Experts look to balance desert-river flows

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/03/29/20090329rivers-runoff.html

This article examines the degradation of the Arizona river system and how experts are currently trying to find a way to return rivers such as the Salt River back to a healthy riparian system of native vegetation and wildlife.  Currently, the Salt River has renewed water flow that has spawned fresh habitat that was once a permanent system.  This is a result of the Salt River Projects release of water to keep the reservoir below the federal flood control limit.  

Experts are faced with the central question of determining just how much water must be released in order to sustain this suffering riparian system of Arizona rivers.  Desert rivers do not run year round like in wetter climates, but the rivers in this region have been drained by farm and city growth and are faced with dangerous ecological consequences.  

This problem effects virtually all habitants of Arizona and the southwest region as a whole.  When ecosystems start to die, it will naturally alter the wildlife and vegetation associated with that environment.  This, in affect, can produce harmful health and safety issues for the population that relies on this land.  Determining the amount of water necessary to sustain these rivers is, therefore, crucial to the vitality of the desert region.

This article deals primarily with setting a sustainability indicator of achieving and sustaining a thriving riparian river system.  In determining the survival threshold for desert rivers, the Salt River Project is also determining specific standards and benchmarks that the rivers must meet in order to meet the minimum requirements of this goal. This is part of a long term planning process where people will be essentially managing the desert rivers.

Archeologist Hired for Environmental Study on Water Transmission Line

http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/local/local_story_103115713.html

This article is about the Tahlequah Public Works Authority Board hiring Dr. Donald O. Henry, a Tulsa University professor, to perform an environmental impact assessment on a proposed water transmission line from Lake Tenkiller to Tahlequah.  The board has used Dr. Henry in previous land use ventures, and had tabled a resolution for a proposed water treatment and distribution system improvements.

This article deals with more logistical land use planning.  Unlike the previous article, it doesn't propose any direct impacts on the ecosystem, but it does pose a threat to the overall environmental health that would be damaged if the current plan was implemented.  The people of Tahlequah would be directly affected by the water quality being pumped in through the transmission line. 

This is a clear example of how Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Reporting are successfully used in environmental regulation and land use planning. Dr. Henry had previously determined through his assessment that there were far to great of risks associated with the previously proposed water treatment and distribution system.  By the board hiring him again, it demonstrates a commitment to environmental quality.