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A Multidisciplinary Approach to Sustainable Management of Watershed Resources
Citation:
SHUSTER, W. D. A Multidisciplinary Approach to Sustainable Management of Watershed Resources. Presented at The Ground Water Protection Council 25th Silver Anniversary Annual Forum: 'Buried Treasure' , Cincinnati, OH, September 20 - 24, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
The lack of integration in the study and management of water resource problems suggests the need for a multidisciplinary approach. As practiced in the Shepherd Creek stormwater management study (Cincinnati OH), we envision a multidisciplinary approach involving economic incentives in the management of land use and water resources in the Great Miami River basin. Although local water resources issues are relatively well-understood by government and non-governmental organizations, some conflicts may remain in terms of how existing public policy and traditional water use patterns may affect the sustainability of the Great Miami River watershed. We plan on first using existing data to locate a land area with a broad representation of water resources (e.g., groundwater source, wetlands, streams); then determine their connectivity with remote sensing campaigns conducted during the wet and dry seasons of a single year. After viable connections are established, we plan on showing how market mechanisms and incentives for land use patterns can promote and maintain sustainable yields or services from each water resource. For example, groundwater resources may be sustained through recharge credit markets (driven by infiltration stormwater best management practices accompanied by reductions in domestic or commercial use of pumped groundwater). For designated source water protection areas, water quality trading may be used to ensure that contaminated runoff from urban and agricultural areas are processed through wetlands. We would also expect that intentional management of these resources would lead to enhanced baseflow regimes in affected stream networks. As is customary for environmental management, monitoring is required to determine the nature, extent, and possible significance of the management approach. There are a number of aquatic and terrestrial endpoints that can be monitored to assess this effort and a specific program would need to be developed based on the final questions and objectives addressed in this research.