Program Priorities for 2007

In Reply Refer To:
National Coordinator – Cooperative Water Program
Mail Stop 409
Sunset Date:  October, 2008
March 26, 2007

WATER RESOURCES DISCIPLINE INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM NO. 2007.01

Subject:  Priority Issues for the Cooperative Water Program, Fiscal Years 2007/2008

This memorandum describes priority water issues to be used in planning the Cooperative Water (Coop) Program for fiscal year (FY) 2007 and beyond, a discussion of current national synthesis topics, and a reminder regarding competition with the private sector.  Recent Water Science Center program reviews have revealed the growing diversity of resource issues being addressed at the State and local levels.  Cooperator interests and needs are touching all four of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) disciplines.  As Water Science Center scientists look to other USGS disciplines for expertise and assistance in solving the broadening needs of water-resource cooperators, we recommend that each Water Science Center seek assistance from their regional offices to help identify needed expertise and associated funding support from other programs.  We anticipate that these connections will engender fruitful discussions on potential inter-disciplinary activities among regional executives and field office managers as they seek funding and plan work in the coming years.

High-Priority Issues for Coop Program Involvement

The USGS water-resources senior water-discipline leaders, in consultation with Water Science Center and regional managers, external organizations, and cooperators have identified seven water-related issues that closely align with USGS mission goals that most require USGS involvement at State and local levels. 

Hydrologic Hazards—Economic losses from riverine and storm surge floods, debris flows, and droughts amount to hundreds of millions of dollars annually.  Monitoring the occurrence and magnitude of these extreme events and studying the basic processes underlying these hazards will lead to improving the ability to forecast probability of occurrence and likely magnitudes, and help prepare for and prevent disasters.  Needs in this category also include development and public dissemination of near-real time and forecast inundation maps for specific floods, studies of increased flood potential following large-scale forest fires, and studies of the effects of changes in dam operations, including decommissioning of dams and studies of the impact of urbanization.  Revision of flood insurance rate maps is a national priority, that provides an opportunity to develop improved information on regional flood characteristics and more efficient methods of flood-plain mapping.  The Hazards issue has taken on additional importance in keeping with the USGS selection of Natural Hazards as the Bureau-wide initiative in FY 2005.

Water Quality—The need to provide information to better define and protect the quality of the Nation’s water resources remains among the highest Coop Program priorities.  Water-quality activities that support Federal, State, or local efforts to improve water quality and stream ecosystems in degraded watersheds across the country and to improve the availability and dissemination of water-quality information to all potential users are of vital interest.  Through partnerships with State and local agencies, the Coop Program can assist efforts by addressing issues that include:  (1) providing a more quantitative understanding of the sources and fate of chemicals entering streams, including atmospheric deposition of potential pollutants such as mercury; (2) determining the effects of land use and management practices for controlling non-point source contamination of surface and ground waters by energy development, including coal bed methane extraction, abandoned and active mining, and agriculture; (3) understanding the relationships between water quality and the health of stream ecosystems; (4) characterizing linkages between hazards, such as wildfires, on water quality and ecosystem health; (5) assisting States in setting Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements of the Clean Water Act; (6) improving strategies to identify and protect drinking water sources; and (7) increasing the availability of water-quality information, including real-time data, for rivers and coastal waters throughout the Nation.

Hydrologic Data Networks— Hydrologic-data networks constitute the foundation for watershed and aquifer management and for many other USGS programs.  They continue to be a high priority item.  Present and future USGS initiatives will require access to a comprehensive, uniform, and accurate foundation of surface-water, ground-water, water-quality, and water-use data of national scope.  Emphasis will be placed on biological monitoring to assess conditions that affect human health and aquatic health.  Large amounts of water data and specialized interpretation often are required for management of the resource and for water-rights determination by State and Federal agencies, as well as for development and operation of models to simulate and forecast hydrologic events.  Enhancement of the hydrologic-data networks; improved accessibility and presentation of available information, such as an increase in the availability of real-time data for surface water and ground water and presenting regional summaries of current conditions, and coordination of program activities with those of other agencies continue to be high-priority activities.

Water Availability and Use—The future health and economic welfare of the Nation’s population is dependent upon a continuing supply of uncontaminated freshwater.  Many existing sources of water are being stressed by increasing withdrawals and instream-flow requirements.  More comprehensive water-use data and analysis of water-use information are needed to quantify the stress on existing supplies and to better model and evaluate possible demand management options to supplement the traditional supply approaches.  Improved watershed characterization and flow-system definition and simulation also are needed for the management of aquifers and streams that serve as important local or regional sources of water supply and for the management and support of watershed ecosystems.  Because aquifers and streams often are highly interdependent, improved tools for simulating interactions between ground and surface water that account quantitatively for effects of withdrawals and climate variations also are needed so that watersheds can be managed more readily as systems.  Long-term hydrologic data and hydrologic systems models that are capable of showing the consequences of climatic variability or climate change will be very helpful to local water managers.

