Community Preparation and Response: Flood and Climate Adaptation

From Session 6-a pannel on the Water Impacts of Energy Development, of Track B-Warming Watersheds, at River Network's Winter Training 2010, Margo Farnsworth of Cumberland River Compact--in her presentation Community Preparation and Response: Flood and Climate Adaptation--asks three important questions: How are agencies responding to flooding? Do state and local climate response plans work? Are our local water utilities and units of government getting enough information about these issues?

In 2005, power plants in the United States withdrew 201 billion gallons of water – more than twice the flow of the Nile River – and accounted for 1 out of every 4 gallons of non-agricultural water consumption. As the U.S. strives to meet its goals of energy independence and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, the choices we make today will have a profound impact on our water supplies. To help watershed groups reduce the impacts of energy development, this session will explore: How is energy development and production impacting our water resources? How are local groups addressing these problems? Are key strategies such as the CWA permits, license renewals and water rights proceedings helping us get better technology, closed loop cooling systems, improve drilling, mining and or processing operations? How should River Network and UCS information be used?