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- 1. 50 Years of History at the Utah Water Research Laboratory Mac McKee, Director Utah Water Research Laboratory
- 3. An economically, politically, and socially viable society requires a dependable water supply, and it typically must be able to successfully manage a number of other simultaneous water-related problems. McKee’s 5th Axiom of Water Resources Engineering
- 4. Jericho
- 15. Many of these same things happened in antiquity at other locations.
- 17. Development of hydraulic cultures: Unpredictable water supply Domesticated crops and animals Trade opportunities
- 20. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Failure in:
- 21. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Failure in: (Walsh 1980; Cary et al. 1980)
- 22. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Failure in:
- 26. (Courtesy USU Special Collections, Merrill-Cazier Library)
- 27. (Courtesy USU Special Collections, Merrill-Cazier Library)
- 28. (Courtesy USU Special Collections, Merrill-Cazier Library)
- 29. The Utah Water Research Laboratory.
- 34. What have we been up to?
- 35. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. McKee’s 2th Axiom of Water Resources Engineering
- 36. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Then...
- 37. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Then...
- 38. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Then...
- 39. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 40. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 41. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 42. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 43. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 44. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 45. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 46. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 47. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 48. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Then...
- 49. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Then...
- 50. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Then...
- 51. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 52. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n t Now.
- 53. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Then...
- 54. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Then...
- 55. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Then...
- 56. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Now.
- 57. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Now.
- 58. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Now.
- 59. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Now.
- 60. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Now.
- 61. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Now.
- 62. M o n i t o r i n g M o d e l i n g M a n a g e m e n Now.
- 63. Challenges for Utah’s water future
- 64. CHALLENGE: Emerging Contaminants CHALLENGE: Nano-particles in the Environment CHALLENGE: Environmental Services And there are many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, others.
- 70. How to best handle uncertainty? QUESTION: Yellowstone River Forecast, 12 months ahead
- 72. It is easy to make the desert bloom if you can do it with water you have stolen from someone else. McKee’s 1st Axiom of Water Resources Engineering
Editor's Notes
- #1: Come and take a tour of the Water Lab.
- #2: 2015: The Year of Water at USU; “Water expertise at its source”; if you are a Utahan and you think about water, you should be thinking of USU
- And now, a short story about what happened a long time ago in many places around the world…
- #3: Jericho: oldest more-or-less continuously occupied city on the planet because of Ein es Sultan. ~12,000 years ago, water from Ein Sultan was used to irrigate forms of domesticated barley and wheat, date palms, and other crops, and to supply drinking water to the city. In ~40 BC, Cleopatra had acreages of date palms irrigated by Ein Sultan. For at least the past 400 years, water has been allocated from Ein Sultan following a prior appropriations system.
- #4: The Nabataeans established their capitol city Reqqim (known by the Greek term “Petra”) in about 400 or 500 BC in what is now southern Jordan (formerly the Biblical land of Edom). They became wealthy by providing military protection to trade caravans and by controlling access to scarce water supplies, from the Hejaz region of northwestern Saudi Arabia, north to Damascus, west to Gaza, and south across the Sinai. On the day Christ was born, the citizens of Reqqim were the wealthiest people on the planet. Their piping systems for transmission of water were hydraulically sophisticated and conveyed more flow per unit elevation drop than Roman systems of the same era. They had sophisticated operational procedures for moving water from far distances into Reqqim and for managing the flows to different neighborhoods (and elevations) within the city. Cisterns and reservoirs were constructed so that remaining water volumes held in storage reservoirs could be easily calculated. Water capture, storage, and supply systems, basic water quality designs, flood control, drainage, and irrigation were all in place and of a sophisticated nature by 100 BC. Operation of these systems implies existence of water management institutions equally sophisticated.
