AWWA ACE61742

This paper reviews the impacts of environmental flows on water resource projects; specifically, environmental flow policies across the western United States to ascertain how these states protect the environment from overappropriation. The paper provides a detailed review of what these policies are and how they vary. The paper takes a look at three areas where the courts have weighed in on the need to protect environmental flows, through different federal statutes. Notwithstanding state policies to protect environmental flows, there is a considerable amount of power to do so at the federal level through both the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. The paper addresses each of these statutes in the context of court decisions that have affected various water resource projects. After discussing policies and court decisions, the paper provides insight into what types of questions water resource managers should be asking as they proceed to develop new projects. Includes table.