Additionally, one of most pressing questions to aquatic ecologists, hydrologists, and water resource and wildlife managers is understanding the hydrologic flow regime that must be maintained in order to sustain a healthy aquatic community. The Cooperative Water Program is in a strong position to develop and test tools and techniques that can be used nationwide to help resource managers understand water use and ecosystem function. Specifically, studies are needed to understand the ecological requirements of the affected aquatic communities and how they can be safeguarded from the potentially detrimental effects of ground-water depletion, altered water levels and flows of our nation’s lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and estuaries

Wetlands, Lakes, Reservoirs, and Estuaries—These valuable ecosystems merit special attention from the USGS because of their importance as fish and wildlife habitats, recreational areas, and sources of water supply for which the Department of the Interior (DOI) has substantial mission responsibility.  Wetlands, in particular, are areas where important water treatment processes can occur naturally.  In many areas wetlands are being restored or constructed without pre- or post-scientific evaluations.  Studies that integrate and contribute to a better understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological processes of these ecosystems and their watersheds are needed to evaluate development and management alternatives.

Water Resources Issues in the Coastal Zone—Effects of land use and population increases on the water resources in the coastal zone are major national concerns.  Hydrologic monitoring and studies are needed to address issues of erosion, loss of wetlands, subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and problems associated with excessive nutrients, disease-causing micro-organisms, and toxic chemicals, originating upstream from industrial activities and agricultural practices.  These pollutants can degrade habitat and health of fish and other wildlife and make beaches and other areas unsuitable for recreational use.  The 2004 recommendation of the Ocean Policy Commission that the U.S. establish an integrated monitoring network for marine and freshwater resources gives added weight to the issue of monitoring fluxes of water and materials from rivers to oceans.

Environmental Effects on Human Health—Major gaps exist with regard to understanding the processes and activities leading to the exposure of human disease-causing contaminants.  Issues include:  (1) waterborne microbiological threats to human health, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and potentially toxic algae, and tracking their sources in watersheds; (2) bioaccumulation of trace elements in plants and fish that humans eat; (3) naturally-occurring contaminants, such as arsenic, radium, and trace elements; (4) occurrence and persistence of harmful organic compounds in ground waters, rivers, and reservoirs; and (5) so-called “emerging contaminants” such as antibiotics, hormones, and the metabolites of pesticides.

National Synthesis

One of the major strengths of the Cooperative Water Program is its ability to provide data and assessments on varied topics from across the country, which, when synthesized, can be useful in addressing broad, national USGS mission goals.  As recommended by the External Task Force that reviewed the Coop Program, we plan to expand these efforts by “pre-planning” selected synthesis products.  The memorandum describes four topics for possible future national synthesis over the next few years.  We encourage Water Science Centers to explore the needs of cooperating agencies for addressing these issues and, to the extent that is mutually agreeable, follow the guidance that will be provided by the contact for each synthesis topic.  We believe that including this guidance in project planning will help enhance Water Science Center capabilities, promote use of valid, standard approaches, and enhance future synthesis products.  The topics for National Synthesis are:  

1. Regional Ground Water Availability Studies – The USGS Ground Water Resources Program is conducting large-scale multidisciplinary regional studies of ground-water availability in the Nation’s principal aquifer systems to better respond to basic questions about the Nation’s ability to meet current and future water demands. Six regional studies distributed across the United States are currently underway. The first three studies ( the Atlantic Coastal Plain in North Carolina and South Carolina, the Denver Basin in Colorado, and the Central Valley in California) began in 2004. These were followed by new studies of the Lake Michigan Basin in 2005, the Mississippi Embayment in 2006, and the Great Basin Carbonates in 2007. These ground water availability studies are meant to quantify current ground-water resources, evaluate how these resources have changed over time, and provide tools to forecast system responses to stresses from human uses and environmental variability. The regional studies are designed to supplement local studies conducted under the USGS Cooperative Water program and will build on a foundation of previous and ongoing studies and data collection that will be staged with other studies to leverage resources to the extent possible. It is anticipated that one new study will be funded each year. If you are planning new state-wide or regional aquifer assessments within one of these principal aquifer systems, please contact Kevin Dennehy (kdennehy@usgs.gov), coordinator, Ground-Water Resources Program, so that this work can be coordinated with the National Ground-Water Availability Assessment.

1. Fluvial sediment-- USEPA has declared fluvial sediment the most prevalent impairment to the Nation’s surface waters; as such, sediment is playing a major role in river restoration efforts and TMDL evaluations.  The Offices of Water Quality and Surface Water, and the National Research Program continue their collaboration to identify methods, tools, and capabilities for sediment data collection and analysis that WRD can bring to bear in support of stream restoration and TMDL projects.  A variety of new technologies are creating opportunities for producing more accurate and/or more efficient estimates of sediment flux.  See, for example, the published proceedings of the Turbidity and Other Sediment Surrogates Workshop, now available at:  http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/CIR1250.  Those Water Science Centers currently or potentially involved in fluvial-sediment research or data collection may contact the Office of Surface Water's John Gray (jrgray@usgs.gov) for additional information on the potential to contribute to future synthesis efforts on sediment topics.

