Drought Mitigation in the Southeastern U.S.
On 11 March the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment held a hearing on “Comprehensive Watershed Management and Planning: Drought-related Issues in the Southeastern United States.” Testimony was given by representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as other regional stakeholders.
Sentiment of the group of Members and witnesses was that drought mitigation plans need to be created before a drought takes place, so that a plan of action is already established and can go into effect if one occurs. One of the problems with the current situation in the Southeast, where drought conditions have persisted for over two years, is that the Army Corps of Engineers has had to resort to using an emergency water management plan. To establish necessary contingency plans for any region, thorough scientific assessments of water resources must be conducted.
An effective water use policy must be based on sound scientific review of available water resources. Jess Weaver, the USGS Regional Executive for the Southeast Area, testified on his organizations’ work to assess water quality and quantity and share this information with local and Federal government officials. Without this constant monitoring and assessment, drought contingency plans could not be created or updated to reflect current conditions.
In addition, new technology is constantly increasing capability to assess water resources and plan for the future. John Feldt, Hydrologist in Charge for the National Weather Service at NOAA, used the example of NOAA’s new National Integrative Drought Information System (NIDIS). This tool is a dynamic and accessible interactive drought information system that allows farmers, business owners, residents, and government officials to access information on water resources, drought conditions, water management projects, and drought forecasting. It is NOAA’s goal that this tool, and others like it, will generate improved mitigation through better access to information.
Members and witnesses also agreed that states should regulate water resources, and the Federal government should play a secondary role. Members asked witnesses what Congress can do to help with regulation. Answers were varied and included requests for technical support, aid in pipeline construction and maintenance, and economic and ecological impact studies of droughts. While Representatives from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama were particularly concerned regarding the drought and water mitigation issues in their region, they also believe that these issues must be solved through state governments and thus are unlikely to take direct action through Federal legislation.