- #4: The Nabataeans established their capitol city Reqqim (known by the Greek term “Petra”) in about 400 or 500 BC in what is now southern Jordan (formerly the Biblical land of Edom). They became wealthy by providing military protection to trade caravans and by controlling access to scarce water supplies, from the Hejaz region of northwestern Saudi Arabia, north to Damascus, west to Gaza, and south across the Sinai. On the day Christ was born, the citizens of Reqqim were the wealthiest people on the planet. Their piping systems for transmission of water were hydraulically sophisticated and conveyed more flow per unit elevation drop than Roman systems of the same era. They had sophisticated operational procedures for moving water from far distances into Reqqim and for managing the flows to different neighborhoods (and elevations) within the city. Cisterns and reservoirs were constructed so that remaining water volumes held in storage reservoirs could be easily calculated. Water capture, storage, and supply systems, basic water quality designs, flood control, drainage, and irrigation were all in place and of a sophisticated nature by 100 BC. Operation of these systems implies existence of water management institutions equally sophisticated.
- #4: The Nabataeans established their capitol city Reqqim (known by the Greek term “Petra”) in about 400 or 500 BC in what is now southern Jordan (formerly the Biblical land of Edom). They became wealthy by providing military protection to trade caravans and by controlling access to scarce water supplies, from the Hejaz region of northwestern Saudi Arabia, north to Damascus, west to Gaza, and south across the Sinai. On the day Christ was born, the citizens of Reqqim were the wealthiest people on the planet. Their piping systems for transmission of water were hydraulically sophisticated and conveyed more flow per unit elevation drop than Roman systems of the same era. They had sophisticated operational procedures for moving water from far distances into Reqqim and for managing the flows to different neighborhoods (and elevations) within the city. Cisterns and reservoirs were constructed so that remaining water volumes held in storage reservoirs could be easily calculated. Water capture, storage, and supply systems, basic water quality designs, flood control, drainage, and irrigation were all in place and of a sophisticated nature by 100 BC. Operation of these systems implies existence of water management institutions equally sophisticated.
- #5: With all of that, they did all of this and more. However, in 106 AD the Romans annexed Nabataea and siphoned away revenues from the caravan taxes; this was followed by a serious change in climate in the eastern Mediterranean that significantly reduced water availability. In 363 AD the area was struck by an enormous earth quake that destroyed much of the infrastructure, including water works. The combination of reduced economic capacity to deal with change, coupled by major climatic shifts and more than one major earthquake, effectively ended the Nabataean civilization.
- With all of that, they did all of this and more. However, in 106 AD the Romans annexed Nabataea and siphoned away revenues from the caravan taxes; this was followed by a serious change in climate in the eastern Mediterranean that significantly reduced water availability. In 363 AD the area was struck by an enormous earth quake that destroyed much of the infrastructure, including water works. The combination of reduced economic capacity to deal with change, coupled by major climatic shifts and more than one major earthquake, effectively ended the Nabataean civilization.
- With all of that, they did all of this and more. However, in 106 AD the Romans annexed Nabataea and siphoned away revenues from the caravan taxes; this was followed by a serious change in climate in the eastern Mediterranean that significantly reduced water availability. In 363 AD the area was struck by an enormous earth quake that destroyed much of the infrastructure, including water works. The combination of reduced economic capacity to deal with change, coupled by major climatic shifts and more than one major earthquake, effectively ended the Nabataean civilization.
- With all of that, they did all of this and more. However, in 106 AD the Romans annexed Nabataea and siphoned away revenues from the caravan taxes; this was followed by a serious change in climate in the eastern Mediterranean that significantly reduced water availability. In 363 AD the area was struck by an enormous earth quake that destroyed much of the infrastructure, including water works. The combination of reduced economic capacity to deal with change, coupled by major climatic shifts and more than one major earthquake, effectively ended the Nabataean civilization.
- With all of that, they did all of this and more. However, in 106 AD the Romans annexed Nabataea and siphoned away revenues from the caravan taxes; this was followed by a serious change in climate in the eastern Mediterranean that significantly reduced water availability. In 363 AD the area was struck by an enormous earth quake that destroyed much of the infrastructure, including water works. The combination of reduced economic capacity to deal with change, coupled by major climatic shifts and more than one major earthquake, effectively ended the Nabataean civilization.
