President's Water Security Initiative

The US Dept of Interior summary of the President's FY09 budget includes a Water Security Initiative with the following components:

National Water Census:

• $8 million for a census to evaluate the status of aquifer and reservoir storage, surface and groundwater flows, water quality, and water use.
• Expands networks of stream gages to assess long-term national trends in streamflows.
• Creates an integrated system to track and study groundwater.
• Enhances water modeling capabilities based on improved knowledge of the interaction
• between surface water and groundwater.

Water conservation and basin studies:

• $13 million to partner with State and local agencies to promote the efficient use of water through a competitive grant process.
• Conserves water by improving water-use efficiency.
• Increases water availability by assessing the impact of increased water demand and changing demographics on water supply.
• Prevents the decline of species by proactively addressing adverse environmental impacts on habitats.