Rivers and Water Management in the Southwest

In the Southwest, the water needs of a rapidly expanding human population are coming in direct conflict with the water needs of natural systems. Rivers and wetlands support a disproportionately large number of plants and animals relative to the area they occupy and also offer multiple benefits to humans. Each freshwater ecosystem has varying degrees of reliance on surface water and groundwater. Maintaining a natural flow regime and shallow groundwater levels is critically important for sustaining them. Can water management to support continued growth be considered sustainable if it causes loss or impairment of our remaining rivers and wetlands? View Document.