- With all of that, they did all of this and more. However, in 106 AD the Romans annexed Nabataea and siphoned away revenues from the caravan taxes; this was followed by a serious change in climate in the eastern Mediterranean that significantly reduced water availability. In 363 AD the area was struck by an enormous earth quake that destroyed much of the infrastructure, including water works. The combination of reduced economic capacity to deal with change, coupled by major climatic shifts and more than one major earthquake, effectively ended the Nabataean civilization.
- With all of that, they did all of this and more. However, in 106 AD the Romans annexed Nabataea and siphoned away revenues from the caravan taxes; this was followed by a serious change in climate in the eastern Mediterranean that significantly reduced water availability. In 363 AD the area was struck by an enormous earth quake that destroyed much of the infrastructure, including water works. The combination of reduced economic capacity to deal with change, coupled by major climatic shifts and more than one major earthquake, effectively ended the Nabataean civilization.
- #6: Many of these same things happened in antiquity at other locations: Fertile Crescent Ancient Egypt and the Nile River Indus/Ganges/Brahmaputra Yellow/Yangtze/Guangzhou Mekong Mahaweli Anasazi and Hohokam in the western US Moche and Maya in Central/South America … For 12,000 years, water development has been an epic struggle for wealth, power, and civilization.
- #7: From the historical record of hydraulic societies, we learn: Ancient hydraulic cultures developed where: water supply was unpredictable (arid/semi-arid environments, highly variable supplies, droughts, floods) weather, soils, crops and animals that could be domesticated, and other resources were available opportunities for trade existed This led to organized societies with laws and institutions to manage water as well as other aspects of life and government.
- #8: Monitoring: To manage water, you must measure the state of the water system through space and time, and then reflect on the meaning of the measurements to provide better information for management. Failures happened when regional, longer-term shifts in climate that altered water availability were not be detected with sufficient lead time to be adequately addressed. Examples: Nabataeans and Egyptians not recognizing long-term climate shifts in spite of fairly good monitoring.
- #9: Modeling: To manage water, you must understand the physics, biology, economics, and sociology of the system you are managing. You must also be able to forecast future states of the water system and understand the uncertainty in those forecasts. Societal failures occurred when knowledge did not exist to allow sufficient insight into how things worked hydrologically, biologically, economically, etc., and when forecasts of future hydrologic conditions were non-existent or too uncertain. Example: Rapid decline in ag production in Mesopotamia as the result of accumulation of salts in the soil. Examples: Egyptian, Nabataean, Anasazi, etc. (also, GSL levels in the 1980s).
- #10: Management: To manage water, institutions (legal, policy, operational, regulatory, etc.) must have sufficient flexibility to address changing conditions, must be prepared to invest sufficient resources to monitor and model, must be able to deal with uncertainty, and must have the political will to make sometimes very difficult choices. Failures resulted when insufficient investment could be made in maintenance and operations of water systems. (Nabataeans) Failures resulted politically convenient adherence to outmoded water management institutions became unresponsive to new environmental, social, or economic realities. (Romans) Advanced water management institutions and a legal system that recognized water rights and responsibilities were developed in many early hydraulic cultures (e.g., Hammurabi’s Code (in the Akkadian language), Law 53: “If anyone be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does not keep it so; if then the dam break and all the fields be flooded, then shall he in whose dam the break occurred be sold for money and the money shall replace the corn which he has caused to be ruined.”
- #11: About 10 minutes after entering the SL valley, early Mormon pioneers began tilling the ground and diverting water for irrigation. Ultimately, this led to the establishment of a very significant body of knowledge about irrigation and water management in the institutions of higher education in Utah, especially USU. Utah became the 45th state in 1896. Prior to that, the Agricultural College of Utah was founded in 1888 (becoming USU only in 1957). In 1892, the "Farmers" of UAC defeated the University of Utah 12-0 in the first football game, and athletic event, in school history. The game was played on what is now the USU quad. In 1894 the Ag Experiment Station laboratory was used to conduct experiments in agriculture and irrigation. By the early 1900s, extensive experimentation was underway in irrigation at the Ag Experiment Station. USU President John A. Widstoe wrote a textbook on irrigation in 1910 and a companion volume on dryland farming in 1914. These formed the basis of modern irrigation science throughout the world. In 1916, the Shah of Persia’s Ambassador to the United States gave the commencement address at USU at the invitation of Widstoe and the first international students (from Persia) arrived shortly thereafter. USU’s first advisors in water resources and arid-land agriculture went to Persia in the 1920s with long-term advisors stationed there from 1939-42.
