Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable Promotes Information Sharing Among Diverse Stakeholders

The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR) held a meeting on November 20-21 in Arlington, VA.  Representatives from multiple Federal agencies (e.g., EPA, USGS, USDA, DOE, USACE, and US Army) and stakeholder groups (including ASDWA and the states of New Hampshire and California) were in attendance.  The theme of the meeting was “Challenging Times as the Source of Innovation.”  Meeting presentations and discussions highlighted multiple efforts involving diverse sets of public and private stakeholders.  The topics ranged from updates on existing activities such as California’s Water Plan, the USGS Water Census, and the USACE Federal Support Toolbox for Integrated Water Resources Management; to new efforts like EPA’s new draft Strategic Plan and Indicators of Sustainable Development, and New Hampshire’s plan to implement sustainable water management strategies.

The SWRR is a subgroup of the USGS Advisory Committee on Water Information.  The SWRR has held meetings around the U.S. to inform participants on such topics as water availability and demand for multiple uses, infrastructure issues, ecosystem needs, technological and policy developments, indicators of sustainability, and water research.  The next meeting will be held in March in conjunction with the New Hampshire Water and Watersheds Annual Conference.