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.