Even though at times there
seems to be too much water in the district, a century of work has
shown that, in reality, water is a limited resource that should
be wisely developed and used. Three- quarters of the world's surface
may be water, but only a fraction of that is economically available
for consumption. Yet, even though the supply is limited, the demands
are increasing for recreation, industry, fish and wildlife management,
hydropower, agriculture, navigation, and, of course, drinking. For
the past quarter century or more, water resources management has
been a rapidly growing part of the district's mission, with Congress
instructing Vicksburg District to assume a leadership role in the
area for water resource research, resource feasibility studies,
and resource management.
Demand for water has grown steadily in the
past century. In 1900, national consumption of water was estimated
at about 40 billion gallons daily but, by 1975, it had reached a
daily average of 453 billion gallons. Already states and municipalities
are competing for existing water sources and seeking new ones.
This nationwide problem must be faced on the home fronts as well.
In the Mississippi Delta, the Vicksburg District has worked with
several state and local agencies to determine the causes and solutions
for declining groundwater supplies. Increasing municipal, industrial,
and agricultural use of groundwater has left the supply greatly
depleted.
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