Wetland Conservation: Challenges Related to Water Law and Farm Policy

Abstract

Water is essential for wetland function and sustaining migratory networks for wetland wildlife across broad landscapes. Groundwater declines and surface flow reductions that impact aquatic and wetland organisms are common in the western U.S. and increasingly in the eastern U.S. Agriculture is the largest consumptive water use in the U.S. and understanding economic incentives of water-use practices and the legal context of water rights is foundational to identifying meaningful water solutions that benefit all sectors of society. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of water rights in the U.S. and synthesize the literature to provide a broad overview of how federal farm policy influences water-use decisions. We conclude that the ultimate cause of many water-use conflicts is an inefficient farm economy that is driven by several proximate factors, of which outdated water laws and subsidies that encourage increased water use are among the most important. Development of multi-scale water budgets to assess project impacts and by working more intensively at local watershed and aquifer scales may improve conservation efforts. Finally, detailed analyses to understand the impacts of specific federal policies on agricultural water use may enhance water conservation efforts, facilitate long-term food and water security, and provide greater protection for wetland and aquatic resources.

Moisture abundance and proximity mediate seasonal use of mesic areas and survival of greater sage‐grouse broods

“…Human population growth and climate change are placing unprecedented pressure on limited water resources (Dawadi & Ahmad, 2012; Hansen et al., 2002). As wetlands are increasingly converted to agriculture, wetlands created or maintained by flood irrigation of agricultural water resources are now the most widely available mesic area for wildlife (Donnelly et al., 2020; King et al., 2021). Given the important and complex relationship between sensitive species, such as sage‐grouse, and the availability of large mesic areas, it will be increasingly important for water availability to be managed while considering the needs of both people and wildlife, and the value of vegetation structure and edge habitats.…”

Centering 30 × 30 conservation initiatives on freshwater ecosystems

“…Watersheds define landscape boundaries in geologically and ecologically meaningful ways, and can be used to demonstrate how neighboring land users are linked by processes affecting water supply and quality (King et al 2021).…”

The role of topography, climate, soil and the surrounding matrix in the distribution of Veredas wetlands in central Brazil

“…However, even with the protection of these areas by Brazilian law, we found that more than 40% of the total Veredas area is currently used for farming. The indiscriminate use of wetlands is an international issue (King et al 2021), and in Brazil it can be explained by the stimulus to commodities production since the 1970s (Pereira 2012). In addition to the agricultural expansion, during the military dictatorship, the Brazilian government promoted the use of wetlands, including Veredas, in a disastrous program "Provárzeas Nacional" (Brazil 1981), which was supported by farmers and even by a few researchers (Reis and Rassini 1985).…”