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Reasonable Use?: The Challenges of Transboundary Groundwater Regulation in the Eastern United States
Author(s) -
Caccese Robert T.,
Fowler Lara B.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/1752-1688.12840
Subject(s) - groundwater , aquifer , statutory law , agency (philosophy) , population , supreme court , national environmental policy act , environmental planning , corporate governance , water resources , water resource management , legislation , environmental science , environmental resource management , business , political science , law , environmental impact assessment , engineering , ecology , geotechnical engineering , philosophy , demography , epistemology , finance , sociology , biology
Regulating groundwater in the Eastern United States (U.S.), particularly transboundary aquifers between states, is a challenge given the patchwork quilt of common law, statutory frameworks, and agency rules. Such regulation is made more challenging by the need for better quantification of pumping and use. These dynamics are exemplified through several case studies, including the first ever U.S. Supreme Court case related to groundwater withdrawals (set in the Eastern U.S.). As dynamics such as expanded irrigation, population increases, and ecological considerations influence groundwater use across the Eastern U.S., water use will continue to be an important driver for economic activity and interaction within and between states. To effectively regulate transboundary aquifers, governance solutions must incorporate current science into decision making and be implemented at local, state, regional, and federal scales.