Water Law Commons^™

Interstate Water Compacts And Climate Change Adaptation, Noah D. Hall

Law Faculty Research Publications

Over 95% of the available surface freshwater resources in the United States are interstate in nature and governed by interstate water compacts. These interstate compacts vary tremendously in how they allocate and manage interstate waters. Until recently, the water resources governed by interstate compacts have been relatively stable and unaffected by drastic changes in long-term weather patterns. However, within the next few decades North America is expected to experience increased regional variability in precipitation and susceptibility to drought. This article first looks at these expected changes on a macro and regional level to evaluate the increased stress on water resources …