- #11: About 10 minutes after entering the SL valley, early Mormon pioneers began tilling the ground and diverting water for irrigation. Ultimately, this led to the establishment of a very significant body of knowledge about irrigation and water management in the institutions of higher education in Utah, especially USU. Utah became the 45th state in 1896. Prior to that, the Agricultural College of Utah was founded in 1888 (becoming USU only in 1957). In 1892, the "Farmers" of UAC defeated the University of Utah 12-0 in the first football game, and athletic event, in school history. The game was played on what is now the USU quad. In 1894 the Ag Experiment Station laboratory was used to conduct experiments in agriculture and irrigation. By the early 1900s, extensive experimentation was underway in irrigation at the Ag Experiment Station. USU President John A. Widstoe wrote a textbook on irrigation in 1910 and a companion volume on dryland farming in 1914. These formed the basis of modern irrigation science throughout the world. In 1916, the Shah of Persia’s Ambassador to the United States gave the commencement address at USU at the invitation of Widstoe and the first international students (from Persia) arrived shortly thereafter. USU’s first advisors in water resources and arid-land agriculture went to Persia in the 1920s with long-term advisors stationed there from 1939-42.
- #12: About 10 minutes after entering the SL valley, early Mormon pioneers began tilling the ground and diverting water for irrigation. Ultimately, this led to the establishment of a very significant body of knowledge about irrigation and water management in the institutions of higher education in Utah, especially USU. Utah became the 45th state in 1896. Prior to that, the Agricultural College of Utah was founded in 1888 (becoming USU only in 1957). In 1892, the "Farmers" of UAC defeated the University of Utah 12-0 in the first football game, and athletic event, in school history. The game was played on what is now the USU quad. In 1894 the Ag Experiment Station laboratory was used to conduct experiments in agriculture and irrigation. By the early 1900s, extensive experimentation was underway in irrigation at the Ag Experiment Station. USU President John A. Widstoe wrote a textbook on irrigation in 1910 and a companion volume on dryland farming in 1914. These formed the basis of modern irrigation science throughout the world. In 1916, the Shah of Persia’s Ambassador to the United States gave the commencement address at USU at the invitation of Widstoe and the first international students (from Persia) arrived shortly thereafter. USU’s first advisors in water resources and arid-land agriculture went to Persia in the 1920s with long-term advisors stationed there from 1939-42.
- #12: About 10 minutes after entering the SL valley, early Mormon pioneers began tilling the ground and diverting water for irrigation. Ultimately, this led to the establishment of a very significant body of knowledge about irrigation and water management in the institutions of higher education in Utah, especially USU. Utah became the 45th state in 1896. Prior to that, the Agricultural College of Utah was founded in 1888 (becoming USU only in 1957). In 1892, the "Farmers" of UAC defeated the University of Utah 12-0 in the first football game, and athletic event, in school history. The game was played on what is now the USU quad. In 1894 the Ag Experiment Station laboratory was used to conduct experiments in agriculture and irrigation. By the early 1900s, extensive experimentation was underway in irrigation at the Ag Experiment Station. USU President John A. Widstoe wrote a textbook on irrigation in 1910 and a companion volume on dryland farming in 1914. These formed the basis of modern irrigation science throughout the world. In 1916, the Shah of Persia’s Ambassador to the United States gave the commencement address at USU at the invitation of Widstoe and the first international students (from Persia) arrived shortly thereafter. USU’s first advisors in water resources and arid-land agriculture went to Persia in the 1920s with long-term advisors stationed there from 1939-42.
