Journal of the American Water Resources Assocation

The Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) is dedicated to publishing original papers characterized by their broad approach to water resources issues. All papers are refereed prior to publication. JAWRA is published bi-monthly, beginning with the February issue. Prior to 1997, JAWRA was known as Water Resources Bulletin.

Message from the Editor of JAWRA...

October 2008

Forest Hydrology in China
This issue of JAWRA includes a Featured Collection on Forest Hydrology in China. Guest Associate Editors Ge Sun, Shirong Liu, Zhiqiang Zhang, and Xiaohua Wei have done an incredible job of putting together this comprehensive set of papers, many by eminent authors who are publishing for the first time in the English language. Our sincere thanks go to them for originating this effort and for seeing it through to completion.

Besides facing the obvious challenge of translations, which the Guest Associate Editors handled so smoothly, preparing this collection gave many authors their first exposure to the western peer review process, which can be a rough-and-tumble affair. While some papers went through easily, others needed a lot of revisions to meet the demanding standards of our reviewers. I thank all of those concerned - reviewers, editors, and authors - for the patience, understanding, and perseverance.

In working with these papers, I was struck by the stupendous scope of the changes which have occurred in China, from vast cutting of northern forests in the 1950's to equally intense reforestation beginning in the 1990's. The impacts are so great they can be seen in global climate models. Such large programs naturally raise many questions for science about how effects can be measured, how alternatives can be compared, and how models can help direct projects towards desirable outcomes. I feel confident these papers are just a start, with many more papers to follow on this interesting subject.

AWRA 2008 Annual Conference: New Orleans
Along with many of the Associate Editors, I will attend the Annual Conference November 17-20, 2008. If you want to discuss any aspect of JAWRA policy, or just get some advice on a paper you are considering, this would be a good time to talk to us. I hope to see you there!