Today the Department of Interior launched the WaterSMART initiative with a press conference and geospatial presentation. The SMART part of the WaterSMART initiative stands for “Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow”. The president’s proposed budget includes $72.9 million for the WaterSMART program, which is a total increase of $36.4 million over 2010.
A big part of the WaterSMART is for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Census, which will be conducted for the first time in 30 years. There will also be funds through the Bureau of Reclamation to study entire river basins.
The press presentation for this policy announcement took place in the Department of Interior’s high-tech operations center at their headquarters. The initiative was launched with a geospatial presentation on water supply and demand as a means of providing background regarding the need for such a program.
The new initiative gets a kickoff with a workshop that begins tomorrow with the seven Colorado River Basin States. Among the agenda items is a discussion of the anticipated 20% reduction in water flow due to climate change.