- #12: About 10 minutes after entering the SL valley, early Mormon pioneers began tilling the ground and diverting water for irrigation. Ultimately, this led to the establishment of a very significant body of knowledge about irrigation and water management in the institutions of higher education in Utah, especially USU. Utah became the 45th state in 1896. Prior to that, the Agricultural College of Utah was founded in 1888 (becoming USU only in 1957). In 1892, the "Farmers" of UAC defeated the University of Utah 12-0 in the first football game, and athletic event, in school history. The game was played on what is now the USU quad. In 1894 the Ag Experiment Station laboratory was used to conduct experiments in agriculture and irrigation. By the early 1900s, extensive experimentation was underway in irrigation at the Ag Experiment Station. USU President John A. Widstoe wrote a textbook on irrigation in 1910 and a companion volume on dryland farming in 1914. These formed the basis of modern irrigation science throughout the world. In 1916, the Shah of Persia’s Ambassador to the United States gave the commencement address at USU at the invitation of Widstoe and the first international students (from Persia) arrived shortly thereafter. USU’s first advisors in water resources and arid-land agriculture went to Persia in the 1920s with long-term advisors stationed there from 1939-42.
- #13: The UWRL was the vision of Dr. Dean F. Peterson, Dean of Engineering, Dr. George Dewey Clyde, Governor, and Dr. Vaughn Hansen, first Lab director: (1) create a facility, a faculty, and a student body dedicated to the solution of emerging water problems, (2) focus on applied water research in Utah, the US, and around the world. The UWRL was created by act of Legislature in 1959; UWRL building dedicated in 1965; EQL added in 1979; Hydraulics Modeling Building added in 2009 without any taxpayer money
- The UWRL was the vision of Dr. Dean F. Peterson, Dean of Engineering, Dr. George Dewey Clyde, Governor, and Dr. Vaughn Hansen, first Lab director: (1) create a facility, a faculty, and a student body dedicated to the solution of emerging water problems, (2) focus on applied water research in Utah, the US, and around the world. The UWRL was created by act of Legislature in 1959; UWRL building dedicated in 1965; EQL added in 1979; Hydraulics Modeling Building added in 2009 without any taxpayer money
- The UWRL was the vision of Dr. Dean F. Peterson, Dean of Engineering, Dr. George Dewey Clyde, Governor, and Dr. Vaughn Hansen, first Lab director: (1) create a facility, a faculty, and a student body dedicated to the solution of emerging water problems, (2) focus on applied water research in Utah, the US, and around the world. The UWRL was created by act of Legislature in 1959; UWRL building dedicated in 1965; EQL added in 1979; Hydraulics Modeling Building added in 2009 without any taxpayer money
- The UWRL was the vision of Dr. Dean F. Peterson, Dean of Engineering, Dr. George Dewey Clyde, Governor, and Dr. Vaughn Hansen, first Lab director: (1) create a facility, a faculty, and a student body dedicated to the solution of emerging water problems, (2) focus on applied water research in Utah, the US, and around the world. The UWRL was created by act of Legislature in 1959; UWRL building dedicated in 1965; EQL added in 1979; Hydraulics Modeling Building added in 2009 without any taxpayer money Currently, faculty+staff+graduate students+undergrads > 200 people at the UWRL Research and training in every county in Utah Research contracts in ~15 other states Research contracts in other countries
- #14: In the past eight years, 222 flow measurement calibrations have been performed by the UWRL for various irrigation groups in Utah: 126 Parshall flumes, 19 ramp flumes, 1 cutthroat flume, 27 weirs, 27 rated sections, 5 sluice gates, 9 ultrasonic meters, and 5 magnetic flow meters. Only thirty-three percent of the tested devices measured flow within manufacturer design specifications. This outreach to the State of Utah has provided needed information about the accuracy of irrigation structures throughout the State. The data is given to the irrigation companies directly and copies given to the Division of Water Rights. Mention the legislative water audit.
- Millsite Dam in west Emery Co. The required spillway discharge capacity of Millsite Dam increased from 7,900 to >30,000cfs (280% increase). Using published labyrinth weir data from the Utah Water Research Laboratory, the Utah Division of Water Resources designed a 3-cycle arced labyrinth weir to replace the existing undersized duckbilled spillway. A physical model study was conducted that the Utah Water Research Laboratory to verify the design and verify how much upstream approach channel expansion was required via rock blasting in order to best balance the required hydraulic performance with economic factors. This is an example of how research at the UWRL contributes to the global improvement of engineering practice and directly benefits water management in Utah.
