amount of water needed and making this information readily available to decisionmakers. Specifically, information is needed on both the total amount of water
withdrawn and the portion of that water which is not returned to the source, at a
spatial and temporal scale that will support management decisions. Quantifying this
water loss (i.e., consumptive use) is important for gauging impacts to downstream
water users and to maintaining functioning ecosystems. This effort can be challenging in large basins where water use data may be collected in various formats by
numerous agencies utilizing different metrics. The objective of this chapter is to
present a case study model developed for the Potomac River Basin in the United
States. The model consists of a basin-wide analysis and mapping tool that incorporates monthly water use data from multiple political jurisdictions, estimates consumptive water use, displays raw and summary information in an interactive
geospatial format, and shares information with stakeholders via an interactive
web-based mapping tool. The developed tool is expected to assist in long-term
local, state, and basin-wide comprehensive water resources planning; real-time
drought management; and a better understanding of human impacts on water
resources.
Keywords Consumptive use • Geospatial tool • Open source • Return flow • Water
planning • Water use • Web-based mapping
1 Introduction
There are heightened concerns about water availability in many parts of the world
in the face of population growth and changes in the global climate [1]. Approximately 20 % of the world’s population deal with water shortages and another 25 %
do not have sufficient supplies due to a lack of infrastructure [2]. As a result,
tensions may arise between groups of water users with competing interests. Concurrently, human water withdrawals alter natural hydrology to a degree that causes
adverse impacts on the health of aquatic communities [3, 4]. In the world’s major
river and lake systems, watersheds often span multiple governmental jurisdictions
and include large and diverse groups of users and ecosystems dependent on
adequate water supplies.
To balance a diverse array of needs, a collaborative approach can be an effective
means for developing a water resources management plan [5–7]. Such an approach
requires that stakeholders have confidence in the scientific methods used to formulate the plan and in the data upon which analyses are based [8]. In systems where
water scarcity, actual or potential, is an issue, data on water use for human purposes
is a key piece of information. Who is withdrawing water, in what quantity, and
where? How much of a given water withdrawal is later returned to the system, and
where is it returned? How have water withdrawals and return flows changed over
time, and how are they projected to change in the future?
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withdrawn and the portion of that water which is not returned to the source, at a
spatial and temporal scale that will support management decisions. Quantifying this
water loss (i.e., consumptive use) is important for gauging impacts to downstream
water users and to maintaining functioning ecosystems. This effort can be challenging in large basins where water use data may be collected in various formats by
numerous agencies utilizing different metrics. The objective of this chapter is to
present a case study model developed for the Potomac River Basin in the United
States. The model consists of a basin-wide analysis and mapping tool that incorporates monthly water use data from multiple political jurisdictions, estimates consumptive water use, displays raw and summary information in an interactive
geospatial format, and shares information with stakeholders via an interactive
web-based mapping tool. The developed tool is expected to assist in long-term
local, state, and basin-wide comprehensive water resources planning; real-time
drought management; and a better understanding of human impacts on water
resources.
Keywords Consumptive use • Geospatial tool • Open source • Return flow • Water
planning • Water use • Web-based mapping
1 Introduction
There are heightened concerns about water availability in many parts of the world
in the face of population growth and changes in the global climate [1]. Approximately 20 % of the world’s population deal with water shortages and another 25 %
do not have sufficient supplies due to a lack of infrastructure [2]. As a result,
tensions may arise between groups of water users with competing interests. Concurrently, human water withdrawals alter natural hydrology to a degree that causes
adverse impacts on the health of aquatic communities [3, 4]. In the world’s major
river and lake systems, watersheds often span multiple governmental jurisdictions
and include large and diverse groups of users and ecosystems dependent on
adequate water supplies.
To balance a diverse array of needs, a collaborative approach can be an effective
means for developing a water resources management plan [5–7]. Such an approach
requires that stakeholders have confidence in the scientific methods used to formulate the plan and in the data upon which analyses are based [8]. In systems where
water scarcity, actual or potential, is an issue, data on water use for human purposes
is a key piece of information. Who is withdrawing water, in what quantity, and
where? How much of a given water withdrawal is later returned to the system, and
where is it returned? How have water withdrawals and return flows changed over
time, and how are they projected to change in the future?
142
J. Ducnuigeen et al.