The New York Times recently featured a story covering the opening of the Texas legislative session and its marquee issue - the state's historic drought and potential policy solutions to mitigate its long-lasting impacts.

On Wednesday, October 3, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission v. the United States to decide whether numerous water releases by the Army Corps of Engineers can be considered a prohibited "takings" under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. The decision is being closely watched by property rights activists, local governments, and other states to determine whether "temporary" discharges directed by the Corps can be considered takings that require compensation like other permanent government-controlled flooding events.

Stateline Midwest ~ June 2012

Under an expedited timeline that had been sought by state and federal lawmakers alike, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to release in 2013 a set of options for keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

As the diminished snowpack feeding the Rio Grande River basin begins to flow downstream, the state of Texas and the Mexican government are now locked in a contentious dispute over early releases of irrigation water as drought conditions are expected to again hamper harvests. At issue is a decision by an international body, called the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), to release water from reservoirs in New Mexico and Texas into canals that irrigate fields in Mexico. The decision sparked strong reaction in a joint letter from the Texas Commissioner of Agriculture and Commissioner on Environmental Quality objecting to the decision as a breach of international treaties governing water flow at the expense of drought-stricken farmers in their state.

Water Smart Homes, water-conserving appliances, and changing landscaping practices can help people to conserve water and save on their water bills.

Michigan now assesses environmental impact of proposed water withdrawals on nearby streams and limits stream depletion based on ecological characteristics. The scientific framework is the relationship between streamflow reductions and projected impact on resident fish populations. Program development was overseen by an advisory council representing major water interest groups.

Effective management of water resources is critical to the economic sustainability and security of the U.S. Increased population, intensified use and climate change will continue to affect scarce water supplies. Governments, at all levels, will need to adopt collaborative strategies as our actions, or inactions, will have major repercussions on our ability to maintain our global competitiveness.