- The required spillway discharge capacity of Millsite Dam increased from 7,900 to >30,000cfs (280% increase). Using published labyrinth weir data from the Utah Water Research Laboratory, the Utah Division of Water Resources designed a 3-cycle arced labyrinth weir to replace the existing undersized duckbilled spillway. A physical model study was conducted that the Utah Water Research Laboratory to verify the design and verify how much upstream approach channel expansion was required via rock blasting in order to best balance the required hydraulic performance with economic factors. This is an example of how research at the UWRL contributes to the global improvement of engineering practice and directly benefits water management in Utah.
- The required spillway discharge capacity of Millsite Dam increased from 7,900 to >30,000cfs (280% increase). Using published labyrinth weir data from the Utah Water Research Laboratory, the Utah Division of Water Resources designed a 3-cycle arced labyrinth weir to replace the existing undersized duckbilled spillway. A physical model study was conducted that the Utah Water Research Laboratory to verify the design and verify how much upstream approach channel expansion was required via rock blasting in order to best balance the required hydraulic performance with economic factors. This is an example of how research at the UWRL contributes to the global improvement of engineering practice and directly benefits water management in Utah.
- The required spillway discharge capacity of Millsite Dam increased from 7,900 to >30,000cfs (280% increase). Using published labyrinth weir data from the Utah Water Research Laboratory, the Utah Division of Water Resources designed a 3-cycle arced labyrinth weir to replace the existing undersized duckbilled spillway. A physical model study was conducted that the Utah Water Research Laboratory to verify the design and verify how much upstream approach channel expansion was required via rock blasting in order to best balance the required hydraulic performance with economic factors. This is an example of how research at the UWRL contributes to the global improvement of engineering practice and directly benefits water management in Utah.
- #16: The best science indicates that Utah will experience a significant shift in the timing, quantity, and type of its precipitation as climate change exerts itself in the future. Logsdon quotes: Scientists have discovered a powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life, a sobering new study reports. The research, conducted by the University of Minnesota, identifies a virulent strain of humans who are virtually immune to any form of verifiable knowledge. “These humans appear to have all the faculties necessary to receive and process information, yet, somehow, they have developed defenses that, for all intents and purposes, have rendered those faculties totally inactive.” “The normal functions of human consciousness have been completely nullified.” “Our research is very preliminary, but it’s possible that they will become more receptive to facts once they are in an environment without food, water, or oxygen.”
- #17: As of April 1, the average snow water content in the watersheds of California was at 5 percent of normal. The highest SWC in the state is in the North Lahontan watershed, sitting at 10 percent of normal. The runoff forecast for the water year was 40 percent of normal. (Data from CA Dept. Wtr Resources) The best science indicates that Utah will experience a significant shift in the timing, quantity, and type of its precipitation as climate change exerts itself in the future.
- #18: The best science indicates that Utah will experience a significant shift in the timing, quantity, and type of its precipitation as climate change exerts itself in the future. Q1: How can we modify the operations of our reservoir systems to adjust to these changes in some approximately optimal fashion?
- #19: Q2: What will be the impacts of these changes on our environmental systems and the benefits we derive from them?
- #20: Q3: Is it more cost effective to invest in expensive water storage and import systems than in acquisition of better information, more intensive management, and conservation? Our willingness to invest in data and information to support better management is woefully inadequate. Give the Sevier case as an example.
- #21: Q4: How can we best capture information about uncertainty in Utah’s hydrologic future and how might we empower Utah’s water management institutions to respond to uncertainty?
- #22: Q5: Are we sure that our system of water rights is up to the challenge of a more highly variable climate? Can it respond to a changing climate in something that approximates an optimal solution for Utah, or is it simply politically expedient to keep it as is? From an engineering perspective, our technical capabilities in water management are far in front of our institutional/administrative capacity. The technical problems are easy. Our biggest failures lie at the level of our institutions. We need much closer collaboration between the engineers and hard scientists on one side, and the economists and social scientists on the other, and policy makers, regulators, and operators on the third. Our willingness to invest in data and information to support better management is woefully inadequate.