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to the characteristics of each basin. For instance, a policy that fi ts
the Snake River Basin would not work well in the Colorado River
Basin,” he says.
Given those hydrologic differences, it's important that states
develop their own water policies, says Strong. “That's not to say
there isn't a federal role to be played. Under the Clean Water Act,
the federal government has established certain minimum standards
between states in terms of water quality.”
“It's a matter of thinking of the country as a connected whole
that uses energy and water resources independently,” says Daniel
Williams, Seattle-based urban design and sustainability expert.
“So, even though each state has its own way of doing things, every-
body must work together on this because it's the United States of
America. A national advisory board on water makes practical sense,”
says the Sierra Club's Ken Kramer. Bringing together experts and
approaches from different parts of the country could provide solu-
tions to the overall approach to water and how to respond to water
issues nationwide. It's feasible, too, says Kramer.
Williams agrees on the national aspect of the solution. “We
must establish a national dialogue that says, 'Since the begin-
ning of civilization, we've acted as if there will always be enough
resources. But we're also students of civilization and we've seen that
huge advanced civilizations go belly up because they've run out of
resources—typically, water.'”
Because we're in a similar position that's likely to worsen,
Williams says, we need a 100-year plan on a very large scale—state-
and continent-wide—to ensure we have enough water to sustain
ourselves “rather than spend an incredible amount of money, which
means taxes, to ship water from Point A to Point B.”
Water is a top issue for the twenty-fi rst century. “We have to be
more innovative and aggressive in how we deal with water issues,”
Kramer adds. “There is a growing awareness of that and I doubt
there would be political opposition to a national advisory board.
The key is
advisory.
” But Kramer also predicts strong political oppo-
sition to any attempts at national control of water decisions.
The fi rst step, rather than taking away states' rights, is to take
an architect's or planner's approach to the problem, says Williams.
Bring people—at least one person from every state and key federal,
