Planning for sustainable water supplies for US army installations

• Published in: Transactions on ecology and the environment Vol. 145; pp. 75 - 86
• Main Authors: JENICEK, E. M, FOURNIER, D. F
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Southampton WIT Press 2011; W I T Press
• Subjects: Army; Assessments; Drought; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; Fresh water; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Installation; Military; Pollution, environment geology; Regional analysis; Sustainability; Urban areas; Urban development; Urban sprawl; Water demand; Water quality; Water resources; Water supply; Watersheds; United States; United States > US; risk assessment; possibilities; water supply; water balance; vulnerability; classification; North America; demand; urbanization; sustainable development; drainage basins; planning; water quality; drought; safety; water resource management; prediction; fresh water; climate change; policy
• ISBN: 1845645146; 9781845645144
• ISSN: 1746-448X; 1743-3541
• DOI: 10.2495/WRM110071

A key concern for the United States Army is the vulnerability of military installations to critical resource issues. In recent years, military installations have been impacted by conditions of increasing demand and decreasing supply of high quality fresh water. Urban growth adjacent to installations has combined with prolonged regional droughts to place key military missions at risk due to limited availability of this vital resource. Regional competition for water threatens continued availability of adequate water both on post and in adjacent urban areas. A series of recently completed studies comprise the first comprehensive review of long-term installation water sustainability. National watershed assessments provide a means to classify installations based on the health of the associated watersheds. Regional assessments provide the specific information necessary to formulate policy measures that can support a sustainable water future. These analyses – completed on a watershed level and projected over a 30 year time frame – include estimates of both installation and regional water demand. Assessments were completed for twelve Army bases across the United States and for three overseas installations. Results depict a range of installation water sustainability conditions that reflect the larger picture of water sustainability across the United States and around the world. The Army is applying the results of these studies to develop policies that will support sustainable long-term water supplies.