 2015

Southern California Tour 2015
Field Trip (past)

Diamond Valley Lake. Photo by MWD

This 2-day, 1-night tour traveled through Inland Southern California to learn about the region’s efforts in groundwater management, recycled water and other drought-proofing measures.

  • Draft Itinerary
  • SoCal Tour Brochure
  • SAWPA Brine Line (134MB)
  • Read more
Tour October 9, 2014 Images from the Russian River tour

Russian River Tour 2014
Field Trip (past)

The 2014 tour took place October 9-10.

This 2-day, 1-night tour travels the Russian River watershed, a microcosm of water management issues in the West.

  • David Keller's presentation
  • Joshua Fuller's presentation
  • Matt Brennan's presentation
  • Read more
Video May 27, 2014

Restoring a River: Voices of the San Joaquin

This 30-minute documentary-style DVD on the history and current state of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program includes an overview of the geography and history of the river, historical and current water delivery and uses, the genesis and timeline of the 1988 lawsuit, how the settlement was reached and what was agreed to.

  • Read more
Video May 27, 2014

A Climate of Change: Water Adaptation Strategies

This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an excellent overview of climate change and how it is already affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are underway to plan and adapt to climate.

  • Read more
Video May 27, 2014

Stormwater Management: Turning Runoff into a Resource

20-minute DVD that explains the problem with polluted stormwater, and steps that can be taken to help prevent such pollution and turn what is often viewed as a “nuisance” into a water resource through various activities.

  • Read more
Product May 21, 2014

Go With the Flow: A Storm Water Pollution Prevention Message

This 7-minute DVD is designed to teach children in grades 5-12 about where storm water goes – and why it is so important to clean up trash, use pesticides and fertilizers wisely, and prevent other chemicals from going down the storm drain. The video’s teenage actors explain the water cycle and the difference between sewer drains and storm drains, how storm drain water is not treated prior to running into a river or other waterway. The teens also offer a list of BMPs – best management practices that homeowners can do to prevent storm water pollution.

  • Read more
Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to Water Recycling
Updated 2013

As the state’s population continues to grow and traditional water supplies grow tighter, there is increased interest in reusing treated wastewater for a variety of activities, including irrigation of crops, parks and golf courses, groundwater recharge and industrial uses.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to Nevada Water
Published 2006

The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Nevada Water provides an overview of the history of water development and use in Nevada. It includes sections on Nevada’s water rights laws, the history of the Truckee and Carson rivers, water supplies for the Las Vegas area, groundwater, water quality, environmental issues and today’s water supply challenges.

  • Read more
Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to California Wastewater
Published 2013

The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to California Wastewater is an in-depth, easy-to-understand publication that provides background information on the history of wastewater treatment and how wastewater is collected, conveyed, treated and disposed of today. The guide also offers case studies of different treatment plants and their treatment processes.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014

Water Recycling and Title 22

Cambria Sustainable Water Facility, which recycles wastewater into an eventual drinking-water source. Title 22 of California’s Code of Regulations refers to state guidelines for how treated and recycled water is discharged and used.

State discharge standards for recycled water and its reuse are regulated by the 1969 Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and the State Water Resources Control Board’s 2019 Water Recycling Policy.

  • Read more
Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 Layperson's Guide to Water Recycling

Water Recycling

water recycling plant

In California, home to nearly 40 million people and a desert climate in large parts of the state, efficient water use is critical. In the face of such demand and a limited supply, water recycling is increasingly common throughout the state. Major water recycling plants are already operating or in development in places like San Diego and Orange counties while a multi-billion-dollar plant has been proposed in nearby Los Angeles County.

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Aquapedia background February 11, 2014 Layperson's Guide to California Wastewater

Wastewater Treatment Process in California

Wastewater management in California centers on the collection, conveyance, treatment, reuse and disposal of wastewater. This process is conducted largely by public agencies, though there are also private systems in places where a publicly owned treatment plant is not feasible.

In California, wastewater treatment takes place through 100,000 miles of sanitary sewer lines and at more than 900 wastewater treatment plants that manage the roughly 4 billion gallons of wastewater generated in the state each day.

  • Read more
Aquapedia background February 3, 2014 Layperson's Guide to California Water Layperson's Guide to Water Recycling

Grey Water

Grey Water set up

Grey water, also spelled as gray water, is water that already has been used domestically, commercially and industrially. This includes the leftover, untreated water generated from washing machines, bathtubs and bathroom sinks.

  • Read more
Western Water Magazine January 1, 2013

Viewing Water with a Wide Angle Lens: A Roundtable Discussion
January/February 2013

This printed issue of Western Water features a roundtable discussion with Anthony Saracino, a water resources consultant; Martha Davis, executive manager of policy development with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency and senior policy advisor to the Delta Stewardship Council; Stuart Leavenworth, editorial page editor of The Sacramento Bee and Ellen Hanak, co-director of research and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California.

  • Read more
Western Water Magazine September 1, 2010

Making the Connection: The Water/Energy Nexus
September/October 2010

This printed issue of Western Water looks at the energy requirements associated with water use and the means by which state and local agencies are working to increase their knowledge and improve the management of both resources.

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Western Water Magazine July 1, 2008

A Drought-Proof Supply: The Promise of Recycled Water
July/August 2008

This printed copy of Western Water examines recycled water – its use, the ongoing issues and the prospects it holds for extending water supplies.

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Western Water Excerpt July 1, 2008 Gary PitzerRita Schmidt Sudman

A Drought-Proof Supply: The Promise of Recycled Water
July/August 2008

When a drought occurs as it has this year, the response is couched in the three Rs of the waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse and recycle.

The reduction part is well-known. State and local officials are urging people to use less water in everything they do, from landscape irrigation to shorter showers. Spurred by California’s difficulties, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on June 4 declared a statewide drought. On July 10, the governor and Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced their support of the Safe, Clean, Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2008 – a $9.3 billion bond proposal that would allocate $250 million for water recycling projects.

  • Read more
Western Water Magazine May 1, 2005

Smart Water Use: Stretching the Urban Supply
May/June 2005

This issue of Western Water examines the continuing practice of smart water use in the urban sector and its many facets, from improved consumer appliances to improved agency planning to the improvements in water recycling and desalination. Many in the water community say conserving water is not merely a response to drought conditions, but a permanent ethic in an era in which every drop of water is a valuable commodity not to be wasted.

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Western Water Excerpt May 1, 2002 Gary PitzerRita Schmidt Sudman

Shaping the West: 100 Years of Reclamation Water
May/Jun 2002

Water is the true wealth in a dry land – Wallace Stegner

One hundred years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation that changed the course of American history and permanently altered the landscape of the western United States. The West of today retains some of the vestiges of the land that brought the explorers, entrepreneurs and dreamers hundreds of years ago. Despite the surge in population, vast tracts of wilderness remain – forests thick with evergreen trees and seemingly unending open spaces where human inhabitants are few and far between.

  • Read more
Western Water Magazine November 1, 1999

Managing the Colorado River
November/December 1999

Drawn from a special stakeholder symposium held in September 1999 in Keystone, Colorado, this issue explores how we got to where we are today on the Colorado River; an era in which the traditional water development of the past has given way to a more collaborative approach that tries to protect the environment while stretching available water supplies.

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