1. Changes in Flood Frequency-- Many urban areas are concerned about changes in flood frequencies resulting from land use changes, and FEMA recently issued revised regulations for its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM’s).  For example, under the new regulations, communities may now include a delineation of the floodplain based on anticipated "future conditions.”  The Office of Surface Water has prepared a Fact Sheet summarizing this issue and describing USGS capabilities and data needs for future projects. The fact sheet is available at: http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/FAC07603.  Those Water Science Centers currently or potentially involved in evaluating flow frequencies in urban settings should contact Tim Cohn (tacohn@usgs.gov) for additional information on planning projects for enhanced synthesis opportunities in the future.

1. Synthesis of Water Quality Information-- In FY 2003, the NAWQA Program began synthesizing water-quality information in the principal aquifers and major river systems that they sampled during the first decade of sampling (1991-2000). Cooperative Water Program Studies often collect water quality data using protocols that match or approximate the NAWQA protocols and these regional synthesis efforts can be greatly improved by including additional data collected by other sources in portions of the principal aquifers and major river basins that lie both inside and outside of the NAWQA study units.  A list of the principal aquifers for which synthesis activities began in FY 2003 - 2004 are listed on the web at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/praq/, and a list of the major river basins can be found on the web at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/mrb/.  We appreciate those Water Science Centers that have already contributed information from the Cooperative Water Program to these synthesis efforts.  Continuing into FY 2007, we encourage other Water Science Centers currently or potentially involved in collecting and/or compiling water-quality data in any of these principal aquifers or major river basins to contact the ARHN (Area Regional Hydrologist for NAWQA) and Wayne Lapham (wlapham@usgs.gov) (principal aquifer studies)  or Charles Crawford (cgcrawfo@usgs.gov) (major river basins) for additional information on opportunities for the Cooperative Water Program to help contribute to these synthesis activities. 
   

Also in 2007 we encourage synthesis of project results related to agricultural land use and water quality.  Examples might include effects of crop or animal production on water quality, or water-quality effects of management practices designed to improve water quality.  Those interested may contact Janice Ward (jward@usgs.gov).

1. Determination of Water Needs for Ecological Functions

Valuable collaborations of hydrologists and biologists have arisen in the Cooperative Water Program in recent years to help determine the hydrologic conditions, in terms of high flows, low flows, minimum levels, and varying hydrographs, needed to support healthy ecosystems.  These studies pertain to both ground water and surface water, and sometimes to interconnected systems of both.  Products include data, research results, and tools such as models that can provide a scientific basis for critical decisions on timing of flow releases and allocation or reallocation of precious water resources.  As this issue takes on greater importance nationally, the USGS will seek opportunities to synthesize geographically varied examples into a national summary.  Those interested are encouraged to contact Christopher Konrad (cpkonrad@usgs.gov).

Competition with the Private Sector

In order to avoid competition with the private sector, we must continue to ensure that each study we undertake helps fulfill one or more of the Federal roles described in WRD Memorandum No. 04.01, “Avoiding Competition with the Private Sector”  (http://water.usgs.gov/admin/memo/policy/wrdpolicy04.01.html)  In general, if the project provides services readily available from the private sector and is driven solely by an operational need of the cooperator to meet an information requirement for a permit or regulation, we should not undertake it.  However, if services are not readily available from the private sector or the cooperator’s operational need can be satisfied along with one or more of the following broader WRD mission goals, then the work may be considered appropriate.  These broader goals, as enumerated in WRD Memorandum No. 04.01, are:

• advancing knowledge of the regional hydrologic system
• advancing field or analytical methodology
• advancing understanding of hydrologic processes
• providing data or results useful to multiple parties in potentially contentious inter-jurisdictional conflicts over water resource
• furnishing hydrologic data required for interstate and international compacts, Federal law, court decrees, and congressionally mandated studies
• furnishing hydrologic data or information that contribute to protection of life and property
• providing standardized, quality-assured data to national data bases available to the public that will be used to advance the understanding of regional and temporal variations in hydrologic conditions.

Projects under discussion for cooperative funding sometimes contain a mixture of tasks, some of which meet these criteria, while others may not.  Water Science Centers are encouraged to work with their cooperators to identify these non-appropriate tasks and to facilitate participation of the private sector in accomplishing them.  When these opportunities arise, we need to emphasize to our staffs the need to foster a close working relationship with private consulting firms to ensure the successful completion of the project. 

/signed/

                                                           
                                                            Ward W. Staubitz
                                                            National Coordinator – Cooperative Water Program

Copy to:  Regional Directors
Distribution:  A, B, DC, S, FO, PO
This memorandum supersedes WRD INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM NO. 2005.01

The memorandum is being distributed by e-mail only