Fixing Water By Fixing Forests: Building Successful Watershed Investment Programs In The US
Posted: November 17, 2016Source: Ecosystem Marketplace
IMAGE BY JASON PATRICK ROSS /SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
In the United States, news about impaired drinking water sources makes regular headlines. Mountain snowpack doesn’t replenish reservoirs as much as municipalities and state officials across the US West hope. Pollution running off farm fields leads to toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie and spoils a region’s drinking water. Dangerously high levels of lead in Flint, Michigan’s water supply create a public health crisis. Additionally, wildfire, deforestation, urban development and climate change exacerbate risks to a city’s water.
While incorporating nature into water management in a more central way won’t solve all of these challenges, some water practitioners say investing in watersheds will indeed lead to a safer and secure supply of water for urban areas. New York City brought some attention to the watershed investment space with its relatively widely-known program. Denver established one in 2010 and four other Colorado cities followed in short order.