Adapting water laws to increasing demand and a changing climate

ABSTRACT

Stress on water resources throughout the world is increasing, challenging the institutions and laws that govern water use. Groundwater management efforts in Southern California have had remarkable success despite more than a half-century of strained water resources. This article explores the local, self-governing management tools that have functioned within California’s extremely complex water rights system and are responsible for water management success in Southern California, and suggests that these tools can be employed effectively around the world.

KEYWORDS:

• Groundwater
• adaptive management
• common pool
• self-governance
• physical solution
• California

Acknowledgment

The author would like to thank Attorney Kira Johnson at Best Best & Krieger LLP for her research and contributions to this article.

Notes

1. The West Coast Basin and its physical solution are examined in depth by Ostrom (1964).

2. The most recent annual reports for each of these basins can be found online:

Raymond Basin Management Board Annual Report 2014–2015, http://raymondbasin.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2014–15-RBMB-AR.pdf;

California Department of Water Resources, Watermaster Service in the West Coast Basin 2013–2014, http://www.water.ca.gov/watermaster/sd_documents/west_basin_2014/westcoastbasinwatermasterreport2014.pdf;

Water Replenishment District of California and Central Basin Watermaster Administrative Body, Watermaster Service 2013–2014, http://lagroundwater.com/pdf/2014_cb_watermaster_report_6.pdf;

ULARA Watermaster, Annual Report 2012–2013, http://ularawatermaster.com/public_resources/WY-2012–13-ULARA-WM-Rpt-12–2014.pdf.

3. Some say this quote is originally attributable to Mark Twain.